John Gray, born abt 1830 Scarborough, Pickering or Malton

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Gray

Research Notes for John Gray 1830-1919 (Gray-25134)

John Gray (1830-1919) is said to have been born on 1 Jun 1830, in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, and to have lost his parents by the age of ten. He emigrated to the US in about 1850.

There are no obvious records confirming his birth or parents, and this page attempts to record some of the people of the right name and age who have / haven't been eliminated as candidates for being this John Gray.

The first John identified was in Scarborough in 1841, the other six form a cluster of men born in or close to the market town of Malton in north Yorkshire between 1827 and 1833. Bearing in mind how “flexible” people’s age could be, identifying which records belong to which person has only been possible by looking at these six as a group, and in some cases looking much more widely at other family members for evidence of links, and for whether occupations are plausible.

Ambiguities remain, but these research notes, and the profiles themselves, are intended as a starting point for anyone researching these men further.

John Gray (abt.1833-), in Scarborough with parents James and Ann in 1841

This is the only census record for a John Gray of the right age in Scarborough,^[1] so is of particular interest.

Baptised Pickering in Jan 1833, son of James and Ann.^[2] Mother died in 1850, when he was in his late teens. Father in Scarborough in 1851, but no John.

Appears to be in Hanley, Staffs in 1861,^[3] but this lacks supporting records - marriage, children's births, other census returns.

Conclusion: This John was in Scarborough as a child, and a teen when his mother died, but was probably in Staffordshire, England in 1861.

John Gray (bef.1832-), son of Bella Gray, in Swinton, Appleton le Street in 1841

John was baptised 1832, Appleton le Street, just north-west of Malton, Yorks, son of Bella Gray, father not named.^[4] One sister, Jane, born 1835.^[5]

Mother Isabella Gray, daughter of William Gray,^[6] died in 1835,^[7] and the children appear to have gone (separately) to relatives.

John is listed at the end of the household of Richard and Hannah Gray in the 1841 census.^[8]

John was probably working as a farm servant in Leavening in 1851.^[9] (see profile for John Gray (bef.1832-)).

Conclusion: This John was an orphan very young, and it's currently not known where he was after March 1851.

John Gray (abt.1831-) in Huttons Ambo with John and Mary Gray in 1841 ^[10]

John's age recorded as 10 in 1841, so born about 1830/1. Huttons Ambo is just west of Malton, Yorks.

The ages of John and Mary Gray mean they were not his parents.

Mary Gray was a widow in 1851, living with her unmarried son John, who was too young to be the father of someone born in 1830.

Conclusion: Since no parents are recorded, this John could have been an orphan at 10, but there is not evidence for this. Not yet found after 1841.

John Gray (abt.1829-) married Elizabeth Blades 1850,^[11] in Malton in 1851.^[12]

Place of birth transcribed from census as Spitalfields, Middx but there were similarly named areas near Malton and he could have been local.

No records before 1850 or after 1851, but father was John. This and his age seem to rule out this being the same person as one of the other individuals listed here.

Marriage appears to have broken down between about 1851 and 1853, and this might have been a prompt for emigration. Or possibly he had died by 1860 when his wife remarried.

DNA: had a daughter, Maria, born early 1851 in Malton. She in turn had a large family.

Conclusion: this John's background is very unknown, but marriage breakdown might have been a reason to make a fresh start by emigrating, and also a reason to be a bit hazy about the past.

John Gray (abt.1829-1909) son of George and Elizabeth, in Malton in 1841.^[13]

Father George either died or was absent by 1841. Family appears to have broken up by 1851, which might indicate mother had also died.

Appears to be the same person who married in Pickering in 1854 and was recorded living in Malton and working as a shoemaker throughout his life.^[14]

Age and other details fit but there is currently no direct evidence linking the shoemaker to these parents. On the other hand, it's very unlikely that an ag lab or farm servant would become a shoemaker, which was an apprenticed skill, so this marriage and census returns are unlikely to belong to someone else listed here.

DNA: had two older sisters who married and had children.

Conclusion: This John may well have been orphaned young, but is very likely to have spent his whole life in Malton.

John Gray (bef.1827-), son of James and Elizabeth, in Malton in 1841

John baptised 1827, New Malton St Michael, son of James and Elizabeth.^[15]

With his parents and siblings in 1841^[16] and with his mother and sister in 1851^[17]

Married Ann Brown in 1855,^[18] and in Malton, working as a waterman in 1861^[19]

Conclusion: This John was still in Malton, Yorkshire in 1861.

John Gray (bef.1831-1912), son of inn-keeper John and Mary (Bulliver), in Norton in 1841 ^[20]

This is the John Gray who was with Matthew and Mary Ann Lucas in Norton in the 1841 census. (Wrongly attached to the Edwards family in some transcriptions).

Still in Norton in 1851.^[21]

Married in 1860^[22] and again in 1864 in the York area.

Conclusion: This John remained in Yorkshire and is recorded there throughout his life.

Sources

1. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1841", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQPM-1QW : Tue Dec 05 12:51:33 UTC 2023), Entry for James Gray and Ann Gray, 1841.
2. ↑ "England, Yorkshire, Parish Registers, 1538-2016", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:66BF-SPZK : Thu Oct 26 17:43:43 UTC 2023), Entry for John Gray and James Gray, 6 Jan 1833.
3. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7W1-K3R : 3 March 2021), John Gray, Hanley, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
4. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NRQ5-9M9 : 5 February 2023), John Gray, 1832.
5. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J9Q8-BD4 : 5 February 2023), Jane Gray, 1835.
6. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NDD8-B5F : 5 February 2023), Isabella Gray, 1812.
7. ↑ "England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J89P-JM9 : Wed Nov 22 10:21:19 UTC 2023), Entry for Isabella Gray, 10 Aug 1835.
8. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1841", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQG1-NQX : Tue Dec 05 13:23:56 UTC 2023), Entry for Richard Gray and Hannah Gray, 1841.
9. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPM9-8R3 : 12 September 2019), John Gray in household of William Seller, Leavening, Yorkshire,Yorkshire (North Riding), England; citing Leavening, Yorkshire,Yorkshire (North Riding), England, p. 24, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
10. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1841", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQ5Q-SW7 : Tue Dec 05 14:08:15 UTC 2023), Entry for John Gray and Mary Gray, 1841.
11. ↑ "England, Yorkshire, Parish Registers, 1538-2016", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:66GH-P2HL : Fri Oct 27 01:15:01 UTC 2023), Entry for Elizabeth Blades and William Blades, 25 Jun 1850.
12. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPM9-6V7 : 12 September 2019), Elizabeth Gray in household of John Gray, Saint Leonards, Yorkshire,Yorkshire (North Riding), England; citing Saint Leonards, Yorkshire,Yorkshire (North Riding), England, p. 40, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
13. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1841", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQG1-YN8 : Tue Dec 05 12:57:54 UTC 2023), Entry for Elizabeth Gray and Mary Gray, 1841.
14. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M71C-VRL : 3 March 2021), John Gray, New Malton, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
15. ↑ "England, Yorkshire, Bishop's Transcripts, 1547-1957", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6827-H5S6 : Thu Nov 30 10:47:42 UTC 2023), Entry for John Gray and James, 26 Dec 1827.
16. ↑ Rootspoint record: https://www.rootspoint.com/record/1841-UK-Census/John-Gray-1828-Yorkshire/349801fc-39dc-440e-9c34-8e45889aa777/ Lists: James Gray 40-45, Elizabeth Gray 35-40, William Gray 15-20, John Gray 13, Richard Gray 10, George Gray 4, Elizabeth Gray 1.
17. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SG1B-815 : 12 September 2019), John Gray in household of Elizabeth Gray, Saint Leonard Malton, Yorkshire,Yorkshire (North Riding), England; citing Saint Leonard Malton, Yorkshire,Yorkshire (North Riding), England, p. 16, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
18. ↑ "England, Yorkshire, Parish Registers, 1538-2016", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:66GC-JT5K : Fri Oct 27 05:50:22 UTC 2023), Entry for John Gray and his father James Gray, 25 Dec 1855.
19. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M714-RKS : 3 March 2021), John Gray, Yorkshire North Riding, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
20. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1841", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQPH-GM1 : Tue Dec 05 13:43:38 UTC 2023), Entry for Matthew Lucas and Mary Ann Lucas, 1841.
21. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SG1B-5YX : 12 September 2019), John Gray in household of John Holmes, Norton, Yorkshire,Yorkshire (North Riding), England; citing Norton, Yorkshire,Yorkshire (North Riding), England, p. 13, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
22. ↑ "England, Yorkshire, Parish Registers, 1538-2016", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:66G4-RZ6W : Fri Oct 27 00:14:22 UTC 2023), Entry for John Gray and John Gray, 18 Jun 1860.