Ralph, Jr. was the son of Ralph, Sr. and Lois Smith Way of Hadley, Massachusetts. In the History of Hadley, Massachusetts, he is described as "negro." Ralph, Jr. and his father each had a house on Ralph, Sr.'s land, where they annually produced hard cider, about 65 bushels of grain, and 12 tons of hay. A 1770 tax valuation shows that father and son lived "below the middle Highway" and their property was valued at £48 and 14 shillings.
In October of 1765, Ralph, Jr. married Phillis Smith of Hadley. She might have been formerly enslaved to the Rev. Williams of Hadley. The Ways had two children- Phillip, born in 1766 and died in 1768, and Nancy, born in 1768. Phillis might have died birthing Nancy, or soon after, as Ralph married Margaret Gregory in 1769. Ebenezer was born on August 31, 1770, and another Philip followed in 1775.
Ralph, Jr. and/or his father, Ralph, Sr. appear in the account book of Hadley resident Samuel Gaylord, who was a carpenter. Gaylord made a a chest of drawers, a trunk, and probably for Ralph, Jr., a reel (textile equipment) for his wife, and a cradle. Between 1781 and 1785, Ralph, Jr. purchased wood, bread, rye, corn, and a saddle, among other things. Gaylord also mended his fence. Ralph paid for the saddle with peas, oats, and corn.
Ralph married a third time in 1816. Shelburne, Massachusettts vital records notes his 1816 intention to marry Rachel Power. She is described as being an "Indian woman." The 1820 federal census for the town lists Ralph and Rachel as being "Free Colored." He was between the ages of 26 and 44, and she was age 45 or older. They are also listed in the 1830 and 1840 Shelburne censuses.
Gerzina also noted that both father and son were in and out of court either being sued or suing.
By 1777, Ralph had enlisted as a soldier in the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). His residence was given as Springfield, Massachusetts. He was "reported taken prisoner July 26, 1777."
Military Service
Sources Consulted
History of Hadley, Massachusetts, Sylvester Judd, 1905, p. 423, p. 150 in genealogy section
Mr. and Mrs. Prince, Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina, pp. 53, 115
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, Vol. 16, pub. Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1891, p. 727