Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts was first settled by English Puritans in 1629 and was first incorporated in 1631 as Saugus.
Estate inventories give us a glance into the home life of Colonial Americans.
Dorothy Collins Gray was born on March 6, 1675 in Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts. Her parents were Joseph and Sarah Collins.
When she was 25, she married Robert Gray on October 19, 1700 in Lynn.
Their children included:
Dorothy Gray Tarbox (August 23, 1701, married John Tarbox),
Deborah Gray Tarbox (November 24, 1704, married Benjamin Tarbox),
Robert Gray (June 27, 1708), and
Sarah Gray (November 25, 1713).
In the Lynn records on January 8, 1729/30
Nathaniel Evans of Reading forbids the banns of matrimony of Robert Gray, jr., of Lynn.
To forbid the banns is to raise an objection.
Robert had a second wife named Abigail. He made his will on September 5, 1731.
Mary White Rowlandson,Talcot
was captured by Native Americans
during King Philip's War
(1675-1676).
Old Style Calendar
Before 1752 the year began on Lady Day, March 25th,. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year. Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are used to indicate whether the year has been adjusted. Often both dates are used.
A Dower is a provision for a wife's support should her husband die before her. Her dower right was the use of ⅓ of her husband's estate. The dower was settled on the bride at the time of the wedding. A drowry was the property a bride brought to her marriage.
The town common (commons) was a small, open field at the center of the town which was jointly owned. It was used as a marketplace, a place for the militia to drill, or for grazing livestock.
Essex Institute Historical Collection published by Essex Institute, 1916
There is nothing which shows whether or not, William Gray had any connection with Robert Gray of Lynn, whose marriage intention is recorded at Lynn, Oct. 19, 1700, to Dorothy Collins.
