The Gray Family

The Gray Family

PREFACE

The following account of the Gray family will relate first, to George Gray senior, who came from England in 1801, and to the family history of his children briefuly given.

The second part will relate to his son, who was born in Gorham, New York, and died at Lynedoch Ont. And for the benefit of whose children and immediate descendants and friends this brief memoir is written,

Lynedoch, September 18th, 1896.

Transcribed from a photocopy received from:

From Thomas Reston

Washington D.C.

In September 1997

By Donald Thomson

Transcribed and footnoted in 1999 by James Thompson fulton, great-grandson of James Fulton and June Gray

Boise, ID

Chapter 1.

George Gray senior, was born in Northumberland County, England, in the year 1760. The date of his birth cannot be given as no family records have been preserved. He married Agnes Atchinson, who was born in scotland just over the Northumberland County border, in 1761 (1). George Gray being at the time twenty eight years of age, and his wife twenty two. (2) His business was that of a wheelwright and cabinet-maker. He was a man possessing a fair education, and of excellent habits and character, and a devout christian.

His wife was an estimable woman, thoroughly versed in the scriptures, possessed of a fair education and perhaps the superior of her husbands in intellectual attainments. Both possessed the respect of their neighbors in England. Mr. Gray’s business afforded him very little more than a bare livelihood, and about the beginning of the century (3) he and some friends having heard from some of their neighbors, who a few years before had emigrated to America, about its beauty, cheap lands and fine climate, decided that country afforded better prospects for attaining a competence than England, and after canvassing the matter, thirteen families decided to emigrate to this new land of promise. These families were as follows: Gray, Armstrong, Reid, Lowrie, Garbut, Watson, Renwick, Turnbull, Stoke, Robson, Rutherford, Cowan and Dickson. (4) Having closed up their affairs and made preliminary preparations for departure, Mr. Gray was sent as the agent of the colony, to Liverpool, for the purpose of engaging their passage. He left his home in Northumberland a few miles above Newcastle on the tyne, on Monday morning, and walked to Liverpool, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. He found a suitable vessel, engaged passage for the thirteen families, learned the date of the sailing, which was far enough ahead to afford the necessary time for final preparations of all the families to reach Liverpool, and then return as he went on foot. He remained in Liverpool four hours only, and reached home early Sabbath morning in time for church, having accomplished the tree hundred miles in almost exactly six days deducting the time he spent in Liverpool.

In due time the thirteen families embarked at Liverpool and sailed for New York. The voyage occupied six weeks (5), and all the adventurers seeking a new home were glad to get sight of shore again, and land in the Metropolis of the New World. Mr. Gray, who was out of money having succeeded in accumulating only a sufficient sum to pay the passage of himself and family, intended to seek for employment at his trade in the city, but his friends with whom he had come over were anxious to have him remain with them, and among they they raised the necessary money to pay his passage to the interior of the State amounting to $100.00.

At the time Mr. Gray left England he had a family of six children: Margaret, Andrew, William, John, Elizabeth and Walter, and in America three other children were born: Michael, Ann and George. At the time of landing in New York, Mr. Gray was forty-one years old and his wife was thirty-five (6). The party decided to settle in Western New York.

The country was then very new and sparsely settled, and it would be interesting to know how the information was obtained that led them to make the choice of location that they decided upon. It was an excellent one, their destination being Ontario County in the “Lake Region,” one of the finest portions of the Empire State, and at that time almost entirely covered by the primeval forest.

The party made their way up the Hudson on a sloop and from Albany their course westward by wagon or on foot. The country was new and strange to them and they were about to undertake a business of clearing up lands in the forest, which would be not only harder, but very trying for a year or two after their arrival. At this time the United States was a new country, its population being less than six million, a little more than the present population of Canada.

New York, now was one of the great cities of the world, at that time continued a population of less than seventy thousand. Albany was a little town of six thousand people. Buffalo had not yet an organization or a settlement and the vast country to the west of New York State was a great unoccupied wilderness.

Mr. Gray and his fellow colonists landed in New York July 3rd, 1801 (7). They first settled in the township of Seneca where they remained four years (8), the family then removed to the Township of Gorham, about six miles from geneva, New York, where they remained nine years (9).

Michael was born in Seneca (10), Ann and George (11) were born in Gorham. In 1814 (12) the family removed to Caledonia, New York, chiefly for the purpose of settling where they could have religious privileges of a congenial character. Caledonia was a Scotch settlement which had been formed a few years before, and the Presbyterian element there, of course, was very strong. The Associated Reform church, an offshoot to the Durger Church, had established a congregation here which was already a strong and self sustaining one, and Mr. and Mrs. Gray immediately upon their arrival at Caledonia, connected themselves with this body, the opportunity for doing so being the chief motive for moving.

The first pastor of this church was Rev. Mr. Campbell. It is not certain whether he or his successor, Rev. Boyce was succeeded by Rev. Donald McLaren in 1824. Rev McLaren was a man of fine attainments and marked ability, and his useful pastorate continued for thirty-one years. Under his preaching and pastoral care, the children grew up and his influence had much to do with the formation of their religious character. He vigorously combatted the drinking usages of the day. Two long sermons were preached each Sabbath, with an interval of half an hour between them It is related of Mr. McLaren’s struggle with drink habits, that during the intermission some of the hard headed old Scotchmen in the congregation, were in the habit of going to the village hotel a quarter of a mile away to get a drink. Mr. McLaren expostulate against this custom without effect; He then shortened down in the intermission to fifteen minutes, but the thirsty members managed to get to the tavern and back to afternoon service in that time. He then tried ten minutes, but the were still able to make the trip, though it hurried them. The intermission was then cut to five minutes, and the practise was broken up. Mr. McLaren had two brothers in the ministry; John and Malcolm. In addition to the congregation of which Mr. McLaren was pastor, another congregation of Presbyterian existed in Caledonia where the service was held in Gaelic.

Mr. Gray bought a farm of four hundred acres upon which there were fourteen acres partly cleared and a log house. The purchase price of this property was eight dollars per acre (13), and upon it he made a small payment. Here for many years the family worked away faithfully, struggling to reduce the debt upon the farm and they finally succeeded in paying it entirely in the year 1830 (14). It was ten years after their settlement in Caledonia before the Erie Canal was open (15), and during that time prices of produce were exceedingly low. Wheat and everything designed for market, he to be teamed to Albany, a distance of over two hundred and twenty-five miles. Wheat was worth 25 to 37 cents per bushel, pork 2 cents per pound and other agricultural products in proportion, while goods were exceedingly dear, common grey cotton being worth as much as 37 cents per yard, nails 18 cents per pound, and other goods in proportion.

The family, of course, had to practice rigid economy and luxuries were not thought of. The spinning wheel at home produced the linen tow-cloth (16) for summer wear, and linen sheets for home use, and woolen goods which when sent to the the fulling (17) mill, made good durable clothing for the men, and linsey woolsey (18) for dresses for the women and girls. The family spinning-wheel and loom were indispensible adjunets to the housekeeping cutfit then and while the men and boys were busy clearing the forest away and bringing the land under cultivation, the women were performing life’s duties in attending the housekeeping, and furnishing the clothing for themselves and their husbands and children. All of the children in later years look back to their experience upon the farm in Caledonia, when they were clearing it up and combating the ills and hardships of a pioneer life, with feelings of pleasure, and it be reasonably doubted whether the conditions of society now, with increased means and the possession of abounding luxuries, is really more conducive to happiness, then was the condition of things there and then.

The family all worked together upon this farm until 1825 (19) when Andrew, the oldest son who was born November 7th, 1790 and twas then thirty-four years of age, took a portion of the farm and his share of the partimeny and set up for himself, having previously married Miss Agnes Romain (20). One hundred acres of property was set asked for his use. Later on the second son, William who married Sally Hatfield, took one hundred acres, and the remainder of the family remained together, working the two hundred acres that was left.

After Andrew and William went for themselves, Walter, the third son (21) took the lead. He was a man of great energy of character and excellent judgment, and managed the affairs at home with prudence and ability. John the next son married Miss Jeanette ______ (22), and moved to Portage about thirty miles south, in 1826. He remained there two years and then returned to Caledonia and went to work with his brothers on the old farm. Soon after he was unfortunately killed by the kick of a horse while threshing upon the barn floor. This was February 12, 1828, age 33. He left his wife and two children, Andrew and Jeanette. Andrew was married and died leaving two children. Jeanette, who was a very pretty girl died unmarried. Walter, Michael and George, the remaining sons did not confine their attention to farming but worked more or less at the carpenter trade. Walter took a number of contracts for building barns about the year 1838 and pushed that business with vigor and success.

In 1832 Andrew and George Gray (23) moved to Cattaraugus County, New York, a mountainous region on the per waters of Allegheny, and among the foot hills of the Allegheny mountains, about fifty miles south of Buffalo, where they both purchased farms. Here Andrew Gray spent the rest of his life, struggling with the difficulties incident to a somewhat unproductive soil, and a distant situation from a market. The county was adapted to dairy and during the was of the rebellion from 1861 to 65 he and his son George, who was at home with him on the farm, managed to make enough money to put themselves in comfortable circumstances, from a dairy of forty to fifty cows which was kept upon their farm of three hundred acres. Andrew died March 22, 1864, leaving two sons George and Abram. Three of his children, Mary, Thomas and William died while he was living. Mary who was born September 12, 1829, died March 14th, 1853, Thomas who was born September 12, 1831, died December 17, 1840, and William who was born September 19, 183? (24), died June 16th, 1835.

His son George who was born July 16, 1823, died October 29th, 1874. Abram (25) who was next to George, and about two years younger is still living, an infirm old man; and when he dies the family of Andrew Gray will have become extinct. George Gray (26) whose career will be more fully dwelt upon later, remained in Cattaraugus until February 1838 when he removed to Portage living there and in Caledonia, until his removal to Canada in 1848. Walter Gray (27) married Eliza Calvert and moved to Cuba, N.Y. in 1831, where he remained three years when he sold the farm he had purchased there at a handsome advance and returned to Caledonia where he remained two years (28), he then moved to Media, N.Y. After a short residence in that village he bought a farm three miles east of Lyndonville, N.Y. and moved on it. This farm contained three hundred and twenty-five acres, and was an excellent and productive property. Here he died April 22nd, 1883; he was born in England, November 6, 1799. He was more successful than any of his brothers in accumulating property.

He had three sons, William, the eldest, has a farm and foundry at Lyndonville, N.Y. George, the second son, moved to Illinois and has become a prominent citizen of that state. He has amassed considerable property and was for two terms a member of the Illinois State Legislature. Robert, the next son took the old homestead at Lyndonville, and settled with the heirs, and is a successful and highly respected man. Walter Gray had four daughters, Louisa, who married a Mr. Phelps, and who died in 1889; Margaret who married John Mallet and is still living. Agnes who married a Mr. Milroy and who died in 1866, and Euphemia who married a Mr. Swift and is still living, a widow with four children.

William Gray (29), who took one hundred acres of the old farm as his share, lived on it till his death. He was born in England in 1792, and died January 6th, 1846 (30). He had the misfortune to lose one of his eyes, which was taken out at the Geneva Medical College, some years before his death.

His widow and family sold the old homestead and scattered to various points in the west. Mason, the oldest son died; The next son William died; and the third son John, served as Captain in the War of the Rebellion, and the last know of him was in Minnesota. Margaret, one of the daughters, married Richard Warren, one of her fathers hired men. They also moved to the west, and Warren accumulated a large property. He died a few years ago in Kansas City; One of his sons is a physicist in the city, and his widow is living there now . Two of the daughters at last accounts were living at Ottawa Kansas. Agnes, the eldest of these two is an elderly maiden lady and Clarrissa is the wife of Mr. Walter Scott, to whom she was married over thirty years ago (31). Aunt Sally the widow of William Gray died April 29th, 1854. Very little connection has been maintained between this family and other branches.

Michael Gray (32) was born at Seneca, N.Y. in 1803. He took the old homestead in Caledonia in 1832, and settled with the other heirs. He was a successful farmer and had six children, all of whom are dead except Andrew the second son who is living, who at the present time is living at Nunda, N.Y. He has no family. Walter the eldest son entered army during the Rebellion, and attained the rank of Lieutenant; He disappeared from view and has never been heard of since. Whether he was killed and no record obtained of his death, or what happened to him is a mystery that probably will never be solved. The two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret each left a son. Elizabeths husband was a man named Merrick, and Margaret married a man named Henion. Her son Frederick is married, has a family and lives in Illinois. Elizabeth left one son who has a wife and several children. Michael sold the old homestead one month before his death, which occurred December 15, 1847 (33). His wife Samantha died April 17th, 1845. He contracted Consumption and died at the home of his sister, Margaret Christie (34). The proceeds of his estate were divided among the children as they came of age; Walter Gray having acted as guardian. None of them succeeded very well in business.

Margaret Gray (35), the eldest of the children married Daniel Christie in 1824; They settled on a farm of one hundred acres three miles south east of Caledonia; Mr Christie died in 186_ (36). Mrs. Christie remained on the farm and managed it until her death, which took place in 1875 (37). She was an excellent woman and belonged for many years to the Reformed Presbyterian or Convenater Church. From the time the family came to America in 1801 to the time of her marriage, she was great assistance to her mother in the management of family affairs, and was industrious, competent, and a most excellent housekeeper, and a thoroughly christian woman. After the death of her husband she managed the farm successfully. She had three children, George, Mary Ann and Agness, all of whom died several years before her own death occurred, and her family after her death became extinct. Elizabeth (38), or Aunt Betsy, as she was familiarly termed, married Lewis Tuttle (39) in 1816 (40). She was a tall, beautiful, stately looking woman; they settled at Oak Hill, in the Township of Portage, about two miles from the beautiful village of Nunda, which nestled in the valley four or five hundred feet below them. On this farm they remained during the rest of their lives.

Lewis Tuttle was an industrious, careful man, with a good deal of force of Character. His brother Harry, next younger than himself, lived with them until his death. A few years after their marriage Lewis Tuttle became intemperate, and often came home in a state of intoxication, and sometimes abused his family. After a few years he broke off this habit and became a thoroughly temperate man, and never afterwards during his life, allowed a drop of liquor to pass his lips. He could not go into a bar-room and often when teaming grain and wheat to market if it were necessary to feed his team at a hotel, he would pace back and forth in the cold rather than go into the way of temptation.

They had six children; Margaret, Agnes, Henry, Charlotte, Elizabeth and George, all of whom grew up to be men and women. All of them were intelligent and it was a very lovely pleasant household. Elizabeth and Charlotte were very fond of music and were very fine singers. Henry, Charlotte, Elizabeth and Agnes were married. All of these children died before their father or mother passed away. Elizabeth died October 24th, 1873 (41), she was born in 1797. Lewis Tuttle, her husband died in 1879 (42) and after his death the family also became extinct (43). Ann (44), the next daughter was born in Corham in 1806. She was said to have been the brightest and most intelligent of the girls. She died at Elliottville, N.Y. July 14th 1844 (45). She was married to Adam Charlton, in 1828.

He died March 14, 1891. The children of this union were John, born February 3rd, 1829; Ellen, born January 12, 1831; George, born January 21, 1833; Ann Elizabeth, born February 5th, 1835; Margaret, born March 29th, 1837; Thomas, born April 7th, 1839; William Andrew, born May 29, 1841 and Agnes Jane, born July 5, 1843. All of these children are still living.

Mrs. Agnes Gray, the mother of Margaret, Andrew, William, John and the other children born in England and America whose lives have been briefly alluded to in the proceeding pages, was remarkable for her knowledge of the Scriptures, and the same was the case with her husband George Gray. No passage, it is said, could be quoted that she was not able to tell the balance of the quotation, if a person started it and gave a few words. Mrs. Gray made it an invariable practice to rise between four and five in the morning, and to read, before commencing her household duties, six chapters in the bible.

In this way she read the scared book through time and time again. Mr. Gray was also a diligent student of the Holy Lord, and both were remarkable for their thorough knowledge of Holy Writ, and their theological attainments. George Gray died September 25th, 1840, aged 81. His wife Agnes Gray died October 3rd 1846, aged 80 (46).

Chapter II

George Gray Junior (47), whose life and work is the more immediate object of this brief memoir, was born as stated in Gorham, N. Y. March 29th 1811. He was a small boy when his family moved to Caledonia in 1814, and here on the farm which his father purchased on credit mostly he grew up, and aided the rest of the family in their struggle to pay the debt that rested upon it. He was the youngest of the family, and was the favorite of both father and mother. When a boy fifteen years of age he fell from a wild cherry tree a distance of thirty feet, striking upon the ground which had been trampled hard by the cattle seeking shade under the tree. The shock nearly killed him and during all the subsequent years of his life, he felt the effects of it.

He remained at home until 1832 (48), and having married a short time before he moved to cattaraugus County with his brother Andrew Gray. Their farms were adjoined ones and were situated upon the top of a mountain, lying between Little Valley and Great Valley, the elevation above either being about seven hundred feet. The summit of these mountain ridges were broad and undulating, but each farm reached to the declivity on each side of the ridge, and much of the land was too steep for cultivation. The county was splendidly timbered with Maple Bach, Black Oak, Cherry, Chestnut, Cucumber and scattering Pines and other varieties of timber. In the valleys and on the lower slopes of the mountain ridges were heavy belts of hemlock. On the farm which George Gray settled upon was a small clearing; He set to work here bravely, to make a home and competence for himself and family, but it was up hill work. He remained here until February 1838 (49), and during the six years he was here he cleared up considerable portion of his farm and improved his worldly circumstances materially, but he was not satisfied with the country and in 1838, he disposed of his farm at a low price and with the help of his brother, Michael Gray, he purchased a farm of seventy acres in Porgate, N.Y. about a mile from Lewis Tuttle.

He remained here two years (50) and then went back to Caledonia to work the old homestead for his brother Michael Gray. There he remained two years and then moved back to the farm in Portage in 1842. Upon the Portage farm he remained until 1847. He then went back to the old homestead as his brother Michael’s failing health prevented his taking further charge of it, and worked the farm for one year (51). His crops were excellent and he would have remained longer had his brother not died.

In consequence of Michael’s conviction that his death was near at hand, he decided that it was best to sell the farm and close up the estate. He desired that his brother George should buy it, and offered to sell upon easy terms of payment, but George had not the courage to make the purchase and carry the debt that would be necessary, although it would have been a fortunate financial move for him if he had done so. His crops the year he worked the farm were excellent, and he sold his wheat at a good price.

Had he bought the farm the heirs were not to have been paid off for a number of years, and he could no doubt, have discharged all the obligations that would be incurred before the last of the heirs became of age. As it was he deemed that the prudent course was the better one for him to pursue, and he decided to remove to a newer country where he could buy land at a cheap price and undertake the work of clearing up a farm. He had friends living in Canada and when he had visited them a good many years before, he was highly pleased with the appearance of the land about Brantford and Paris. He decided to visit Canada again and lock up a location. He went to his friends near Newport, on Grand River just below Brantford, and John Thomas Charlton who had been out in the Norfolk County on a hunting excursion, and had formed a favorable opinion of that section of the country, and advised Mr. Gray to go down there and make an examination with a view to purchasing. He followed this advice and came to Wilson’s Mills upon Big Creek, now Lynedoch, in company with John Thomas Charlton who drove him out. This visit was made in the autumn of 1847 (52). Here he was in one of the newest portions of Canada. He was pleased with the country; most of it was still in forest and largely timbered with pine, and he had foresight enough to know that this would become a source of business and wealth.

It was rather an unpromising country at that, with a rude population in the main, and looking backwards after a lapse of years it seems a singular decision that he arrived at to move into this wilderness region from the beautiful Genesee Valley of New York State. Had he at this time gone to the western states, either Illinois, Iowa or Wisconsin, he could have made an excellent selection and he could have purchased land at the Government price of $1.25 per acre and settled down in the midst of a population of congenial tastes to his won, and of the same nationality. However Providence ordered otherwise, and he cast his lot in Canada. The consideration that had most weight with him in settling down in the pine woods was a sanitary one. His brother Michael had died of Consumption. His own lungs were affected and the doctor had advised a change of climate. His eldest son, Thomas C Gray had a serious cough, and the doctor thought that without a change of air he would not live a year. Governed by these considerations, Mr. Gray decided that the piney woods, the pure water and the invigorating climate of Charlottesville, furnished more desirable conditions for himself and his family than a richer soil, and a well settled country, and better social privileges would do if it climate conditions were not calculated to arrest the pulmonary tendencies in himself and of the members of this family.

The wisdom of his choice was made manifest by the complete recovery of himself and of his son Thomas, who is yet living and has passed the three score mark (53). Mr. Gray bought the north half of lot 2 in the 18th concession of Charlottesville of a Mr. Roberts, who had made a small improvement on it and had built a log house, paying fo the same the sum of $600.00. He then bought the adjoining half of Lot 1 in the same concession for $300.00 and the north half of lot 24 in the 14th concession of Walsingham, lying just across the town line from the North half of lot 1, in the 12th concession of Charlottesville, for the sum of $325.00 the last name purchase containing one hundred and thirty five acres. This gave him a farm of three hundred and thirty five acres, costing him $1225.00 (54). A part of this territory was covered with dead pines that had been killed by the fire a few years before and a larger part was covered with green pine forest, intermingled with oak and a little birch timber.

Twenty acres of lot 2 lay in Big Creek Valley below the bluff one hundred feet high, which issued copious springs, and was timbered with cedar and hardwood. Not more than twenty or twenty five acres had been partly cleared upon the entire tract. He went back to Caledonia after making the purchase of the Roberts place, in the autumn of 1847, and closed up his business there, and in the Spring of 1848 (55) moved his family to Canada arriving there May 3rd. They came from Caledonia to Buffalo, and from Buffalo to port Dover by steamer, twenty miles from the land he had purchased. He brought all his household effects and a span of horses, and a faithful old dog called Pompey. The children when they made the journey from Port Dover were very well pleased with the country until they reached Simcoe, but the rest of the journey impressed upon their minds the thought that they were going to a pretty wild and rude place. When the family were located in the small log house, which was to be their home for a few years, Mrs. Gray who was a woman of much intelligence and refinement, had a severe fit of homesickness and sat for days when not compelled to attend to her household duties, looking vacantly out of the window and mourning over the move they had made from the highly cultivated and densely settled region about Caledonia, where they had congenial society and excellent church privileges, to the wilds of North Charlotteville and Walsingham, where there was little observance of the Sabbath, and no religious services except an occasional sermon from an old Free Baptist brother by the name of Steinhoff, whose qualifications for the work of the ministry went little beyond the possession of an earnest spirit and a desire to do good. Even the horses were homesick and when turned out in a small pasture would travel round and round the field to find a weak place in the fence.

Early in July Mr. Gray drove back to Caledonia to take off his harvest and market the wheat. He went the entire distance with his team wagon. Thomas whose health was so poor that it was not deemed prudent to take him along, was left to board at Patrick McAllisters. Mary and Jennie who were little girls, were left with Mrs. Senior who was a sister of Mrs Cray and whose husband, Mr. Richard Senior, was teaching school at that place. Upon their return they found little Ella desperately homesick.

The members of the family who accompanied Mr. Gray on the harvest trip to Caledonia where Mrs. Gray, Agnes, the eldest daughter, Adam, the second son, and Maggie, an infant born the proceeding March.

Mr. Gray took off his harvest of eighty acres of wheat and threshed it as it was drawn in from the field. The grain was geamed to Garbutt’s Mill about four miles away, as fast as threshed and sold. The yield was a good one and the price satisfactory, and after settling up all his debts, Mr. Gray returned to Canada with a considerable sum of money. As soon as the business could be closed up the party started on their return trip, and after stopping at Ancaster for Ella, and at Grand River for Mary they reached their Charlotteville home in August, having been absent six weeks.

It was related of the horses ‘Jake and Bill’ who had paced the pasture field so restlessly when the family first came to Canada, that when they found none of their old horse associates when they went back to Caledonia, and that after their return to Canada in August they settled down in their new home contentedly. Mr. Gray set to work bravely on his new property, clearing land, getting in logs to Wilson’s Mill near by for the lumber where with to construct a barn, and making the improvements that were necessary, as rapidly as possible. He soon added largely to the clearing upon the farm, and the first summer after he moved he erected a good substantial barn. At this time drinking was a customary habit among the inhabitants and very few of the settlers went to the county town for the purpose of trading, attending court, or transacting any other business, without coming home the worst for liquor.

Mr. Gray was a pronounced temperance man, and decided that he would furnish no whiskey when his barn was raised. He was assured by his friends that if he did not do so, he would never get his barn put up, and he answered that if he could not get his barn put up without whiskey, he would let the timber rot. On raising day all the neighbors who were invited, responded and assisted him in putting up the frame, and about thirty who were not invited came also. No protests were made because nothing more than a good supper was furnished them, and Mr. Grays firmness in refusing to furnish them liquor, evidently secured for him the respect of his neighbors.

Mr. Gray found that the soil of his farm, which was a sandy loam with a few light sandy ridges, was adapted to the growth of wheat of which it produced good crops of excellent quality, and that it was an excellent soil for clover, corn, potatoes, ryo and buckwheat, also for turnips and garden truck. The yield of oats was generally not so satisfactory as upon heavier soil.

One of Mr. Grays first efforts was to be whether some provision could not be made for securing religious services. He found upon inquiry that two or three Presbyterian families were residing in the neighborhood, Mr. Dick’s family three miles north, Mr. Reid’s family near Wilson’s Mills on the east side of the creek; Mr. Louk’s family a mile and a half east of Wilson’s Mills, and Mr. Cowan’s family three miles east. At Simcoe there was a Presbyterian congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, in connection with the Church of Scotland, of which Rev. George Bell was pastor. Mr. Gray first interested his neighbors, who for many years had been entirely destitute of religious privileges, in the matter of securing church service. He then went to Simcoe and laid their case before Mr. Bell, a noble christian minister, who never shrank from the discharge of any duty that devolved upon him in the discharge of his pastoral work.

Mr. Bell at once commenced to give them occasional services upon the Sabbath. The first sermon was preached at Mr. William Cowans house. After a time services were held in the log school-house of the school district in which Mr. Gray lived, which was situated about a mile east of Big Creek, upon the old Boswick road. Here Mr. Bell preached once in four weeks, and his services were highly appreciated, no only by the Presbyterian families in the vicinity, but by nearly all of the other residents of that section. In this way the foundation of the Presbyterian church organization was laid, which still continues in the enjoyment of active life, and is due under the providence of God, entirely to the efforts of Mr. Gray and his excellent wife.

When Mr. Gray’s family first settled in their new home the neighbors naturally were anxious to take the measure of their new American neighbors, and ascertain what their characteristics were. The Sabbath, Mr. Gray after good old Presbyterian fashion, kept with utmost strictness, his children were not allowed to roam around, and it was the practise to read at least, two sermons upon the Sabbath day when there were no other religious services. At first the neighbors children would come around and sit on the fence in the neighborhood of the house, seeing if they could not coax out Mr. Gray’s children for the purpose of having a play, but this invitation was never accepted. Occasionally some of the neighbors would call on a Sunday for a visit. Mrs. Gray invariably treated them with the utmost courtesy, and read them a sermon. It is perhaps not a very flattering commentary upon human nature, to say that not one of them ever came back the second time upon the Sabbath.

A severe affliction befell Mr. Gray’s family three years after their removal to Canada. Their second son Adam C Grey died March 24, 1851 at a little past fifteen years of age. He was a young man of must amiable disposition and excellent promise, his character was an exceedingly lovely one, and his intellectual qualifications were of a high order.

He was the idol of his mother and of his sisters. It was his intention to study for the ministry, and as he approached mature years, the intensity of that ambition seemed to increase. In returning from school on a stormy day he seized with illness, and not feeling able to walk the distance home, he stopped at Mr. James Reid’s, about half a mile from the schoolhouse and a mile from his fathers house. Not reaching home Mrs. Gray send down their hired man to see where he was, and he found him at Mr. Reid’s and was informed by Mrs. Reid that he was not very well and better remain there till morning. At that time Mr. Gray was seriously ill with Sciatic Rheumatism, and Mrs. Gray could not conventely go down to see her boy and accept the statement that he had better stay at Mr. Reids that night on account of inability to walk home, and not supposing that he was seriously ill she deferred going down until morning.

When she went down in the mourning she found that her son had not been looked after during the night, and that he was in the grasp of congestional chills. Dr. Covington of Simcoe was sent for but of course arrived too late to afford any assistance. In 1851 the first saw logs were bought on Dig Creek as high up as the present site of Lyndoch by a Mr. Swartz; he employed Jacob Jackson, one of Mr. Gray’s neighbors, to purchase the logs and measure them. These were sold at a low figure, the price being 75 cents per standard of three hundred feet, with an allowance of two inches thrown off for sap, which made the price in reality, if the measurement had been equal to the actual product in lumber, less than $2.00 per thousand feet. At this low figure the logs were paid for in groceries and staple dry goods which were sold at prices 25% at least above what would have been a reasonable figure for them. Mr. Gray was pleased to see a market open up for the vast stores of surplus timber in the region, even though the first transactions were made upon a basis that scarcely paid wages for the timber put in with cut any allowance for its stumpage value.

In 1851 Mr. Gray had a severe attack of Scatio Rheumatism and was confined to his bed for several weeks. He naturally chafed under this enforced idleness when so much work was waiting to be done. His son Thomas filled his place as well as possible and kept things together. His sufferings were intensified by the low spirits caused by the death of his favorite son Adam, in March while he was ill. In the summer of 1852 his health still continued poor, and he decided to drive up and visit his friends in Dumfries, hoping that change of air would prove beneficial. The effect of the change of air upon his health was a very beneficial one.

While there, he talked a good deal about the opening for a store at Wilson’s Mills, and he so far impressed John Charlton then a young man of twenty three with the favorable prospects for the scheme, that he thought seriously of joining Mr. Gray in the enterprise. The following winter John went to the old home of Ellincottville, New York State for the purpose of visiting friends there, for the first time since his father had left that place in 1849, and with the intention of going the following winter to Minnesota, then a new territory just beginning to settle up, when he proposed to locate at or near St. Paul. While he was there his father wrote him in starting a store at Wilson’s Mill or lynedoch as it was for the first time called, upon the establishment of a Post Office there February and that acting upon this assumption he was proceeding to get out lumber for the erection of a store. After consideration, John decided to change his plans for life and return to Canada for the purpose of joining Mr. Gray in the enterprise he proposed which he did.

CHAPTER III

In March, 1853 (56), John Charlton came to Lynedoch, and with the aid of one man, except when framing and putting up the frame, he and Mr. Gray erected a building 24 x 48 feet in size and two stories high, the lower part of which, with the exception of a kitchen in the rear was to be used as a store and Post Office. This building Mr. Gray furnished all the lumber and timber which was ready when John Charlton arrived. The building was ready for occupation the following June, and the expense of erecting it, not taking into account the labor of the two partners, was very moderate indeed. When the building was ready for occupation Mr. Gray moved his family down from the farm, and John Charlton went to Buffalo and purchased groceries and to Brantford where he purchased the dry goods, crockery and hardware from Igbatius Cochshutt, an old friend of his fathers who sold him the goods at a discount of 105 from his own retail prices. The whole account of the stock when placed in the store amounted probably to less than $2000.00. The cash capital of the concern aside from the material furnished by Mr. Gray was $1000.00, which Mr. Gray borrowed in Caledonia, N.Y. from the executors of the estate of a Mr. Robert Christie (57). The expectations of Mr. Gray and John Charlton as to the amount of business they would be able to do were quite moderate. They did not expect at first to be able to sell more than five or six thousand dollars per annual. Their situation for business was an excellent one as a large tract of country was naturally tributary to them. The nearest store to the east was Simcoe, eleven miles distant, to the north Fredericksburg, now Delhi, five miles distant, to the west a tract of country, partly settled extended through Walsingham and Houston and the nearest store was a Vienna. To the south, the nearest stone was a small concern Kept at Silver Hill by a Mrs. Cole (58), the operation of which did not amount to opposition. The settlers in the country around were generally poor and were starting upon new places with small clearings, but the price of wheat and other products were high for it was just at the time of the Crimean War. The name and style of the firm was was “Gray & Charlton.”

Both of the partners were familiar with lumber operations and were fully alive to the important basis for business given by pine forests capable of furnishing excellent lumber and timber, and in making their calculations for the future, they looked around upon the pine woods where the production of lumber per sore would run from ten to twenty thousand feet, and to the large quantities of excellent oak timber, suitable for the Quebec market, and they had no hesitation in founding expectations of a large business in the future, upon this element of wo__ (59) at that time undeveloped and hardly appreciated by the inhabitants of the country, who in clearing up lands had burned timber, which year later would have commanded more money had it been standing, than the clearing farmers were worth. So they commenced their operations on slem capital, and in a new and sparsely settled country with courage, and they believed with reasonable expectations of success. The first year to their surprise, the business abounted to about $10,000.00, and in the Winter they were enabled to lay the foundations of large future lumbering operations by securing a commission from Smith & Bliss of Tonawanda, N.Y. for the purchase of logs. They furnished twelve hundred standard saw logs, a large portion of which were from Mr. Gray’s farm. The transaction was a small one, but it was a precursor of large ones in the same line of business.

In the following year the firms of “Westover & Ramsdell” and “Smith & Bliss” were reconstructed. Ransdell went out of the firm of “Westover & Ramsdell,” and Smith went out of the firm “Smith & Bliss,” and H. T. Smith and Luther Westover united in Business under the name of “Smith & Westover.” In the fall both of these gentlemen visited Lynedoch and made arrangements with Gray and Charlton to purchase saw logs for them the coming winter. By the terms of the agreement they were to furnish on the probable amount of purchases which were estimated at 1,500,000 feet, an advance payment of one-eighth of the estimated amount on the first of December and Payment thereafter monthly until the final amount was paid. The amount of payments up to the time of measuring the logs in the Spring, to be governed by the estimate, and after that time to be fixed by the actual quantity delivered.

Gray and Charlton were to receive the logs, measure them and mark them, and were to receive a commission 6 cents per standard for their labor. In this way they were making directly a small commission, but were indirectly securing very important advantages, for all the settlers who were customers at the store had logs to sell, and saw logs could be bought of these in settlement of their accounts, and for good furnished during the winter, so the arrangement enabled the firm to make collections, and to sell large quantities of goods, receiving for the same, what was to them fully equivalent to cash, although estimated by the settlers as an advantageous truck or barter, transaction.

The first winter the purchase of saw logs made in this manner, amounted to about $7.000.00 and after that, this auxiliary to the trade of the store ran in some seasons as high as $12,000.00 per annum.

This trade set the new establishment firmly on its feet and they were soon able to pay off the original sum of $1000.00, which they had borrowed, and which constituted their total amount of capital to start with. In the winter of 1853 John Charlton cut the wood for the use of the store and family. He cut the trees down and into sled lengths in the woods; The lengths were drawn down to the back yard of the store by Thomas Gray, who was working his father's farm, and when John could get out of the store he cut them into the stove wood. After the first winter the partners were too busy to save the expense of buying wood in this way. In the spring of 1854, Gray and Charlton foreseeing that it would be desirable to purchase wheat for the sake of concentrating the business at their store, and securing payment of accounts from the handling of the crops of the settlers, concluded to build a store house which they proceeded to do, having it ready for use before wheat harvest was gathered in. They made an arrangement with James G. Wilson of Simcoe, a grain buyer, to purchase wheat on a commission of 2 cents per bushel, with an allowance for delivery of 5 cents per bushel if teamed to Simcoe and 7 cents if teamed to Port Dover. In the fall of 1854 nearly all the surplus wheat of the surrounding region, passed through the hands of Gray and Charlton and was either teamed directly upon their account from the barns of the owners to its destination at Simcoe of Port Dover, or was weighed into the storehouse at Lynedoch. In this way they stored a large amount of wheat which they were obligated to handle in and out.

With the help of Miss Ella Gray in the store occasionally, the two members of the firm managed all their work. Mr. Gray was an early riser, and Mr. Charlton did the setting up at night, at which time he posted the books often working until midnight. In the winter he did the measuring and attending to the unloading, marking the piling of the logs which was heavy work.

When wheat was forwarded from the storehouse, after the store was closed at night, the two partners would go out and bag up one or two more loads marking the weight on the bags. Early in the morning, usually before the opening of the store the teams would arrive and the wheat be loaded and started for its destination.

In this way the two partners worked almost night and day for several years and succeeded in building up a prosperous and lucrative business.

In the fall of 1854 Mr. Charlton and Mr. Gray’s second daughter Ella were married. Early in 1855, Mr. William Louks moved to Illinois. He married to Agnes Gray, the eldest daughter of George Gray, in April 1851 and they have lived on his father's farm east of Aynedoch, up to the time of their removal. His brother, Nelson Louks, went with him. Their first move was to Kishwaukee, near Rockford, where they rented a farm upon which they lived for three years. The last year that they occupied this place they moved to Grand Prairie, Illinois, and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of Illinois Central Railway land, in the township of Nebraska, about midway between Minunk and Pontiac. They built a small house upon this location, broke it up and bought it under cultivation. Their crop in 1861 was an excellent one, they had seven thousand bushels of corn and twelve hundred bushels of wheat, but the breaking out of the Rebellion, had closed the Mississippi, which had previously afforded the best outlet for western products, and corn that year was only seven cents a bushel, and the railway station of Pontiac eight miles distant. William Louks became discouraged and sold out his interest to his brother Nelson, and moved back to Canada in the fall of 1861.

The business of the firm, Gray and Charlton, during the years 55 and 56 went on quite smoothly. They ceased to purchase their goods exclusively of Ignatius Cockshutt of Brantford, in 1854, and opened accounts with wholesale houses in Hamilton, to whom they gradually transferred their business, though they continued to have an account with Mr. Cockshutt until after the year 1857. The farmers in the region around Lynedoch during these years were quite prosperous and the country was settling up and being brought under cultivation quite rapidly. The opening up of a marked for pine which the settlers had to remove from their lands when clearing, proved a great boon, and made the progress of the country much more rapid than it otherwise would have been. The partners felt much gratification at the realization of their expectations concerning the importance of the great quantities of pine surrounding them as a basis of business, which they entertained when they opened their store and commenced to sell goods in 1853.

In 1856, Mr. Clark came to Lynedoch and started a store in opposition to Gray & Charlton, and a saw mill on the property belonging to Patrick McMaster situated on Big Creek below Lynedoch was leased by William H. Sackett a lumberman of Albany, N. Y. who was a brother-in-law of Mr. Clark, and was refitted and put in condition for sawing lumber.

In 1856 Gray & Charlton stocked this mill with a large quantity of excellent saw logs, and ran it for a time, disposing of their good lumber by teaming it to Port Dover on Lake Erie and selling it there. They found however that this business did not pay and abandoned it after the first experiment. The store started by Mr. Clark did not prove to be a formidable competitor. He ran it in connection with the saw mill business belonging to his brother-in-law Mr. Sacket and made no attempt to secure a portion of the saw log trade, without which it was impossible to do very much business as nearly all of the settlers in the country were interested in disposing of their saw logs and naturally gave their custom to the firm that would purchase them.

In the summer of 1856, a chapel was erected on the east hill in Lynedoch for the use of all denomination, as a place of worship, though nominally held by the Free Baptists. Both Mr. Gray and Mr. Charlton were active in promoting the erection of this building.

Near this site a stone foundation had been laid in 1852 for a Presbyterian church, but unfortunately the adherents of that denomination did not feel able to proceed with its erection and the project was abandoned.

They afterwards regretted that they did not face the difficulties incident to limited members and means, and erect their place of worship as its construction would have given them a foothold which they afterwards failed to acquire when the field was occupied for another denominations.

The chapel was built by Archibald Reid for the sum of $500.00 and was a very respectable church. It was used by the Presbyterians until the year 1875, when they erected a church of their own. Since then it has ceased to be used as a place of worship, and now serves as a Town Hall. It is still in a fiar state of preservation and it is a place of interest as a memento of early days in Lynedoch.

In the autumn of 1857 a great commercial piano swept over the world and its effects were felt very seriously in Canada. Collections fell off and soon almost entirely ceased, and the firms sales were very light and it was impossible to obtain the means for meeting obligations.

The firm had some $15,000.00 standing on their books, but were unable to make collections. They visited their creditors, and were told to go with their business, making collections as fast as possible, carry on their operations prudently, and pay as fast as practicable. One of the worst features of the panic for the firm was, that Smith & Westover were crippled by it and decided to discontinue their contract for the purchase of logs.

The firm was confronted by a serious difficulty resulting from this decision; many of their customers had relied upon being permitted to pay their accounts during the winter in this way, and a considerable portion of the settlers in the neighborhood relied upon this mode of paying for current supplies of goods and groceries. To cease purchasing logs, would be in effect to paralyze their trade. What to do in the matter was the next serious question. After careful consideration the partners decided that they would purchase logs as before trusting to a chance of selling them in the spring, hoping as they did that by that time the piano would be passing away, and that business would resume its ordinary channels. The conditions upon which they decided to purchase their timberware to furnish no money or anything else that could not be settled for by supplies from the store, and to take logs only upon accounts, and for goods. Having reached this decision with regard to the purchase of saw logs, word was passed around among the settlers and owners within reach of Big Creek, and all were thankful for the opportunity thus afforded them of paying their store debts and getting their winter supplies of goods and groceries.

But as time wore on it seemed as though nature was to deny them the chance of availing themselves of this proposal, for day after day, and week after week, their anxious expectations and desires for snow were mocked by the continuance of fine open weather. No a sign of sleighing was seen until the first Tuesday in February, when eighteen inches of snow fell in one night, and an excellent ran of sleighing came which lasted six weeks. Farmers were all ready and the roads were hardly open and tracks beaten when the saw logs came tumbling in, and by the time the sleighing was used up the firm had received over two million feet.

In the spring they started them down Big Creek without having made any arrangement for the sale of them, Mr. Charlton taking charge of the drive. H.P.A. Rapriji who had a saw mill four miles down the creek decided to purchase the logs and a bargain was made. Nearly one half of the stock was measured up and run into a slide pond where he intended to store them, when Smith and Westover whose arrival was probably hastened by this transaction, came up and stated that they would like to purchase the stock. Mr. Rapelji said he had no desire to secure more than was already run into his side pond, and the balance of the stock was sold to Smith & Westover at a remunerative figure.

The result of having courage enough in the fall of 1857 to purchase saw logs and go on with the lumber operations as usual, was that Gray and Charlton found themselves on their feet again and in good shape when those transactions for the sale of their timber were closed out in April 1858.

They narrowly escaped losing a part of their claim against Rapelji. He had sold the shrievalty (60) of Norfolk County to William Mercer for $20,000.00 and had received part of his payment. It was from the funds thus obtained that he was refitting his mill and proposed to embark in the business of manufacturing lumber. The first note he had given them on his purchase fell due, and was duly paid. The second note was not met at maturity, and its renewal was arranged by taking Rapelji’s paper endorsed by Sherif Mercer; when this not fell due it was paid, but had its maturity been a month later, it would have been lose to the owners, for a short time after it was paid the exposure with regard to the sale of Mercer resigned his position and very shortly afterwards became bankrupt. In 1858 Gray and Charlton resumed their arrangement for the purchase of saw logs with Smith & Westover and continued on with that arrangement as they previously had done.

This arrangement continued to run as long as Smith & Westover continued in the lumber business or until their closing out of their business in Canada in the year 1861.

CHAPTER IV.

Mr Gray’s partner John Charlton, received a proposition from Smith & Westover in the fall of 1858 to take charge of their lumbering business in Canada. The salary offered was a fairly good one, but the chief inducement, in Mr. Charlton’s opinion for entering their employment, was that it would make a new opening for him, and lead perhaps to his embarking in a more profitable and extensive business than that of running a country store. He and Mr. Gray’s farm of two hundred acres, near Lynedoch agreeing to pay a difference in the trade the sum of $1500.00 He severed his connection with the store in March 1859 (61). The farm continued to be occupied by Thomas C. Gray (62) until 1862, when William H. Louks returned from Illinois and went on it. Thomas had occupied it from the time his father left it in 1853, and when he left it moved onto a farm of one hundred acres he had bought in the fourteenth concession of Walsingham, upon who he built a house in 1861. A house was built by John Charlton on his farm for the occupation of William H Louks in 1862.

John’s brother George G Charlton had come from Iowa in the fall of 1858, to assist Mr. Gray in the store. Under this new arrangement the store continued as the exclusive property of Mr. Gray until 1862, when George Charlton was taken by him into partnership. In 1864 (63) he decided to sell cut his interest in the store to his partner and go on a farm of two hundred fifty acres which he had purchased a few years before in Walsingham. This place consisted of the south east quarter of lot eighty in the fourteenth concession and of all of lot righteen in the thirteenth concession. He had no insurance and had to do the work over again, and incur nearly double expense. The farm he brought rapidly under cultivation and as most of it had been burned over and the pine left standing upon the ground dead, he was able in a short time to stump the most of it.

While living in his house upon the fifty acres in the fourteenth concession of Walsingham, his daughter Mary was married to James R. Reid, a farmer living near them. The wedding ceremony was performed by Rev. M. W. Livingstone. The date of the occasion was in November 1858. The day was a gloomy one, and the party nearly as gloomy as the day. The bride was very much depressed in spirits, and her subsequent married life was brief in duration. After the wedding ceremony the newly wedded pair started on their wedding tour. They first went to Princeton and from there to Mr. Margaret Christie’s Caledonia, N. Y. Margaret C Gray and John C. Hayes went with them as far as Buffalo, and to the surprise of their friends they were married there. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Dr. Lord. John C. Hayes had come from Portage, N. Y. a year or two before to serve as a clerk in the store owned by George Charlton. He afterwards bought the fifty acre farm upon which Mr. Gray lived when he was married and in November 1882, he moved to Illinois, where he now lives in Victor, DeKalb County. Mrs. Mary Reid died September 27, 1870 leaving two children, Jane and Mary.

Jennie Gray was married to James Fulton November 14th, 1871. Rev. George Crystal performed the ceremony. At the time of his marriage with Miss Jennie Gray, James Fulton was teaching school. He was an excellent and a highly successful teacher and continued to follow that occupation for two or three years after his marriage. Their wedding trip was to Somonauk, Illinois where Mr. Fulton had friends.

Very stormy weather prevented their starting until November 16, when they had to reach Tillsonburg at 8 A.M. and go from there to Ingersoll be stage. In the year 1782, James Fulton who had previously pursued the occupation of teaching decided to open a store at Langton.

Mr. Gray left the farm to be managed by his son Thomas Gray, who had previously managed the farm near Lynedoch after he left it to go into the store in 1853, and he moved to Langton to assist his son-in-law Mr. Fulton in the store. He bought a portion of what now constitutes the village site, and surveyed it into lots, and through his enterprise the village received a start. It was decided after Mr. Fulton had continued in business about a year, to erect a brick store which should be large enough to serve as a dwelling house for the family as well. Here Mr. Fulton continued his business and for a time was apparently prosperous, selling a large quantity of goods and doing what seemed to be a fine business. He had however made a mistake in building the store which cost over two thousand dollars, and took too much of his capital from the business. Due care was not taken in making accounts and the business ended disastrously through bad debts and losses of various kinds, and Mr. Fulton closed it up with considerable loss to himself and his father-in-law, and to John Charlton who had endorsed for him, and resumed the work of teaching. He took the school at Lynedoch in the autumn of 1874, and remained there for six years, keeping the books for W. A. Charlton during the most of the time. He gave excellent satisfaction as a teacher and the parents of children were sorry to have him leave. He removed from Lynedoch to Sandwich, Illinois, in July 1880, and secured a position in a store at a fair salary. Almost a year later he opened a store in Waterman, Illinois with his brother-in-law, John Armstrong (64). This partnership continued a few years and then Mr. Fulton bought out his partner and continued the business alone. He closed it up in 1892, and went to Hartford City, Indiana in the spring of 1893, where he opened a grocery store. He sold out his grocery store, and engaged in dealing in staple goods, crockery, glass ware and notions, and selling for cash only. This last venture is a success and there is no present prospect of his leaving Hartford City. His eldest son George is a civil Engineer and was elected County Surveyor at the last election. His second son William is in college and all the boys give promise of becoming useful and prosperous men. Anne the eldest daughter is a teacher in the city schools (65). He has nine bright and promising children, three daughters and six sons.

After Mr. Eulton closed up the Langton, business, Mr. Gray moved onto the farm of 100 acres which his son Thomas owned, and an arrangement was made by which Mr. Gray exchanged his farm of two hundred acres with his son Thomas for the farm of one hundred acres which he had moved upon.

Mr. Gray’s youngest son George, was married to Miss Mary Morrison in 1880, and lived with his father for a time. In the course of a year or two Mrs. Gray spent the most of her time with her daughter Mrs. John Charlton at Lynedoch and after a couple of years, both Mr. & Mrs. Gray with their young grand-daughter Mary Reid, at the urgent request of the daughter and son-in-law, Mrs. & Mr. John Charlton took up their abode with them at Lynedoch, leaving their son George to manage the farm, with the understanding that it should be his at the death of his parents.

After remaining at John Charlton’s until 1883, Mr. Gray sold his farm in Walsingham and moved to Michigan, where he bought a nice little farm of forty acres, near the farm of William Louks; this place he deeded to his son George. The move was made while John Charlton and his wife were in Ottawa. They were very much opposed to it, but their protests were unavailing. After the move to Michigan was made, young, George Gray lived but a little over a year. He died in the Spring of 1884 (66) and a few months after his death Mr. & Mrs. Gray, who had conceived a dislike to Michigan, returned to Lynedoch, and once more became inmates of Mr. & Mrs. John Charlton’s family. Mr. Gray was of great service in looking after matters for his son-in-law, whose time was engrossed by politics and business, and who was very little at home. The arrangement of consolidating the two families worked smoothly and in a satisfactory manner. In January, 1887, Mrs. Gray died and Mary Reid left home and went west, a couple of years or so later. Mr. Gray lived until March 1893, when he died at the good old age of eighty-two. His death was a most peaceful one; he had often expressed the desire that he should not live beyond the period of his activity and ability to care for himself, and kind providence fully answered his wishes in this respect. He suffered an attack of La Grippe soon after his daughter and son-in-law had gone to Ottawa for the purpose of attending a session of Parliament, and in consequence of his impatience at being confined to the house, he went out in the open air to resume the duties he had been accustomed to performing sooner than he should have done, and suffered a relapse. His son-in-law and daughter immediately returned from Ottawa and remained with him until his death. The funeral sermon was preached by Rev. J. A. Hamilton who took the very appropriate text, the passage “He was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 12:24.

Mr. Gray was a man of sterling qualities, most affectionate in disposition, and still of very great firmness and of iron resolution. His influence upon society at Lynedoch, and in the section of country surrounding that point, was a most salutary one. He was always found on the side of justice and right. His instincts unerringly led him to espouse the right and oppose the wrong. Had he been blessed with the advantages conferred by liberal education, he would have been a man of marked influence and great attainments. As it was he commanded the most thorough respect and confidence of all who knew him. His devotion to the cause of religion, and to the interests of the church to which he belonged, were a marked feature of his character, and the little Presbyterian congregation at Lynedoch, which has struggled through many vicissitudes and lost many of its members, would assuredly never had an existence by for Mr. Gray’s efforts at the time when Presbyterian services were first established at Lynedoch. Mr. Gray was a staunch, uncompromising advocate of temperance principles, and during all his years in Canada, he gave the influence of his precept and example to promote that cause. In all his endeavors to advance the interests of society, and discharge properly his duties as a man and a citizen, she was most ably seconded by his wife, a lady who was his superior in education, and possibly in natural endowments as well, and whose influence upon her own family, and upon those with whom she came in contact were invariably most salutary. Mrs. Gray had a remarkable memory for everything pertaining to theological questions, and her knowledge of theology was surprisingly extended and accurate. She had a remarkable faculty for remembering texts and could give the text of any sermon that he had ever heard during the whole course of her life, and which had impressed her.

An evidence of this was given in her repeating the test selected by Rev. Mr. McLaren, who came out to Cattaraugus County in the year 1835 and preached two sermons, one at the home of Mr. Adam Charlton and one at the house of Mr. Andrew Gray. Not only did she remember the texts on these occasions, but she could give a complete synopsis of both these sermons or of any sermon that she had ever heard, the character of which she considered sufficiently high to warrant her close attention to the subject.

Mr Gray was remarkable for his mathematical taste, and by the process of mental arithmetic could solve almost any arithmetical problem. The process seemed more like intuition than a result arrived at by the application of rules. Mr. Gray never ceased to look back with longing regret to the society in which they moved, and the privileges which they had enjoyed before leaving Caledonia, N.Y., and coming to Canada. She formed however many attachments in this county, aside from those which drew her to her immediate friends, and among her acquaintances whose company she cherished were the family of Mr. William Knowles (67) of Silver Hill, and some other of the Scotch-Irishs members of that congregation.

Mr. Gray left at his death, one son and four daughters. The son, Thomas C. Gray now lives upon the farm first purchased and brought under cultivation by his father, in Walsingham. The other members of the family are considerably scattered, only one of the daughters at this time remains in Canada, Mrs. John Charlton. Mrs. Agness Louks, whose husband died in 1889, is now living at Lapeer, Michigan. Her son Adam is sheriff of Luce County, Michigan and lived at Newberry. Her son William and her daughter Ella, wife of Walter Watt, both live in Bay City, Michigan and her daughter Mamie, wife of Charles Rood, lives at Lapeer.

Thomas Gray has three sons and three daughters. Abram W. Gray, the oldest son lives at Tonawanda, N. Y. Nettie the eldest daughter is living near Somonauk, Illinois, the wife of William Randles, George lives at Lynedoch, William at Rockford, Illinois, Mary and her husband, Abram Wilson live in Walsingham, and Jennie has quit school teaching and is at home. Mrs. Jennie Fulton is living at present in Hartford City, Indiana, and has a family of six sons and three daughters as before stated. Mrs. Margaret Hayes is living at Somonauk, Illinois and has a family of two sons and four daughters. At the present time Mr. Gray has thirty one grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren living. All of his descendants revere his memory, and lock upon his career as a citizen and a member of society with pride. He and Mrs. Gray belonged to that class of people whose influence upon their fellow men and women is always for good, whose memories are cherished, and who are remembered with appreciation and respect for their good deeds and good qualities.

1. This date has been written in with the original date crossed out and unreadable. Given that there is 6 years difference in their ages (which is stated several times in the manuscript), one of their birth years given here must be incorrect.

2. Using her “corrected” birth date their marriage date would have been about 1783. Using his birth date their marriage date would have been about 1788. The more likely date would be 1788, given that their first child was born in 1789.

3. This would place their time of immigration at about 1800, since we also know from the manuscript that they had six children when they immigrated and the sixth child was born in 1799, 1800 seems the earliest possible year of immigration.

4. No other information is given on the other families mentioned. The last name, which I have spelled as Diskson could also be Biskson.

5. This would make the sailing date about mid May of 1801.

6. The different in ages remains 6 but this would indicate a date of immigration of 1801, using his birth date and 1796 using Agnes “corrected” birth date.

7. This is the first indication of a date of immigration given in the manuscript. Given their differences in ages, and the ages of their children it is probable that the “corrected” age for Agnes is in fact incorrect. She was probably born in 1766, not 1761.

8. This would place their years of residence in Seneca from 1801 to 1805.

9. This would place their years of residence in Gorham from about 1805 to 1814.

10. Michael was born in 1803.

11. Ann was born in 1806 and George on March 29, 1811.

12. The manuscript gives this date as 1841, but I believe that this is a typographical error and should be 1814.

13. The total price would have been $3,200.

14. Assuming that the land was purchased soon after arrival in 1814, it took the family 14 years to retire the debt.

15. The Erie Canal was built between 1817 and 1825, they moved to Caledonia in 1814.

16. Defined as a rough fiber made from flax or similar vegetable fibers.

17. A manufacturing process alike to felting of cloth.

18. A course fabric woven from linen warp and course wool filling.

19. The year the Erie Canal opened.

20. Her last name may have been spelled Romyen.

21. Walter was actually the fourth son.

22. The manuscript leaves a blank for the last name.

23. Andrew is the 2nd child and George is the 9th child of George Gray (Sr.)

24. The exact date has been typed over and is unreadable.

25. This would mean that Abram was living in 1896 when the manuscript was written.

26. The 9th child of George Gray and brother to Andrew Gray.

27. 6th child of George Gray, Sr.

28. This would place the time at about 1836.

29. 3rd child of George Gray Sr.

30. At about age 53.

31. This would make the marriage date sometime before 1866.

32. 7th child of George Gray, Sr.

33. At about age 44.

34. Margaret (Gray) Christie.

35. 1st Child of George Gray, Sr.

36. The year is left blank in the manuscript.

37. At about age 86.

38. 5th child of George Gray, Sr.

39. The name is spelled both Tuttle and Tuthill in various censuses.

40. At about age 21,.

41. At about age 67.

42. At about age 72.

43. By deduction, even though four of the children were married (Henry, Charlotte, Elizabeth and Agnes) none of them had offspring.

44. 8th child of George Gray, Sr.

45. At about age 38.

46. Again the span of six years separates husband and wife. The birth years computed from the dates of death and the age at death suggest George was born about 1759 and Agnes about 1766.

47. 9th child of George Gray and Agnes Atchinson.