Even though I am not directly related to her, Elizabeth Gray somehow deserves a blog post to help possibly explain, or shed a little light, on things when it comes to her daughters.
Elizabeth Gray was born 1801 in Nelson County, Kentucky to David L. Gray (b. ~1751, d. 1859) and Nancy Ann Blackburn (b. ~1769, d. 1823). Nancy Ann Blackburn, who is also said to been born in Nelson County, Kentucky, possibly was the 2nd wife of David L. Gray after he left Pennsylvania and went to Nelson County, Kentucky area. I have seen David L. Gray listed with a wife named Agnes and having some children with her in Pennsylvania - but I am not certain enough to state for sure. David L. Gray, originally from County Antrim, Ireland, was in a militia during the American Revolutionary War so could consider one day looking to see what the Daughters or Sons of the American Revolution may have in terms of information on David L. Gray and/or his family.
Speaking of family, Elizabeth was the 3rd child of twelve children that David L. Gray and Nancy Blackburn had during their marriage:
·: &nsbp; Isabel Gray (1796), m. Leonidas Peter Clem
· Matthew Gray (1799), m. Nancy Dickerson
· David L. Gray Jr. (1803), m. Nancy Knotts
· Elinor Gray (1804), m. Martin Rhinehardt (or Rinehart, Rhinehart, or other spelling variatives of the surname)
· Nancy Gray (1806)
· Whitford F. Gray (1808), m. Sarah McCarty
· William Gray (1810), m. Rose Ann Hansel
· Susan Gray (1812)
· John Gray (1814), death year unknown - only said to have died at a young age as a result of an accident. The wording has it sounds as though he did not live to his teens and/or adulthood,
· &nsbp; Martha Gray (1816)
· Mary Gray (1819)
David L. Gray and Nancy Ann Blackburn moved from Marysville area of Nelson County, Kentucky to Bathe Township, Franklin County, Indiana between 1811 to 1814 time frame. I don't have a birth location for Susan, but John and the younger two daughters are said to been born in Franklin County, Indiana.
In 1827 Samantha Nancy Gray [Dickerson] was born in Mixerville, Bathe Township, Franklin County, Indiana to Elizabeth Gray, aged 26. This is where the mysterious John Dickerson starts making his in and out appearances in the story as, in her 50's, Samantha Gray lists him to being her father and switches her maiden name from Gray to Dickerson. Samantha's middle name is a nod to her maternal grandmother, Nancy Ann Blackburn.
Could Samantha's father been related to Nancy Dickerson who married Elizabeth's brother, Matthew Gray? Maybe. AFter Nancy married Matthew Gray, they - along with her parents, went to southern Indiana and lived the rest of their lives there. Nancy, to my knowledge, did not have a brother named John attributed to her parents. So the theory is John Dickerson may been a cousin of Nancy who did not live in Franklin County area, but may went there (with his family) to visit her family - and that helped lead him and Liz Gray to meeting.
Sometime between 1827 to 1838 Elizabeth Gray and her daughter, Samantha, were residing in Butler County, Ohio. Liz or Elizabeth Gray is not listed as Head of Household, with 1 or 2 young children, for the 1830 or 1840 US Census. This may be due to Elizabeth had some sisters who, after marriage, resided in that county so Liz may have lived with one of her sisters; families. Hard to say for sure since the pre-1850 United States Census only listed the Head of Household by name, and the rest of the household were hash marks divvied up by age, gender, and citizenship status then added up to get a total number of persons within the household.
How it is known that Liz Gray was in Butler County, Ohio is due to the birth of her second daughter, Julia Ann Gray, in 1838 when Elizabeth was 36 years old. Julia's middle name, as like with Samantha's middle name, may been a nod to her maternal grandmother, Nancy Ann Blackburn. Again, John Dickerson tries to weave into the story as some speculate he was also the father of Julia A. Gray ... and some say it was a John Dickerson who fathered Julia,but a different John Dickerson who was from Kentucky and his family later resided in Ohio ... and then there is the story that it was cousin, or brother, of John Dickerson (who came to live in Ohio). On Julia's death certificate her son listed her father to being "unknown" and, unlike Samantha, Julia is not known to name her father while alive.
In 1850 Elizabeth Gray is residing, with her two daughters, in Otter Creek Township, Osgood, Ripley County, Indiana by the time of the United States Census. Her family tree helps to explain how she probably came to residing in that area, as her brother, Whitford Gray, and his family are listed to residing nearby to Elizabeth. She may have followed her brother to Ripley County, Indiana, as it is theorized, while she lived there, he helped support her and her children as she didn't own a lot of property. Another story, however, for why Liz Gray goes to Ripley County, Indiana is that she followed that ever elusive John Dickerson ... as there is a John Dickerson who lived in that same area of Ripley County with his wife and children. Coincidence? Some don't think so. I personally lean to the thought she followed her brother to the area due to it makes more sense that he would help her get a small house/small bit of property for herself and her children more so than John Dickerson.
Within the 18%0 United States Census there is a male infant, David L. Gray, listed in Elizabeth's household. Some list that child to being the son of Elizabeth despite she would been 48 years old at the time of his birth, but she did have two children out of wedlock so she could possibly had a 3rd. However the wee one named David L. Gray, whose age is listed in number of months, is actually the son of Elizabeth's oldest daughter, Samantha and John Palmer, whom Samantha later marries, is regarded - by those who have him in their family tree - to being the child's father. As one may have already easily guessed, David L. was named after Samantha's maternal grandfather.
For the 1860 United States census Elizabeth is listed to residing in Center Township, Osgood, Ripley County, Indiana. Samantha Gray is living with John Palmer and they have had more children together by this time. So Elizabeth Gray's consisted of herself, Julia A. Gray, and Julia's two children: a son named Andrew Gray (b. 1855) and a daughter named Irville Gray (b. 1858). Irville Gray is listed as Irvin Gray and, in some online family trees, erroneously to being a male, or a son, versus female.
Elizabeth Gray never married. Last record I have come across for her is the 1860 United States Census in Ripley County, Indiana. To date I have not come across a death notice for her in local papers for that area. After the death of his wife, Sarah McCarty, in 1876 in Ripley County, Indiana, Whitford Gray and some of his children left Ripley County and headed west. Whitford Gray died 25 Aug 1888, aged 80, in Lawrence, Douglas, Kansas, United States. His obit did not mention any of his siblings. Could it be that Liz had also passed away before Whitford Gray decided to leave the Ripley County area?
Burial location for Elizabeth Gray is left blank on my family tree. Given that her daughters were buried in Otter Village Cemetery (also known as Tanglewood Cemetery) it may be that Liz Gray was also buried in that cemetery? Or perhaps, like John Palmer was said to been in his 1885 death notice, she was buried on john and Samantha's family farm?
John Dickerson was never listed to living with her and/or her children. It is unknown if John Dickerson ever acknowledged, in any way, that Samantha was his child or if she ever had any kind of relationship with him (even in her adult years).
Before closing this post, there is more to share about Elizabeth's daughter, Julia Ann Gray, and Julia's children. I cannot locate Julia or her children for the 1870 United States census, but she was likely still residing in Ripley County. By the 1880 United States she is listed to being married to Patrick Michael McCormick (b. 1826), she would been his second wife. I later found information that the marriage was in January of 1878 in Ripley County. No children resulted from their union.
Michael McCormick appears in earlier newspaper articles, prior to his marriage to Julia, as Pat or Patrick McCormick. It is after he is married ot Julia that he is going by Michael McCormick. Patrick Michael McCormick immigrated from Ireland in 1852. Michael McCormick passed away 1 August 1906 , aged 80, in Ripley County, Indiana. Exact burial location, on my side, not known.
Old Resident Dead.
Michael McCormick, an old resident of this place, died at his home here Wednesday night from a complication of diseases. Mr. McCormick was a well known character about town, having been a resident of Osgood for sixty years and served as Justice of the Peace for several terms. Funeral services were held in the Catholic church Friday morning by Father Tovil[?] and the remains were interred in the Catholic cemetery here. Source: Osgood Ripley Journal; 8 August 1906 - Page 1
Julia Gray McCormick passed away 14 May 1914, aged 70, in Ripley County, Indiana. She was buried in Otter Creek Cemetery (also known as Tanglewood Cemetery) in Ripley County, Indiana.
Deaths.
NcCORMICK[sic] - Mrs. Julia McCormick, aged 73, died Thursday of cancer of the stomach. Funeral Saturday morning at the home by Rev. Sheldon, burial at Otter Village. Mrs. McCormick leaves one son.
Source: Osgood Ripley Journal; 20 May 1914 - Page 1
Julia Gray McCormick's obit shares her daughter, Irville Gray, died before 14 May 1908. I can't peg it down more than that as I cannot find her, or her mother, for the 1870 US Census and by the 1880 US Census she could been married as an explanation for why she is not listed in her mother's husband's household. So this leaves anytime between the 1860 US Census to prior to the death of Julia Gray as to when Irville Gray passed away.
Andrew Roland Gray married Fannie F. LNU, and they had two sons and two daughters. Andrew R. Gray passed away 11 July 1937 in Ripley County, Indiana. His youngest son, William David Gray, was the informant for Andrew's death certificate and listed a Rollen Gray being Andrew's father. Andrew Gray was buried in Otter Village Cemetery (also known as Tanglewood Cemetery in Ripley County, Indiana.
And there we have the story, as known or theorized about to date, about Elizabeth Gray and the Mysterious John Dickerson. Although his 'true' identity (in terms of which John Dickerson or if that was his actually his name, as some wonder if a John Dickerson was Samantha's father) is still a puzzle some work on periodically, it is hard to deny he did play a large role in the story as he, in one way or another, even in theories only, managed to pop in and out through the years. And to this day people still wonder about him. Elizabeth Gray could be viewed as to being in so in love with John Dickerson that she would follow him to Ripley County even if he married another woman. She could also be viewd as to being bit headstrong and that she didn't follow him to Ripley County out of love, but to be near enough to him that he would be, or his family, would sometimes have to cross paths with her and/or her daughters. It could be that she went to Ripley County more due to her brother than anything, or anyone, else. Those who could share hints or more insight, or even secrets, are long gone now.
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