Bray family
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5 September 2008
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Dr Geoffrey Mann |
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4 Thomas BRAY c1785-1861 |
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m Mary PENDRILL 1824 |
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Thomas was born in Hoxton about 1785, but no record of his baptism has yet been found. He married Mary Pendrill at Camberwell when he was 39; at this time he was a butcher in Stepney, and they baptised their only known child, Elizabeth Mary Ann, at St George in the East in 1831. Some time later, Thomas became a dairyman at Church Row Stepney, close by St Dunstan’s Church. His son-in-law, James Brookbanks, came to live with them around 1859 and took over the dairy business. Thomas died of bronchitis at his home in 1861 and his wife Mary died just three days later |
C=Christened
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age DATE
TB MP |
EVENT |
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c 1785 6Jun1824 39 36 28Dec1831 46 43 6Jun1841 56 53 30Mar1851 66 63 2Dec1855 70 67 7Apr1861 76 73 12Aug1861 76 73 15Aug1861 73 |
Thomas born in Hoxton
married Mary PENDRILL at
Camberwell dau Elizabeth baptised
at St George in the East; Thomas was a butcher census not found milkman at 4 Church Row
Stepney with wife, dau and sister in law dau Elizabeth married at
St George in the East dairyman at 4 Church Row
Stepney; with wife and dau’s family Thomas died of
bronchitis at 4 Church Row Mary died at 4 Church Row |
b=born m=married d=died
C=Christened B=Buried
from the 51 and 61 census, Thomas was born about 1785 in Hoxton. Hoxton is a district near Shoreditch. St John Hoxton opened only in 1826, so the nearest parish church around 1785 was probably Shoreditch St Leonard. The registers of this church are contained in the IGI index, but no suitable baptism of Thomas was found in the London IGI. A family suggestion was that the Brays came from Hertfordshire, though little credence can be given to this. Nevertheless, there are several suitable such baptisms in the IGI:
C
16Feb1783 Thomas s William &
Elizabeth BRAY Hatfield HRT
C
24Jul1785 Thomas s William &
Sarah BRAY Walkern HRT
C
16Apr1786 Thomas s Thomas &
Sarah BRAY Walkern HRT
C 9Sep1787 Thomas s William & Sarah BRAY Walkern HRT
the PO
directory for Hoxton has the following entry
1842
Ambrose BRAY hairdresser 2 Haberdashers Place east, Hoxton
he was
found in the 1841 census at 2 Haberdasher’s Place (HO 107/708/6 f5); aged 30 not born MDX; married to Sarah; as he
was born c1811 he seems unlikely to be related
Other BRAY
parents baptising at St George in the East around 1831 include James & Jane
(plumber/carpenter of Storey St, Green St, Commercial Rd, Stepney); marriage of
James & Jane not found in IGI
from IGI:
David James BRAY C23Mar1829 St Dunstan son of Thomas & Mary BRAY – might be
Thomas-4. However David James BRAY
married 7Apr1850 at St Brides was son of John BRAY, engineer
Elizabeth BRAY-3 was baptised at St George in the East in 1831, daughter of Thomas and Mary. From the census, Thomas would have been about 47 and Mary about 44 at the time, so the marriage may have taken place any time between about 1810 and 1830. There is no suitable marriage at St George in the East, but the London IGI has a marriage at Camberwell:
m 6Jun1824 Thomas x BRAY bch otp & Mary PENDRILL spr otp by banns; wit: Chas FRENCH, W HAYWOOD [frequent w]
[Mary signed PENDRILLE]
Elizabeth BRAY’s daughter, Helena (my grandmother) stated firmly that her family was connected to the PENDRILLs, the family which helped Charles I escape after the battle of Worcester. Helena was born Helena BROOKBANKS, and the BROOKBANKS came from Worcestershire, but no connection with the PENDRILLs has been established. On the other hand, the above marriage shows that Helena’s grandmother could have been Mary PENDRILL. Because of this family memory, and the fitting dates and names, there is little doubt that this is the correct marriage. Some confirmation is also given by the census birthplace of Mary as Erith, which is south of the Thames, as is Camberwell
C
28Dec1831 Elizabeth Mary d Thomas & Mary BRAY, Church Rd, butcher
Although, Thomas and Mary were married at Camberwell St Giles in 1824, the register index has no BRAY baptised there between 1819 and Feb 1827. The London IGI has only two nearby possible baptisms, both at Stepney St Dunstan:
C 23Mar1829 David James son Thomas & Mary BRAY of Ratcliff, carpenter
C 16Mar1834 Henry son Thomas & Mary BRAY of Ratcliff, carpenter
at first sight it seems unlikely that Thomas would change occupation from carpenter to butcher and back again; however the 1840 directory address of the butcher is Broad St Ratcliff, so perhaps the possibility that these all refer to the same man, can not yet be excluded. The 1841 census for Broad St may help.
d 12Aug1861 Thomas BRAY 76 dairyman at 4 Church Row; cause chronic bronchitis
r 14Aug1861 at Ratcliff, Stepney MDX by Elizabeth Mary Ann BROOKBANKS, pad of 4 Church Row, Stepney
d 15Aug1861 Mary BRAY 74 widow of Thomas BRAY dairyman, at 4 Church Row; cause natural decay
r 17Aug1861 at Ratcliff Stepney MDX by E M A BROOKBANKS pad of 4 Church Row Ratcliff
Thomas
BRAY 56 dairyman Y
Mary BRAY 50 N
Ann BRAY 76 Y
Elizabeth BRAY 9 y
Nathan GREEN 25 engineer N
Cecilia GREEN 25 Y
George FRAZER 3 Y
Nathan GREEN 1 Y
George PENDRILL 20 lighterman N
Caroline PENDRILL 20 -
NOTE: m2Q1840 Poplar, George PENDRILL & Caroline
Amelia BURTON
m2Q1840 Bristol, Nathan Shaw GREEN & Cecelia
FREEZOR
b 2Q1841 Stepney, Nathan Shaw GREEN
Thomas BRAY he mar 65 1785 milkman Hoxton
Mary BRAY wi mar 61 1789 Erith Kent
E M
A BRAY da unm 19 1831 St George in
the East
Ann CARTER sl unm 31 1819 Erith Kent
NOTE:
Ann Carter's age probably should be 51 (see 61 census)
James BROOKBANK he mar 29 1833
dairyman
Camberwell
Eliza BROOKBANK wi mar 29 1833 St George in
the East
James BROOKBANK so 3 1858 Clapham SRY
Katarina{?}BROOKBANK da
1 1860 Stepney
Thomas BRAY fl mar 76 1785
dairyman fl=father in law Hoxton
Mary BRAY ml mar 73 1788 ml=mother in law
Erith KEN
Ann CARTER sl unm 64 1797 house
servant sl=sister in law
Erith KEN
Numerous letters written by Thomas and Mary’s daughter Elizabeth to her parents before and after her marriage have survived (see Elizabeth BRAY-3). These often reflect a concern for the health of both Thomas and Mary BRAY
Included with these letters was one from Mary BRAY to her daughter; it was addressed to Miss BRAY (no other address) so presumably written before her marriage and delivered by hand perhaps to where her daughter was working as a servant:
My dear Mary Ann
I received your kind note and let me beg of you my dear child not to
worry your mind concerning my health for although I never can expect much to boast of yet thank God I may venture
to say I am a little better which for me is a great thing. Your father is much the same as usual I hope I shall see you one day next week My fervent prayer is for your health and
happiness and believe me
Your ever affectionate Mother
Mary Bray
preserved with this letter was an undated printed announcement:
T.
BRAY, BUTCHER, No.34 CHURCH
ROW, COMMERCIAL ROAD
Respectfully
informs his Friends and the Public that he intends opening as above on SATURDAY
next (6th Inst), where he hopes to meet with the encouragement of a
generous Public; assuring them it shall be his study to sell none but the
primest Article, and on the lowest possible Terms.
1826-7 Thomas BRAY butcher 33 Church St Commercial Rd E.London
1839, 1840 Thomas BRAY butcher, 94 Broad St Ratcliff
1840 T.BRAY butcher, 94 Broad St Ratcliff
1841 no entry for 94 Broad St, though 93 and 95 remained as in 1840
no entry found for Thomas BRAY in any directory 1842-1853
From the
census, Mary PENDRILL was born about 1788 in Erith Kent. Unfortunately, the registers of Erith church
were destroyed by fire and nothing is known of her origins, though all London
Pendrills are probably descended from the Worcestershire family who helped
Charles 1 escape after the battle of Worcester.