From Brooks and Kindred Families by Ida Brooks Kellam, 1950:
“Gentleman" Henry Bray "came to Chatham County, North Carolina, about 1754 and built his first residence in Matthews Township about 150 yards slightly northwest of the house where Richard Bray and Matilda Schmidt Paschal live. S. W. Paschal has said, 'I can first remember the lot was enclosed and had a fine lawn of short English lawn grass near the house site, and around for some distances were walnut trees, apple trees, some of the said to have been brought from England, as were all the old perennial garden vegetables, which were transferred to Mother's vegetable garden when Gentleman Henry moved, such things as horseradish, comfrey, rhubarb and garlic.' About 1783 he lift his first home and moved to a new place a mile or two south of Brush Creek Church."
Siler City, NC history: The land on which Siler City eventually appeared was first mentioned in a request for a deed in 1754 by Herman Husband, a resident of the Sandy Creek community of Randolph County. The deed awarded him in 1757, was for 640 acres in the fork of Love's Creek entitled "The Desolate Tract". In 1769, Henry Bray purchased the tract and unlike Husband, probably settled somewhere in the vicinity; the Bray name still exists today as a prominent family name in the Siler City area. (Chatham Online)

According to Mahala Bray Brown, in a letter dated 20, Aug 1891, she said, "Henry Sr. was her great-grandfather and he came to America sometime before the Revolutionary War. Henry Jr. was her grandfather and he served in the seven-year war (French and Indian War). She said her great-grandmother's name was Wilson." (Glenn Bray -- see source 206)

There’s some confusion about just how many Henry Brays there were and which ones did what. There is a family legend that this Henry was the immigrant, coming to America in the late 1600s as a young man, having run away from being an apprentice in London. He quarreled with the tailor he worked for and hit over the head. Fearing he had killed him, he got passage to Maryland telling them that his uncle Dr. Thomas Bray would pay for the passage. There is record that money raised under the name of Dr. Thomas Bray was used to pay for passage of a Henry Bray in 1698, but there is no record found yet of a brother of Thomas who could have been the father of Henry. This same legend says Henry lived to be 113. Hard to believe, but oft-repeated. A Henry Bray shows up with land in North Carolina in the 1720s. From there on there are usually several Henry’s owning and trading land in the area, complicating efforts to sort them all out.

Chatham Co., NC, Record of Estates, pg. 4b, 5
NC State Archives film # C.002.500
In USGenweb Archives/NC
In the Name of God amen I Henry Bray of the County Chatham and State North carolina being weak and inform of Body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be God Calling to mind the mortallity of my Body and knowing that it is appointed once for all men to die do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament, that is to say, principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God that gave it and my Body I recommend to the earth to be burried in a decent Christain Burial at the discression of my Executor and as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it has please god to bless me in this life I give and dispose in the following manner_____
Item I give and bequeath to Mary Bray my dearly beloved wife one Bed and furniture and her Saddle as her own property and the third part of all the rest of my household goods Chattles and moveable Estate as her own property and the use of my home Plantation so long as she continues to be my widow or as long as she pleases to live thereon except she marries__Item I give and bequeath to my son Edward Bray the sum of Twenty Shillings to him and his Heirs forever; ___ Item I give and bequeath to my son Henry Bray my Land and all the remaining two thirds of my Estate with his paying out of my Estate the sum of five pounds to each of my Daughters Vix. Sarah Ramsour, Mary Johnson, Catharine Jones & Elizabeth Poe) to him & his heirs forever_ I hereby constitute make and ordain my Son Henry Bray Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke and disannull all and every other former Testaments, Wills, Legaces, bequests and Executors by me in any wise before named willed and Bequeathed ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this seventeenth day June one Thousand seven hundred and ninety
Signed Seal'd and pronounced
in presence of
Thos Ragland
Henry Bray Signed Henry (his "H" mark) Bray {Seal}

A Copy Test
John Ramsey C.C.

1790 Chatham Co: 1-0-2-0-0 (5/5/00)