Can anyone help me with trying to find anything on a Matthias/Mathis Gray?

Question

From what another person has found, he was supposibly from the greater manchester area of England. All I know is that his birth is sometime between 1828ish to 1835. He came to the united states (ending up in San Francisco) around 1847-1854. He married a woman named Susan (Shepard/Sheperd?) who I'm certain was born in new york.

Answer 1

If this (below) is the same guy then there's a fair bit out there if you google him: This is from the obituaries on the san fran geneology site:

"GRAY--A Prominent Man Dead. Matthias GRAY, a well known music dealer of San Francisco, died in that city at 7 o clock Wednesday morning last. One week ago Mr. GRAY was stricken with paralysis of the brain, which was followed by congestion of the lungs and heart. He gradually sank and Wednesday morning brought the termination which the attending physician foresaw as inevitable from the first. He leaves a widow and a son 11 years old. He was a prominent member and director of the British Benevolent Society and a member also of the Bohemian Club. * * * Passed Away. Matthias GRAY, the well known and very popular music dealer of San Francisco, who passed from earth a few days ago was one of the most noble and generous men on the Pacific Coast. His many charities were mostly of a private nature, and bestowed in such a manner that the receiver hardly knew whom to thank. A few years ago a lady who was in trouble concluded to get up a concert at Platts hall, San Francisco. The lady was not personally acquainted with Mr. GRAY; but that generous man had heard of her misfortune and distress, and when she called at his store to ask what he would charge for the use of a Steinway piano for the occasion, Mr. GRAY very politely informed her that she could have the use of the piano free of charge. During the brief conversation he said: Madam, I am in deep sympathy with you in your trouble and I wish to assist you; accept this little gift [twenty dollars], and turning to the head clerk he introduced the heart-sorrowing lady and said, I authorize you to give Mrs. five dollars every week while she is obliged to remain in the city. The lady said, I will not impose on your generosity by calling. But the lady through a friend received five dollars each of the four weeks she remained in the city. Such men as Matthias GRAY don't die they merely pass from this to a better land." Source: San Joaquin Valley Argus (Merced, CA), 2 Apr 1887. Contact: Priscilla Stone Sharp [e-mail]

Answer 2

www.ancestry.co.uk

Son: Name:  Matthias King Gray, II  

Birth:  3 May 1875 - San Francisco, San Francisco, California

Death:  10 Oct. 1921 - Klamath, Oregon

Parents:  Matthias King Gray, Susan H Shephard  

Spouse:  Helen Louise Stadtfeld

His wife: Name:  Helen Louise Stadtfeld  

Birth:  15 Nov. 1871 - San Francisco, San Francisco, California

Death:  1 Nov. 1964 - Folsom, Sacramento, California

Parents:  Jacob Benedict Stadtfeld, Mary A. Hauser  

Spouse:  Matthias King Gray, II

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/f...

Mathias GRAY

Birth Year 1829  

    Birthplace ENG  

    Age 51  

    Occupation Music Publisher  

    Marital Status Married  

    Race White  

    Head of Household Mathias GRAY

    Relation Self  

    Father's Birthplace ENG  

    Mother's Birthplace ENG  

Census Place E D 12, San Francisco, San Francisco, California  

Susan H. GRAY

Birth Year <1845>  

    Birthplace NY  

    Age 35  

    Occupation Keeping House  

Head of Household --Mathias GRAY

    Relation Wife  

    Father's Birthplace ENG  

    Mother's Birthplace NY  

King GRAY

Birth Year <1875>  

    Birthplace CA  

    Age 5  

Relation Son  

    Father's Birthplace ENG  

    Mother's Birthplace NY  

They employed 2 Chinese cooks--Chu Heong (Male; Birth: 1845, China; age 35) and  Fung Hea (Male; Birth: 1857, China; age 23). .  

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/f... Death Records

Grandson:  MATHIAS KING GRAY

Born: 08/18/1899  in CALIFORNIA

Death Date: 12/27/1959 (age 60 yrs ) in Inyo County,. CA

SSN--525-03-5508

Mother Maiden--STADTFELD

Father Last--GRAY

www.ancestry.com-- New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957

  Name: M Gray

Arrival Date: 12 Jul 1847

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1829

Age: 18  

Gender: Male  

Port of Departure: London, England  

Ship Name: American Eagle  

Port of Arrival: New York, New York  

Line: 41  

Microfilm Serial: M237  

Microfilm Roll: M237_68  

List Number: 511  

     (Am wondering if this is right person. It's logical, however, that he'd go to New York first, if his wife was born there, and then they went to California later. If son Matthias II was born there in 1875, Matthias Sr. would have been 46 years old)

Another passenger listing shows:

Name: M Gray

Arrival Date: 25 Apr 1866

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1830

Age: 36  

Gender: Male  

Port of Departure: Liverpool, England  

Destination: United States of America  

Place of Origin: Great Britain  

Ethnicity/Race­/Nationality: British (English)  

Ship Name: City of Manchester  

Port of Arrival: New York  

Line: 42  

Microfilm Serial: M237  

Microfilm Roll: M237_264  

List Number: 380  

Port Arrival State: New York  

Port Arrival Country: United States  

       (Going by your info above, I'd say the first listing--arriving in 1847--would be the one to go with since no first names are totally written out).

"The Bay of San Francisco : the metropolis of the Pacific Coast and its suburban cities : a history"; Chapter:  Vol. I. Biographical sketches

Page:  1_511

(Includes a mention of Matthias Gray and Company, agents of Steinway and Sons Company of New York. )

.http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ance...

San Francisco County  Biographies: THE MATTHIAS GRAY CO

    " This old established music house was founded in San Francisco in 1852 by Matthias Gray, the pioneer in the music business on the Pacific coast. The business was first established by him in 1852 in a small way on Washington Street, in only one room, and with a stock consisting of one Steinway piano and two or three of other kinds. The growth of musical interests in this city has kept pace with the progress and development in other directions, and now the Matthias Gray Company carry in their house here as large a stock of Steinway and other pianos as the manufacturers carry in their warerooms. From Washington Street, the establishment was moved to Clay Street, and at different times occupied different localities on that street, changing to meet the demands of their constantly increasing trade. From Clay Street , they moved to Kearny, thence to the White House, and finally to their elegant and commodious quarters at 206 and 208 Post Street, these buildings being four stories high. The first floor of 206 is occupied by the office and counting room, and also contains a stock of sheet music and small instruments. On the second floor above this is the attractive music hall, with a seating capacity of 200. The walls of this apartment are finely ornamented with portraits of the most eminent musicians. An attractive feature of this department are the series of concerts and musical receptions given each season, they having been inaugurated by Woldemar Ludovici, the efficient managing director of the Matthias Gray Co. One floor, designated the Steinway floor, is divided into different rooms and fitted up and furnished with elegance and taste. The "Grand Room" contains the finest pianos in the world, valued at from $1,000 to $2,000 each. The value of the stock in this room and in the "Upright Steinway Room" is over $50,000. Another floor contains pianos and instruments of other manufacturers. Other apartments are used for receiving goods, tuning and repairing instruments, and still others are fitted up for the convenience of music teachers who give lessons to private pupils."

      (word-for-word copy/paste from Source: "The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages 403, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892. Transcribed 3-31-06 Marilyn R. Pankey)

http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/vitals/sfo...

"GRAY--A Prominent Man Dead. Matthias GRAY, a well known music dealer of San Francisco, died in that city at 7 o' clock Wednesday morning last. One week ago Mr. GRAY was stricken with paralysis of the brain, which was followed by congestion of the lungs and heart. He gradually sank and Wednesday morning brought the termination which the attending physician foresaw as inevitable from the first. He leaves a widow and a son 11 years old. He was a prominent member and director of the British Benevolent Society and a member also of the Bohemian Club. * * * Passed Away. Matthias GRAY, the well known and very popular music dealer of San Francisco, who passed from earth a few days ago was one of the most noble and generous men on the Pacific Coast. His many charities were mostly of a private nature, and bestowed in such a manner that the receiver hardly knew whom to thank. A few years ago a lady who was in trouble concluded to get up a concert at Platts hall, San Francisco. The lady was not personally acquainted with Mr. GRAY; but that generous man had heard of her misfortune and distress, and when she called at his store to ask what he would charge for the use of a Steinway piano for the occasion, Mr. GRAY very politely informed her that she could have the use of the piano free of charge. During the brief conversation he said: "Madam, I am in deep sympathy with you in your trouble and I wish to assist you; accept this little gift [twenty dollars]", and turning to the head clerk he introduced the heart-sorrowing lady and said, "I authorize you to give Mrs. five dollars every week while she is obliged to remain in the city". The lady said, "I will not impose on your generosity by calling". But the lady, through a friend, received five dollars each of the four weeks she remained in the city. Such men as Matthias GRAY don't die they merely pass from this to a better land." Source: San Joaquin Valley Argus (Merced, CA), 2 Apr 1887

http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/history/he...

(Shows either the small or large size of the Matthias Gray Company letterhead)--Matthias Gray (pianos, organs) (1873)

http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~mkdu...

Catalogue of the Musical Publications Printed and Published by Matthias Gray. [1872]

  (Has links to 49 pages of his publications)

http://ftp.rootsweb.ancestry.com/pub/usg...

(Text of the last will/testament of Matthias Gray, who died in 1775--above Matthias' grandfather, perhaps??)

http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/gnl/lonece...

Matthias Gray 1828-1887 (shown on his tombstone at the Lone Mountain Cemetery in San Francisco.)

From www.findagrave.com, it shows this:

Lone Mountain Cemetery

San Francisco

San Francisco County

California  USA

Pioneer tombstones and monuments from Lone Mountain Cemetery were used as facing for the drain gutters at Buena Vista Park in 1919. No longer in use, as of April 11, 1867.

http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/history/hc...

Lone Mountain Cemetery:

Dates of Existence: May 1854 to 1862

Location: between 162 and 170 square acres

Number interred: 7,000 (1862)

Moved to: see individual cemeteries

Notes: this cemetery was divided into the Calvary, Odd Fellow's and Laurel Hill cemeteries



www.ancestry.ca-- Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI):

Name: Gray, Matthias

Birth - Death: 1829-1887  

Source Citation: (info about him in this book)

"The New Grove Dictionary of American Music". Four volumes. Edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock and Stanley Sadie. London: Macmillan Press, 1986. (NewGrDA)



San Francisco, California Directories, 1889-91

Name: Mrs. Matthias Gray

Location 2: San Rafael  

Occupation: widow  

Year: 1889  

City: San Francisco  

State: CA  

San Francisco, California Directories, 1889-91

Name: Matthias Company Gray

Location 1: 206 Post  

Occupation: importers, wholesale and retail dealers musical instruments and publishers sheet music  

Year: 1889  

City: San Francisco  

State: CA

Answer 3

This is in the California tax roll: Is this your ancestor?

Mathias Gray

State: California

Tax Year: 1865

Roll Title: District 1; San Francisco, San Mateo Annual Lists; 1865

NARA Series: M756

NARA Roll: 3