Abel Gray 1807-1887

Abel Gray was my great-great grandfather, and the father of Ashfield Gray.   Although it is difficult to be certain that I have tracked the correct person to birth, I believe he was born in Carlstadt, New Jersey on August 27, 1807. Sometime in the 1830's he married my great-great grandmother, Phoebe.  I don't know her maiden name yet.

There is are listings for a Phebe Gray and a John Gray in Hanover, New Jersey in 1830.  I think this may be a different Phebe. The 1830 census only shows the name of the head of the household.  This household includes a woman aged 50-60, who I'm guessing is this Phebe.  It also includes 1 boy aged 15-30, 2 girls aged 10-15 and 2 girls aged 15-30.  The household of John Gray  includes 1 boy & 1 girl aged 10-15 and a boy and a girl aged 15-30 In 1840.   Abel Gray would have been about 23 at this time, so he could be in either household.

I found Abel with his own family in Hanover, New Jersey in 1840, but they didn't stay there long.  By 1850 they had settled in Canaan Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania, where they bought a farm and spent the rest of their lives. They appear to have had 9 children: Caroline, born about 1838; Charles, born about 1842; Caleb, born about 1843; Ashfield John, born about 1851; David, born about 1855; Daniel E., born about 1857; Ida, born about 1858; Ettie A. born about 1863; and Fanny E., born about 1861.  I say this appears true because the 8 year gap between Caleb and Ashfield seems suspicious.  I wonder if there may have been other children who didn't make it to adulthood.  

I found an obituary for Abel in the September 22, 1887 Honesdale Citizen.  It reads:
"Abel Gray died at his home in Canaan township, on Sunday evening, aged 82 years. He leaves a wife and five children. Deceased was born in New Jersey; came to Wayne county about forty years ago; was an honest, industrious and conscientious man, and a life-long Democrat."

Abel and Phoebe are buried in the Canaan Corners Cemetery, Waymart, PA.  I had found their headstone a few years back, then couldn't find it again though I kept looking every year.  Ray & I finally found it again this Spring.  The reason I couldn't find it was because I was looking for an old stone.  Something must have happened to the original stone, because they now have a fairly new one. That must mean there are cousins around taking care of the grave.  I hope I meet them someday.
By the way, there is a stone for Fanny nearby.

Ashfield John Gray abt 1851-1919

Carrie Gray's father was Ashfield Gray.  This man is one of several  mysteries that I have been trying for years to solve.  I have estimated his birth date based on census records and his death based on a plaque in the Canaan Corners cemetery.   Here is the little i have pieced together.
The first record for Ashfield is in the 1860 census.  He is listed as 8 years old, living with his parents, Abel & Phebe Gray, in Canaan, Wayne County, PA.  His brothers, Charles, Caleb, & Daniel, and a sister, Ida, are also listed.  In the 1870 census he is listed as John A. Gray, still living with his parents and working on the farm.  The only sibling shown is a sister Fanny E., who appears to have been born around 1861.
According to a notice in the Honesdale Citizen on July 26, 1877, he married Della Seely on July 22, 1877 at the Methodist Protestant parsonage in South Canaan.  The Rev.  M. Berriman presided.  The 1880 census shows John A. & Della Gray living in Fell, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania with 2 children, my grandmother Carrie age 1 and her brother Alfred, 4 months old.  His occupation is listed as farm laborer.

The 1890 Scranton, Pennsylvania Directories lists Ashfield as a laborer living at 181 Belmont Street in Carbondale.  By 1900, the family had moved to Plains Township near Wilkes Barre.  The census listing is incorrect.  His name is spelled Eshfield and Della is listed as Isabella.   Carrie had already moved to lived with her grandfather by this time, but the 2 younger children, Alfred and Isabella are shown.  The 1910 census listed John as a fireman in Parsons, Luzerne, PA, with Della as the head of the household and only Alfred remaining with his parents.  The Wilkes-Barre City DIrectory for 1917 & 1918 list Ashfield J. Gray as an engineer living at 423 Hollenbeck Ave, Parsons. In the 1920 census, Della is shown as a widow.

I have only 2 clues to Ashfield's death.  One is a small green marker I found in the Canaan Corners Cemetery, in Waymart, PA, with his name, birth and death years (shown here).

The other is a story my father told me, that his grandfather died in a "buggy accicent"  I have found no other evidence of this, but I am continuing my search.