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Surname: Gray, Nichols, Rayburn, Nickell, Nelson, Nichols, Gerard
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History of Rush County Indiana
Brant & Fuller
Chicago
1888
Page 772 and 773
Surnames mentioned in this biography are: Gray, Nichols, Rayburn, Nickell,
Nelson,
Nichols, Gerard,
JAMES GRAY was born on the farm where he now resides February 8, 1834.
His
parents were James and Mary (Nichols) Gray, natives of Monroe County, W.
Va., of
AngloSaxon origin mixed with Scotch blood. The former was the son of John
and
Mary (Rayburn) Gray, the former of whom was a very prominent worker in
political
circles. He was Circuit Judge, and held office in the Legislature for fourteen
years. His
parents were among the pioneer settlers of Virginia. James Gray, the third
child of John
Gray, was born in Monroe County, W. Va., May 23, 1797, and was reared on
the farm. In
April, 1816, when but nineteen years of age, he was united in marriage
with Mary
Nickell, daughter of George and Margaret (Nelson) Nickell, natives of West
Virginia,
where Mary was born October 8, 1798. They located on a rented farm, and
in the fall of
1822, resolved to seek a home in the west and removed to Union County,
Indiana, but, in
1824, Mr. Gray bought a part of the tract of land, which our subject now
owns in Union
Township, Rush County, Indiana. He paid $I55 for eighty acres. Here he
made a home
and resided until their respective deaths. James, our subject, was raised
on the farm and
has adopted farming as a life occupation. He received a good education
in his youth; and
on December 20, 1857, was married to Miss Martha Jane Nichols, daughter
of James and
Sina E. (Gerard) Nichols, natives of Franklin County, Indiana, where Mrs.
Gray was
principally reared. This union was blessed with twelve children: John H.,
William H.,
Rebecca C., Nancy, George, Andrew, Vincent, Adda, Cary, Minnie, Mary and
Madison,
of whom George, Mary and Madison are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Gray are members
of
the Christian Church. Politically, Mr. Gray is a Republican. He owns the
old Gray
homestead, which was settled in 1824, and upon which he has spent his entire
life. Here
he has brought up a large family of sons and daughters, half of whom have
grown to
maturity.