Vincent LeRay de Chaumont

Vincent LeRay de Chaumont (1790-1875)
Vincent LeRay De Chaumont, the son of James D. LeRay, was born in France in 1790. After completing his studies, LeRay joined his father in LeRaysville in Jefferson County in 1808. For a time, the LeRays were one of the premier families in Jefferson County, and both father and son were instrumental in helping French exiles settle in many areas of Jefferson County.

In 1815, LeRay built a house in Cape Vincent, on the shore of the St. Lawrence River, called the "Stone House". In 1836, with their fortunes dwindling, the entire LeRay family moved back to France. Vincent LeRay made several return trips to Jefferson County over the next 30 years, but never again made it his home. He died in France in 1875. The village of Cape Vincent is named for him.

His son James married the daughter of the Marquis de Valois and the direct line ended in 1917 when their only son, Charles Le Ray de Chaumont, Marquis de St. Paul, died.

None of the subsequent Chaumont's lived in New York but their land interests did stay active and the family kept an agent who conducted a land office for them in Carthage until the1914.