Welcome to the Rea Surname Group! I'm Gary Rea, founder of the Rea Surname DNA Project (http://garyr50.tripod.com/Rea_Surname_DNA_Project.htm) and long time Rea genealogy researcher (since 1984).
My personal genealogy website can be found at:
http://www.reagenealogy.garyrea.com/
I'm researching the Rea name in Washington County, NY. John Rea, b 1744 in Scotland, d April 20, 1832 in Hebron, Washington County, NY was married to Isabel, d. 1752, d Spetember 22, 1818 in Hebron, NY. They had children John 1786-1852 who was the husband of Isabel Dick and Margaret who was the wife of Robert McClellan.
Hi, Michelle, and welcome to the Rea group! My emigrant ancestor was Matthew Sutherland Rea, who left Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland in 1774 and came to Pennsylvania, where he ultimately settled in Franklin County. The family migrated from there to Wisconsin in 1840 and to Minnesota in 1875. My genealogy can be seen at: http://www.reagenealogy.garyrea.com
Hello! My Ray ancestor is my gggreat-grandfather John RAY b. 1800 in GA d. 1884 in Wise Co, TX. He was married in 1825 to Mary "Polly" TAYLOR b. 1801 in TN d. 1887 in Wise Co, TX. She was the daughter of William S. TAYLOR and part Cherokee. John and Mary Taylor RAY lived in Fayette Co. AL, Itawamba Co. and Alcorn Co. MS, Johnson Co. and Wise Co. TX, and Arkansas. John was a farmer and a Baptist preacher. I have not been able to locate who his parents were though in the 1880 Wise Co, TX census he states his father was born in NC and his mother was born in VA. An interesting fact about my ggg-grandfather John RAY is that he was also the Great-Great Grandfather of Charles Hardin Holley, known in the entertainment world as BUDDY HOLLY.
Hi, Lizzie, and welcome to the Rea group! Interesting music connection, there. I'm a distant cousin of Donnie and Marie Osmond, myself. Our common ancestor lived in the 1300s.
Hi, Karen. Welcome to the Rea Group! Your situation is a pretty unusual one, in my experience. I have seen MacReas drop the "Mac" or Mc," but your line is the first one I've seen to foreshorten Rayford to Ray.
Sounds like an interesting "journey," alright, Karen. Why do you suppose the name was foreshortened to Ray? Maybe to dissociate from the former slaveholder? That would be my guess, anyway.
Hi John, There are quite a few of us who are researching the John Ray and Mary "Polly" Taylor Ray line. We are fairly certain that Joseph M. Ray and Mary Fouts are not John Taylor's parents but I thank you for taking the time to post the information.
Hi! I am glad to find this group. My great grandfather was Ocie Dean Ray from AL. We know little about his family and would love to know more. I have been told he had 1 sister Martha and 3 brothers (one named Robert) and do know of a nephew named James Earl Ray. Ocie was born Sept 21, 1880. His mother was part Choctaw or Cherokee.
I think you must mean Searcy County, Arkansas, William. North Central Arkansas. I'm from Oklahoma City, myself, originally. There was no white settlement, to speak of (a few fur traders and missionaries) in what was then Indian Territory and later Oklahoma. Most of the white settlement began in 1889, with the settlement of the Unassigned Lands of Central Oklahoma and, later, the panhandle. Oklahoma City was created literally in one day, April 22, 1889, with the first land run. It was nothing but unsettled rolling prairie at noon and by nightfall there was a tent city of 10,000 inhabitants from all over the world.
I'm the first born in Oklahoma. My line came from County Down, Northern Ireland to Pennsylvania in 1774 and, from there, went to Ohio and Wisconsin, in the 1840s, and Minnesota in the 1870s. My father was a young civil engineer when he married my mother in St. Louis in 1950 and they moved to Oklahoma City that year.
The Rea Surname DNA Project has recently merged with Family Tree DNA's Wray project and is being run by one of my members and the founder of the Wray group.
Have just joined the group and am interested in the Rea family in Australia.
The Rea family we belong to came from the Ilderton, Wooler area of Northumberland and we have info as far back as Charles James Rea and Elizabeth Laing in the 1820s. The first member of the family to come to Australia was John Arthur Rea in the late 1870/1880s.
Just a note: I'm no longer running the Rea Surname DNA Project that I founded in 2002 and ran until 2011. It's been merged with a Wray project on Family Tree DNA:
Anyway, I wanted to mention a member of that project, Allen (Richard) Rea, whom I've met in person, back in 2009. He lives in Queensland, Australia and is a cattle rancher there. I have no idea where his ancestors came from, though, and I no longer have his email address. Not much help, am I? ;)
Hello everyone! I'm looking to see if anyone knows of any Rays in Pueblo, Colorado, around the mid to late 1800s? I'm stuck on a family member in my genealogy named James Earl Ray, born in the 1880s in Pueblo, Colorado.
GaryRea
My personal genealogy website can be found at:
http://www.reagenealogy.garyrea.com/
Jul 16, 2009
Michelle McKenzie
Jul 22, 2009
GaryRea
Jul 22, 2009
Gen Story Girl
Jul 22, 2009
GaryRea
Jul 22, 2009
GaryRea
Jul 29, 2009
GaryRea
Jul 29, 2009
GaryRea
Jul 29, 2009
Gen Story Girl
Aug 5, 2009
David Jenkins
Aug 8, 2009
Melissa Beth Stokes
Jun 23, 2011
William Rea
Hi, Gary, glad to find this group page. have been looking around many websites
looking into my Rea family line. furthest back i have gotten on the Rea side is Joseph Rea b.1787 in mecklenburg,co NC.d. 1855 in searcy, co OK
his son William Thomas Rea b.1827 d.1882 is my 2nd ggf,
his son Jehu Rea b. 1869 d.1946 is my ggf
his son Garland Esper Rea b.22-mar-1902 d.1979 is my gf
his son Arthur Floyd Rea b.16-feb-1928 d.27-aug-2003 is my father
Dec 7, 2011
GaryRea
I think you must mean Searcy County, Arkansas, William. North Central Arkansas. I'm from Oklahoma City, myself, originally. There was no white settlement, to speak of (a few fur traders and missionaries) in what was then Indian Territory and later Oklahoma. Most of the white settlement began in 1889, with the settlement of the Unassigned Lands of Central Oklahoma and, later, the panhandle. Oklahoma City was created literally in one day, April 22, 1889, with the first land run. It was nothing but unsettled rolling prairie at noon and by nightfall there was a tent city of 10,000 inhabitants from all over the world.
I'm the first born in Oklahoma. My line came from County Down, Northern Ireland to Pennsylvania in 1774 and, from there, went to Ohio and Wisconsin, in the 1840s, and Minnesota in the 1870s. My father was a young civil engineer when he married my mother in St. Louis in 1950 and they moved to Oklahoma City that year.
The Rea Surname DNA Project has recently merged with Family Tree DNA's Wray project and is being run by one of my members and the founder of the Wray group.
http://www.familytreedna.com/project-join-request.aspx?group=Wray&a...
Dec 7, 2011
Susan Rea
Good morning
Have just joined the group and am interested in the Rea family in Australia.
The Rea family we belong to came from the Ilderton, Wooler area of Northumberland and we have info as far back as Charles James Rea and Elizabeth Laing in the 1820s. The first member of the family to come to Australia was John Arthur Rea in the late 1870/1880s.
Glad to exchange any info I can
sue
Mar 4, 2012
GaryRea
Welcome to the group, Susan.
Just a note: I'm no longer running the Rea Surname DNA Project that I founded in 2002 and ran until 2011. It's been merged with a Wray project on Family Tree DNA:
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/rea-ray-wray/
Anyway, I wanted to mention a member of that project, Allen (Richard) Rea, whom I've met in person, back in 2009. He lives in Queensland, Australia and is a cattle rancher there. I have no idea where his ancestors came from, though, and I no longer have his email address. Not much help, am I? ;)
Gary
Mar 4, 2012
Susan Rea
Gary
Thank you for your prompt response.
Will keep following other leads!
sue
Mar 4, 2012
CLRay
Hello everyone! I'm looking to see if anyone knows of any Rays in Pueblo, Colorado, around the mid to late 1800s? I'm stuck on a family member in my genealogy named James Earl Ray, born in the 1880s in Pueblo, Colorado.
Apr 4, 2017
Paul J. Lareau
Here is a recent version of our REA DESCENDANT GENEALOGY. REA-20170219-D.pdf
Apr 5, 2017