Alabama Homing

Family lines converging
on Geneva County
in the late 19th century

James and Keziah (Kizziah) Gray

(c1824 - bef 1 Jun 1880 and c1836 - aft 1 Jun 1880)
Descendant List and Notes

There were several other Gray families, possibly brothers of James, in the Concord area.  On the 1850 Agricultural Schedule, James and Keziah have 80 acres ten entries away from Maria Grey (120 acres) and one page away from John Grey (80 acres).  There is also a David Grey, age 35, in the area, with a 76-year-old Susannah Grey and 7-year-old George Grey, all born in Georgia.  John and Mary Grey, 36 and 35, were both born in Georgia, as was 5-year-old David, but John and Mary, 3 and 1, were born in Florida.

Maria Grey had been the only Gray listed on the 1840 census, with three males age 5-10, three males 10-15, two males 15-20, one female under 5, one female 5-10, one female 30-40 and no slaves.  In 1850, she was 44, with six boys:  Robert 16, David 14, John 12, William 10, LeRoy 8 and Andrew 6. Maria and Robert had been born in Georgia, with the other boys born in Florida.  Maria is on the 1860 Mortality Schedule, dying of St. Vitus' Dance in April at age 55.

By the 1880 census, Kisy (Kizzy) Grey and Rebecca Grey, both widows, were the only white Grays listed in Gadsden County.  Keziah still had four children at home.  Rebecca Harnage had married John W Gray 16 Dec 1854. Living with Rebecca was her daughter, Mary Burns, her son-in-law, Amos Burns, and two Burns children, one being an 8-month-old female named Holland.  For some reason, the name Holland was popular for female children around Concord.

Some of the Grays' neighbors married into a Holland family, but, so far, I have found nothing to link them to Geneva County Grays.  Many of them are buried at Concord Cemetery, which has been nicely documented in the Concord Cemetery Index by Angela B Cassidy.

At various times, some of their family members and relatives lived in - and married into families in - the Thomas-Grady-Decatur counties area of south Georgia, which lies just over the state line a few miles from Concord.  Some Geneva County people have come out of this same area, but I have found no links.

Some Early Gadsden Tax Rolls

1845:
  • Gray, David: land, no slaves
  • Gray, David, agt for S. Gray: 40 ac. and 1 slave
  • Gray, John: no land, 1 slave
1846:
  • Gray, John: 1 white male >21 and <50, 1 slave
  • Gray, Joseph P: 1 white male >21 and <50
  • Gray, Jeremiah: 1 white male >21 and <50
  • Gray, David: 1 male, 240 acres
  • Gray, David for Susan Gray: 1 slave, 40 acres
  • Gray, Robert C: 1 male
  • Gray, David, Jr: 1 male
  • Gray, James H: 1 male
1847:
  • Gray, Joseph P: nothing listed
  • Gray, Jeremiah: nothing listed
  • Gray, David: 1 male, 260 acres
  • Gray, Jas H: 1 male
  • Gray, John: 1 male, 1 slave, 60? acres
  • Gray, S by D Gray: 40 acres, 1 slave
  • Gray, Robt C: 1 male
  • Gray, David: 1 male
1848 (part of record missing):
  • Gray, David: 120 acres
  • Gray, John: 1 male, 60 acres, 1 slave
  • Gray, S by D Gray: 1 slave
  • Gray, Robt C: 1 male
  • Gray, David: 1 male
1849:
  • Gray, John H: 1 male, 140 acres, 1 slave
  • Gray, S by D Gray: 1 slave
  • Gray, Robt C: 1 male
  • Gray, David, Jr: 1 male
  • Gray, James H: 1 male
1850:
  • Gray, David: 1 male, 160 acres
  • Gray, James H: 1 male
  • Gray, R C: 1 male
  • Gray, David, Jr: 1 male
  • Gray, Susanah: 1 slave