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THOMAS H. GRAY.
For many years Thomas H. GRAY, of Upper Makefield
township, was prominently identified with the interests of more
than one of the leading railroad companies. On the paternal
side Mr. GRAY traces his descent from an ancestor who
emigrated from Scotland to the American colonies. Abraham
GRAY, a descendant of this ancestor, was the grandfather of
Thomas H. GRAY. Dean GRAY, son of Abraham GRAY,
was born in Bucks county, probably in Solebury township, and
while still a child was deprived by death of both his parents.
He was reared in the family of Joseph SCARBOROUGH, in
Solebury township, and on reaching manhood apprenticed himself
to the blacksmith’s trade. Later he purchased a farm on the
Buckingham and Solebury line, which was cultivated by his sons,
as they became old enough, while he worked at his trade. He was
an active worker in the temperance cause, and although a strong
Democrat, was a pronounced anti-slavery man, advocating the
freeing of the slaves by peaceable means. He was a member and
officer in the Presbyterian church. He married Sarah
STOCKDALE, and the following children were born to them:
Napoleon B.; William Warner; Rhoda A.; Joseph N.; and Thomas H.,
mentioned at length hereinafter, who is the sole survivor of
this family. Mrs. GRAY died in 1869, and her husband
passed away in 1871, at the age of sixty-seven.
Thomas H. GRAY, son of Dean and Sarah (STOCKDALE)
GRAY, was born April 22, 1838, in Buckingham township,
and was reared on the farm. On reaching his eighteenth year he
determined to adopt some other calling than that of a tiller of
the soil, and in 1856 went to Philadelphia, where he obtained a
position as clerk in a store, and was employed in different
clerical capacities for some years. For eight years he
cultivated the homestead acres, and in 1867 the property was
advantageously sold. The family then moved to Brownsburg, where
they resided one year, and then removed to the vicinity of
Trenton, New Jersey. There for four years Mr. GRAY was
engaged in truck-farming, remaining at home as long as his
parents lived. In the spring of 1872 he accepted a position
with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, at Flemington, and one
year later was given a position as clerk in the superintendent’s
office at Lambertville, where his work was so satisfactory that
four months later he was made clerk to the auditor of freight
receipts. His close application to business undermined his
health, and in 1881, after eight years in the office, he was
obliged to resign. He was immediately employed by the Lehigh
Valley Railroad Company as traveling car agent for the lines in
New Jersey, a position which he held until the Lehigh Valley
road came under the control of the Central Railroad of New
Jersey, which event took place in 1889. At this period of his
life Mr. Gray purchased his present farm in Upper Makefield
township, and settled down to the life of an agriculturist.
Shortly afterward the Car Association was formed for the purpose
of tracing the cars of the different lines, and Mr. GRAY
was offered a position with them, but this he declined for the
reason that his acceptance would have required him to move to
New York. He served one term as a member of the city council of
Lambertville, but has never sought or desired office. In
politics he is an Independent. He and his wife are members of
the Thompson Memorial Presbyterian church, in which he is one of
the officers. Mr. GRAY married, in 1869, Louisa,
daughter of Francis VARARTSDALEN, and granddaughter of
Adrian CORNELL, senior, and two children have been to
them. Mary Frances and William Walter (twins) of whom the
latter survives and is at home with his parents.
Text taken from page 691 to 692 of:
Davis, William W. H., A.M., History of Bucks County,
Pennsylvania [New York-Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company,
1905] Volume III
Transcribed April 2007 by Joan Lollis as part of
the Bucks Co., Pa., Early Family Project,
www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/bucksindex.html
Published April 2007 on the Bucks County, Pa., USGenWeb pages at
www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/
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