Sarah Crow

Sarah Crow was born about 1823, probably in Chatham County, North Carolina, the daughter of James Crow and Diana McClanahan. Sarah's headstone says she was born in 1820, in Randolph County, North Carolina.

The 1830 Chatham County census shows Sarah as a female age 5-10 years.

About 1834, James moved his family to Guilford County, North Carolina. The family appears on the 1840 Guilford County census.

Sarah married John Worth Gray on April 14, 1845, in Guilford County. John Worth Gray was born April 10, 1801, near Parsons Creek, in Randolph County, North Carolina. He was the second child born to Gilbert Gray, a French immigrant, and Martha Welborn. John was a Methodist-Protestant minister, a planter, and also practiced medicine.

John Gray was a widower with six children when he married Sarah Crow. John's first marriage was Valinda Robbins, who was born in 1804, in Randolph County, and died October 9, 1843, in North Carolina.

John and Sarah settled in Guilford County. Sarah's father gave her several acres of land when she married. Two children were born in Guilford County prior to 1850.

In March 1850, John and Sarah loaded their wagon and headed with their children to Missouri. They settled in Barren Township of Independence County, Arkansas instead.

The 1850 Independence County, Arkansas census shows John Grey, 49, farmer, $500 real property; Sarah, 30; Lutitia, 21; Elisha C., 19, farmer; Jefferson, 15, farmer; Keziah, 13; Burrow, 4 and Romulus, 3 years old. 

John and Sarah's third and last child was born in Arkansas in 1852. 

Sarah's time in Arkansas was very short, however. She died August 1854, in Independence County, Arkansas. She is buried in Mt. Tabor Cemetery near Cave City, in Independence County.

When Sarah's father, James Crow, died in 1859, Sarah's children were included in his will. The three children were to receive slaves and a share of the money derived from the sale of any items not disposed of in the will. The will stated that Sarah had already received land in North Carolina from her father.

The 1860 Independence County census shows John Gray, 59, farmer, $3000 real property, $6000 personal property; James B., 12; Stephen R., 11 and Mary, 7 years old.  Living with the family was John's daughter from his first marriage, Lutitia Meacham, 30, seamstress, $1000 real property, $175 personal property, and her daughter Mary A., 6 years old.  The family was listed next to Sarah's brother, John Crow and his family.

The 1870 Independence County census shows John Gray, 69, farmer, $1800 real property, $200 personal property; James B., 23, farm worker and Mary, 18 years old.  Boarding with the family was Henry Johnson, 20, $1800 real property and $200 personal property.

John Gray died February 19, 1878, in Independence County. He is buried beside Sarah in Mt. Tabor Cemetery. They have a triple headstone with his first wife's name on the stone, although she was buried in North Carolina.

A journal written July 27, 1908, by Rev. James Burrow Hines Gray, eldest child of John and Sarah Crow Gray, reveals part of their family history. Following are selected parts of that journal:

"John Gray owned 200 acres of land before he married, very good land, and he farmed. He was about 27 years of age when he married Velinda Robbins, sister to the one Alson (John's brother) married........John had six children, Elutitia, Elisha, Jefferson Franklin, Ekisiar, Matilda, Martha Jane, and Balinda........John's first wife died in about 1842 or there abouts........Martha Jane died before her mother died........John married again in 1845, and married Sally Crow........James Burrow Hines Gray (author of this journal) was born July 1, 1846, and Stephen Romulus McDanial Gray was born April 10, 1848........(John) owned about 500 acres of land before they left, and he had a sale to sell all of the personal property. There was a large crowd there, and it brought a very good price. He left the land in Scott Welborn's hand to be sold........John (and his family) left there (Guilford County) the second day of March, 1850, and started to Missouri, but never did get there. He came across the Cumberland Mountains, through Kentucky, Salisberry, North Carolina........and through Tennessee, and crossed the Mississippi River at Iron Banks or Columbia, and crossed in a flat bottom boat, and came through the edge of Missouri, then camped at old Jackson. They came to Smithville, Arkansas, to Jo McGee, and from there to Curia on the Batesville and Smithville Public Road, now where my father lives. They bought corn from Mr. Sayad, who owned his place, and he wanted to sell out to him (John), but he wanted to go on further south. He went to Searcy, White County, and stayed there for a while and was sick, so he turned back to here........and the man that owned this place still wanted to sell out to him, but he went on out to Reeds Creek and got a small log cabin to stay in for a while........and in July, 1850, he took a notion he would come back here and look at this place, and bought the place. There was only 40 acres entered, and he put in an old tar wagon. They moved to this place in August, 1850, and they sowed turnips after they moved down here. Those that were born in Arkansas: Mary Sabaria Elisa Gray, born 22 August 1852........In July, 1853, they went back to North Carolina on a visit. They left Elutitia and Elisha here (Arkansas), for they had married. While there they stayed with Aunt Martha Chipman (John's sister). He collected the pay for his land while he was there. They stayed with Grandfather Crow. He was a farmer and owned a good deal of property and Negroes. They started back to Arkansas November, 1853, and arrived for Christmas day. John Crow and John Smith came to Arkansas with him this time. Sally (Crow) Gray died in August, 1854........John Gray farmed, preached and practiced medicine. John Gray died February 19, 1878, and was buried at the old Mt. Taber Cemetery, his wife there by his side."

Although the journal does not tell the exact location where John and Sarah settled after coming to Arkansas, records indicate they settled at Hickory Valley, near Cave City.

Children of John Gray and Sarah Crow