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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Durham => England => Durham Lookup Requests => Topic started by: littleclaire on Sunday 20 January 08 19:17 GMT (UK)
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My Great x 3 Grandfather Henry Gray (born 1828, Holybourne, Hampshire) moved from Hampshire (as a bootmaker) to Hackney (as a school masterand bootmaker) to Stranton, West Hartlepool as a Baptist Minister. He moved somewhere between 1871 and 1881 to Hartlepool Burbank Street in the 1881 census and then Southburn Terrace in the 1891 census. He is then in Easington on Gray Street in 1901 (now retired)
Baptist history is difficult to research, particularly when you don't know exactly which church he was at. I was wondering if anybody might have information that might tell me a bit more about Henry Gray and his church in Stranton.
Thanks!
littleclaire
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Have you tried looking at the various directories on line at http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/index.asp ?
You can search them by keyword, and you might find something of use in, say, Kelly's 1891 Durham Directory.
Jennifer
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I dont know if the BAptist Unino
http://www.baptist.org.uk/
Has any archives with records of old ministers. I am sure they must have
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A little snippet to littleclaire...
On census 1901 Henry was enjoying (we hope) his retirement in Castle Eden Colliery (Gray St).
Castle Eden Colliery and the community of Castle Eden lay within the Registration District of Easington, as did Easington village, Easington Colliery and Easington Lane (three separate communities).
Castle Eden Colliery, lying within the Parish of Monk Hesledon, had a passenger railway station ( Handy for Archibald Eustace Gray, the railway clerk ! )
Michael Dixon
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Thanks for the help....
The Baptist Union don't have archives as such lizdb - these would be held at local church level as Baptist Churches are governed by their congregation.... If I knew which church is was I could contact them! But I don't.....
The looking goes on.......
Perhaps somebody's marriage certificate might have him as minister???
Claire
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Hi Claire
Yes, BAptist Churches are "governed" at a local level for the day to day running, finances etc (I should know, I am a deacon at one!!!!!!) but I would be pretty certain the BU would have records of all Ministers and when they were when.
They could certainly advise which is the BAptist Church in Stranton from the Baptist Union Handbook (I might even be able to find a copy of that somewhere...) and would hold all past copies so could see what minister was there when etc.
Worth a try - I dont know if they are sympathetic or have the time to deal with that sort of enquiry but I would certainly give it a go.
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I didn't think about the handbook - did they publish them back then? I'm a Baptist too, and have looked into the baptist union and baptist historical society etc already....
Claire
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or try
http://www.thenba.org.uk/church.htm
It lists 4 Baptist Churches in Hartlepool and 2 or 3 have email addresses, they might be able to say if they are near Stranton and if they had a Henry Gray as Minister back then
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Just reawakening this thread.
I think it is Tower Street Baptist Church
Did anyone know it??? Is it in Stranton?
Claire
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Hi Claire
Tower Street is a few minute's walk from Stranton C of E Church and I think would have been in old Stranton.
Good luck
Gobbo
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That's helpful, thanks. Now for the black hole that is records of Baptist Churches......
;D
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Hi Claire
I just checked the 1890 Kelly's directory Durham see
http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/d.asp
and found, under West Hartlepool
"....The Baptist chapel in Tower street was erected in 1867 at a cost of £350, and has sittings for 160 persons. .... [Places of Worship] .... Baptist Tower street, Rev A. W. Curwood, minister ....Baptist (Providence Particular) Thornton street, ministers various .... [Private residents] .... Gray Rev. Jn. (Baptist), 3 South Burn ter ...."
Good luck
Gobbo
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Thanks - shall look into that
:D
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Hello.... back again
Turns out it probably wasn't tower street. Does anyone know any other Baptist Churches in the West Hartlepool area?
Also - is there anyone out there who has access to Baptist Union Handbooks from the late 19th to early 20th century?
Claire
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Hi Claire
....Baptist (Providence Particular) Thornton street, ministers various ....
Don't forget the Thornton Street chapel. It was also in Stranton district.
I just stumbled on this site that may be some use to you.
http://www.strictbaptisthistory.org.uk/
Good luck
Gobbo
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Thanks- that's helpful thanks for pointing it out - will follow up on that...
Claire
;D
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Hi
There is also a Baptist Church on Oxford Road Stranton but I don't know how old it is.
Elainem
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Thanks Elainem
I think my next task is to get hold of the Baptist Union Directory of 1904 to see if I can find his obituary. He is proving a very slippery character!! Everywhere I look he isn't there.
Claire
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One of the previous posts suggested it might be a Strict Baptist Chapel. If that is th ecase, it wont come under the Baptist Union.
I have no idea if they have any sort of denominational HQ or not.
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Thanks Liz - will keep that in mind
Claire
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Hi. Henry Grey (Gray?), married to Hannah, and born in Hampshire in 1828 and died in 1916, is my also great X3 grandfather. His grandson, Henry Grey Granger (1884-1976), emigrated to South Africa at the age of 19. I am this Henry's great-granddaughter. I'm very interested in finding out more about Henry Grey, and who his parents were. An obituary (Northern Daily Mail, 2 Nov 1916) says he "had served in the ministry of the Baptist denomination at Barwick-on-Tweed, Bishop Auckland, West Hartlepool and Galashmels. He was a faithful minister, a Godly, man, through wide reading had a well-informed mind, and because of this memories of the men and things of the past, was an eager and interesting conversationalist."
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hello i run a Grainger group i have a photo of Henry Gray on the group site as well as some other information.One of his daughters Adah married Phatuel Granger and another daughter Helen married William Robert Grainger. I have lots of photos of details about Phatuel and William's families.
Anyone can join it's free... if you can add anything to what the goup knows then thats a plus too
the group can be found at
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/graingergroup
Thanks
Graingergroup
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Thankyou. How exciting is that to see a photo of my Gx3 Grandfather!
When I have time I will see if I have anything that might be good to put on the site.
Thanks again
Claire :D
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Hi thanks for joining, feel free to send a message to the group,we have other desendants of Henry Gray in the group.
It would be great for the group if you could add to the information we have at present.
Seek and share is a bit of a group motto
thanks again
Paul
aka
graingergroup
:)