Both William Cray, Onslow Revolutionary leader and his wife came from the colony of French Huguenots around Charles Town, South Carolina, in 1747. Cray himself was of Scotch descent, his wife being Swiss.

Mrs. Cray’s maiden name was Mary Magdalene de Gignilliat. She was born June 3, 1726, baptized at 4 months by Reverend Thomas Merritt. At age 20 she married William, who was two years her junior. A year later, the Crays came to North Carolina to live, along with James and Joseph Blount, merchants.

William had, prior to his marriage, been associated with Joseph Pringle, merchant. The Pringles were important merchants in Charleston. They may have been kinsmen of Cray; at least Cray was a protégé of Pringle.

Coming to North Carolina in 1747 we have no account of their first three years, but in 1750 Cray took a land grant from Royal Governor Author Dobbs for 165 acres on Duck Creek and New River, where he built his home and where he was buried until the coming of Camp Lejeune, when the remains were moved, along with the grave stones, to the Federal cemetery at Jacksonville.

In the cemetery at Jacksonville are the markers for Cray and three of the children, but none for Mrs. Cray, which was lost.

The mother of Mrs. Cray was an aunt of the famous Revolutionary General, Francis Marion, often called The Swamp Fox, so named because of his hit-and-run method of fighting the British, who were always uncomfortable as long as he was near. Associated with Marion were such partisans as Sumter, Pickens and Lee, the last of whom was the father of Robert E. Lee, the great Confederate Chieftain. Before her marriage, Mrs. Cray’s mother was Ester Marion. She married Henry de Gignilliat.

The story of Henry is equally interesting. He was a son of Jean le Gignilliat and Susanne le Serrurier, a daughter of Jacques le Serrurier and Elizabeth Leger.

Jean de Gignilliat was a son of Abraham de Gignilliat who came to America before the Edict of Nantes.{1598}

Ester Marion above was the daughter of Benjamin Marion and wife Judith Baluet. Benjamin’s parents were Jean Marion and wife Perlene Boulignan. Jean’s father was Gabriel Marion of New Rochelle, France. Ester had a brother Gabriel who was the father of General Marion. The General’s mother was Ester Cordes. The General married Ester Videau.

Mary Magdalene Cray had a number of children, how many we do not know. Of the five who grew to adulthood we have:

William Jr, married Elizabeth Randall.
Mary, married Joseph French.
Henrieta
Joseph Scott married France Howard.
Charlene married 1st James Davis, 2nd Enoch Hancock.

For a number of years Joseph Scott Cray was the County Clerk. The family was long prominent in the affairs of Onslow County. It is regretted that we know so little about the Cray ancestry.

Note: The Crays were of Scottish descent.
         The Marions were French.
         The Gignilliats were Swiss.
         They were all citizens of the Huguenot settlement near Charleston.

         Huguenot History

{Thanks to Mrs. H. L. Jones, New Bern, N. C.)