Grey/Gray families

[joan]

Help Help Help, this is a real cry from the heart, I am attempting to trace descendants of Robert and Mary Grey/Gray who lived in Durham circa 1841 to 1894. They kept changing the spelling of the name Gray as did their children and it is driving me mad!! To make matters worse Mary's maiden name was also Grey and again her family kept changing the spelling also.  I know that Robert was born in Seaton Sluice, Northumberland circa 1822 and that Mary was born in Blyth, Northumberland they married in Newcastle and then moved to Durham where they had four children. Robert and Mary's only son was James born 1854 in Bill Quay, Durham he is believed to have married Sarah Mould in the June 1/4 of 1873 reg. Chester le Street and they are believed to have had four children, two girls and two boys, Mary E. born 1875, Jane born 1878 Robert born 1880 and William born 1897.  I have discovered that Jane married a William Smith circa 1896 and that by 1901 they had two children but here the trails stops. I am totally confused with searching for Grey/Gray's and wonder if anyone else is researching the same family.  Joan D'Arcy

[RussG]

Hi Joan,

Tell me about this name change thing....its a nightmare. Gray is my paternal line and prior to about 1850 the 'a' and 'e' is all over the place!! It is to do with the illiteracy and the census collection I think. My family appears to have been born in South Shields/ Ouston circa 1814 and then moved to the Durham area particularly Shotton Colliery/Trimdon/Cassop/Wingate areas. However I would think some family members remained in South Shields/Newcastle.

Do you have any Grays from the areas I have mentioned??

Many thanks,

Russ

[Debbie_M]

I have a Grey/Gray in my family, i believe it was with an 'E' 
He was my uncle think his full name was John George Grey, when i was small him and my aunty lived in Fishburn!
Dont know if they are related to your Gre/a/y families 

[RussG]

Hi Debby,

Fishburn is certainly in the right area and John and George are certainly family names.....do you have any more information on your family history, it was the 1840/1850 where I first found the discrepency 'a' and 'e'.

Russ

[2zpool]

I have Gray/Grey's from that area in Northumberland.  Thomas Gray was baptised in Horton in 1811.  His parents were George Gray, native of Embleton and Eleanor Richardson of Plessy.  Thomas lived most of his life in Lanchester.  I don't know what happened to his siblings.  Thomas' son Robert lived for a while in Chester le Street but eventually settled in Usworth before he emigrated to the US in 1881.

If you find your Gray's farther back in Northumberland certainly get in touch.

Janis

[Debbie_M]

I havent gone into the Grey/Gray family tree, i was just concentrating on my mothers side and her sister married a John George Grey in 1940s, and they lived in Fishburn, i remember going to visit them too.

[joan]

Many thanks everyone for your replies, the only thing that I know about my Greys/Grays is that when in Durham they were in Winlaton, Chester le Street,  Little Lumley and Brandon.  At the top of my tree Robert and Mary Grey/Gray moved from Northumberland to Stafford Street, Sunderland, and their children moved to the districts above.  If anything else comes up I will report in case it helps anyone else. regards Joan

[victoriab]

Hi Joan:

Don't know if you're still searching for where this family ended up, but I found the following (whilst looking for a different Gray family):

1911 Census:  James (born in Bell Quay) & Sarah Gray  at 11 Florence Street, Winlaton, Durham (with son William & grandson Wilfred).

1901 Census:  James (born in Bell Quay) & Sarah Gray at 11 Florence Street, Winlaton, Durham (with sons Robert & William and grandson Wilfred).  Reference is RG13, Piece 4763, Page 44

1891 Census:  James (born in Bell Quay) & Sarah Gray at Queen Street, Brandon, Durham (with daughters Mary & Jane and sons Robert & William).  Reference is RG12, Piece 4098, Folio 8, Page 9

1881 Census:  James (born in Bell Quay) & Sarah Gray at10 Breckon Hill, Lumley Little, Durham with two daughters Mary & Jane and son Robert).  Reference is RG11, Piece 4987, Folio 69, Page 15

1911 Census:  William & Jane Smith at 11 Helen Street, Winlaton, Durham (with 6 daugthers)

1901 Census:  William & Jane Smith at 2 Cromwell Place, Winlaton, Durham (with 1 daughter)
Reference is RG13, Piece 4763, Folio 80, Page 39

Hope this helps...

Betty

[joan]

  Thanks a lot Betty, finding the addresses in the latter two census returns is a great help, I have to admit I almost gave up on the Gray/Grey families and have very little since I posted my original plea! your info has given me the push to get on with it so watch this space!!!  I hope everyone else who replied is doing well in their research also, many thanks Joan

p.s. I think that this site is marvellous everyone is so helpful.