Montgomery County, MOGenWeb The USGenWeb Project

GRAY, George Gray, of Scotland, emigrated to America previous to the revolution, and when that war began, he joined the American army and served during the entire struggle. He had several brothers in the British army during the same war. Before leaving Scotland, he married MARY STUART, and they settled first in Philadelphia, but afterward removed to North Carolina, and from there to Bryan's Station in Kentucky. Here their son, Joseph, married MARY FINLEY, and settled in Warren co., Ky. In 1818, he removed to Mo., and settled on Brush creek in Montgomery co., where he died in 1830. His children were Hannah, William, Isaac, George, Sarah, Rachel, James and Mary. Hannah married ASA WILLIAMS, who was an early settler of Montgomery co. William, Isaac and George married sisters named PRICE, of Ky. William had three children who settled in Mo. after the death of their parents. Isaac and George also settled in Montgomery co., but the latter removed to Clark co., in 1837, where he still resides. Sarah married STEPHEN FINLEY, who settled in Wisconsin in 1846. Rachel married JOHN P. GLOVER, who settled in Oregon. James married MARGARET WILLIAMS, of Ohio. Mary married PRESLEY ANDERSON, who died in 1848, and who was sheriff of Montgomery county at the time. He left a widow and five children, who still live in Montgomery co. GENTRY, David Gentry, of Virginia, married JANE KENDRICK, and settled in Madison co., Ky. They had Bright B., Pleasant, David, Dickey, Martin, Bailey, and five daughters. Bright B. married MARTHA JONES and they had James, Margaret, David, Jonathan J., Eliza, Susan, Albert and Fanny. David settled in Montgomery co. in 1853, and married POLLY A. GROOM. Jonathan also settled in Montgomery co. in 1833, and married ELIZABETH McFARLAND.

GROOM, William Groom, of England, emigrated to America and settled in Ky., where he married SALLY PARKER. They had Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Jacob, Aaron, Susan, Elizabeth and Sally. All except Susan came to Mo. Abraham and Isaac settled in Clay co. Jacob and Aaron settled in Montgomery co., in 1810. Jacob was a ranger under CAPTAIN CALLAWAY, and in company with JACKEY STEWART, was scouting in the wood the day Callaway was killed. A man named DOUGHERTY was killed the same day, at Salt Peter Cave, not far from Groom's farm. After they had killed him, the Indians cut his body into pieces, and hung them on a pole. As Groom and Stewart approached the cave, they discovered the horrible spectacle, and about the same instant, were fired upon by the Indians. Both horses were wounded, Stewart's mortally, and he also received a gunshot wound in his heel. After running a short distance, his horse fell, and soon expired; and he being unable to walk, on account of his wound, Groom generously helped him onto his own horse, and they both succeeded in making their escape to Fort Clemon. Groom was an uneducated man, but generous hearted and possessed of strong common sense. He was a leading politician of his day, a democrat of the Andrew Jackson stripe and was elected to the Legislature several times. He was a member of the first State Legislature, which met in St. Charles in 1821-2. He dressed in a buckskin suit, wore a band of hickory bark around his hat, and always had independence enough to express his honest convictions on every subject that came up for discussion. He married SALLY QUICK and they had Aaron, Maria, William, Lucinda, Sally A., and two other daughters, one of whom married a MR. HUBBARD, and the other, a MR. McGARVIN, all of whom lived in Montgomery co.

GILL, Samuel Gill, whose father lived in Maryland, settled in Virginia, where he was married twice, one of his wives being a MISS KIDWELL. His sons, James and Presley, came to Mo. in 1831. The former settled in Callaway co. and married MATILDA DARNES, by whom he had 8 children Presley settled in Montgomery co., and lives at New Florence. He learned the trade of a gunsmith and is also a doctor.

GRAVES, Peyton Graves, of Pittsylvania co., Va., married CHARLOTTE PINKARD, and they had nine children. Jane, the eldest, married THOMAS JEFFERSON, a nephew of President Jefferson. William, John and Washington, sons of Peyton Graves, came to Mo. and settled in Montgomery co. William married LUCY BERGER. John married MILDRED GEORGE. Washington married MELCINA BERGER. The rest of Peyton Graves' children, with the exception of one, lived and died in Virginia.

GRAHAM, John Graham, of Ky., married a MISS DUGAN, and they had Robert, John, Alexander, Catharine, and Isabella. Alexander died in Ky., and John died in Mississippi. Catharine married TOCAL GALBRETH. Isabella married ALEXANDER COLLIER. Robert, who was a physician, married ISABELLA GALBRETH, a daughter of Tocal Galbreth by his first wife, and settled in Montgomery co. in 1816. He bought a Spanish grant of land, situated on Loutre creek, from DANIEL M. BOONE, and built an elm bark tent upon it, in which he lived four years. The Doctor was a very small man, but of determined will and a nerve that could not be shaken. He was a staunch democrat, a voluminous reader, and a great admirer of Benjamin Franklin. He was the only physician in that part of the country at that time, and had as large a practice as he cared to attend to. He was fond of hunting, and devoted much of his time to that occupation. One day a large wolf got caught in one of his steel traps, broke the chain, and dragged the trap away with him. The doctor, JOSEPH SCHOLL, and MAJOR VANBIBBER tracked the wolf and came upon it where it had gone into the creek and was struggling in the water. Graham waded into the creek for the purpose of killing the wolf with his knife, when it caught one of his hands and bit it nearly off; but he succeeded in killing it. On another occasion the doctor and a party of hunters ran a large bear into his cave, and tried to smoke him out, but could not succeed, and finally shot him. After the bear was dead, the doctor was the only one of the party who had nerve enough to crawl into the cave and drag the carcass out. Wolves were plentiful then, and one day while out hunting, he killed 13 of them. The children of Dr. Graham were John F., Alexander W., James W., Benjamin R., Robert D., Franklin D., Doctor F., Patrick H, Maria, Catharine and Clara A.

GLENN, James Glenn and his wife, SARAH GRIGG, with their two children, James and Nellie, came from Ireland to America, and settled in Virginia. After their settlement there the following children were born... Polly, William, Thomas, and Whitehill. Mr. Glenn and his three sons, William, Thomas and Whitehill, moved to Ohio; the rest of the children married and settled in Ky. James William and Thomas were in the war of 1812, and the former was killed at the battle of New Orleans. The other two were with the armies that operated in Canada and the northern part of the United States. After the war, Thomas married LUCINDA T. KENDALL, of Ky., and came to Mo. in 1815. He came in a wagon, which contained, in addition to his family and furniture, a set of wheel-wright's tools, a gun and a dog. Mr. Glenn settled first on Cuivre River, but made about twenty settlements in all before he could find a location to suit him. These were all within the present limits of Montgomery county. He was a great hunter, and during the first year of his residence in Mo., killed fifty-six deer, one elk, and one bear. The names of his children were Julia A., Emily H., Sarah E., James m. and William I.

GODFREY, George Godfrey lived at Ritford, England. His son, Peter, married DOROTHEA LEAREY, of England, by whom he had Thomas, John, Edward, George, Charles, and Mary. Thomas came to America and settled in Canada. John went to California, and died on his return to England. Edward lives in Mercer co., Pa. George married MARY OSTICK, of England, and settled in Pittsburg, Pa., in 1830, in St. Louis in 1836, and in Montgomery co., where Jonesburg now stands, in 1838. His children are Mary A., George, Edward, William O., John W., Henry M., and James A. Mary A. married REV. GEORGE SMITH, a Methodist minister, who came to Montgomery county in 1836. Mr. Godfrey has been a devoted Methodist for many years, and a leading member of his church. His brother, Charles, settled in Louisville, Ky., and his son, Charles Jr., lives in Fulton, Mo.

GAMMON, Benjamin Gammon, of Madison co., Va., married SARAH MADDOX, and settled in (now) Montgomery county, Mo. in 1812. They had John, Henry, Anderson, Stephen, Jonathan, Benjamin, Jr., Harris, Elizabeth, Julia and Sarah. John, Anderson and Benjamin all died unmarried. Jonathan married MARTHA DICKERSON, and lives on Hancock's Prairie, in Montgomery co. Sarah married ALFONZO PRICE. The other children married and settled in different states. Mr. Gammon, Sr., built a hand-mill on his farm, which was the first in that part of the country, and it supplied his own family and his neighbors with meal for some time. The meal for his own family was generally ground just before it was required for use, and he allowed two ears of corn for each individual; but one day, JACOB GROOM took dinner with them, and they had to grind THREE ears for him, as he was very fond of corn bread. The grinding was done by the children, and it was said that Mr. Gammon "broke all his children at the mill".

GREENWELL, John Greenwell, of Ky., had a son, Joseph, who married a MISS TAYLOR, and they had Ellen, Richard, Joseph, Jr., John, and William Richard was married first to EVELINE RAYMOND, of Ky., and second to MRS. COUNTS, whose maiden name was RACHEL DAVIDSON. The rest of the children married and remained in Ky.

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Last updated 5 August 2000.