John Jonas Bray (1856 - 1888)

Born 1856 in Franklin, Missouri, United States

Ancestors

Died 26 Mar 1888 at about age 32 in Cabot, Lonoke, Arkansas, United States

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Biography

John was born in 1856. He is the son of Lewis Bray and Prudence Patton.

The 1860 Census^[1] shows him at age 3 in the home of his parents in Boueff Township, Franklin County, Missouri.

The 1870 Census^[2] shows him at age 12 in the home of his widowed mother in Boueff Township, Franklin County, Missouri.

The 1880 Census^[3] shows him at age 22 as a boarder in the home of Jacob Jahraus in Boles Township, Franklin County, Missouri. John is a laborer, Jacob is a Bar Keeper from Bavaria.

Death

This news article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri:^[4]

A Fatal Spree.

By Telegraph to the Post-Dispatch.

Cabot, Ark., March 27, 1888. - A man by the name of John Bray was found yesterday morning near town In an unconscious condition. He had worked on the Pine Bluff Railroad, came on to Little Rock, got on a spree, spent his money and started on foot for St. Louis. He made it this far and gave out. He recovered his mind sufficiently to tell that he had a brother in St. Louis and a sister In Dundee, Mo. They were telegraphed as to his condition, but before an answer could be returned Bray died. When the brother, Richard Bray, was notified of his death, he ordered the remains to be shipped to St. Louis.

The evidence that this is the right John Bray is:

1. His brother Richard did live in St. Louis about that time.
2. Many of this Bray family lived in or near Dundee in Franklin County.
3. Others named John Bray born in this time frame were not from this county.

Research Notes

Regarding his portrait:
The portrait of John was from Rhoda (Holt) Maupin's Photo Album. Rhoda's husband's cousin married John Patton, who is also in the photo album. (Click here to see the relationship.) It is suspected, but not yet proven that John Bray's mother, Prudence Patton, is John Patton's sister. Rhoda had several friends and relatives from Boueff Township in Franklin County, Missouri.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHZY-6SF : 19 March 2020), John Bray in entry for Louis Bray, 1860.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M469-HYT : 19 March 2020), John Bray in entry for Prudence Bray, 1870.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6XM-171 : 19 February 2021), Jno Bray in household of Jacob Jahraus, Boles, Franklin, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district ED 70, sheet 86D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,686.
4. ↑ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31013155/john-jonas-bray-death/?xid=637

• FamilySearch profile for John Bray

• Rhoda (Holt) Maupin's Photo Album