Descendants of Benjamin Grayson

 

 

Generation No. 1

 

1.  BENJAMIN1 GRAYSON was born abt 1742-1743, and died Aft 1809 in TN.  He married MRS. "GRAYSON" Unknown in ?.

 

        Children of Benjamin Grayson and Mrs. "Grayson" are:

2.                i.    JOHN2 GRAYSON, b. May 02, 1766, Wilkes, Co. NC; d. December 08, 1848, Knox Co., TN.

3.               ii.    WILLIAM GRAYSON, b. 1767, Virginia; d. Abt 1855, Monroe Co., TN.

4.              iii.    JESSE GRAYSON, b. Abt 1775.

5.              iv.    BENJAMIN JR. GRAYSON, b. Abt 1777, Wilkes Co., NC; d. 1843, Gibson Co., TN.

6.               v.    JOSEPH GRAYSON, b. November 02, 1778, Wilkes Co. NC; d. 1822, Marion or Bledsoe Co., TN.

7.              vi.    NANCY GRAYSON, b. Abt 1782, Wilkes Co., NC; d. Aft 1860, Harrison Co., KY.

8.             vii.    WREN GRAYSON, b. 1782, Wilkes Co, NC; d. June 01, 1865, Westport, Decatur Co., IN.

 

 

Generation No. 2

 

2.  JOHN2 GRAYSON (BENJAMIN1) was born May 02, 1766 in Wilkes, Co. NC, and died December 08, 1848 in Knox Co., TN.  He married NANCY "GRAYSON" Unknown in ?.

 

        Children of John Grayson and Nancy "Grayson" are:

9.                i.    NANCY3 GRAYSON, b. May 15, 1791, Wilkes, Co. NC; d. October 1865, Lawrence, IN.

10.             ii.    BENJAMIN GRAYSON, b. January 16, 1793, Wilkes, Co. NC.

11.            iii.    SARAH GRAYSON, b. Abt 1796; d. April 07, 1867, Clay Co., IN.

12.            iv.    JANE GRAYSON, b. December 12, 1800, Knox Co., TN; d. July 26, 1882, Clayton, Hendricks Co., IN.

13.             v.    HANNAH S. GRAYSON, b. October 24, 1803, Knox Co., TN; d. August 28, 1873.

                 vi.    WILLIAM GRAYSON, b. Abt 1804; m. MARTHA MCCAHAN, March 11, 1828, Knox Co., TN.

 

3.  WILLIAM2 GRAYSON (BENJAMIN1) was born 1767 in Virginia, and died Abt 1855 in Monroe Co., TN.  He married (1) EMILA CROUCH 1788, daughter of John Sr. and Judith Wiggens.  He married (2) AMY OR ANNY "GRAYSON" Abt 1794 in Wilkes, Co. NC.

 

Notes

Stayed in Wilkes County until approximately 1821. On Monroe Co., TN Census

in 1830 & 1850. Assignment of children to the two spouses may not be correct.

Indeed, it is not clear that he had a second spouse. He was a veteran of the War of 1812.

 

According to Wilkes Co. NC records he was living with 9 children on Moravian Creek in 1799. James McCoin suggests he may have been caring for someone else's children.  1810 census gives 1 male 26-44, 4 males under 16, 4 females under 16, 1 female 16-25 & 1 female 26-44.  Listed children do not agree well with this data.

 

In addition to the children listed here other Wilkes County Grayson marriages likely involve individuals from William's line since he was the only one to stay behind in NC. These include Susannah Grayson who married William Hampton on 2/12/1825, Martha Grayson who married Joel J. Laws on 9/27/1836 and William E. Grayson who married Lucinda Baits on 12/4/1845.

 

 

        The identity of the children of William Grayson and their wife assignments are uncertain. The following is the current best interpretation. He was definitely married first to Emila Crouch and their children may be:

14.              i.    JOHN B.3 GRAYSON, b. 1788, Wilkes Co., NC; d. January 29, 1833, Monroe Co., TN.

15.             ii.    JOSEPH GRAYSON, b. Abt 1791, Wilkes Co., NC; d. Abt 1855, Gallatin, IL.

 

        Likely children of William Grayson and Amy "Grayson" are:

                 iii.    BENJAMIN3 GRAYSON, b. Abt 1797; m. ELIZABETH HUBBARD, April 12, 1817, Wilkes, Co. NC.

16.            iv.    ELIZABETH "BETSY" GRAYSON, b. Abt 1798, Wilkes Co., NC.

17.             v.    HENRY GRAYSON, b. Abt 1805, Wilkes Co., NC; d. Abt 1839, Monroe Co., TN.

18.            vi.    JESSE GRAYSON, b. Abt 1808, Wilkes Co.,  NC; d. Abt 1855, Logan Co., AR.

19.           vii.    PERMELIA "MILLY" GRAYSON, b. January 31, 1812, North Carolina; d. September 04, 1881, Texas.

20.          viii.    CYNTHIA GRAYSON, b. Abt 1816, Wilkes Co., NC.

                  ix.    ANN GRAYSON, b. Abt 1815; m. ALEXANDER CLINE, April 22, 1841, Monroe Co., TN.

21.              x.    WILLIAM B. GRAYSON, b. Abt 1815, Wilkes Co., NC.

 

4.  JESSE2 GRAYSON (BENJAMIN1) was born Abt 1775.  He married MILLY "GRAYSON".

 

Notes

Info on children originally from Jim McCoin & added to with info from Dan Grayson web pages. Subsequent generation info almost exclusively from Dan Grayson site. Jessee was in Wilkes Co. until at least 1805, Knox County tax list in 1806, Bledsoe County in 1807, Marion Co., TN by 1820.  Enlisted in military on 10/1/1814. His wife's name may be Mary as that is his first daughter's name. Jessee was on 1830 Marion County census in 1830 with three daughter's. Jim McCoin speculates that Elizabeth L. Grayson was one of these.

 

        Children of Jesse Grayson and Milly "Grayson" are:

                   i.    REBECCA3 GRAYSON, b. Abt 1794, Knox Co., TN; d. 1859; m. HOUSTON HIXSON.

22.             ii.    MARY GRAYSON, b. Abt 1800, Wilkes Co., NC.

23.            iii.    JOHN TAYLOR GRAYSON, b. Abt 1807, Hamilton Co., TN; d. April 05, 1881, Ouachita AR.

                 iv.    GEORGE W. GRAYSON, b. 1814, Bledsoe Co., TN; d. July 27, 1841, Harrison, Hamilton Co., TN.

                  v.    JESSEE GRAYSON, b. Unknown.

                 vi.    THOMAS J. GRAYSON, b. Abt 1821, Bledsoe Co., TN; m. ELEANOR LAMB, Abt 1845.

24.           vii.    JAMES GRAYSON, b. 1823, Alabama.

               viii.    HENRY GRAYSON, b. Unknown; d. 1841.

                  ix.    WILLIAM GRAYSON, b. Unknown; d. Bef 1815.

                   x.    ELIZABETH L. GRAYSON, b. October 12, 1823; m. JOSIAH BURNETH.

 

5.  BENJAMIN JR.2 GRAYSON (BENJAMIN1) was born Abt 1777 in Wilkes Co., NC, and died in 1843 in Gibson Co., TN.  He married Jane Lamb.

 

Notes

Last listed in Wilkes Co. in 1802, Roane Co., TN in 1802, Bledsoe County, TN in 1807, and finally on tax list in Franklin Co., TN in 1820.  Assigned 90 acres to Martha Grayson 4/5/1824. "Adjoining Joseph Grayson where Martha now lives". Dennis Gertz discovered an 1887 Goodspeed Gibson County Biography on Benjamin’s son John A. Grayson that has greatly clarified this line. That biography

Indicates there were 10 children, 8 of which reached adulthood.

 

        Children of Benjamin Grayson and Jane Lamb are:

 

25.              i.    DORINDA GRAYSON, b. 1809, TN.

26.             ii.    HUGH A. GRAYSON, b. Abt 1815, TN.

                 iii.    ANDERSON GRAYSON, b. Abt 1817.

iv.SUSAN GRAYSON, b. Abt 1819.

                  v.    MARTHA3 GRAYSON, b. Abt 1820; m. WILLIAM A. ROGERS, December 22, 1863

                         in Davidson, TN.

27.            vi.    CLEMENSA GRAYSON, b. 1821; d. Abt 1855.

vii    HENRY GRAYSON, b. 1821.

               viii.    DANIEL GRAYSON, b. Abt 1824.

                  ix.    COLUMBUS GRAYSON, b. Abt 1826.

x.        JOHN ANDERSON GRAYSON, b. 10/23/1832, Marion Co.Tn, m. Avey R. Altman in Craighead Co., Ark., TN., d. 1900.

 

6.  JOSEPH2 GRAYSON (BENJAMIN1) was born November 02, 1778 in Wilkes Co. NC, and died 1822 in Marion or Bledsoe Co., TN.  He married ELIZABETH "PATSY/PATTIE" BREAZEALE December 10, 1798 in Knox County, TN, daughter of Willis Brazeale and Sarah Woods.

 

Notes

Appointed Patroller Knox Co., TN in August 1795. Pd. Pole tax in Wilkes Co., NC in 1794. Living in

Wilkes Co. as early as 1778, Anderson Co. TN in 1801, & Bledsoe Co. in 1807. Will in 1822. 

 

        Children of Joseph Grayson and Elizabeth Breazeale are:

28.              i.    HENRY3 GRAYSON, b. November 02, 1799, Anderson CO, TN; d. May 09, 1873, Marion Co., TN.

29.             ii.    BENJAMIN FRANKLIN GRAYSON, b. 1802, ?; d. Bef 1882.

30.            iii.    JOSEPH GRAYSON, b. Abt 1804, Marion Co. TN; d. 1851, Cape Girardeau Co., Missouri.

31.            iv.    ELIZABETH "PATSY" GRAYSON, b. Unknown, ??.

                  v.    JANE GRAYSON, b. Unknown; m. JOHN BAILEY.

                 vi.    JAMES GRAYSON, b. Abt 1810, Bledsoe Co., TN.

 

7.  NANCY2 GRAYSON (BENJAMIN1) was born Abt 1782 in Wilkes Co., NC, and died Aft 1860 in Harrison Co., KY.  She married JOHN CROUCH, daughter of John Sr. and Judith Wiggens. At least one researcher

has confused her with John2 Grayson’s daughter Nancy resulting in inaccurate histories being widely circulated.

 

        Children of Nancy Grayson and John Crouch are:

                   i.    MARY ANN3 CROUCH, b. Abt 1798, Kentucky; d. April 11, 1872; m. HEZEKIAH LONGNECKER, December 01, 1821, Harrison Co., KY.

32.             ii.    MATHILDA CROUCH, b. Abt 1800, Harrison Co., KY.

33.            iii.    WILLIAM CROUCH, b. 1803, Harrison Co., KY; d. June 17, 1873.

                 iv.    JOSEPH G. CROUCH, b. Abt 1807, Harrison Co., KY; m. SUSANNAH LOWELL, October 29, 1833, Harrison Co., KY.

                  v.    THOMAS CROUCH, b. Abt 1810, Harrison Co., KY; d. Bef 1900; m. SARAH LAWRENCE, April 01, 1849, Harrison Co., KY.

34.            vi.    JOHN CROUCH, b. August 18, 1813, Coalmansville, Harrison Co., KY; d. December 15, 1878, Clinton Co., Iowa.

                vii.    RICHARD CROUCH, b. Abt 1816, Kentucky; m. TEMPERANCE, Abt 1841.

 

8.  WREN2 GRAYSON (BENJAMIN1) was born 1782 in Wilkes Co, NC, and died June 01, 1865 in Westport, Decatur Co., IN.  He married (1) BETSY OWENS 1804 in Scott Co., KY, daughter of Haraway Owens.  He married (2) REBECCA NEELEY/NEILEY 1812 in ?.

 

Notes

On Scott Co., KY Tax list 4/27/1805

Moved to Bledsoe Co., TN in 1807 (John Wren Grayson obituary)

E. TN. Militia-3rd (Johnson's Regiment) Captain Tunnel's Co. - War 1812

Returned to Scott Co., KY after Sanford's birth in 1824

 

On Scott Co., KY census in 1830 but not 1820

Rebecca is listed as his "consort" in her Madison newspaper obituary

 

1860 Census- Living with Joseph Grayson-no wife.

 

        Children of Wren Grayson and Betsy Owens are:

35.              i.    JOHN WREN3 GRAYSON, b. November 02, 1805, Scott County, KY; d. January 31, 1882, Madison, Jefferson Co., IN.

36.             ii.    HENRY GRAYSON, b. 1808, Bledsoe Co., TN; d. November 07, 1862, Louisville, Jefferson Co., KY.

 

        Children of Wren Grayson and Rebecca Neeley/Neiley are:

37.            iii.    WREN GRAYSON3 JR., b. February 14, 1813, Bledsoe Co., Tennessee; d. April 08, 1887, Westport,Decator Co., Indiana.

38.            iv.    JOSEPH GRAYSON, b. April 18, 1815, Bledsoe Co., TN; d. November 03, 1905, Tipton Co., IN.

39.             v.    NANCY GRAYSON, b. 1819-1825, Bledsoe Co., TN.

40.            vi.    BENJAMIN GRAYSON, b. June 10, 1818, Bledsoe Co., TN; d. October 31, 1884, Tipton Co., IN.

41.           vii.    SANFORD GRAYSON, b. July 27, 1824, Bledsoe Co., TN; d. March 24, 1895, Decatur Co. IN.

               viii.    LEWIS GRAYSON, b. Aft 1824, ??; d. Unknown.

 

 

Generation No. 3

 

9.  NANCY3 GRAYSON (JOHN2, BENJAMIN1) was born May 15, 1791 in Wilkes, Co. NC, and died October 1865 in Lawrence, IN.  She married JOHN EDMONDSON September 19, 1808 in Knox Co., TN, son of Solomon Edmondson and Susanna "Edmondson".

 

Notes

Burton L. Garten suggests that Nancy died in Martin Co., In. They are believed to have left Knox County for Martin Co. around 1826. The TN property that had been inherited from Solomon Edmonston  was apparently transferred to John Grayson. This Nancy has been confused with Nancy 2 Grayson daughter of Benjamin1 Grayson resulting in a major inaccuracy in many histories.

 

        Children of Nancy Grayson and John Edmondson are:

                   i.    MARY4 EDMONDSON, b. July 28, 1810.

                  ii.    THOMAS EDMONDSON, b. October 14, 1811.

                 iii.    BENJAMIN EDMONDSON, b. January 26, 1814.

                 iv.    SOLOMAN EDMONDSON, b. May 26, 1816.

42.             v.    JOHN GRAYSON EDMONDSON, b. November 06, 1818.

                 vi.    WILLIAM EDMONSON, b. January 03, 1821.

                vii.    ELBERT I. EDMONSON, b. September 28, 1825.

               viii.    ELIJAH EDMONSON, b. January 27, 1828.

                  ix.    WILEY MANSON EDMONDSON, b. May 13, 1829.

 

10.  BENJAMIN3 GRAYSON (JOHN2, BENJAMIN1) was born January 16, 1793 in Wilkes, Co. NC.  He married NANCY RIGNEY May 29, 1815 in Knox Co., TN.

 

Notes

Benjamin was a Lt. in the War of 1812 under Col. Wm. Johnson and Captain Stewart in the 3rd Reg. E. TN Militia. Also served  in E. TN Vol. Infantry. According to biography of his son Alfred in Marshall township history, Benjamin & Nancy had 11 children. Alfred being the 4th. When Alfred was four (1826) family returned to TN. Later they removed to Lawrence Co., Indiana.

 

        Children of Benjamin Grayson and Nancy Rigney are:

                   i.    JOHN4 GRAYSON, b. Abt 1822, Knox Co., TN; d. July 04, 1891, Jackson, IN.

                  ii.    ALFRED GRAYSON, b. February 05, 1822, Arkansas; d. Aft 1884; m. ROSEANNA HOPKINS, September 22, 1842, Lawrence Co., Indiana.

                 iii.    SARAH GRAYSON, b. Abt 1827, Arkansas; d. 1904.

                 iv.    JULIA GRAYSON, b. Abt 1831, Lawrence Co., Marion, IN.

43.             v.    THOMAS GRAYSON, b. Abt 1835, Lawrence Co., Marion,  IN.

                 vi.    CATHERINE GRAYSON, b. Abt 1837, Lawrence Co., IN.

                vii.    EMILY GRAYSON, b. Abt 1837, Lawrence Co., IN.

 

11.  SARAH3 GRAYSON (JOHN2, BENJAMIN1) was born Abt 1796, and died April 07, 1867 in Clay Co., IN.  She married JOHN WILLIAM EDMONSON August 13, 1816 in Knox Co., TN, son of Samuel Edmonson.

 

Notes

Addition info on children from Dan's family tree

 

        Children of Sarah Grayson and John Edmonson are:

                   i.    WESLEY4 EDMONSON, b. Abt 1823, Knox Co., TN; d. August 03; m. CAROLINE M