September 07,2008

BRAY, Richard

BRAY (AKA Brey, Brear), Richard (Born: Unknown - Died: 26-28 Oct 1665/Lynn)

BACKGROUND

In Volume 3, page 297 (Nov 1665), of the Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, reference is made to a 28 Oct 1665 "jury of inquest," as "warned by the constable [of "Lyn"] Thomas Brown, to inquire into the death of a stranger who came to town two days since, Richard Brear of Exceter."  

QUERY

Prior to the death of Richard Bray, who "had been sick about three weeks with what he supposed was a fever," the deposed "Sarah Hill, aged about sixteen years," related "about the time Mr. Gushon's ship came from England" Richard sought a "night's lodging as he was too ill to go further, but she, fearing he had the plague, as there was danger of taking it from people coming from England, urged him to go to Goodman Edmonds' house, where there was a doctor woman who might do him some good." (Vol. 3, p. 298)

First, I am looking for any lead(s) or suggestions Essex County genealogists may have regarding the identity of "Mr. Gushon" as may relate to the any shipping activity during 1660-1670 involving Lynn, Salem or the larger Massachusetts Bay area if not interaction with northern New England (the New Hampshire or Maine area Richard likely hailed from - like Dover and Durham if not Portsmouth, NH; as well as Kittery or Portland (Casco Bay), ME; to possibly Yarmouth, Nova Scotia).  By this time period, inter-colonial travel was well established and that may be another possibility (New England to Virginia onto the Caribbean and Wine Islands of the Atlantic to include Europe itself; see Vickers, Young Men & the Sea, 2005, p. 41, as part of a larger discussion regarding “Salem’s First Mariners, 1645-1690” (pp. 25-60)).

Second, any lead(s) or suggestions Essex County genealogists may have regarding personal journals or other known historical sources that might be consulted for additional leads.  For example, Constable Brown detailed costs "for a man to goe to Boston to a Majestrate to know what they should doe with the sick man" (is there a list of Magistrates in Boston for this time period and related sources that could be consulted that might, for instance, reflect how notice between Lynn (about 10 miles from Boston to consult the Magistrate) and Exeter (nearly 70 miles north of Lynn or 80 miles from Boston) might have been recorded).  Familiarity with any of the titles, given and surnames listed below.  

Thank you for your kind consideration of my request.

Su/07 Sep 2008

Nick D. Swanstrom
46685 Cavendish Square
Sterling, VA 20165
treasurygman@mac.com

LIST OF RELEVANT SURNAMES (Given Name, Title/Function) as of 28 Oct 1665:
Brown (Thomas, Constable); Hawthorn or Hathorne (John); Edmonds (William, Goodman); Stocker (Thomas); Newall (John and wife, provided lodging and care); Hill (Sarah); Gushon (English commercial vessel(s)); Magistrate (Boston).

KNOWN & LIKELY GENEALOGY OF RICHARD BRAY
Richard Bray was likely at Dover (Stafford Co, NH) on 21 Jul 1657; then at Oyster River Plantation or Durham (Rockingham Co, NH), on 22 Nov 1658 and 1659, where he acquired 20 acres of land likely from John Ault; before removing to Exeter (then of Old Norfolk Co, MA) perhaps as early as 1663, where he is said to have served on a jury, or by 10 Oct 1664 when he was granted 30 acres of land there.   

Richard's wife, Mary (MNU but may have been Herbert), had son John and daughter Mary (see disposition of the estate of "Richard Brey" (Vol 3, p. 318 (Apr 1666); and Vol. 3, p. 364 (Oct 1666)).  The estate, to include the land, was placed in the hands of leading Exeter residents/neighbors, "John Gilman, Moses Gilman, and Jonathan Thing" until the children come of adult age.  

By 1667, Mary MNU-Bray had remarried to Thomas Seabrook at Dover, NH (Noyes, Libby, Davis) where, on 16 Jun 1667 for 12 pounds, the aforementioned 20 acres of land in Richard Bray's name, at Durham, was "conveyed to John Ault" (as paid by son-in-law Thomas Edgerly") by Thomas and Mary Seabrook ("N. H. Deeds, III, 149a").  Three years earlier, Thomas, then a resident of Mineford Island (today known as City Island, Bronx, NY), on 29 Aug 1664 purchased 120 acres situated on the north neck of Hempstead commonly known as Mattgairisons Neck (Stillwell, Vol. IV, p. 219).

Thomas Seabrook died 17 Dec 1675 (Stillwell, Vol. IV, p. 220) at Westchester (Long Island, NY).  Before 1688 Mary MNU-Bray-Seabrook remarried to Thomas Whitlock of Gravesend, Long Island, NY; who would later remove to "Shoal Harbor, on the Bay Shore, (now Port Monmouth), Middletown, Monmouth County, N. J." having been one of the original Monmouth County Patentees in 1664 (Stillwell, Vol. IV, pp. 221-223).  

Thus, we come to understand how John Bray, son of Richard and Mary Bray, and his mother, Mary Whitlock, on 31 May 1689 sold to "John Sleeper of Exeter" 80 acres at Exeter (Stackpole & Thompson, 1913, Vol. I, p. 53).