Person:Quinton Pray (1)

The Christian name "Quentin" was not uncommon in Scotland, and it may be significant that two of the early founderymen at Lynn, Anderson and Downing, were from Scotland. The name "Pray" is said to be of French origin, from "Pré," a meadow.

Quinton Pray came to Lynn, Essex County, MA in 1643. He appears to have been one of the ironworkers who came under the auspices of the Iron Works Company at its beginning in New England. As such, he may have been one of those whom John Winthrop Jr. brought at his own expense in May 1643: "workmen, servants & materialls for the said setting vp of iron workes, in the good ship the An Cleeve, of London." Later Quinton removed to Braintree, continuing in the Iron Works there.

He is first of record at Lynn, where about 1646 he was employed in the Iron Works as a "fineryman".

In 1651 he lived at Braintree, close by the site of the forge on Monatiquot River near Elm, Adams and Middle Streets, next east of the Thomas Thayer homestead grant. His property became involved in lawsuits following bankruptcy in 1653.

In 1653 he is mentioned in the early Court files of Suffolk as "Quinbon Pray, about 58. 27th, 8th" when he deposed in the case of John Giffard vs. the Iron Works Company.

Quinton Pray is one of a long list of persons mentioned in the inventory of debts of the estate of Mr. Joshua Foote's inventory of goods in and about Boston.

He is on the list of early settlers of Essex and Old Norfolk as "Quintin Pray, Marblehead, 1649; ae. 61 in 1656".

On 26 December 1664 "Quinton Pray finer" sold or mortgaged all his personal property to pay a debt of Ð40 owned to Thomas Savage and John Payne, to his sons Richard Thayer, John Pray, and Henry Neale, including "my right of cattle bred of the cows which was sometimes my son John Heardmans, and also my right of said Herdmans lands in Braintree [Court Record #2053-(3)].

Joan, relict of Quinton Pray, was made administrator 4 July 1667. Inventory was taken 29 July 1667 by Samuel Bass and William Needham; it amounted to Ð74-03-00 and included household goods, cattle, corn in the ground, etc., but no real estate is mentioned.

1. ↑ Waldo Chamberlain Sprague. Genealogies of the Families of Braintree, MA 1640-1850. (Frank E. Dyer)
   Pray family card 3942R, 3943, 3944R.
2. ↑ Henry Ernest Woods. Pray of York and Kittery, Maine. (New England Historic Genealogical Register, Vol. 55, July 1901)
   pp. 280-281.
3. ↑ Edward Holden. Depositions from the Files of Suffolk. (New England Historic Genealogical Register, Vol. 20, April 1866)
   p. 142.
4. ↑ Abstracts of Early Wills. (New England Historic Genealogical Register, Vol. 9, April 1855)
   p. 137.
5. ↑ Early Settlers of Essex and Old Norfolk. (New England Historic Genealogy Register, Vol. 7, October 1853)
   p. 359.
6. ↑ Sprague, Waldo C. Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records, 1643-1793. (New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2006).

   Quniton Pray dyed the 4th mo. 17 1667.