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Thomas Gray (c.1593-1658)

• b.1593 England.
• d.1658 James City, VA.
• seen as son of Sir Edward Grey of Morpeth and Howick & Catherine Gray without supporting evidence
• Issue:
  • 4 sons: William, Thomas, John and Francis Gray.

Virginia Colonist

• from 1608: Jamestown, VA. colonist; age 15
• “Ancient Planter at or before the time of Sir Thomas Dale” . 

Property

• 18 Nov 1618: 550 acres James City Co.
•  100 acres due as an “Ancient Planter” at or before time of Sir Thomas Dale (March 27, 1611). 
• 50 acres for Annis (Annie) first wife;
• 50 acres for Rebecca, his now wife
• 350 for transportation of 2 sons, William Gray and Thomas Gray, and 5 servants – May 26, 1638.
• patented land in Surry County: 1635, 1639 and 1642. 
•   Gray’s Creek (opposite to Jamestown Island) named after him.

Family

Dorman in Adventurers of Purse and Person lists the following children born between 1618-1650 for ancient planter Thomas Gray who had at least 4 wives:

• Jone/Jane
• William - died young
• Thomas
• Rebecca
• Francis
• Another William
• John

No Lydia

Thomas married his first wife, Annis Valentine in London in 1611. She died before the 1623/4 muster.

According to "Historical Southern Families," Vol. XVII (available for viewing at VA State library in Richmond), Thomas Gray, Sr, ancient planter of Surry County, VA was married four times:

• first to Anis or Avis Valentine, children Joan Gray (b.1618) and William Gray (b. 1621 and died as a young man/older teen);
• second to Margaret ____ (no children listed
• third to Rebecca _____, children Thomas Gray (b. 1625), Rebecca Gray (b. 1628), and Francis Gray (b. 1630);
• and fourth, to unknown wife who mothered William Gray (YES - a different one, b. 1648), John Gray (b. 1651), and Thomas Gray (YES - also a different one, b. 1652). There are many records indicating this at the State Library

4. THOMAS4 GRAY, JR. [SIC] (EDWARD3, RALPH2, EDWARD1) [SIC] (Source: John Frederick Dorman, C.G., F.A.S.G., Adventurers of Purse & Person VA 1607-1624/25.) was born Abt. 1593 in England, and died Bef. 02 Nov 1658 in Surry Co., Virginia.

He married

• (1) ANNIS VALENTINE 29 Mar 1611 in St. Peter, Paul's Wharf, London, England (Source: Register, St. Peter, Paul's Wharf, London, England, MS 5721/1, Guild Hall, London, England.). She was born Abt. 1594 in England, and died Bef. 24 Jan 1624 in Surry Co., Virginia.
• (2) MARGARET Aft. 1622.
• (3) REBECCA Bef. 11 Sep 1626.
• (4) MARY FOSTER [SIC: unknown] Abt. 1645. She was born Abt. 1600 in England.

Notes for THOMAS GRAY, JR.:

Thomas Gray was an ancient planter at or before the time of Sir Thomas Dale in 1616 (Surry Co., VA Patent Book 1, pg. 283). He was living at James City, VA 1623/4 (Hotten, pg. 176) and 1624/5, with his wife Margaret, son William, aged 3 years (Surry Co., VA Patent Book, pg 283), and daughter Joane, aged 6 years. He deposed 7 March 1653/4 that he was 60 years or thereabouts (Surry Co., VA Deeds, Wills &c 1, 1652-72, pg. 410).

On 12 Oct. 1626 Thomas Gray appeared as a witness before the General Court at Jamestown (MCGC, pg. 119). His first patent, 27 Aug. 1635, for 550 acres on the south side of James River, "over against James City" and on Rolfe's and Cross creeks, included 100 acres as an Ancient Planter and 50 acres each for the transportation of his (1) wife Anis (Annis) Gray, his present wife Rebecca Gray and two sons William and Thomas, and adjoined a plantation already in his possession (Surry Co., VA, Patent Book 1, pg's. 283, 631 (repatent 26 May 1638)). He added 400 acres of Grayes Creek by patent, 20 July 1639 (Surry Co., VA, Patent Book 1, pg. 669), and an adjoining 100 acres on 7 June 1642 (Surry Co., VA, Patent Book 1, pg. 787). Another 400 acres he had patented was lost for failure of planting and seating and repatented by Samuel Abbott, 10 April 1644 (Surry Co., VA Patent Book 1, pg. 950), but both this tract, by purchase from Abbott, and his July 1639 patent were included in a new patent for 800 acres, 14 March 1652/3 (Surry Co., Patent Book 3, pg. 158).

Thomas Gray was probably dead before 2 Nov. 1658 (Surry Co., VA, Deeds, Wills &c 1, 1652-72, pg. 121) when Francis Gray transferred a patent to his brother Thomas. On 11 May 1659 Luke Mizell testified in court that while he was servant to Thomas Gray, Sr., deceased, he "did often hear sd Gray and his wife say that [Thomas] Gates had given 50 acres to their son Thomas and daughter Jane" (Surry Co., VA Deeds, Wills &c 1, 1652-72, pg. 131).

Thomas's 1st wife Annis was apparently deceased by 24 January 1624/5 when his 2nd wife "Margaret" was listed in the muster (The name Margaret may have been an error of the recorder of the muster). He married 3rd by 11 September 1626 a Rebecca ____ who deposed before the General Court that good Wright did tell her this deponent That by one Token w/ch this deponent had forehed she should burye her Husbande (MCGC, pg. 111). This prediction did not come true since Thomas Gray survived Rebecca and, by about 1645, married (4) Unknown by whom he had young children, the orphans mentioned in a controversy about land with John Corker, 26 June 1662 (Surry Co., VA Deeds, Wills &c 1, 1652-72, Pg. 192).

Children of THOMAS GRAY and ANNIS VALENTINE are:

• 5. i. JOANE "JANE"5 GRAY, b. Abt. 1618, Virginia.
• ii. WILLIAM GRAY, b. Bet. 1621 - 1622.

Notes for WILLIAM GRAY:

William Gray was named in in his father's 1635 patent but apparently died young.

Children of THOMAS GRAY and REBECCA are:

• iii. THOMAS5 GRAY, JR., d. Bef. 01 Jan 1672.

Notes for THOMAS GRAY, JR.:

Thomas Gray sold 100 acres on Gray's Creek called Hollowing Point to Richard and Isabella Case, 3 November 1667 (Surry Co., VA Deeds, Wills &c 1, 1652-72, pg. 291), and about 80 acres on Gray's Creek and Cross Creek to Thomas and Joane Cruse, 5 November 1667 (Surry Co., VA Deeds, Wills &c 1, 1652-72, pg. 292), both tracts apparently inherited from his father, and died before 1 January 1672/3 when Francis Gray was appointed his administration (Surry Co., VA Order Book, 1671-91, pg. 18).

• 6. iv. REBECCA GRAY, b. Bet. 1628 - 1630; d. Abt. 20 May 1655.
• 7. v. FRANCIS GRAY, CAPTAIN, b. Bet. 1630 - 1635; d. Bef. 06 May 1679, Surry Co., Virginia.

Children of THOMAS GRAY and MARY FOSTER [SIC: unknown] are:

• 8. vi. WILLIAM5 GRAY, SR., CAPTAIN, b. Bet. 1648 - 1649, James City Co., Virginia; d. Bef. 18 Nov 1719, Surry Co., Virginia.
• 9. vii. JOHN GRAY, b. Abt. 1651, Surry Co., Virginia; d. Jul 1683, Surry Co., Virginia.
• viii. THOMAS GRAY, b. Abt. 1652, Surry Co., Virginia; d. Bef. 02 May 1676, Surry Co., Virginia.

Notes for THOMAS GRAY:

Thomas Gray deposed 2 July 1672 that he was near 21 years of age (Surry Co., VA Deeds, Wills &c 2, 1671-84, pg. 20) left a will 16 April 1676 - May 1676 (Surry Co., VA Deeds, Wills &c 2, 1671-84, pg. 113), making bequests to his brother Francis' three daughters and Francis' wife and leaving his land to his brothers John and William.

Disputed origins and wives

As of 12 January 2025, see https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gray-688 for ongoing discussion of Thomas Gray's origins and wives.

See https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/collaborate/L1M3-56D for discussion of conflicting sources

References

1. Gray, Thomas - A3204; born 1593/4, died by 1658 Surry Co.: (Ancient Planter); (Muster of 1624/5).
2. Genealogies of VA Families. pp 222, Boddies VHG p 109, HSF V 17 p 81 and SVF V 2 p 30-42. b. shown by his deposition (3-7-1653): Stated age as 60 ... Testified that Daniel Hutton, dec, left all his estate to his wife Rebecca (surry Bk 1 p 41)
3. < Yahoo Groups > dead link
4. < Geocities > (dead link)
5. < Jamestowne.org >Gray, Thomas - A3204; born 1593/4, died by 1658 Surry Co.: (Ancient Planter); (Muster of 1624/5).
6. < Ancestry on Rootsweb > (dead link)
7. http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/gray/13625/
8. http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gray-688
9. http://www.oocities.org/heartland/bluffs/9857/gray_page_3/gray.html
10. Virginia Historical Genealogies By John Bennett Boddie Page 309 < GoogleBooks > Comment: This edition of Boddie is complained about as having errors. Apparently there is an updated / revised version published from his widow.
11. land patents http://www.genfiles.com/mizell-files/Mizell-surry-records.pdf
12. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82936248/thomas-gray
13. Removed birth of before May 04, 1595 London, Middlesex, England
14. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/M34V-9KJ as of 12 January 2025, shows Thomas Gray Sr. (d. 1653) & Margaret Annis Valentine with 9 children. Then Thomas Gray Jr. (1619-1658) m. Helen Proctor m. 19 Oct 1643 with 3 children: Thomas Gray (1645 - ); Hannah Gray (1647-1670); Capt. William Gray (1648-1719).
15. Surry in Surry County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic) English Settlement on Gray’s Creek. < hmdb.org >

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Old notes

Thomas Gray (b. 1593, d. 1658)

Thomas Gray (son of Edward Grey and Catherine Le Strange)284, 284 [Evidence?] was born 1593 in London, Middlesex, England284, and died 1658 in Surry, Virginia, USA284. He married Margaret Annis on 1617 in Pauls Wharf, London, England.

More About Thomas Gray:

• Date born 2: 1594, Angerton, Northumberland, England.284 [SIC]
• Died 2: 27 Jan 1657, Angerton, Northumberland, England.284 [SIC]

More About Thomas Gray and Margaret Annis: [SIC]

Marriage: 1617, Pauls Wharf, London, England.

Children of Thomas Gray and Margaret Annis are:

• +Frances Gray, b. 1615, [SIC] Southwark, Virginia, USA284, 284, d. 13 Jun 1679, Surry, Virginia, USA

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