Hugh PRAY

                   Sources:Wrentham Vital Recs.;N.E. H. & G. Reg. V4 p 84
Will of John Blake; Suffolk Probate Rec. #5705
Vol 35 N E 11 G Reg. P. 183 Wrentham, VRP. 23, 4-9.
Granddaughter Zipporah Adams from Will Probate rec.#5705
B-Archive Rec. 19 Jul 1726
Bapt- 8 Jun 1935 and 12 Dec 1942
E- 24 Jan 1940 and 3 Nov 1943
Sources:Vital Recds. Swansea; Vital Rec. Wrentham,Mass; Hugh Pray Cemetery
in Foster, R. I.; Benn's R. I. Families V 3 p 114, 276, V 2.
1850 Census of Foster, R. I.; Foster Deed Bk 2 p 470
Gloucester, R.I. Will Bk. 5, p 258; Will of Esther Pray 1846
Foster Will Bk. 23, p 252: Hugh Pray of Foster died intestate.
Hugh Pray of Gloucester appt. Admin. 8 Oct 1816
Will of Richard Green Bk E p 266- Cooperstown, N.Y.
Will of Hugh COLE of Foster
Will of William Pray, Oswego, N.Y. Bk B pp 236,238
Unpublished Pray Gen. by John Lansing Pray (1839-1911) p. 87
Seamans Family in America 1687 by John Julius Lawton pp 34,80,81.
Letter from Iva E. Andrews 26 FEB 1957
Vital Records, Swansea
Vital Records, Wrentham
Hugh Pray Cemetery in Foster, Rhode Island
Benn's Rhode Island Families, Vol 3, p. 114; Vol 2, pp. 275-276

Buried in the Hugh Pray Cemetery.


PRAY HILL AND FARM SETTLERS
(RICHARD PRAY, SON OF HUGH PRAY AND LILLAS COLE)
                     Mrs. M. M. Hatch (Historian of Richfield, N. Y.)

       At the close of the Revolutionary War, Richard Pray, a down East Yankee, bought a large section of the Banyar land in northern Richfield and the Beardsleys later bought as adjoining plot.  The tract was in the north-western part of Richfield and adjoined Columbia om Herlomer Co. on the north and from this he sold farms to the pioneers from 1785-1790 for $1.25 an acre.  Richard Pray was unquestionably the first actual settler to occupy a portion of this land.  Provided with his trustworthy flintlock and shiny new axe and the accumulation of silver dollars to pay for his newly acquired possessions stowed within a pair of cowhide boots securely tied together over the back of his faithful steed and lastly, securing a suitable switch from the tall popular that stood outside the gate of his old home, he started on his lonely journey to a western wilderness.
       At an inn where he obtained lodging the presence of two damsels made his solitary journey seem more objectionable and he decided to wait over a day for his horse to recuperate.  This humane feeling so grew upon him that the one day was lengthened to two.  The third morning dawned and the traveler must go on his way.  In bidding adieu to his new friends he politely informed one of the rosy cheeked damsels that he wished she were coming with him and Polly, with her strict New England regard for the truth, shyly admitted that she wished so too.  Whereupon the delighted Richard quickly dismounted, procured the services of a magistrate and adding a pillion to the trappings of his steed, with his new wife seated beside him, the lonely bachelor's journey merged into a delightful wedding trip.
       The home which they built to succeed the temporary log cabin and in which they passed the remainer of their lives is still in good repair at the foor of Pray Hill.  The row of poplars which for nearly a century outlined the road either way from the house traced their origin to the before mentioned crop which Richard secured from the aged monarch that o'er shadowed his natal hearthstone.
       When a great bear came down the wooded hill at the back of the house, Richard called Polly to come out and attract the bear's attention.  It is affirmed that she spread out her home-spun shift to its upmost capacity as she sidestepped.  At all events the ruse was successful and richard killed the bear.
       Richard Pray gave a plot of ground on the Hillside beside the road north of the house for a burying ground and it evidently was the most used one in the locality as it had ceased its usefulness way beyond the recollection of a generation now passed on, with three exceptions, the sacred mound, over sixty which can still be identified in the pasture are marked by field stones or not at all.  The three pieces of a white marble slab imbedded in sod and badly discolored were found to read:  "A Memorial of Richard Pray who died August 16 1822 in the 61st year of his ag e.  Rest worthy sire, thy rest is come, thy pains are gone, they work is done: thy God propitious sits above, to bless thee with a Savior's love."
       Another stone is in memory of Phoebe, who was the wife of Luther Clary.  She died 2 May 1885 at age 48 and the third is in memory of George, son of Richard and Sarah Langdon 4 Apr 1832.  Sarah Langdon was the dau. of Luther and Phoebe Clary.
     Three sons of Richard and Polly were Thomas, George and Archibald.  Thomas married Polly Green and moved to Michigan.  Archibald went to Ohio in early life.  George built the house next to his father's on the south, for some years past the home of Mr. Brady and later went to Canada.
       Steven Thoorton married one of the Pray girls and was the first to occupy th Richardson farm at the foot of the hill.  He was a man of means and owner of a gig, because of its basket work, was called "The Goose Nest."
       William Pray cleared and cultivated the farm to the north which in 1816 was sold to William Brown.  William Pray moved to and died at Amboy.
       Here all knowledge of Polly and her grave ends as the farm was next owned by William G. Merchant, son of Joel Merchant an early resident, shortly after his marriage in 1830.  Several years later he sold to Carleton a son of the well-known Dr. Wheeler Palmer.
                                  "Bailey's History of Richfield Springs & Vicinity"


EARLY REMINISCENCES OF OLD PRAY HILL AND FARM SETTLERS:
       Mrs. M. M. Hatch

       This well known elevation in the town of Richfield, Otsego County, over which the great Western Turnpike was completed in 1810, and on whose highest point it is crossed by the Monticello and Minden road-this Pray Hill, over which hundreds of autos daily pass in summer, is not, as one might reasonable conclude from its name, a mecca or spot made sacred by some shrine, where earth's pilgrims congregate to commune with the most high, but is thus designated by the name of one who became its owner soon after the Revolutionary War.  While the red man had held undisputed possession and had patrolled its densely wooded heights for unknown ages, the name by which they designated it is entirely unknown to the writer.
       LARGE GRANTS OFFERED:  After 1750 certain men, whose office either in the Chamber of Commerce or Provincial council afforded the holders an opportunity to enrich themselves and friends by securing large grants of land, were far-sighted and quick to avail themselves of each opportunity.  The demand for land by the incoming tide of immigration was so great that in order that all might have an equal chance it was deemed advisable that each man should onle avail himself of 1,000 acres.  But the wise ones of that day and generation like their present day descendants found an easy way around the objectionable statute, and would take a claim to 20,000 or 30,000 acres, and supply names of a sufficient number ot men to legalize the transaction, but those names did not appear on the deeds to the various settlers.
       GOULDSBOROUGH BANYER:  Perhaps one of the largest landholders in Otsego county was one Gouldsborough Banyer, an Englishman by birth, who came to America about 1737 and soon became a man of note in the province.
       In 1755 he was registrar in the Colonial Court of Chancery, and in 1756 and 1769 was an officer in the Prerogative Court which attended to the probate of wills and such business as well as the granting of marriage licenses.
       When the war became imminent Banyer retired from Albany to a place on the Hudson River.  He was deputy secretary of the Colonial Council in 1760 when Golden became governor.
       OBTAINED LARGE TRACTS:  While acting as secretary he had obtained from the crown many large and valuable tracts of land in this state in 1,000-acre lots in Albany, Cobleskill, Redbank, Thinebeck, Unadilla, Susquehanna, Exeter and Richfield.  During the time that tried men's souls, this skilled financial pilot steered his frail bark in the troubled national waters in such a manner as to preserve his character from reproach on the other side and his immense landed possessions from confiscation on this.
       These lands were leased on the redemption plan.  The first years a few bushels of grain was paid and later for a farm of 160 acres, an annual rent of $24 was the customary fee.
       $12 AN ACRE RENT:  Some of those early contracts for a through life lease have expired in recent years, where the annual rent in the lengthy agreement was $13 an acre.
       This owner of many thousands of acres, left no children at his death, but by the terms of his will the name of Gouldsborough Banyer must always survive with the ownership of the property.
       Presumably the owner of this vast acreage never personally imspected his densely wooded possessions, at least, in this upstate locality, and his only trip through the vale where the Mohawk gently glides may have been when he was among the 2,000 who attended the funeral of Sir William Johnson in July 1774, where he was one of the Pall-bearers.
       NAME IS PERPETUATED:  He died in 1815, aged 91, and after the passing of more than a century, his, perhaps more than his memory is perpetuated by the holding of farms in this locality by a generation that "knew not Joseph.""  there are now about 30 farms so leased in the northern part of Otsego County.
       At the close of the Revolutionary War, Richard Pray, a down east Yankee, bought a large section of the Banyer land in Northern richfield, and the Beardsley later bought an adjoining plot.
       RICHARD PRAY, FIRST SETTLER:  The tract was in the northwestern part of Richfield and adjoined Columbia in Herkimer County on the north, and from this he sold farms to the pioneers from 1785 to 1790 for $1.25 per acre, and Richard Pray was unquestionably the first actual settler to occupy a portion of this land.
       In his New England home, acting upon a principle later endorsed by or rather accredited to Horace Greeley, provided with his trustworthy flint lock and shiny new axe, while the accumulation of silver dollars which, unlike the prodigal son, were not to be spent in riotous living, but to pay for his newly acquired western possessions, were stowed with a new pair of cowhide boots securely tied together that there would be no danger of their becoming divorced during the long journey.  These were slung over the back of his faithful steed, his companion perhaps for day and weeks to come, and, lastly, securing a suitable switch from the tall poplar that stood, sentinel like beside the gate of the old home, to be made use of if his horse's spirits flagged, he started on his lonely journey to a western wilderness.
       MEETS CHARMING DAMSELS:  At an inn where he obtained lodging the presence of two charming damsels made his solitary trip seem more objectionable, and he decided to wait over a day for his horse to recuperate.  This humane feeling so grew upon him that the one day was lengthened to two.
       But it was not an age of miracles, and the dreaded and fateful third morning dawned when out hero traveler must go his way.
       In bidding adieu to his new made friends he polietly informed one of the rosy cheeked damsels that he wished she was coming with him, and Polly, with her strict New England regard for truth, and perhaps realizing that delays are dangerous, shyly admitted that "she wished so too."
       MARRIES FORTHWITH:  Whereupon the delighted Richard quickly dismounted, procured the service of a magistrate, and adding a pillion to the numerous trappings of his faithful steed, with his newly made bride seated behind him, the leaden gray morning of his departure suddenly became rosy hued and the lonely young bachelor's solitary journey merged into a delightful wedding trip.
       THEIR HOME STILL STANDS:  The home, which they built to succeed the temporary log cabin, and in which they passed the remained of their lives, is still in good repair at the north foot of Pray Hill.  The row of poplars, which for nearly a century outlined the road either way from the house, traced their origin to the beforementioned crop which Richard so thoughtfully secured from the aged monarch that o'ershadowed his natal hearthstone, and which he forgot or neglected to utilize for the originally designed purpose, after he was so unexpectedly provided with agreeable companionship.
       SLEEP OFT BROKEN:  Many of the descriptive conditions in that fine old poem, "Fifty Years Ago," would apply directly to Richard and Polly in their wild wood home, but their "sweet sound sleep at dead of night" was not always unbroken, and when a great venturesome bear came down the wooded hill at the back of the house, and without summons or chattel mortgage, seized one of their fine fat pigs, Richard called Polly to come out and attract bruin's attention, whether by her unadorned personal charms or by certain gymnastic movements, possibly resembling our modern tango or goosestep, we know not which, but it is affirmed she spread out her homespun shift to its utmost capacity as she sidestepped, at all events the ruse was successful and Richard killed the bear.
       UNMARKED GRAVES:  Richard Pray gave a plot of ground on the hillside beside the road north of his house for a burying ground and it evidently was the most used one in the locality, as it had ceased its usefulness away beyond the recollection of a generation new passed away, and with three exceptions, the sacred mounds, over 60 of which can still be identified in the pasture, are marked by field stones or not at all.  The three pieces of a fine white marble slab, imbedded in the sand and badly discolored were found to read "A memorial of Richard Pray who died April 16, 1822, in the 61st year of his age
                               Rest worthy sire, thy rest is come,
                               Thy pains are o'er, thy work is done;
                               Thy God propitious sits above
                               To bless thee with a Savior's love."
       THEIR DAUGHTER PHOEBE:  Another stone is in memory of their daughter, Phoebe, who was the wife of Luther Clary.  She died May 2, 1835, at 48 and the third is in memory of George, son of Richard and Sarah Langdon April 4, 1832.  (Sarah Langdon was a daughter of Luther and Phoebe Clary.)
       The three sons of Richard and Polly Pray were Thomas, George and Archibald.  Thomas married Miss Polly Green of Brighton and moved to Michigan.  Archibald went to Ohio in early life.  George bult the house next to his father's on the south, for some years past the home of Mr. Brady, and later went to Canada.
       STEPHEN THORNTON:  Stephen Thornton married one of the Pray girls and was the first to occupy the Richardson farm at the east foot of the hill.  He was a man of some means and the owner of a gig, as it was then called, and this particular one by reason of its basket work construction wa called "The Goose Nest."  William Pray cleared and cultivated the farm to the north which in 1816 he sold to William Brown, who was succeeded by his son, Lafayette Broen, and he in turn by his son, the present owner, Clarence Brown, the family ownership continuing for more than a century.  William Pray moved to and died at Amboy, Oswego county.
       POLLY'S GRAVE UNKNOWN:  Here all knowledge of Polly and her grave ends as the farm was next owned by William G. Merchant, (one of the eight children of Joel Merchant an early resident,) shortly after his marriage in 1830.  Several years later he sold to Carleton one of the sons of the well-known Dr. Wheeler Palmer whose portrait is one of the few embellishments of "Bailey's History."
       Just when the terrors of the civil War began to be realized in the spring of 1862, the farm became the property of David Locke.  His father, Samuel Locke, son of Timothy of Rhode Island, accompanied by a brother, was another early resident.  Samuel and