Rev. Spence Monroe Grayson

1734 - 1798  (64 years)

• Name	Spence Monroe Grayson  [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Prefix	Rev.
  Born	1734	Dumfries, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA   [5]
  	Spence was born at "Bell Air," the estate of his father in Dumfries, Virginia.
  Gender	Male
  Died	Dec 1798	Dumfries, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA   [6]
  	Spence died at "Belle Air", his estate in Dumfries, Virginia.
  Buried	Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA
  	Buried in the family vault at the Belle Air estate
  Person ID	I19587	Munro
  Last Modified	24 Jul 2004

  
  

  Father	Col. Benjamin Grayson,   b. 1684, , , , England ,   d. 1758, Dumfries, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA  (Age 74 years)
  Mother	Susannah Monroe,   b. 1695, , Westmoreland Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. Nov 1752, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA  (Age 57 years)
  Married	1734	Dumfries, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA
  Family ID	F1635	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Mary Elizabeth Wagener,   b. 1741, Piscataque, Essex Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. 1810, Washington, , District of Columbia, USA  (Age 69 years)
  Married	1754	Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA   [4]
  Children	1. Samuel Grayson,   b. 28 Apr 1758,   d. Yes, date unknown + 2. Catherine Grayson,   b. 5 Apr 1760, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. 1795, , , Virginia, USA  (Age 34 years) + 3. Benjamin Grayson,   b. 6 Nov 1761, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. Of, Bardstown, Kentucky, USA   4. Mary Grayson,   b. 26 Aug 1764, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. 1795  (Age 30 years) + 5. William Grayson,   b. 26 Jun 1766, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. 1806, Washington, , District of Columbia, USA  (Age 39 years) + 6. Susan Monroe Grayson,   b. 29 May 1768, , Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. 20 Apr 1822, Prob., King George Co., Virginia, USA  (Age 53 years) + 7. Col. Peter Wagener Grayson,   b. 14 May 1770, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. 1 Feb 1816, Tuscumbia, Colbert Co., Alabama, USA  (Age 45 years)   8. Anne Grayson,   b. Aug 1772, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. 1772, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA + 9. Spence Monroe Grayson, Jr.,   b. 17 May 1774, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. 1829  (Age 54 years)   10. Anne Grayson,   b. 14 Nov 1776, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. 1793, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA  (Age 16 years) + 11. Capt. John Robinson Wagoner Grayson, Usn,   b. 17 Sep 1779, Dumfries, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. 10 Aug 1822, Savannah, Chatham Co., Georgia, USA  (Age 42 years)   12. Thomas Robinson Grayson,   b. 17 Sep 1779, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. 1800, Calcutta, , West Bengal, India  (Age 20 years) + 13. Judith Grayson,   b. 17 Dec 1780, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. 18 Sep 1851, New Orleans, Orleans Par., Louisiana, USA  (Age 70 years) + 14. Beverly Robinson Grayson,   b. 3 Sep 1782, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. , , Mississippi, USA + 15. Sally Grayson,   b. 1 Jul 1784, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. , , Mississippi, USA + 16. Caroline Sarah Ann Grayson,   b. 17 Oct 1786, Belle Air, Prince William Co., Virginia, USA ,   d. Sep 1830, Washington, , District of Columbia, USA  (Age 43 years)
  Last Modified	20 Jan 2009
  Family ID	F6726	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Spence inherited and resided at "Belle Air," the former residence of his father in Prince William County, about two miles from the Occoquan river. Later in his life he went to England and studied theology. He was ordained by the Bishop of London, 24 May 1771. He then returned to Virginia in 1771 and preached for a long time at Cameron Parish in Loudoun County, Virginia. He was a chaplain with the rank of captain in Colonel William Grayson's Virginia Regiment in the American Revolution and was a fighting as well as praying parson. He was Chaplain of Grayson's Additional Continental Regiment in May 1777. He retired 22 Apr 1779. Spence Grayson was known as a refined gentleman and was devoted to his family and to his friends. He was a large handsome man of distinguished being and manner and an eloquent speaker. He and his family were prominent in the affairs of Virginia and were frequent guests of President George Washington. He was a personal friend of the President. When George Washington's nephew, Major George Augustine Washington was married, there were three clergymen present. The General chose Rev. Grayson to perform the ceremony and gave him $100. "Belle Air," his home, was situated in the southeast corner of Prince William County, Virginia. The broad Potomac flowed in front about a mile distant south. The view of the Potomac was particularly fine pointing as it did up and down many miles and including Indian Head directly opposite on the Maryland shore. Indian Head was where the Americans opened fire on the British squadron under Com. Gordon on its decent down the river in 1814 after plundering Alexandria. The plantation consisted of 1000 acres of fine rolling and well-watered land. In nearly the center of the plantation there rose a beautiful tableland, elliptical in shape, large enough for the dwelling, the out-houses, shade trees, walks, gardens, and lawns, and it was exclusively used for that purpose. Spence was ordained by the Lord Bishop of London on 29 May 1771. The births of some of his children in England was estimated by the time he was in college there. Some of them may have been born in Loudoun County where he preached after returning from England. He was a justice in Prince William county in 1769, so his daughter, Susan Monroe may have been born before he went to England. Ref: Clan Munro files - May, Frank Boone III - Johnson, Monroe - Williams, Irmalee - Benjamin Grayson family record - Spence M. Grayson family record Ref 2 says Spence was born in 1742. Ref 5 says he was born in 1732. References: (1) Clan Munro files - Redden, Virginia R. - Descendancy Chart of Susannah Monroe (second installment) - dated 7 Oct 1997 - p. 1, 6 (2) Clan Munro files - Redden, Virginia R. - Descendancy Chart of Susanna Monroe attached to a letter from Carolyn Brent dated 16 Jul 1997 - p. 2 (4) Clan Munro files - Cataluna, Esther R. - The Ancestry of Esther Cataluna - dated 7 jan 1998 - p. 1 (5) Clan Munro files - Grayson, Nathaniel Lewis, III - Descendants of David Munro - p. 1 Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA [7]

  
  

• Sources

  [S8] Clan Munro files - Redden, Virginia, Virginia Redden, The Monroes of Virginia - Update - 18 Nov 1997 - p. 1 (Reliability: 3). [S31] Clan Munro files - Grayson, John Stanford, John Stanford Grayson, Grayson Lineage - p. 1-2, 7, 11 (Reliability: 3). [S58] Clan Munro files - May, Frank Boon, III, Frank Boon May, III, Email from Frank May dated 4 Nov 2000 (Reliability: 3). [S58] Clan Munro files - May, Frank Boon, III, Frank Boon May, III, Membership application for Frank Boon May, III dated 15 Ma y 2001 (Reliability: 3). [S31] Clan Munro files - Grayson, John Stanford, John Stanford Grayson, Grayson Lineage - p. 7, 11 (Reliability: 3). [S8] Clan Munro files - Redden, Virginia, Virginia Redden, The Monroes of Virginia - Update - 18 Nov 1997 - p. 1, 9 (Reliability: 3). [S31] Clan Munro files - Grayson, John Stanford, John Stanford Grayson, Grayson Lineage - p. 9-10 (Reliability: 3).