PRAY, Frances

Other Events and Attributes:

• Also Known As: Fannie
• Census: 25 Aug 1850, Dorchester, Norfolk, MA, USA
• Census: 27 Jul 1860, Dorchester, Norfolk, MA, USA
• Residence: 1880, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States

Notes:

Census:
Amasa Pray / 34 / Male / Occu - Wood Warf / Born in Maine-Miriam Pray / 27 / Female / Born in Maine-Charles A Pray / 9 / Male / Born in Mass-Francis A Pray / 7 / Female / Born in Mass-Amasa Pray / 4 / Male / Born in Mass

Census:
Fannie Pray / Age 17 / Sex F / / Birthplace Mass

Family/Spouse: HOBBS, Hiram H. Hiram (son of HOBBS, HIram H and E, Sarah) was born about 1832 in Maine; died on 28 Apr 1900 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. HOBBS, Jennie was born in 1865 in Maine.
2. HOBBS, Beulah M. was born in 1867 in California.
3. HOBBS, Anna G. was born in 1869 in California.
4. HOBBS, Wilson Fawcet was born on 2 Oct 1876.
5. HOBBS, Frank G. was born in 1877 in California; died on 14 Jun 1940 in Masonic Grand Lodge (Van Ness at Oak), San Francisco, CA USA; was buried on 17 Jun 1940.
6. HOBBS, John Hobert was born in 1879 in California.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Obituary: Amasa Pray One by one the old landmarks are being swept away, and the last old citizen to be carried to his narrow house was Amasa Pray, who, on Wednesday last, under the auspices of the Masonic fraternity, was interred in the Odd Fellow’s cemetery. For two years previous to the day of his death the deceased had been gradually sinking. A native of Maine, a merchant of Boston and an early resident of Santa Barbara, where he owned a large amount of real estate, he sold out and came to Santa Cruz in 1864. In company with his son-in-law, H. H. Hobbs, he opened a storee in the brick building on the hill, the property of Jacques Leslie. Subsequently they moved their goods into the Santa Cruz Hotel. In company with W. H. Moore, Mr. Pray erected the Pacific Ocean House, they being the owners of the wooden building that was burned down, and in fact the landlords as successor to Bradley & Stevens, their successors being Olds & Co. In the room now occupied by Mr. Ostorlaus, Pray & Hobbs merchandised for a number of years. Mr. Pray sold his interest in the Ocean House to H. Holley, he practically having constructed the building that covers the alley way and now occupied on the lower floor by W. H. Hobbs, and which he owned at the time of his demise. The deceased took no active part in the enterprise with which he was identified, but he served the people faithfully and wells school trustee and member of the city counsel, was in candidacy on two occasions as supervisor, once as supervisor at large and once as supervisor of the district in which he lived, and he was a railroad director at the time the Santa Cruz road was transferred to Stanford & Co. For some three years previous to his death he was engaged in the real estate business in company with his brother-in-law, Samuel Drennan. He was a warm-hearted, genial man, and we shall long miss from our streets the pleasant face, so ever ready to give a friendly salutation to all.
• Census: 25 Aug 1850, Dorchester, Norfolk, MA, USA
• Census: 27 Jul 1860, Dorchester, Norfolk, MA, USA
• Arrival: 1864, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
• Census: 9 Jun 1870, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
• Residence: 1880, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA

Notes:

Census:
Amasa Pray / 34 / Male / Occu - Wood Warf / Born in Maine-Miriam Pray / 27 / Female / Born in Maine-Charles A Pray / 9 / Male / Born in Mass-Francis A Pray / 7 / Female / Born in Mass-Amasa Pray / 4 / Male / Born in Mass

Census:
Amasa Pray / Age 41 / Sex M / Occupation: Wood & Coal Merchant / Real Estate $10,000 / Personal Estate $11,000 / Birthplace Maine

Census:
Pray Amasa / Age 53 / Male / White / Occupation Retired Merchant / Real Estate Holdings $25,000 / Personal Holdings $5,000 / Born in Maine / Male Citizen over 21

Amasa married FERNALD, Miriam on 2 Oct 1839 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Miriam (daughter of FERNALD, Oliver and HEARD, Olive) was born in Nov 1824 in Great Falls, Androscoggin, Maine USA; died on 11 Aug 1906 in 28 Union Street, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Obituary: From the Santa Cruz Sentinel, 13 Aug 1906: ANGEL OF DEATH CALLS MRS. PRAY WIDOW OF LATE AMASA PRAY AND MOTHER OF FRED H PRAY YIELDS TO OLD AGE. Mrs. Amasa Pray, the widow of the late Amasa Pray, at one time half owner of the Pacific Ocean House and a member of one of the pioneer families of Santa Cruz, died at her home on Union St. at 2:15 on Saturday morning, surrounded by her children. Mrs. Pray died of a general breakdown, at the age of 85. Mr. and Mrs. Pray were among the earliest pioneers of this section, coming here 45 years ago. Deceased leaves two sons, Amasa Pray of San Francisco, Fred H. Pray of this city, and two daughters. Mrs. Minnie Bancroft and Mrs. Fanny Hobbs of Berkeley. She was born in Berwick, Maine. The Palmer drug store property, as well as the home on Union St. belonged to Mrs. Pray, the latter place having been her home for many years. For two months she has been very ill and her two daughters and her son Fred have been in almost constant attendance on her. They have the sympathy of many friends in their loss.
• Residence: 1850, Dorchester, Norfolk, Massachusetts
• Census: 25 Aug 1850, Dorchester, Norfolk, MA, USA
• Census: 27 Jul 1860, Dorchester, Norfolk, MA, USA
• Census: 9 Jun 1870, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
• Residence: 1880, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
• Residence: 1900, Santa Cruz Ward 2, Santa Cruz, California

Notes:

Census:
Amasa Pray / 34 / Male / Occu - Wood Warf / Born in Maine-Miriam Pray / 27 / Female / Born in Maine-Charles A Pray / 9 / Male / Born in Mass-Francis A Pray / 7 / Female / Born in Mass-Amasa Pray / 4 / Male / Born in Mass

Census:
Miriam Pray / Age 38 / Sex F / / Birthplace Maine-

Census:
Pray Marian / Age 48 / Female / White / Keeping House / Born in Mass

Died:
(address later became the Walter Byrne residence, but at this time had been in the Pray family)

Notes:

Married:
Scanned/transcribed record in Ancestry lists as 2 Sep 1839, but reviewing book clearly shows chronological order, and that dates go ... 30 Sep ...OCT...1...2...etc

David married Sarah. Sarah was born in 1794; died on 7 Jan 1890 in Sanford, York, Maine. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Blacksmith & Farmer
• Residence: 1 Jun 1840, North Berwick, York, Maine, USA
• Residence: 1850, Berwick, York, Maine
• Residence: 1860, North Berwick, York, Maine
• Residence: 1880, North Berwick, York, Maine

Notes:

Maine death records have his date of death as March 30, 1883. Headstone shows March 31, 1883 as his date of death, which is used in this record as his death date. Interesting/odd that his granddaughter, Mabel Drennan Byrne, used a different, earlier date (2 Mar 1882) in a 1927 DAR account on early California pioneers.

Oliver married HEARD, Olive on 8 Mar 1821 in North Berwick, Maine. Olive (daughter of HEARD, Benjamin and CHADBOURNE, Joanna) was born on 24 Nov 1801 in Berwick, Maine; died on 2 Mar 1831 in North Berwick, Maine. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Also Known As: Olive Hurd

Notes:

Married:
Married by Nathaniel Lord

Other Events and Attributes:

• Also Known As: Archelus Fernald
• Also Known As: Hercules Fernald
• Military: Private, Massachusetts Militia, Revolutionary War
• Residence: 1830, Berwick, York, Maine

Notes:

Some discrepancy in deaths, and Old Kittery and Her Families lists as 27 Oct 1833. Have changed from prior records I had which listed death 22 Jul 1836, which I believe came from DAR records by Olive Fernald / Mabel Drennan. Also, a close look at his headstone reads what looks to be “81” or “811”(!) yrs, so still a bit of a mystery.

Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, 17 Vols:

Fernald, Archelaus, Pepperellborough. Capt. Samuel Leighton's co.; pay abstract for travel allowance from home to Dorchester Heights in Aug., 1776; also, same co.; company receipts for wages for Aug.-Oct., 1776, dated Dorchester; also, Capt. Leighton's co., Col. Ebenezer Francis's regt.; pay abstract for travel allowance from Dorchester Heights home; warrant allowed in Council Nov. 29, 1776; credited with 7 days allowance; also, same co. and regt.; company receipt for wages for Nov., 1776, dated Dorchester; also, Private, Capt. Elisha Shapleigh's co., (late) Col. Joseph Storer's regt.; enlisted Aug. 14, 1777; discharged Nov. 30, 1777; service, 123 days, travel (300 miles) included; roll sworn to at Kittery.

From Miriam Fernald Bancroft’s DAR entry:

Hercules Archelaus Fernald, 1776, enlisted in Capt. Samuel Leighton’s company, and in 1777 served under Capt. Elisha Shapleigh. He served at the siege of Boston, in the Burygone campaign, and was detailed to guard prisoners after the surrender. He was a pensioner when he died in North Berwick in 1836, aged eighty seven.

Hercules married PERSLEY, Miriam on 30 Jan 1772 in York, Maine, USA. Miriam was born about 1747 in York, York, ME, USA; died on 22 Jul 1826 in North Berwick, York, ME, USA; was buried in Fernald Cemetery (private), West Beech Ridge Road, North Berwick, York, ME, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Also Known As: Miriam PURSLEY
• Residence: 1771, York, Maine, USA

Notes:

Married:
Married by Rev Sam. Langton

Benjamin married CHADBOURNE, Joanna on 3 Jul 1800. Joanna was born on 14 Aug 1782 in Berwick, Maine; died on 5 Oct 1842 in Berwick, Maine. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]