Isaac George GRAY [004]
Sarah Jane HUNT [005]
==========================
These are the parents of William Gray who married Charlotte
Atkinson Fayers at Magill SA in 1853.
See also “The Poacher And The Sunday School Teacher”.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
2/2/1812 - Isaac George
Gray born in the village of Thornford Dorset, the second eldest of Abel Moore
and Mary Gray [k]
17/5/1812 - Isaac bapt in
Thornford [k]
"...Gray's cottage was built on waste ground not far from
the village” [h]
7/5/1814 - Sarah Jane Hunt
born in Thornford [k]
26/6/1814 - Sarah bapt in
Thornford, the dau of George and Edith Hunt (nee Bishop), both sighed an 'X',
"(same day as Isaac's brother Henry)" [k]
1820 - Isaac Moore or Gray
aged 15 - poaching - 6 months [j]
"It is worth bearing in mind the extreme poverty in Dorset
at this time [1827-38] and the fact that poaching included any rabbit running
over the land.” [j]
1829 - Mary Gray aged 41
"(their mother)" - poaching - 3 months [j]
1829 - Thomas Gray
otherwise Moore - poaching - 3 months
[j]
1832 - Isaac Gray
otherwise Moore - poaching by night - 3 months hard labour [j]
23/2/1832 - Samuel born in
Thornford [k]
--------------- MARRIED
---------------
31/10/1832 - Isaac Gray
married Sarah Hunt by banns at Thornford, witns John Wallbridge "(who m
Harrit Hunt 1829)" and Susan Gray (his sister?) [k]
6/7/1833 - William born in
Thornford [k]
1/9/1833 - Samuel and
William bapt together [k]
1834 - Thomas Moore
"(probably Isaac's brother) as they sometimes try to confuse the records
under a totting up system used for poaching offences" convicted (pres for
poaching) [j]
1834 to 1839 - 4 more children
born T'ford [k]
1837 - Henry Gray
"(their brother)" - poaching - one month [j]
7/3/1841 – An Abel Gray
bapt at Easton Hampshire to Isaac and Sarah [p]
7/6/1841 - Living in one
house in Easton in Hampshire (village just NE of Winchester) Isaac Gray (bn
1816), Sarah (1816), Samuel (1832), William (1833), Sarah (1837), George
(1838), (all NOT born in Hamps), and Abel (1841 bn Hamps), and George Hunt (bn
1821 not born Hamps) [n]
1841 - 1 child born
"Eson Hants" [k]
1843 - 1 child born
"Farnham Surrey" [k]
1844 to 1845 - 2 children
born T'ford [k]
1845 - Third eldest son
Isaac (seemingly referred to by his middle name "George") went to
work aged 7 [a]
1848 - 1 child born
"Doodine (or Didling) Sussex", but bapt in T'fd [k]
29/9/1848 - Silas Gray
convicted of something (prob poaching)
[j]
21/5/1849 - "Previous
conviction" of George Moore [j]
5/4/1850 - George Moore
aged 17 Received at gaol, committed by the Rev J Parsons of Thornford, crime
stealing from the person "(any Moore could = Gray)" [j]
28/12/1850 - Isaac Snr and
eldest son Samuel were arrested for poaching. At the Dorchester Qtr Sessions
dad got 5 weeks hard labour and Sam 3 weeks
[j]
30/12/1850 - Isaac Gray
alias Moore aged 39, and Samuel Gray alias Moore aged 18 yrs, received (at
Dorchester gaol?). Commited by the Rev J Parsons and Mr John Gooden (of Over
Compton House). Isaac - crime poaching,
Isaac fined BP2 with 10/- costs, 5 weeks labour. Samuel - poaching, fined
BP1-1-0 and 10/- costs, 3 weeks labour.
[j]
1850 to 1852 - 2 kids born
in T'ford [k]
18/1/1851 - Isaac and
Samuel discharged from gaol ("Samuel's last conviction before sailing in
June 1851") [j]
31/5/1851 - Living in
Thornford was Isaac "Grey" (Head, 40, Ag Lab, bn Thornford) and wife
Sarah (37, bn Thornford). With them are 10 kids - Samuel (19, Ag Lab, T'ford),
William (18, Ag Lab, T'ford), Sarah (14, Glover, T'ford), George (13, Ag Lab,
T'ford), Abel (11, Ag Lab, "Essn" ? Hants), Arthur (8, Farnham
Surry), Herbert (6, T'ford), Noah (5, T'ford), Susan (3, "Dobdnl" ?
Surrey), Frederick (11m, T'ford) [d]
(Next counted was James
Moore, 44, Tailor, bn S'borne, and wife Sarah, 43, bn T'ford)
".. father says his father Job told him two Grays were
transported" [h]
June ? 1851 - Sam and
William left Eng for SA on the "Reliance" (suggested one step ahead
of law after the stealing of a sheep). William settled at the Glynde in SA, Sam
may have gone to the Vic goldfields (where he was said to have been something
of a bare knuckles fighter, although one older direct line descendant seems to
doubt this). [a] [b]
6/9/1851 - Sam and William
arr in Adelaide [g]
4/12/1851 - Isaac Gray
alias Moore aged 40 years received (at gaol?), commited by Rev Parsons and Mr
Gooden, crime night poaching, four calender months hard labour. ("Last
prev conviction 30/12/1850") [j]
3/4/1852 - Isaac
discharged from gaol [j]
20/10/1852 - Silas Gray
alias Moore aged 27 ("brother to ..") received for poaching, sentence
BP2 fine 7/6 costs, and 2 calender months hard labour [j]
18/12/1852 - Silas
discharged [j]
1854 - Sam married in
Adelaide (went on to have 6 kids at Epsom in Vic from Dec '55 to Nov '64, then
others born in Adelaide from May '67. He died at Payneham in 1910 [a]
[b]
5/11/1854 - Isaac
("George"), aged 17, joined the Army's Land Transport Divn. (In March 1855 he landed in the Crimea on the
"Indiana" and saw service moving supplies between Balaklava and
Sebastapol, was wounded by overhead shrapnel and sent home 1856 on the
man-o-war "James Watt", then discharged. He married in 1857, and in 1859 left England for SA on the
"James Jordan", to settle at Pt Elliott, and later Pt Pirie. [a]
1855 to 1857 - 2 (3?) children
born Sherborne [e]
12/1/1857 - The last kids
born, twins, but only one survived [a]
30/6/1859 - Sons Isaac
("George") and Abel landed in SA on the "James Jardine" and
settled at Pt Elliott, taking up gardening.
Isaac moved to Pt Pirie in 1873
[ ]
7/4/1861 - Living in
Horncastle (?) Sherborne was Isaac Gray (Head, 49, Lab, T'ford) and his wife
Sarah (47, T'ford). With them are 7 kids
- Herbert (17, Lab, T'ford), Noah (15, Lab, T'ford), Susan (13, Scolar, Didling
Sussex (?), Frederick (11, Scholar, T'ford), William (9, Scholar, T'ford), Mark
(5, Scholar, S'borne), Louisa (3, Scholar, S'borne) [e]
/ /1863 - Sons Herbert
and Noah sailed to Adelaide on the "Mary Shepherd" [ ]
27/9/1863 - Isaac and
Sarah and the balance of the family (Susan, Fredk, William (the 2nd ?), Mark,
Louisa) arrived in Adelaide on the "Adamant". Isaac listed as a
labourer, went to live in Pt Elliott [a]
abt 1864 - (A letter home
from Sarah to her "sister Mrs Hyde", in a section of the magazine
titled "Emigration") - Nice house, very happy, "Father" and
kids getting jobs, fine country, beautiful churches and schools, involved in
the church, boys going into the choir (Fred and Wm were in the choir at
Sherborne), local food prices and quality very good, people very hospitable
(lots more) [m]
(Another bit under "Emigration", from "the
Clergyman of the village near Adelaide, in which Isaac and Sarah Gray have
settled") - bits on kids doing well, Fredk a Sunday School teacher,
William (jr) working for the vicar, goes on about a "Colony founded by
Dissenters", chuches "very humble" compared to the "Meeting
Houses", but "I feel quite an accession of strength in the arrival of
your late parishioners the Grays .. parents regular at Communion".
"Isaac and Sarah Gray .. report that they are settled in a
pretty village, a suburb of Adelaide, and rent two acres for BP7 per annum, one
acre is planted with .. fruit trees, the other with herbs and vegetables ..
", and a run down on how well the kids are doing [m]
8/1/1875 - Sarah died and
was buried at Pt Elliott [a]
This is from a regular column in an Ad paper (titled "Mr
Adelaide"?) but not dated, looks '50s in style. A Stan Gray of Pt Pirie
responded with a "copy from the family bible" listing bare birth
data.
The columnist writes " .. a forgotten tombstone on a
Hindmarsh Valley farm .. old slate tombstone at the entrance to grazier Gerlad
Stock's .. (who found it) partly silted up when he bought the property several
years ago .. reads 'In memory of Sarah Gray, who departed this life on January
8, 1875, aged 61 years' ...", and notes there is an "unfinished line
(on it that reads) 'faithful f....' (friend?) ".
This reads differently than the final one erected at Pt
Elliott! What was it? - a "reject" stone?
4/4/1878 - Isaac aged 66
re-married, to widow Harriett Coote (nee Dare) at Pt Elliott [a] [c]
3/3/1880 - His wife
Harriett died at Pt Elliott [c]
27/1/1881 - Aged 69, Isaac
remarried to a Mrs Mary Smith [a] [c]
23/7/1892 - Dau Susan
(Hunt) died and was buried with mum [a]
16/6/1895 - Isaac died
aged 83 at Pt Elliott [k]
1910 - Samuel died at
Payneham [a] [b]
".. a pioneer of 59 years died at his residence,
Walkerville .. on arrival found employment at Cowandilla .. after one year at
this he went to the Victorian diggings, and was very fortunate, returning in three
months, and settling at Walkerville, but after six months returned to the
diggings, and again did well. On coming back he went to work at the Montacute
copper mine. Shortly after (mar 1854) .. visited the .. diggings .. made a good
start at Tarrangower, sent for his wife .. lost his good claim through
carelessness on the part of his mate .. to Bendigo .. for twelve years .. did
well at prospecting .. had a farm .. at Ox Creek, and in 1862 .. sold his farm
and went to the new rush at Harrow diggings, New Zealand .. walked 300 miles
from Invercargill to Lake Wakatipu .. not a success .. returned to Invercargill
Bluff .. walked the 300 miles and carrying his swag. He returned to his wife
and family in Victoria .. to South Australia .. with a team of horses and van
.. from Swan Creek Victoria, down the River Murray bank .. starting with his
wife and six children March 24th 1895, Adelaide being reached on May 10th. It
was a terrible experience, as no rain fell .. till Truro .. settled down at
Walkerville.. " [g]
17/1/1925 - Abel Gray died
at Hindmarsh Valley (have a copy of his 1919 will, plus 3 codicils!, in the
"Nicolle" branch envelope). He had a farm there called
"Condelley Farm" [a]
===================
SOURCES ...
[a] Sundry data ex Gray Reunion (V Hbr '88)
[b] Oral history - various
[c] BISA (SAGHS)
[d] 1851 Census
[e] 1861 Census
[f] Obituary 1910 (hand copied by desc Wilbur Gray)
[g] Newspaper cutting (ex Wilbur Gray)
[h] Judy Nash letter to Cedric Gray from Sherborne 1986
[j] Dorchester Gaol Regs 1827 - 1838 (inc in [h] above )
[k] Judy Nash sheet of data Feb 1987
[m] Sherborne parish magazine c 1863
[n] 1841 Census Index
[p] FamHistOnline (Bapts)