Ray 

Descendents of George W Ray 

  • Census of 1840 - Overton County, TN
    • Head of Household
      • George Ray
        • Males: 
          • 1 <5 y.o. (Henry M would have been 3; b.  1837)
          • 2 5-10 y.o.  (Zachariah would have been 8 (b. 1832) and Wm B would have 7 (b. 1833))
          • 1 30-40 y.o.  (George would have been 36 (b. 1804))
        • Females: 
          • 2 <5 y.o.  (Margaret would have been 4 (b. 1836) and Nancy would have ~1 (b. 1840))
          • 1 30-40 y.o. (Mary would have been 37 (b. 1803)
  • Deeds of 1840
    • January 1847, George Ray to Walker Brown 150 acres for $150 near Richard Ray and William Ray’s property. (ref. p. 273)
    • January 1847, Walker Brown to George Ray 130 acres next to the Maxwell’s east side of Lamb’s Crick. (ref. p. 274-275)
    • January 1848, Richard Ray to William Ray 162 acres in District 2, Overton County. (ref. p. 402)

 Descendents of George W. Ray

  • Census of 1850 - 6th District, Overton County, TN (Post Office Livingston, TN)
    • George W. Ray: Head, M, W, 46 y.o, married, farmer
      • Mary Ray: Wife, F, W, 47 y.o., married
      • Children
        • Zacchariah Ray: Son, M, W, 18 y.o. (1832)
        • William B. Ray: Son, M, W, 17 y.o. (1833)
        • Margaret F. Ray: Daughter, F, W, 14 y.o. (1836)
        • Henry M. Ray: Son, M, W, 13 y.o. (Oct 1, 1837)
        • Nancy F. Ray, Daughter, F, W, 10 y.o. (1840)
        • George W. Ray: Son, M, W, 8 y.o. (1842)
        • Isaac Ray:, Son, M, W, 6 y.o. (1844)
  • Deeds of 1850
    • May 1851, Nelson Ray, son of Elizabeth Ray and brother to Nancy Ray, George W. Ray and Leonard Ray, gave each $20 and 100 acres of land from the Nelson plantation on the waters of the Roaring River. (ref. p. 437)
    • May 1851, Nelson Ray to James Eldridge 155 acres in two tracts of land on the waters of the Roaring River for the payment of $130. (ref. p. 437-438)
    • January 1856, William Ray to Bilbry 50 acres for $20 next to Richard Ray and Bilbrey in District 2. (ref. p. 100)
    • January 1857, Nelson Ray borrowed $1000 on a promissory note for 6 months and used 40-yr. old male Negro slave Peter as security. (ref. p. 430)
    • February 1857, William A. Officer to W. N. Ray 9 acres for $12 in District 9. The property was near the Ray’s line on the West Fork of Obey River in Sinking Cain Valey. (ref. p. 474)
    • January 1858, Nelson Ray to Rebecca Gore 155 acres for $600 in District 2 near John Crawford. (ref. p. 97-98)
    • December 1858, Henry Mc Ray to William B. Ray 160 acres for $75 that belong to his father, George Ray, at the time of his death. The land was located on Lamb’s Crick in District 6.
          (George died, Henry sold his share of land to his older brother William)

Descendents of George W. Ray

  • Census of 1860 - 3rd District, Overton County, TN (after George's death
    • William B. Ray: Head, M, W, 27 y.o, married
      • Jane Ray: Wife, F, W, 35 y.o., married
      • Children
        • Infant Ray: W, 3 m.o.
      • Mary Ray: F, W, 50 y.o. probably widowed, farmer
    • H. M. Ray: Head, M, W, 24 y.o, married, farmer
      • Mary Ray: Wife, F, W, 23 y.o., married, keeping home
    • George Ray: Boarder, M, W, 18 y.o., farm laborer (lives with Owen Brady family)

 Descendents of Henry M (Mac) Ray

  • Census of 1880 - 6th District, Overton County, TN
    • Henry M. Ray: Head, M, W, 42 y.o., married, farmer
      • Mary Ray:  Wife, F, W, 43 y.o., married, keeping home
      • Children
        • Willard Ray: Son, M, W, 21 y.o., train
        • Martha A. Ray: Daughter, F, W, 15 y.o.
        • Johnnie M. Ray: Son, M, W, 13 y.o., train
        • Lockie A. Ray: Daughter, F, W, 11 y.o.
        • Mary M. Ray: Daughter, F, W, 6 y.o.
        • Albert R. Ray: Son (born Mar 1880), M. W. 3 M.o.

Descendents of Henry M (Mac) Ray and Johnny M. Ray

  • Census of 1900, 10th District, Overton County, TN
    • Henry M. Ray: Head, M, W, 62 y.o., married
      • Mary Ray:  Wife, F, W, 64 y.o., married
      • Children:
        • Mary May Ray: Daughter, b 1872, F, W, 28 y.o.
        • Children
          • William H. Norris, Grandson, b. Jul 1892, M, W, 7 y.o.
    • John Ray: Head, b Mar 1867, M, W, 33 y.o., married, farmer (this is Johnny M. Ray)
      • Florence Ray: Wife, b. Jun 1871, F, W, 29 y.o., married
      • Children
        • George W. Ray, Son, b. Oct 1891, M, W, 8 y.o.
        • Laney E. Ray, Son, b. Mar 1895, M, W, 6 y.o.
        • May Ray, Daughter, b.Sep 1896, F. W, 3 y.o. (Her name was Neady May Ray)
        • Robert R. Ray: Son, b. Dec 1900, M, W, 1 y.o. (His name was Bill Ray)
  • Marriage:   JOHNNY M. RAY was born March 01, 1867 in TN. He married FLORENCE NORRIS October 07, 1892, daughter of LUKE NORRIS and MARY BROWN. She was born June 11, 1871 in Morgan County, TN, and died July 15, 1940 in Cowan - Franklin County, TN.

Descendents of Johnny M. Ray

  • Census of 1910, 10th District, Overton County, TN
    • John Ray: Head, rented home, M, W, 43 y.o., married, farmer (this is Johnny M. Ray)
      • Florence Ray: Wife, F, W, 39 y.o., married
      • Children
        • George W. Ray:* Son, M, W, 18 y.o.
          • * GEORGE RAY, b. October 25, 1891; d. August 31, 1915 and was not found in 1920 census. He would have been 28 years old.
        • Laney E. Ray:** Son, M, W, 16 y.o.
          • ** LANNIE E. RAY(Social Security #: 408-05-3824), b. March 02, 1895; d. November 1972; m. MARGARET COLE; b. July 24, 1895; d. May 1981. Lannie is not found under the John Ray family in 1920 as he was married and had one son.
        • Nedie M. Ray, Daughter, F, W, 13 y.o. (Her name was Neady May Ray)
        • Bill Ray: Son, M, W, 11 y.o. (His name was Robert R. Ray in census of 1900)
        • Hasale Ray: Son, M, W, 8 y.o.
        • Charley Ray: Son, M, W, 6 y.o.
        • James H. Ray: Son, M, W, 18 m.o. (Also known as Hobart Ray)

  •  Deeds of 1910
    • May 1903, John H. Ray, President of the Monterey Stave and Lumber Company, to Davidson, Hicks, Greene, and Benedict, the right to remove timber for 10 years from July 8, 1899. (ref. p. 366)
    • October 1910, H. M. Ray to Amos Paston for $25 in District 6 the same parcel of land formerly owned by Amos Paston and by him and his wife deeded to I.A. Brady and by him and his wife back to me. (ref. 157-158)
    • August 1915, Davidson, Hicks & Greene to P. B. Smith and L. S. Bourne for $1000 land in District 8 near W. B. Ray and Officer heirs’ land near the Tennessee Central Railroad. (ref. p. 587-588)

Descendents of Johnny M. Ray

  • Census of 1920, 10th District, Franklin County, TN
    • John Ray: Head, rented home, M, W, 43 y.o. (should be 53 y.o.), married, skidder (this is Johnny M. Ray)
      • Florence Ray: Wife, F, W, 39 y.o. (should be 49 y.o.), married
      • Children
        • Bill Ray: Son, M, W, 20 y.o., skidder (His name was Robert R. Ray in census of 1900)
        • Hasale Ray: Son, M, W, 18 y.o., log team
        • Charley Ray: Son, M, W, 16 y.o., skidder
        • Hobart Ray: Son, M, W, 18 m.o. (His name was James H. Ray in census of 1910)
        • Nelia Winningham:* Daughter, F, W, 23 y.o., married
            • * It is believed (Ona McBee verbal) that Nelia Winningham's husband died in an accident on Lakeview Mountain. She remarried Tom Ledbetter and had a son (J.B. Ledbetter)
          • Children
            • Edward Winningham: Son, M, W, 3 y.o.
  • NOTE:   In 1920, the Ray family lived in a logging camp on Lakeview Mountain. The census lists the location to be Davidson, Hicks, and Greene Camp. The Ray family is believed to have migrated from Overton County Tennessee between the census of 1910 and 1920 while working in these logging camps. Lakeview Mountain is part of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee's mid-south, specifically located southwest of Cowan, TN and northwest of Sherwood, TN. Ona McBee was born and raised in Sherwood, Tennessee. She met, dated, and married Charlie Ray when he worked on Lakeview Mountain (This was given to me verbally by Ona McBee Ray).  After DH&G closed down operations, Charlie Ray went to work from ​Marquette Cements.

 Descendents of Charley Ray

  • Census of 1930, Cowan, Franklin County, TN
    • Charley Ray: Head, Rented, b. Mar 15, 1904, M, W, 26 y.o., married, Marquette Cements
      • Ona Ray: Wife, b. Aug 26, 1909, F, W, 21 y.o., married
      • Children
        • Edgar Ray: Son, b. Apr 19, 1929, M W, 1 y.o.
  • Census of 1940, Cowan, Franklin County, TN
    • Charles Ray: Head, M, W, 36 y.o., married, Quarry man, Cement Plant
      • Ona Ray: Wife, F, W, 30 y.o., married
      • Children
        • Edgar L. Ray: Son, M, W, 10 y.o.
        • Bennie G. Ray: Son, M, W, 8 y.o.
        • Billy J. Ray: Son, M, W, 6 y.o.
      • Joe B. McBee, brother-in-law, M, W, 20 y.o., single, Shoe Factory
  • Census of 1950, Cowan, Franklin County, TN
    • Charlie Ray: Head, M, W, 45 y.o. married, Shovel Operator, Rock Quarry
      • Ona Ray: Wife, W, F, 40 y.o., married
        • Children
          • Bennie G. Ray: Son, M, W, 18 y.o., Chemist, Cement Plant
          • Billy J. Ray: Son, M, W, 16 y.o.
          • Phil Ray: Son, W, M, 6 y.o.