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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: Midnight Runner on Wednesday 19 March 08 20:50 GMT (UK)
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Having been involved in the relocation of a WW1 memorial Plaque on here, I suppose that I am not really a beginner, so please forgive me if I am in the wrong place.
I am trying to piece together my family tree and I have done fairly well so far with the assistance of a lady 'hobby genealogist', but I would like to find out a bit more.
I have recently discovered that there is a branch of the family in Oz, which I managed by the simple expedient of typing Ashby-Dray into Google. This cheered me up no end, I thought that I would try my luck on here.
So are there any Dray's out there, or particularly anyone who has an ancestor who was an Ashby Dray?
My Grandfather was one of eight siblings all of whom, except him, were christened using their mother's maiden name of Ashby as a second or third christian name. She was Sarah Ashby who came from Tonbridge, and she married Henry Dray in 1845 in Brighton.
The eight children were Richard, Alfred, who died aged five, Laura, Edgar, Olive, Walter H, Harry DeWarrin, my grandfather, and Frank, who went off to Australia leaving his wife and three children behind.(He started another family over there!
We are naturally somewhat puzzled as to why Harry didn't get the Ashby bit and also where the DeWarrin came from
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Hi MR ! .... how are you ?
Can you tell us what it is you'd like us to help you with ? .... would you like census information ? just let us know any details that might help us - help you !
I think my "oldtimers " is kicking in .... 'cos I'm not quite sure what you want !!
Annie :)
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Hi Annie, Hooray, someone read my bit!! ;D
What I am actually looking for is anyone alive who might be lumbered with the names. It seems that only one generation actually carried the Ashby-Dray name. Typing it into Google only produced nine references, which is quite astounding knowing Google's ability to dig out references. I think that it might have carried on in the Australian bit of the family, but I am still waiting for a reply from my new contact 'out there'
With eight, seven surviving, children of Henry and Sarah Dray, there ought to be more descendants than I know of and I am curious to find out what has happened to them all.
Henry himself, born about 1825 in Sussex is a bit of a mystery because he seems to just disappear off the planet. His wife Sarah seems to have moved back to her family home with the children.
We think that Henry's father was John Dray, but we have no details about him at the moment.
So, in brief I am looking for any living descendants! Probably a needle in a haystack job, but then one never knows.
Thank you ever so much for your interest.
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Can't help with known descendants but have you seen the website with details of the gravestone for Sarah Ann Dray and her daughter Olive Ashby Dray? (Municipal Tunbridge Wells Kent - www.gravestonesphotos.com - grave number 21021) If Olive died unmarried, that possiby rules out any descendants from her?
Are you "Eileen" on GenesReunited (cant tell from your rootschat name)? If not, she has a Laurel Ashby-Dray in her tree "b.1850 Tonbridge Kent"
Regards
Cat :)
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Hi Cat,
That is brilliant, thanks. ;D. Laura Ashby Dray born 1850 was a sibling of my grandfather's. She married a Henry Card in 1875.
I will go onto GenesReunited and see if I can findthe aforsaid Eileen. I am male by the way with the more usual handle of Les. I just felt like being Midnight Runner when I joined Rootschat! I guess we all do strange things from time to time.
Best wishes for a Happy Easter.
Les.
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Happy Easter to you too, good luck with your new contact!
Cat :)
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Hello again Cat,
I am sorry but I forgot to say about Sarah and Olive's gravestone. Yes, I had found that by dint of typing 'Ashby-Dray' into Google, which also led me to an Australian connection.
Thanks again.
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Hi Cat and Annie,
I just thought that I would let you both know that I made contact with someone, not Eileen who has yet to reply to my message, but Judith and this afternoon she sent me a 204 page document which has taken me back to 1560 on the Ashby branch of the family. Absolutely packed with information.
There is another document which traces the Dray part back to my GGG grandfather and mother.
It just goes to show that it pays to know where to ask the questions doesn't it?
So thank you both for your interest.
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Nice one!! Congratulations! Should keep you busy for a while ;D
Regards
Cat :)
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My great great grand mother was Laura Ashby-Dray married Herbet Card October 18th 1875 at Stephens Church Tonbridge. They had 8 children Albany, Edie, Gert and Olive. then came Bert Archie & Glads followed by Ada.
Ada was my Great Grandmother whom lived until she was 106 years old. Her daughter Joan my grandmother passed away 3 years ago and she has filled me with many stories of this family.
Someone mentioned about Olive she married Ted Barber. Olive was a kitchen maid at Tonbridge School. She had two sons