1. Benjamin RAY [scrapbook] 1, 2, 3, 4 was born 5 about 1756 in , , North Carolina. He died on 28 Jan 1841 in Rosedale, Russell, Virginia. He was buried 6 in Honaker, Russell, Virgina, USA.
Lived in Surry County, NC between 1784-90
BIOGRAPHY: "Benjamin joined the Rev. Army at Wilmington, NC in 1775 & served for 8 years. He fought with the 6th North Carolina Regiement in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown & Monmouth before he was captured by the British at the seige of Charleston, SC 12 May 1870. He spent the remainder of the war on a British prison ship (14 months). Benjamin Ray served in the 6th NC Regiment under (Col. Thomas Clark and Captain John Baptist Ashe), was granted a pension of $8.00 per month beginning May 1818. One record says Benj. Ray joined the army in 1775 and that Capt. Ashe was killed in the Battle of Germantown. #W26355" (from the Carl Ray Record)
As Edith and her father lived and worked with an obscure group of reluctant immigrants called the Melungeons, it is surmised that one may have been Benjamin's father. The Melungeons were Spanish slaves and others exported to the America's then abandoned. (See http://www.geocities.com/mikenassau/what.htm for a more complete history.)
MARRIAGE: It is unclear in the records but the dates would indicate the children are from ? Pinion as Benjamin married Nancy later.
BURIAL: Whitt Cemetary
RESEARCH: Surry Co NC Census 1790 shows a Benjamin Ray w/ 3 white females (assumed wife and two dau.) and one son under 16 yrs. No other data given.
Benjamin married 1 (1) PINNION?. PINNION? was born in 1770. She died in Sep 1820.
They had the following children:
2 F i daughter RAY 1 was born about 1784 in Surry County,North Carolina, USA. 3 F ii daughter RAY 1 was born about 1786 in Surry County,North Carolina, USA. + 4 M iii John RAY + 5 M iv Reason RAY 6 M v Jesse RAY 1, 2, 3 was born about 1796 in , Surrey, North Carolina, USA.
was on the 1812 & 1814 Tax lists in Russell County, Virginia, USA
FAMILY: Benjamin Ray is named as father on Jesse's card. Mother not listed. It is uncertain whether this is the same as Benjamin s/o Edith Ray.+ 7 F vi Sarah RAY + 8 M vii Samuel RAY + 9 M viii Iradell RAY + 10 F ix Lucy RAY 11 M x Dice RAY 1, 2 was born about 1794 in , Surrey, North Carolina, USA.
There appears some uncertainty as to whether Dice is a member of this family per Carl's record.
FAMILY: Benjamin Ray is named as father on Dice's card. Mother not listed. It is uncertain whether this is the same as Benjamin s/o Edith Ray.12 M xi Daniel RAY 1, 2 was born about 1790 in , Surrey, North Carolina, USA.
Whether his father is Benjamin is questioned on CHR card. Mother not listed.
FAMILY: Benjamin Ray is named as father on Daniel's card. Mother not listed. It is uncertain whether this is the same as Benjamin s/o Edith Ray.
Benjamin married 3, 4 (2) Nancy Sutherland WILSON 1, 2 on 31 Jan 1830 in , Russell, Virginia, USA. Nancy was born 5 about 1780. She died in Russell,Virginia, USA.
There are some discrepancies in dates to iron out here. If Nancy was 50 or so when they wed as Carl's records imply, the children are those of the previous marriage.
FAMILY: Carl's recors show the order of the children as very different. The sourse of the given birthdates is unknown.