John Morray b.c. 1811 of Alston. Wife Mary

[carolp13]

John Morray is my g g Granfather. He had a brother Robert . I think he married Mary about 1861. They had two sons John birth reg first Q 1862 and George birth reg 3rd Q 1865.

Any further information would be gratefully received.

Regards Jean

[warncoort]

Marriage certificate will help,census can fill spaces.

[carolp13]

Thanks but cannot find any trace of marriage certificate because they were illiterate and seems to be no record or even census information.

[warncoort]

The population was largely illiterate at that time but were still recorded on census.What information do you have that John was born in Alston?Birth certificate of a son will assist.

[clearly]

Jean, I don't think you are giving researchers what they need to know in order to help you.
Firstly, if they were illiterate, where does the name Morrey first appear. It could be a corruption of Murray or similar.
Secondly, how do you know that John Morrey was born in Alston. Family tale, or extract from family bible?
Thirdly, how do you tie in John Morrey, born Alston c1811, to John Morrey fathering children in the 1860's while in his 50's and having a wife 10 years his junior.
A simply run-down of how you acquired the information would help enormously.

[JenB]

Is this them - 1871 census?

RG 10 / 5199 / 28 / 2
Beldy, Alston

John Murray, head, m, 60, lead miner, Cumberland Alston
Mary do, wife, m, 46, do wife, do do
John Murray, son, 9, scholar, Cumberland Parish of Alston
George do, son, 5,  do, do do
/
Robert Murray, lodger, u, 55, Lead miner, do do

Since you say have the references for the births of sons George and John you could get a birth certificate, which would show Mary's maiden name.

[JenB]

Have you considered this marriage?
John Morrow
on the same page
Mary Craig
3rd quarter 1861, Alston 10b, 485

[JenB]

Thanks but cannot find any trace of marriage certificate because they were illiterate and seems to be no record or even census information.

Mary is on the 1881 census at Alston as Morray (together with John, George & Robert).

[curlygirl]

Hi Jean,
came across your posts as result of finding my Great Uncle's WWI medals, John Robert Morray, dob 1897, died France 4/10/17, Private 12/13th Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers. Until I looked at medals, didn't even know he existed!
My Dad's mother, Margaret Morray was his sister, dob 1889 married Matthew Henry Hunter 1914 in Newcastle.  I'm waiting for copy of marriage cert. to verify facts.
I'm running into similar census/birth records as yourself. After her birth I cannot find her on 1901/1911 census.
John dob 1862, Garrigill, (Alston), seems to have moved to Newcastle by 1901 & changed from lead mining to baking.
I think I've got this right, frankly tying me in knots!   So was getting an unoccupied password - hence curlygirl!