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James Gregson b 1823 England d Sonoma Co, California and Eliza Marshall b 15 Mar 1824 Manchester, England d Sonoma Co, California

Eliza was the daughter of Ann Marshall

For the Memoirs of James Gregson and Eliza Marshall see "The Gregson Memoirs" CHS Qtrly 19 Jul 1940. These memoirs can also be searched online at www.ancestry.com with a subscription.

James Gregson and Eliza Marshall were natives of England. Eliza gives a recounting of her childhood in her memoirs, James merely saying that at 12 he went to live in Philadephia.

They were married in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1843. They lived with James' father in Philadelphia the Winter of 1843 and Spring of 1844 and then traveled to Illinois. They lived at Rock Island Co, Illinois in the Fall of 1844. They joined a wagon train bound for Oregon, at Independence, Missouri in April 1845. But at Fort Hall, they determined to come to California. There were perhaps 30 wagons in their train and included persons such as : Jacob R Synder, Judge Blackburn, William Ide, George McDougal, the Elliots, John Grigsby, the McChristians, and the Hudson family.

When they arrived in California they "went to whip sawing for Captain Sutter on the Cosumnes River...there we stayed until 24 Dec 1845" (Eliza Gregson "Memoirs"). Then they went to work for Harry Trow and Ned Robertson, taking care of their ranch which was "away up the Sacramento, on the West side where the Feather River emptied into the Sacramento... Mr Hardy was drowned about 1849 [he fell off a schooner in Suisun bay] leaving his ranch unsettled." (Gregson ibid). [Where the town of Sacramento is.] 

In April 1846, they returned to work for Captain Sutter. James Gregson enlisted in Fremont's battalion as a volunteer and was stationed at the Fort.
Their daughter Ann E Gregson was born at Sutter's Fort 3 Sep 1846, and afterward became Mrs Robert Reid of San Luis Obispo.
Their daughter Mary Ellen Gregson was born 25 Septemer 1848 while they were prospecting on the river near Columa

They moved to Sonoma about October 1848. James Gregson went back to the mines and Eliza had to fend for herself and her two daughters. The Bruners, Christian and Mary were very kind to her and got her employment.
James Gregson and Eliza Marshall then moved to the Gregson Ranch in Green Valley, Analy Township, Sonoma Co, California in 1850 or 1851

1850 Sonoma Co, California
page 10B, Dwelling 30, Family 30
Ames Thadeus M. 29 M Farmer 3,000 New York
Ames Mary A. 16 F England
[Mary Ann Marshall married Doctor Ames, an assistant doctor in the New York volunteers where she was only a little more than 13]

1850 Sonoma Co, California
page 10B, Dwelling 30, Family 31
Gregson James 27 M Farmer 1,000 England
Gregson Eliza 26 F England
Gregson Ann 4 F California
Gregson Mary E. 2 F California

1850 Sonoma Co, California
page 10B, Dwelling 31, Family 32
Marshall Ann 52 F 2,000 England
Marshall Henry 24 M Farmer England
Marshall John 17 M Farmer England
[Anna Hughes married John Marshall in England]

On 24 Sep 1850 their son William F Gregson was born on their ranch

James Gregson's parents died about 1850 or 1851 and his youngest sibling John Gregon was in an orphan asylum

In 1852, James and Eliza had another son
On 31 May 1854, another daughter was born to them
Henry Marshall, Eliza's brother went with her mother to the East for a visit and there met and married Mary Jane Coterril in 1852 or 1853, and then they all came back to California and lived nearby again

On 5 Oct 1856 Henry M Gregson was born

On 20 Mar 1858 a daughter and then on 29 Oct 1862 another daughter

James Gregson appears in the 1880 History of Sonoma Co with a brief biographical sketch.