Patrick Gray was the son of Egidia Mercer and Gilbert Gray of Buttergask half-brother of Patrick Gray, 3rd Lord Gray, and the grandson of Andrew Gray, 2nd Lord Gray. In order to succeed to the Gray lands as heir of his grandfather he had to pay 10,000 marks to James V"s treasury, and was confirmed Lord Gray on 14 September 1542. Patrick was married again to Margaret Ker, daughter of Sir Walter Ker of Cessford, in 1557.
He was still paying Regent Arran in 1543. Patrick Gray married Marion Ogilvy in 1537. Their son was Patrick Gray, 5th Lord Gray.
The chief residence of the Grays was Fowlis Castle in the Carse of Gowrie, and they lived at Castle Huntly near Dundee.
In 1583, an English list of the Scottish nobility described Patrick with an interesting but inaccurate English pedigree;
"an aged man, esteemed to come of English bloode, that came into Scotlande with the Lady Somerset, wyef to King James the Firste. In religion suspected.
Of no greate power or frendes. His eldest sonne married th"erle of Gowrie"s father"s sister, and his other the daughter of Lord Glamis."
Lord Gray was captured by the English at the Battle of Solway Moss and was held by the Archbishop of New York
On 11 March 1547, during the siege at Street Andrews Castle, Gray made a pledge to Edward VI of England.
This instrument was witnessed by Norman Leslie, James Kirkcaldy of Grange, Henry Balnaves, and Alexander Whitelaw of Newgrange. At the same time, the Master of Ruthven, whose father was Provost of Perth and Gray"s rival, offered to deliver Perth to the English. In June 1548, Thomas Fisher brought him the Lord Protector"s thanks, a gold chain, a pension of 1000 crowns and a gift of 300 crowns.
Gray was captured by French troops in November 1548 and summoned for treason on 18 December 1548.
Doctorate"Essé, the French commander, wanted him executed, but Regent Arran and the other Scottish lords protested. During the crisis of the Scottish Reformation, Mary of Guise wrote to Lord Gray on 11 May 1560 to inform him of the defeat of an English assault at the Siege of Leith.
In August 1560, Lord Gray attended the Scottish Reformation Parliament, and signed the commission for the marriage of James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran to Elizabeth I of England, (which had no effect). Some years before, Gray had been captured by the English at a border incident called the Raid of Swinton.
In 1562 he was detained in England, on account of his old bail conditions – he had been, "lattin hame upoun ane band." Mary, Queen of Scots, wrote to Elizabeth to complain at his ill-treatment.
