Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Wray, John
WRAY, Sir JOHN (1586–1655), parliamentarian. eldest surviving son of Sir William Wray [see under Wray, Sir Christopher] of Glentworth, by his first wife, Lucy, eldest daughter of Sir Edward Montagu of Boughton, was born in 1586, and spent the last three years of his minority in foreign travel. He was knighted at Whitehall on 7 June 1612, and succeeded to the baronetcy on 13 Aug. 1617. He represented the county of Lincoln in the first, third, and fourth parliaments of Charles I and the Long parliament. While serving the office of high sheriff of Lincolnshire he was placed (15 Feb. 1626-7) on the commission for raising the forced loan in that county. He declined to act under the commission, to contribute to the loan, or to give security for his appearance before the council, and suffered in consequence a term of imprisonment in the Gatehouse [see Darnell, Sir Thomas]. He also made default in payment of shipmoney (March 1635-6). He made a certain figure as a zealous presbyterian in the Short parliament (Harl. MS. 7162, f, 99; Addit. MS. 6411, f. 33) and in the earlier debates of the Long parliament (see the list of his printed speeches, infra). He moved the 'protestation' (3 May 1641), subscribed 600l. to the war fund (9 April 1642), and took the covenant (22. Sept. 1613). He was a man of weight in the 'eastern association' (see Cromwell's Speeches and Letters, ed. Carlyle, App. No. 5), and in the propositions submitted to the king in July 1646 was nominated one of the conservators of the peace with Scotland. On their rejection he retired from political life. He died in December 1655.
Wray was one of the early patrons of Edward Rainbowe [q. v.] His presbyterianism was apparently untinged with republicanism, and, although he approved the execution of Strafford and Laud, he was not prepared to mete out the same measure to the king. By his wife (married in September 1607) Grisilla, only daughter of Sir Hugh Bethell of Ellerton, Yorkshire, he had, with eight daughters [see Hotram, John, d. 1645], four sons. His heir. Sir John Wray, bart., captain in the parliamentary army, and member for Lincolnshire in the parliament of 1654-5, died in 1664, having married, first, Elizabeth, widow of Sir Simonds D'Ewes [q. v.]; and, secondly, in 1661, Sarah, daughter of Sir John Evelyn of West Dean, Wiltshire. His sole surviving issue was a daughter by his second wife, Elizabeth, wife of Nicholas Saunderson, eldest son of George, fifth viscount Castleton. On her death without surviving issue the Glentworth estates passed by entail to her next heir male, Sir Cecil Wray, eleventh baronet [see under Wray, Christopher, ad fin.]