ID: I2287
Name: John Gray
Sex: M
Birth: 24 AUG 1727 1 2
Death: 28 NOV 1806 in Arlington, Bennington Co.,Vermont
Burial: 1806 St.James Cemetery, Arlington, Vermont
Note: Information from "The Grays in America", a paper by Michele Gray-Schaffer. An officer (gunner) in the Royal Navy, letter of introduction from Nov 1745, a position generally requiring a good deal of money and influence. Listed in sources as a captain in the English naval service and as Captain John Gray from England. Noted in such position as late as 1756. Moved his family from Connecticutt to the Arlington, VT area about 1768. At that time Episcopalians (Anglicans) in Connecticutt were being hounded by Puritans for being too close to the English monarchy, so many left beginning in 1764 for the newly chartered town of Arlington, Vermont, especially from Newtown and New Milford, CT. This included family friends such as the Hawleys and Hurds. Many of these people, probably including John, kept a low profile during the Revolution and few Anglican services were held. John was involved in several land transactions in CT and VT. Belonged to St.James Parish. Voted moderator of the Vestry, 1788, included in Grand List of Arlingtons, 1789, etc. From his will, written 10 Mar 1803: "First and principally I resine my soul with the utmost humility into the hands of Almighty God my Creator humbly hoping for a blessed immortality through the merits and mediation of my blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ. And for such temporal estate as the Lord in his great goodness and mercy hath intrusted me to be the Steward of, I give devise and dispose thereof as follows..." From his gravestone: "In Memory of Capt. John Gray, Who died November the 28th A.D. 1806 aged 79 years 3mo. & 4 Days..." From the Vermont Historical Magazine, No. XI, October 1867: "John Gray was a captain in the English naval service. He came to Kent [Litchfield County], Connecticut, not far from 1760, and followed the Hawleys with whom he had become acquainted, to Arlington about 1768. He married first a woman of whom we have no certain knowledge, who left one son, John. John Gray married second Mary Morgan......John Gray was a churchman, his politics not known."
Father: Norman? Gray
Marriage 1
Hannah Noble c: 5 JUL 1730 in New Milford, Litchfield, Connecticut
- Married:
1752
in Norwalk, CT 3
Children
 John Gray b: 19 APR 1755 in Norwalk, CT- Hannah Gray b: 28 MAY 1757 in Norwalk, CT
Marriage 2
Mary Morgan b: 20 JUN 1739 in Kent, Litchfield Co.,Connecticut
- Married:
12 MAR 1761
in Kent, Litchfield Co.,CT. 4
Children
- Benjamin Gray b: 17 OCT 1761 in Kent, Connecticut
 Mary Gray b: 25 DEC 1763 in Kent, Litchfield Co.,Connecticut- Caleb Gray b: 12 SEP 1765 in Kent, Connecticut
- Dominicus Gray b: 1 MAR 1770 in Arlington, Bennington Co., Vermont
- Jordan Gray b: 7 SEP 1774 in Arlington, Bennington Co., Vermont
- David Gray b: 23 JUL 1776 in Arlington, Bennington Co., Vermont
- Thomas Gray b: 23 JUN 1779 in Arlington, Bennington Co., VT
Sources:
- Title: Ancestral File, Mormon Church
Abbrev: Ancestral File, Mormon Church
- Title: Headstone
Abbrev: Headstone
- Title: Town Records of Norwalk, CT
Abbrev: Norwalk Records
- Title: Town Records of Kent, CT
Abbrev: Kent Records
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