Captain Edward Gray

Biography

Ref: Family Record of Edward Gray and His Wife Mary Paddock and Their Decendants. Compiled by Alonson Gray. Pub. 1889, pgs. 5 & 6:

"Edward 3d married early in the year of 1748 to Mary Paddock at South East town, Putnam Co., N.Y. She was the daughter of David Paddock, who came from Cape Cod with a family of eight children in 1740 and settled at South East. Mary was born at Cape Cod, 1727. They remained after their marriage at South East about twenty years, where most of the children were born.

"They removed to the Berkshire Hills, in Mass. His first purchase was June 10, 1768, of Benjamin On April 6, 1770, we find him in Stockbridge Mass. on the Ministers Grant. Then in 1771 he is innkeeper at Lenox, Mass. His name with his son John and others are found as signers of a protest against the unjust legislation of Great Britain.

July 6, 1774, he was chosen as one of the delegates to the so-called Berkshire Congress. Dec. 26 of the same year the town of Lenox voted to refund to Edward Gray and others expenses incurred in their going to the coast on what proved to be a false alarm of war.

His patriotism prompted him and his sons John, Isaiah, Samuel and David, with others to enlist as soldiers in defence of their country. He was chosen captain, and served with distinction. In 1784 he was chosen one of the delegates to a convention to locate the court house of Berkshire county.

In the mean time his wife, who was of Pilgrim stock, united herself with the Congregational church in Lenox, and the names of those childern that were born there are found on the church records as baptized. Her devotion to God was seen in the lives of her children. She died in Lenox, Mass., Feb. 28, 1789, aged 62 years. After the death of his wife he sold out his landed estate, Following his children, most of whom came to Vermont. He had prior to this purchased of Cornelius Van Schoack of Shenderhook, Albany County, N. Y., an agent for New Hampshire Grant Company one seventieth of the town of Dorset. The deed was dated Feb. 27, 1782, for 18 pounds lawful money.

We next find him in Arlington, Vt., where on Nov. 3, 1793, he made a deed to his son John Gray of Dorset, Vt., of a part of the land he purchased in 1782. We think he died with his son Edward 4th, who lived at Sandgate, Vt., in 1803. It is strange that so prominent a man as Edward 3d was, no stone is found to mark the place where his dust is laid. Their children were 13." -- Alonson Gray

NOTE: Edward Gray and Mary Paddock were 3rd cousins.

Military History:

American Revolutionary War

Service enlistment October 14, 1780

Service discharge October 17, 1780

Source

Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War (Images Online)

A Patriot of the American Revolution for MASSACHUSETTS with the rank of CORPORAL. DAR Ancestor # A047469