Hello Linda, Hope you are enjoying your new life in Pa. Saw on the latest E-mail that you have GRAYS in your family, so I am taking a long shot to see if there is any connection with mine. The 1841 census showed that JAMES GRAY & wife, MARY BOYD were born in IRELAND (don't know just where) They showed up in Glasgow in 1841 census. Most of children were born in Ireland except two youngest ones, MATILDA born in RFW & JAMES born in GLASGOW. JAMES was a shoemaker (as were some of the daughters' husbands). I understand from family that some of the Grays & Boyds migrated to Canada, but so far have not been able to put my finger on which ones. Could there be any connection with yours? Wishing you a happy, healthy & prosperous 2006. Janet New England USA

Hi Janet, Five years ago, I would have been dancing up and down and throwing my hat in the air when I read your message to Linda about the Grays and the Boyds. My interest in genealogy began as a quest to find the origin of my unusual Christian name and I would have thought that you had given me the answer. I knew quite a lot about my Grays right from the start. They came from Macosquin Parish, near Coleraine in County Londonderry and certainly had connections with Scotland. I had a great aunt called Sarah Matilda Galloway Gray! There were also lots of Boyds living in the parish and the neighbouring parish of Aghadowey but I had not been able to connect any of the Boyd ladies to my Grays - who were all called either James or William! And then a few months ago, a good friend in Texas discovered the link in the Old Age Pensions Applications held by her FHC. Briefly, this is how it happened that the two names became linked and Boyd became a family name within the Grays. James Gray, my great great grandfather, married Eliza Jane Brown in 1853 and had a son called William. Robert Brewster, my great great grandfather, married Mary Boyd in 1836 and had a daughter, Annie Brewster. Annie Brewster married William Gray in 1882 and called a daughter Mary Alice Boyd Gray and she was the lady who asked my mother to put Boyd in my name. Problem solved after almost five years! So, as you can see, although so many of the names are the same, my ancestors are not your James Gray and Mary Boyd. Very spooky but just one of the many genealogical coincidences I have come across over the years. However, it may be of interest to you to know that there were lots of Grays and Boyds intermarrying in this part of Ulster, and all with close connections to Scotland. Regards, Boyd ----- Original Message ----- From: <JustJanet223@aol.com> To: <Scotch-Irish-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, January 02, 2006 4:31 PM Subject: Gray Family > Hello Linda, > > Hope you are enjoying your new life in Pa. Saw on the latest E-mail that > you have GRAYS in your family, so I am taking a long shot to see if there is > any connection with mine. > > The 1841 census showed that JAMES GRAY & wife, MARY BOYD were born in > IRELAND (don't know just where) They showed up in Glasgow in 1841 census. Most > of children were born in Ireland except two youngest ones, MATILDA born in > RFW & JAMES born in GLASGOW. JAMES was a shoemaker (as were some of the > daughters' husbands). > > I understand from family that some of the Grays & Boyds migrated to Canada, > but so far have not been able to put my finger on which ones. > > Could there be any connection with yours? > > Wishing you a happy, healthy & prosperous 2006. > > Janet > New England USA > > > > ______________________________