Brief Life History of William McCain
Captain William McCain Gray was born on 25 April 1771, in Washington, Virginia, United States as the son of Jean McCain. He married Mary Davis on 9 January 1794, in Washington, Wood, Virginia, United States. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 9 daughters. He died on 10 May 1846, in Washington, Virginia, United States, at the age of 75.
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Family Time Line
Sources (18)
- William Gray, "United States Census, 1840"
- William Gray, "Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940"
- William Gray, "Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901"
Spouse and Children
Children (14)
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Parents and Siblings
World Events (8)
1776
Thomas Jefferson's American Declaration of Independence endorsed by Congress. Colonies declare independence.
1780 · Richmond Becomes the Capital
On April 18, 1780 Richmond became the capital of Virginia. It was the temporary capital from 1780-1788.
1791
Bill of Rights guarantees individual freedom.
Name Meaning
English, Scottish, and Irish (especially Eastern Ulster; of Norman origin): habitational name from Graye in Calvados, France, named from the Gallo-Roman personal name Graec(i)us, meaning ‘Greek’ + the locative suffix -acum. This is probably the chief source of the surname in Britain.
English: nickname for someone with gray hair or a gray beard, from Middle English grey (Old English grǣg, grēg) ‘gray’. In Ireland it has been used as a translation of various Gaelic surnames derived from riabhach ‘brindled, gray’, including Mac Giolla Riabhaigh; see McGreevy . In North America, this surname has assimilated names with similar meaning from other languages.
French: habitational name from Gray in Haute-Saône or Le Gray in Seine-Maritime.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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