RHEA-L Archives

From: "Polly Dixon" <>
Subject: Re: [RHEA-L] Ray-Rhea Marriages of Blount Co. NC (don't miss this one)
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 21:49:34 -0600
References: <51.7ef23cc.27cbe4db@aol.com>

Pat:

Worth S. Ray gathered a lot of information on the Ray/Rhea/Wray/Rae
families.
Unfortunately, some of it has proven to be incorrect, given the many years
that have passed since he compiled TENNESSEE COUSINS, and the number of
family researchers who have been sifting through the records for since the
book was originally published in 1950.

I wanted to fill in some of the blanks in your message and correct some of
the misinformation, with regard to my own two Rhea lines: (1. Robert
"Bobbie" Rhea, Jr.; and 2. James Rhea, whose son was Jesse Rhea).

1. In your subject line: Blount County was and still is in East Tennessee,
NOT North Carolina.

1. > Worth S. Ray's grandfather's first name was spelled MASSENBERG

2. > OBEDIAH RAY

3. > David SPRADLIN

4. > JOSEPH RAY m. AMY ALLEN. A descendant, Marie Ray Davis, lives in
Gresham, Oregon. She is in her 90s.

5. > JESSE RAY (son of James Rhea and Mary Paul) m. MARGARET BLAIR.
Jesse and Margaret are my 3-great-grandparents. My family has always used
the
spelling RHEA.

6. > JAMES RAY to ELIZABETH (BETSY) TIPTO??,
in 1826. (Last names should be spelled RHEA and TIPTON.

7. > JOHN RAY to JANE CAM?? in 1831. Should be John RHEA and JANE
CAMERON. They are my great-great-grandparents. She was the daughter of
Samuel Cameron.

8. > ROBERT RAY, the revolutionary soldier, had a daughter who married
DEVAULT WRIGHT. (Should be spelled RHEA. His nickname was "Bobbie." He
married MARY STEPHENS, dau. of COL. JEHU STEPHENS. Bobbie and Mary are my
3-great-grandparents on my second Rhea line.) Their daughter, ELIZABETH
RHEA, did NOT marry DeVault Wright. She married JAMES C. WRIGHT. Elizabeth
and James C. were my great-great-grandparents. I think Mr. Will Parham,
the early Blount Co. genealogist, was the one who first
misidentified this marriage, and the error has been perpetuated down through
the years. I have an old family Bible in which the marriage of James C.
Wright and Elizabeth Rhea is recorded.

Hope this helps.

Polly Dixon

----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2001 10:56 AM
Subject: [RHEA-L] Ray-Rhea Marriages of Blount Co. NC (don't miss this one)


> Family Tree Maker Online: GenealogyLibrary.com: Tennessee Cousins p. 319
>
>
> RAY FAMILY MARRIAGES ON THE RECORDS OF BLOUNT COUNTY The RAY FAMILY of
BLOUNT
> COUNTY - which was the family of the writer of these notes had long
adopted
> the spelling of RAY, which was the spelling used by the first emigrants in
> VIRGINIA; thereafter for many generations RHEA, WRAY, RA??, REA and even
WREA
> was used, until the family reached down into N.C. and Tennessee, when RAY
was
> considered correct. Notwithstanding this my grandfather, MASSEN??RG RAY
had
> his name spelled RHEA on the marriage records of
>
>
> Blount County, but always spelled it RAY himself, as did and do his
> descendants. RHEA was the proper spelling of the family of SULLIVAN
COUNTY,
> who were of IRISH instead of English origin. I have gathered the following
> marriage records in BLOUNT COUNTY: OB??DIAH RAY to SUSAN M. VAUGHT, on
> August 23, 1853, by DAVID SP??ADLIN,
> M. G. (1st marriage).
> OBEDIAH RAY to LOUISA J. FIELDS, on
> August 13, 1867. (2nd marriage).
> OBEDIAH RAY to DUCY ANDERSON, June
> 6, 1910. (3rd marriage). Signed
> by Clay Cunningham, County Clk.
> JOSEPH RAY to AMY ALLEN, August 18
> 1817. JAMES HOUSTON, CLERK, by
> JESSE ??ENE, his deputy.
> LEONARD RAY to MARTHA COOHRAN, Jan
> 28, 1824. WILLIAM GAULT. J. P.
> JESSE RAY to MARGARET BLAIR, Dec.
> 7, 1802. Bond signed by Jesse
> Ray and WILLIAM BLAIR.
> WILLIAM RAY to JOSEPHINE MILLER,on
> Oct. 8, 1874. JACOB HENRY, Sec.
> J. ROBERT RAY to C. J. LANE, Feb.
> 24, 1880. WILLIAM M. HOOD, Sec.
> JAMES RAY to MARTHA A. FRY, May 3,
> 1889. BEN CUNNINGHAM, Clerk.
> MASSENBERG RAY to MARTHA McTEER,on
> Feb. 6, 1849.
> SILAS A. RAY to MARTHA F. KENNEY -
> 1857.
> DAVID RAY to POLLY AKRIG??, in 1827
> WILLIAM RAY to HARRIET FARMER in
> 1829.
> GEORGE RAY to ELIZABETH HU??MA?? in
> 1819.
> JAMES RAY to ELIZABETH (BETSY) TIPTO??,
> in 1826.
> JOHN RAY to JANE CAM?? in 1831.
> MARTIN RAY to POLLY TIPTOW in 1819.
> ROBERT RAY, the revolutionary soldier,
> had a daughter who married
> DEVAULT WRIGHT
> The OBEDIAH RAY (married 3 times) was OBEDIAH RAY, JR. He died in 1934 101
> years and 15 days old.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ==== RHEA Mailing List ====
>
http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/surnames/r/h/Rhea/wills
> Rhea Wills at GenConnect
>

This thread:

• [RHEA-L] Ray-Rhea Marriages of Blount Co. NC (don't miss this one) by

  • Re: [RHEA-L] Ray-Rhea Marriages of Blount Co. NC (don't miss this one) by "Polly Dixon" <>

  • Re: [RHEA-L] Ray-Rhea Marriages of Blount Co. NC (don't miss this one) by