John Gray (1801 - 1859) was a soldier and a New Zealand politician. From a British military family, Gray's half-brother, Lieutenant-Colonel George Gray (despite the different spelling of his surname) of the 30th Cambridgeshire Regiment, was the father of Sir George Grey, who became Governor of New Zealand. Arriving in Auckland in 1847 onboard the Sir George Seymour, John Gray was in charge of a section of the Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps, eventually attaining the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He successfully stood for election to the 1st New Zealand Parliament in the electorate of the Southern Division which encompassed the Waikato, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and East Cape. Due to ill health, Gray retired in 1855 after serving only one term. He died in 1859 at his home, Wynnestead, East Tamaki, aged 57. He is buried at Otahuhu Anglican Cemetery.