It's National Women's History month, so I am posting some of my most elusive women ancestors in hopes that someone will Google their name and find my post. Ideally, the Googlers will provide me with more information about my elusive female ancestor's ancestry. Realistically, they will commiserate with me about the lack of records and wonder why no researcher has figured the problem out yet.
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Family of Rachel (--?--) Pray
Rachel --?-- died before 1755 in Scituate, Providence County, RI. She married Richard Pray before 1725 in probably RI, son of John Pray and Sarah Brown. He was born about 1683 in Providence, Providence County, RI, and died 10 July 1755 in Scituate, Providence County, RI.
Notes for Rachel --?--:
Rachel Pray and her children were admitted to the town of Scituate, Rhode Island on 18 April 1741. The town council record (transcribed from Scituate (RI) Probate Court, Probate and and Council Records Volumes 1-3 (1731-1799), Volume 1, Page 71, on FHL Microfilm 0,941,155) reads:
"Att a Town Council held in Scituate in the County of Providence holden the 18th day of April Anno Domi 1741 Present
Jedidiah Harris / Samuel Cooper
Jeremiah Angell / Henry Whitmore
Thomas Realph / Benjamin Comeau (?)
"Where as Rachel Pray and her Children are Lately Removed unto this Town and have procured a Certificate from the Town Council of Smithfield from whence they Removed in the following words ---
"Att a Town Council held in in Smithfield September the 19th 1740 - Where as Rachel Pray, the wife of Richard Pray of Smithfield, Informed the Council that She hath a mind to Remove her Self and Children into the town of Situate Wherefore it is voted by this Present Council that of the sd Rachel Pray Should Remove her self and Children into the Town of Situate and Should become Chargable to sd Town of Situate: that this Town will Receive them again as Inhabitants of this town again.
"A true Copy as appears of ] Daniel Jenckes Council clerk
Record Examined ]
"Whereupon it is Voted that the sd Rachel Pray and her Children be admited to dwell in this Town untill further orders from this Council."
Notes for Richard Pray:
Richard Pray, yeoman, died testate. He wrote a will, dated 15 March 1755, which was proved 10 November 1755. The Court orders, will, and inventory (transcribed from Scituate (RI) Probate Court, Probate and and Council Records Volumes 1-3 (1731-1799), Volume 1, Page 251-253, on FHL Microfilm 0,941,155) read as follows:
"The Last Will and Testament of Richard Pray Late of Scituate aforesaid Yeoman was presented to the Council and was Read in the Following Words (Viz.) ---
"In the Name of God Amen: The Fifteenth day of March 1755: I Richard Pray of Scituate in the County of Providence Yeoman being Very Sick and Weak in Body of Perfect Mind and Memory. Thanks be given unto God. Therefore Calling unto Mind the Mortality of My Body and Knowing that it is appointed for Men once to die do Make and ordain this My Last Will and Testament that is to say I give and Present (?) My Soul into the Hands of God that gave it and My Body to the Earth to be Buried in Decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of My Executors hereafter Named and Touching Such Worldly Estate where with it hath pleased God to bless me in this present Life I Give Demise and Dispose of the same in the Following Maner and Form --
"Imprimis I give and bequeath to my Daughter Sarah Pray all my House Hold goods and all my Moveable Estate of whole sorts ????? the same may be --
"Item I give and bequeath to My Daughter Rachel Hinds the sum of Five Shillings in Money Equal to old Tenor to be paid by My Executor --
"Item I do hereby order and Impower My son in law Ezekiel Hopkins Junr to Sell and Dispose of all My Land as Conveniently May be after my Decease. and the Deed or Deeds by him given shall be Good and Effectuall to the hereafter and hereby thereof whom I do Likewise Constitute Make and ordain My Sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament ---
"Item My will Further is that after all My Just Debts and Funerall Charges are all paid out of the Effects of the Sale of My Land and the Remainder to Be Deposited as Followeth ---
"Item the one Half of said Reaminder I give and bequeath to My sd Daughter Sarah Pray to be paid to her by my said Executor ---
"Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Mary Hopkins the wife of My said Executor part of the Remainder of the Effects of the Sale of My Land ---
"Item I give and bequeath to My Daughter Rachels Children the one quarter Part of the Remainder of the Effects of the Sales of My Land to be Equally Devided amongst them and to be paid by My said Executor as They Shall Severally attain to the age of Twenty one years or at the days of Marriage with the Intrest Thereon arising ---
"And I do heby Utterly Disallow Revoke and Disannull all and Every other ????? Testaments wills Legacies and bequests and Executors by me in any ways before Named Willed and Bequeathed Ratifying and Confirming this and no others to be my Last will and Testament: In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set My hand and Seal the day and year above Written ---
"Signed Sealed Published Pronounced and Declared
By the said Richard Pray as his Last Will and Richard Pray (seal)
Testament In the Presence of us the Subscribers -
Charles Harris George Westcot Wm Wilkinson."
Children of Rachel --?-- and Richard Pray are:
i. Rachel Pray, born about 1725 in Providence County, RI. She married Hinds.
ii. Mary Pray, born about 1728 in Providence County, RI. She married Ezekiel Hopkins.
iii. Sarah Pray, born about 1734 in Providence County, RI; died after 1819 in probably Foster, Providence County, RI. She married Nathaniel Horton about 1755 in probably Scituate, Providence County, RI; born about 1730 in Rehoboth, Bristol County, MA; died before 04 May 1819 in Foster, Providence County, RI.
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My own ancestry is through Sarah Pray, who married Nathaniel Horton.
If anyone has additions or corrections to this family data, please, please, please, please (shades of James Brown, eh?) email me at rjseaver@cox.net.
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