Evidence for the Grey family of Woolbeding, correcting the visitation evidence.

Published Genealogies

• Book: County Genealogies: Pedigrees of the Families in the County of Sussex - William Berry - Google Books
  Google Books (accessed 7 February 2024)
• Book: James Dallaway, A History of the Western Division of the County of Sussex: Including the Rapes of Chichester, Arundel, and Bramber, with the City and Diocese of Chichester
  United Kingdom: T. Bensley, 1815
  Google Books (accessed 7 February 2024)
• Book: Benolt, Thomas, d. 1534; Philipot, John, 1589?-1645; Owen, George, d. 1665; Bannerman, W. Bruce (William Bruce), 1862-1933; College of Arms (Great Britain), The visitations of the county of Sussex made and taken in the years 1530, Thomas Benolte, Clarenceux king of arms; and 1633-4 by John Philipot, Somerset herald, and George Owen, York herald, for Sir John Burroughs, Garter, and Sir Richard St. George, Clarenceux
  London : [Mitchell, Hughes and Clarke, printers]; 1905; page: (210 of 492)
  Internet Archive (accessed 7 February 2024)

Other Publications

• Book: Dudley George Cary Elwes, Charles John Robinson, A History of the Castles, Mansions, and Manors of Western Sussex
  United Kingdom: Longmans & Company, 1876
  Google Books (accessed 10 February 2024)
• Book: L F Salzman (Ed), "A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 4, the Rape of Chichester", Victoria County History, London, 1953, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol4, (accessed 10 Feb 2024).
  • 'Woolbeding', in A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 4, the Rape of Chichester, ed. L F Salzman (London, 1953), pp. 84-87. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol4/pp84-87 [accessed 17 October 2020].

Grays of Woolbeding Research

Looking at the parish register sources, the "Visitation" clerks may have conflated several generations of Thomas Gray.

Note on the Registers of Woolbeding

The parish registers of Woolbeding have been digitised by both FamilySearch and Ancestry (fee). Both sets are openly accessible worldwide. The early registers of Woolbeding are badly damaged or missing, particularly the baptisms, until 1630. The Bishop's Transcripts (1590 fwd with gaps) are available on microfilm at the FHS - - in London. WH Challen made a combined transcript of the PRs and BTs and this has been filmed and digitised by the FHL but is only available for viewing at a FHS centre or associate. (For me this would be the SAG down in Sydney.)

Research Approach

I plan to use the SFHG index to make family listings of extant parish entries for comparison with the trees shown in the visitation sources. This is shown in the table below.

Research Results

Source Data

Woolbeding Baptism entries in SFHG database

Joane Graye, 20 Oct 1610, d, Richard, -
Margaret Gray, 28 Jul 1630, d, William (Gent}, - NB bur 1630
Mildrid Gray, 17 Jul 1631, d, William (Gent), - NB bur 1654
Barbara Gray, 1 Jan 1632/3, d, William (Gent), -
Elizabeth Gray, 23 Jan 1633/4, d, William (Gent), -
Edmund Gray, 5 Apr 1635, s, William (Gent), -
Marie Gray, 1 Sep 1636, d, William (Gent), -
Peter Gray, 2 Oct 1637, s, William (Gent), Joane
Andrew Gray, 4 Mar 1638/9, s, William (Gent), Joane
John Gray, 5 Jun 1640, s, William (Gent), Joane
Johanna Gray, 1 Aug 1654, d, Thomas (Gent), Margrete NB bur 1655
Mildred Gray, 1 Aug 1654, d, Thomas (Gent), Margrete NB bur 1656
Marget Gray, 7 Jan 1656/7, d, Thomas (Esq), Marget
Jane Grey, 5 Apr 1660, d, Thomas, Margaret
Mary Grey, 5 Nov 1687, d, Rich., Mary

Woolbeding Burial entries in SFHG database

Margaret Gray, 13 Aug 1630, d William, gent, (bap 22nd)
Joan Gray, 11 Jun 1640, w William Esq.
William Gray, 22 Feb 1645, Esq.
Barbara Grey, 18 May 1650, w Edmund, clerk
Thomas Grey, 8 Dec 1651, Esq. J.P. of Woolbeding
Mildred Gray, 8 Aug 1654, d William Esq
Joanna Gray, 5 Feb 1655, d Thomas Esq.
Mildred Graye, 14 Mar 1656, d Thomas Esq & Margaret
Joan Gray, 19 Mar 1658, widow, w Thomas
Margaret Grey, 3 Feb 1680, Mrs. (w Thomas Esq.)
Mary Grey, 15 Nov 1687
Thomas Grey, 12 Jul 1703, Esq.
Richard Grey, 9 May 1715, ("of Redford" in BT)
Peter Grey, 30 Jan 1721, Gent.

Relevant Grey entries in the SFHG Marriage database

Edmund Gray/Jane Ayling, 3 Dec 1563, Woolbeding
Edmund Gray/Mary Funnell, 1 Dec 1621, AD Lewes licence (for Hellingly?)
Thomas Graye/Katherine Woolstocke, 25 Sep 1586, Easebourne
Thomas Graye/Joan Sewell, 20 May 1605, Goring
William Gray/Joan Soane, 6 Feb 1596/7, Woolbeding
William Graye/Margaret Barre, 10 Sep 1599, Isfield
William Gray/Ann Goble, 29 Oct 1604, Aldingbourne
William Grey/Elizabeth Cheesman, 19 Dec 1612, AD Lewes licence
William Graye/Sarah Woode, 15 Oct 1616, Hailsham
William Gray/Joan Haman, 11 Nov 1616, Fittleworth
William Gray/Ann Pidlesden, 29 Jan 1617/8, Bexhill
William Graye/Elizabeth Barton, 18 Feb 1621/2, Waldron
William Gray/Dorothy Greeve, 17 Apr 1626, Waldron
William Gray/Elizabeth Finance, 28 Nov 1630, Rumboldswyke
John Gray of Easebourne/Joan Pec(k)ham, 11 May 1601, Cocking by Lic

Wills

• Will: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858"
  The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 97
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 5111 #939285 (accessed 25 February 2024)
  Will of Edmondi Graye, granted probate on 4 Feb 1600. Died about 1600 in Wolbedinge, Sussex, England.
• Will: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858"
  The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 193
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 5111 #809760 (accessed 25 February 2024)
  Will of Willimi Gray, granted probate on 26 Jun 1645. Died about 1645 in Wolbeding, Sussex, England.
• Will: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858"
  The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 237
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry au Record 5111 #345157 (accessed 25 February 2024)
  Will of Mildred Grey, granted probate on 4 Dec 1654. Died about 1654 in Woolbeding, Sussex, England.

Comparison of Parish Register Entries with Visitations

Analysis

According to the Visitation records, Edmund Gray and Jane Ayling had six sons. Given that the couple married in 1563 it is almost certain that the sons were born between 1563 and 1590 (depending upon Jane's age). Thomas is listed as son #1 and so would have been born shortly after the marriage. He married Katherine Woolstocke in 1586, so any children he had would have been born before about 1610. He was buried in 1651.

Thomas father of Margaret married about 1650-54, so it is likely that he was born before 1630. The Woolbeding registers from this period are damaged which makes it impossible to determine Thomas' parentage.

Given that son #2 (William) eventually inherited the estate and arms, it seems likely that son #1 (Thomas) had no heirs. Also note that his son William (who would have been born about 1597) had a son Thomas age 7 in 1634 (i.e. born circa 1627). THIS IS THE FATHER OF MARGARET.

Proposed correction to the family tree of the Greys of Woolbeding, correction to death dates