GRAY, John

 

John Gray house as it looks in 2013. Notice how the front of the house faces the old road that has long since been discontinued. See ROADS and TRAVEL in EARLY READFIELD on this web site FMI about that road. This was once called "Gray's Corner" as noted in several old deeds related to this area.

John Gray married Mrs. Sarah Blanchard of Vassalboro in 1773. They were married in Hallowell and their first three children were born there. He came to Winthrop in January 1779 and bought 100 acres - the northern half of lot #68 - from James Craig. He paid the sum of Five Pounds Sterling. His and Sarah's children were:
1) William b.1774 2) Frederick b.1775 3) Sarah b.1777  4) John b.1779 5) Mary b.1781

In 1800 Gray sold his house and 118 acres "north part of lot #68" to Nathan Kimball of Buxton, ME for $1,400. John Gray moved to Kingstown, ME (later named Joy then Troy) where he died sometime after 1820.

Nathan Kimball sold this property to Thomas Thurston in 1815; it then went to his son Stone Thurston and it remained in the Thurston family until 1904 when it was sold to Lawrence and Julia Harris. Their only child Lawrence Harris inherited it in 1936 - he was the founder of Harris Baking Co. in Waterville. The Harris family sold it to Gerard Poulin in 1958 and after that Charles and Janet Ritzi owned it.

This property went all the way to Maranacook Lake - no doubt there are some remains down there somewhere of James Craig's log cabin on "the old road round Chandlers Mill Pond" from long, long ago.

See John Gray's testimony on behalf of a neighbor Mary (Mrs.) Moses Wheeler dated 1814.