Gray and Pendleton – Altarpiece connection

Research from Cleo Mullins:

"We were wondering yesterday, if the Gray and Pendleton families could have been members at St. Peter’s. Well, Henrietta Pendleton who married George Taylor of Hazelwood Farm is buried in your churchyard. Her parents, Nathaniel Phillip Pendleton, who was the merchant, and his wife, Ann Madison Turner, are buried at Hazelwood Farm. Elizabeth B. Magruder married John Lewis Pendleton at Port Royal, Va., on May 26, 1820. I think these were Nathaniel Phillip’s parents. Perhaps it was John Pendleton who was of Gray and Pendleton.

"The Gray family seems to have a long history of being merchants and connections to both your Port Royal and the one in Jamaica. There are several Grays who were merchants from Glascow and traded in the Caribbean. One of them, William Gray was provost marshal Port Royal, Jamaica, and died there in 1788.

"Most interesting — John Gray and James Coats, merchants, Port Royal, Virginia. (Testament registered on l6 May l79l.) Scottish Transatlantic Merchants, 1611-1785 By David Dobson, lists John Gray, merchant from Glascow who traded in the Caribbean, settled in Port Royal, Va. 1748-1777, then return to Glascow to die there in 1787.

"I also found that in the Virginia Fredericksburg Gazette, they gave notice that on Jan. 11, 1799, "died at Port Royal, Mr. Wm. Gray, merchant." These men too early for our man, but perhaps were relatives?

"William Gray was appointed by Pres. Andrew Jackson to be "surveyor and inspector of the revenue in Port Royal, in the State of Virginia, from the 29th of January 1830." [Niles Weekly Register, Vo. 38]. Possibly this is the William Gray who at one time owned "Wheatland," which is still standing and is about 12 miles south of Port Royal. It was built between 1849-1851. This is in Essex County, which may be why I didn’t find him in my initial search for Port Royal in Caroline County. Probably, they are all from the same merchant family.

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