Find Ancestors

I got that far also, but you remember when I said I didn't know what to make of the 1841 census... I think I just found that it wasn't him in that one.

The family were living in Bull Lane and Mary was wife of William at that point, and they were both still in Bull Lane in 1851 with John. That ruled that particular John out of the equation.

So I tried looking for Selina or Sarah Wray in the 1841 census and came up blank. I even tried looking for John born between 1790 and 1800 for good measure and only got 2 back.

The one previously mentioned and another in Chatham,still not looking like the family at all!

1861 census, John Wray, age 20, born St. Margarets, Kent is a servant in St. Margarets.

1851 census
St. Margarets St., St. Margarets, Rochester, Kent
William Wray, head, widower, labourer, born Kent, Sevenoaks
Sarah R., dau, 21
Selina, dau, 15
John, son, 8, scholar
Maria, dau, 6, scholar
Caroline, dau, 2, at home
Children all born Rochester.

Starting to get confusing now. I think in the previous ones John W., 13 in 1891 became William J., 24 in 1901.
Now in 1881 the parents seem to be the same, he born Rochester and her Ossett, John W. is William but there's a lot of other chidren who don't show up on later censuses. I suppose that the girls might have married and george C. died?
1881 census
41 Shepherd St., Northfleet, Kent
John Wray, head, 38, horse driver at chalk wharf, born Rochester
Anne, wife. 37, born Ossett Essex
Anne E., dau, 16, servant
Alice, dau, 11, scholar
Emily, dau, 9, scholar
Lilian, dau, 6, scholar
William, son, 3, scholar
George C., son, 1
Children all born Northfleet.

1871 census
Barrack Field, Northfleet, Kent
John Wray, head, 30, labourer (bricklayer), born Rochester
Ann, wife, 29, born Ossett, Essex
Ann, dau, 6, scholar
Maria, dau, 4
Alice, dau, 1
Charles, son, 4 months
Children born Northfleet except Charles born Maldon, Essex.

Every thing you've got looks correct to me. Thought I'd work backwards through the censuses and see if something crops up.

1901 census
7 Buckingham Rd., Northfleet, Kent
John Wray, head, 59, no occupation, born Rochester (invalid)
Ann, wife, 58, born Essex, Ossett
Selina, dau, 26, born Northfleet
William J., son, 24, greengrocer, born Northfleet

1891 census
42 York Rd., Northfleet, Kent
John Wray, head, 49, general dealer, born Rochester
Ann, wife, 48, born Essex, Ossett
John W., son, 13, general dealer's assistant, born Northfleet

Must go now, will continue later.
Margaret

Still working on my sainthood, but I fear with all this cursng i'm doing at my tree I'm not going to ever be awarded it.

So, no John then... I'm gonna have to go back through it all just to make sure what I have is correct.

The definate I have is Annie Margaret Brown married William John Wray in 1907 in Strood.
He was born 1877 in Northfleet.
Births Sep 1877 (>99%)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wray William John North Aylesford 2a 444

1881 Census shows he's parent's as:
John Wray b.1841c Rochester, Kent
Ann(e) Wray b.1843c Orsett, Essex

Found a marriage for John and Ann(e) Trigg1862 Q3 Gravesend 2a 483

John in 1851 was living in St Margaret's Rochester, the 1861 census states he was born there also, whilst all the others state Rochester but had resided in St Margaret's until he was found in the 1871 census living in Northfleet.

1851 living with father William, but no mother. And i'm not too sure what to make of the 1841 census.

1841 England Census
about William Wray
Name: William Wray
Age: 45
Estimated birth year: abt 1796
Gender: Male
Where born: Kent, England

Civil parish: Aylesford
Hundred: Larkfield
County/Island: Kent
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation: View image

Registration district: Malling
Sub-registration district: Aylesford
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
John Wray 80
Mary Wray 25
William Wray 45

I think I only found William's wife Ann when I searched under IGI for John's birth/christening.


JOHN WILLIAM WRAY
Male


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Event(s):
Birth:
Christening: 11 JUL 1841 Saint Nicholas, Rochester, Kent, England

Death:
Burial:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parents:
Father: WILLIAM WRAY
Mother: ANN


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source Information:
Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:

C135093 1728 - 1875 0992530, 0992531-32 Film 6906634 Film

What do you make of it?

These are all St. Margaret's (lovely name)
George, 5 Feb.1832
Emma, 6 Apr.1835
Selina, 4 Sep.1836
Maria, 5 May 1844
William. 17 Jul.1846
Caroline, 15 Apr.1849

Where's John?

Thanks for that Margaret, The dates would would be great, however... i'm not sure now if I have the right family!

See, my connection to these was through John Wray who was supposedly son of William and Ann also, I found he's christening on IGI in 1841.

If you have him there, then I guess I may be on the correct family.

The children I have for William and Ann are:
Sarah Rachel b.1828c
Selina b.1836c
John b.1841c
Maria b.1844c
Caroline b.1849

The 1st 3 were christened at Saint Nicholas, and the latter 2 were christened at Saint Margaret's.

Does that tie up with what yu have found, cos as I said my info may be wrong in that case, and will have to start all over again on that side of the family! Not looking forward to that.

Ok, I hold my hands up... I'm a skint flint!

I didn't see the point in buying the CD's when most the info I was able to get from census'... never in a million years did I think I would be able to get back so far as to need Parish records, but it's interesting to know that they do come in useful.

Might have to look into it at some point.

You might already have these, Sheena. They're christenings of children of William & Ann in Rochester, from BVRI:
WRAY, George Chr 1832 Engl Kent Roches
Fa: William WRAY
Mo: Ann
WRAY, Emma Chr 1835 Engl Kent Roches
Fa: William WRAY
Mo: Ann
WRAY, Selina Chr 1836 Engl Kent Roches
Fa: William WRAY
Mo: Ann
WRAY, Maria Chr 1844 Engl Kent Roches
Fa: William WRAY
Mo: Ann
WRAY, William Chr 1846 Engl Kent Roches
Fa: William WRAY
Mo: Ann
WRAY, Caroline Chr 1849 Engl Kent Roches
Fa: William WRAY
Mo: Ann

If you'd like the exact dates of christenings let me know.
Margaret

Sorry about the headache, Sheena!
The marriage that I found was from the BVRI discs. You know, the ones that you purchase from LDS Church. They're extracted from parish records so are reliable. You were just lucky that that particular one had father's names and the fact that they were both previously married.
I've never had much luck with these discs, never been able to find any of my family on them, so was happy to find one of yours.
Margaret

Thanks for all your input.

Hi Jim, the 1881 census and death you have posted is what I have already.

Interesting find Margaret, that is the marriage I found, but I only used FreeBMD, but you seem to have found much better info there. I would interested to know what you used to find it. What interesting is there is the husband's father's name.
I have a Thomas Pankhurst also in my tree, who is married to Caroline Wray. Another sister or so I have it, to Sarah and John.

So maybe I must be getting this all wrong, oh what a headache I am getting.

1881
Sarah Wray abt 1803 Strood, Kent, England Head Strood Kent
James Pankhurst abt 1871 Bersted, Kent, England Grandson Strood Kent

death
Sarah Wray abt 1801 1888 Jul-Aug-Sep Strood (1885-1923) Kent

These are the two Sarah's
1841
Sarah Wray abt 1806 Kent, England Strood Kent

Sarah Wray abt 1801 Kent, England Strood Kent

death
Sarah Wray abt 1800 1872 Oct-Nov-Dec North Aylesford Kent

Do you have this marriage? It's from BVRI.
PANKHURST, John Age: 43 Marriage
Wife: Sarah HAYNES Age: 33
Marriage Date: 27 Oct 1867 Recorded in: Gillingham, Kent, England
Husband previously married
Wife previously married
Husband's Father: Thomas PANKHURST
Wife's Father: Charles WRAY
Source: FHL Film 1042495 Dates: 1866 - 1882 Note: Additional Data in Original Record

Well maybe there is more than one Sarah.I think this is James Pankhurst's grandmother.
1841 England Census
about Sarah Wray
Name: Sarah Wray
Age: 35
Estimated birth year: abt 1806
Gender: Female
Where born: Kent, England

Civil parish: Strood
Hundred: Shamwell
County/Island: Kent
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation: View image

Registration district: North Aylesford
Sub-registration district: Strood
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Charles Wray 40
Jane Wray 8
John Wray 1 <<<<< your John?
Sarah Wray 35 <<<<<<<
Sarah Wray 5 <<<<<James's mother
Thomas Wray 15
William Wray 10

Source Citation: Class: HO107; Piece 491; Book: 10; Civil Parish: Strood; County: Kent; Enumeration District: 8A; Folio: 22; Page: 38; Line: 17

Sheena

Maybe they couldn't be bothered to work out the relationship, so it was easier just to put grandson?

Angela

Whilst searching for Sarah Wray nee Johnson b.1801 Strood.
I came across her living with a grandson.. James Pankhurst b.1871 (in 1881 census).

Now I have managed to find James' parent's (yippee, for that one) and have managed to find how he is related to the Wray's... just not to Sarah Wray (grandmother supposedly).

Here is what I have, maybe I have missed something...

Sarah Johnson m Welcome Wray 1820 Rochester, Kent

Children:
Thomas b.1826c
Welcome b.1830
Richard b.1832
Jane b.1837
James b.1838
Martha Ann b.1841

No other children after that time, as Welcome died in 1848.

The only one I have info on is Martha Ann who went on to m James Edward Brown in 1857.
______________________________________

Now onto James.
James E Pankhurst b.1871c Strood, Kent

Not with parent's on 1881 census, but was in 1871 and 1891.
Parent's were John Pankhurst b.1825c and Sarah b.1835 they m in 1867 Medway, Kent and Sarah was named Haynes.

Sarah was m before to George Haynes 1857 N. Aylesford, Kent and was named Wray.

Now this is going to get really confusing,

I think I might have the same family a couple of generations below (ohhh nothing like a bit of inbreeding to keep the family going... lol) Sorry about that.

Martha Ann's and James E Brown had a grandaughter named Annie Margaret Brown (she's my g.grandmother). She was married to William John Wray, who happens to be from the same line as James Pankhurst.

James' mother Sarah was William John's sister... same parent's. William and Ann Wray.

Question is...
How is Sarah 1801c James' grandmother? When Sarah 1828c is daughter of William and Ann Wray???

If you're lost after all this, welcome to the club. Why do I get all the fun?

Sheena x