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Sharing our Links to the Past |
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Josiah John Gray Born: 16 Jul 1813 Shelburne, Nova Scotia. Father: William GRAY #G16 Married: 6 Aug 1836 Catharine Smith #G9 in Sambro, Halifax, Nova Scotia. They had seven children. Catharine Smith Born: 7 Nov 1817 in Sambro, Halifax, Nova Scotia Father: Abijah SMITH #G18 Children: Based upon information we have cited below, Josiah Gray, known also as Josiah John Gray, John Gray or John Josiah, was born in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, as were at least two of his brothers, Samuel and William. It sounds as though the parents of the brothers fished in the New England area and during the turmoil of the Revolutionary War moved back to Canada. I am assuming (see history of the Grays and the biographies of William II, Josiah’s father and William I, Josiah’s grandfather) that the family came from Canada to fish in the New England waters, then removed themselves because of the turmoil of the war. Josiah and his brothers moved to Sambro where they continued their trade of fishing. The record below indicates that Josiah married a Catholic, thus breaking that branch of the family from the Methodist Church. However, Josiah’s son Joseph (my grandfather) belonged to the Church of England. It is obvious that Joseph’s family at least did not practice Catholicism. SOURCES: "Josiah John Gray, John Gray or John Josiah, as he was known, born ca 1812 in Shelburne, N.S., a brother to Samuel, born Feb. 1816 and William born ca 1814, the three brothers relocated to Sambro, N.S., where John [Josiah] married Catherine Micherson [Smith?] who was born in Sambro ca 1817. They have five [seven are recorded] children. They were all born in Sambro. J.J. [Josiah] died July 31 1878 [1876]. John James Gray, born June 19/1842; Stephen J. Gray, born ca 1846; Sarah Gray, born ca 1851; Ellenor Gray, born ca 1854; Joseph A. Gray, born ca 1858. Brackets are mine. "John James Gray, born June 1842 married Mary Elizabeth Gray, daughter of Samuel and Rebecca (Smith) Gray, she was born ca 1843 and died May 27/1918, her husband John James died July 9/1909. They are both buried in the Lakeview Cemetery at Gabarous, N.S. They had nine children shown in Chapter 10: Paragraphs 2, 3 & 4 as well as their grandchildren. "Stephen J. Gray, born ca 1846, died [left blank] in 1868 he married Ellen Henneberry of Sambro, N.S. She was born ca 1848, a daughter of Martin and Ann Henneberry of Sambro."
"During the war in the United States, although in those early days they could be called anything but united, due to the war and its ill effects on the more sedate families in the New England states, they decided to move away from the turmoil. It is assuming a lot to think that the parents of Samuel Gray [William and Mary] together with his brothers William and John or Josiah John migrated to Shelburne, N.S. where the three aforementioned sons were born. In any event we have it on note Josiah John was born there about 1812, Samuel born Feb. 1/1816 and William was born about 1814, the three brothers left Shelburne and sought their fortunes in Sambro, N.S. and each became involved in the fishing industry. Rumor also has it that John Josiah met a girl in Sambro and they were married, she was of the Roman Catholic faith and from this union sprang the separation [sic] from the Methodist Church for the Grays." 3. The Cornwallis Document lists the children of William and Mary and includes Josiah. It also reports the "about 1835" marriage of Josiah to Catherine Smith and lists their children as Rebecca, Elizabeth, John, Stephen, Sarah , Eleanor and Joseph. 4. Lawrence Gray (son of Wallace and Frances Gray) researched in the Public Archives of Nova Scotia (PANS) in 1976 and found the marriage of Josiah Gray and Catherine Smith as 6 Aug 1836 in Sambro located in Brunswick St. United Church Reg. Halifax, p. 8, No. 108 (Book 2). Children were listed in chr. Book 3. Smith: Book 1 (pieces of paper.) The birth dates match what we have reported. However he could not find any record of Rebecca or Ellen. Lawrence indicated that the reason that the records are at a church in Halifax rather than Sambro was that in the early days circuit riders recorded the information in the small towns then carried them into the larger churches such as Halifax. These microfilmed records consisted of pieces of paper in their original form. 5. I have seen the Josiah Gray tombstone at the United Church Cemetery at Sambro. It correctly lists his birth date as 31 Jul 1876 and his wife as Catherine. However it also states that he was 69 years and 11 days old at his death. Our verified dates indicate he was 63 years and 15 days old. 6. We also have a statement from Donald Gray that Josiah’s parents were William and Mary Gray. Informant was Catherine Gray and the records were probably obtained from George Church, Anglican. 7. I also received verification of the seven children (names not birth dates) of Josiah from my Uncle Clem, Aunts Olive and Helen and Grandmother Ada at a visit I made to my grandmother’s home on 28 Jul 1949 (when I was almost 24 years old.) I was accompanied by my wife Frances and son Larry. The children were listed as "J.A. Gray (youngest), John, Stephen, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Sarah and Ellen." (Written by Wallace F. Gray) 8. We also have copy of a contract of marriage of Joseph G. Findlay, bachelor, and Ellen Gray, spinster, Methodist Church of Sambro for 10 Dec 1880 and a marriage license of the same listing Wesleyan Church at Sambro dated 10 Dec 1880 as well as a marriage slip for same (15 Dec 1880) which names Joseph Findlay as a fisherman, son and William and Mary Findlay, also fisherman. Ellen Gray is shown as daughter of Joseph [Josiah] and Catherine Gray, fisherman. Clergyman J.H. Davis is Methodist. 9. We also have a copy of a marriage slip for Stephen Josiah Gray, fisherman, son of Josiah and Catherine Gray, fisherman; and Mary Eleanor Henneberry, daughter of Martin and Ann Henneberry, fisherman. Officiating was Rev,. Henry Pope, Wesleyan Methodist. (Written by Wallace F. Gray) Home | Biographical
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