William GRAY [ 002 ] (below)
Charlotte Atkinson FAYERS [ 003 ]
(following)
====================================
These are the parents
of Isaac Robert Gray who married Elizabeth Margaret Pearce in Adelaide in 1875.
Source file for "The Poacher And The Sunday School Teacher".
Source file for "The Poacher And The Sunday School Teacher".
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6/7/1833 - Born in Thornford (in the Sherborne district) in
Dorset, to Isaac George Gray, a "farmer" (more correctly a farm
labourer), and his wife Sarah Jane nee Hunt.
[v] [ad]
1841 Census – (not sighted)
1840 to 1851 ? - "Worked on the local estate" [y]
1851 Census – (not sighted)
14/9/1851 - The "Reliance" arr in SA, lists inc William
Gray (17), Ag Lab from Dorset, and Samuel Gray, Ag Lab (19) from Dorset, both
single. (The ship was 736 tons, built
1845).
From "Notes on the
Voyage .. from a letter from the Rev W Gray to the Archivist (March 5
1954)" - "Three months, with nothing but water around them. Living on
pickled pork, salt junk, bouilli soup, and a cupful of pure Jamaica lime juice
(sweetened with black sugar, to prevent scurvy), once a week. Went too far
south. Icy tangles half a yard long hung from the shrouds, the halyards were
frozen till they were like solid wire. Some of the passengers who had too
little clothing had to go to bed to keep themselves warm. The passengers were
called up to help the crew set the sails to 'bout ship." [ad]
--------------- MARRIED --------------
7/12/1853 - William Gray, batchelor, labourer, married Charlotte
Atkinson Fayers, spinster, at St Georges Anglican church (at Magill SA), both
shown as aged 20, (but she was actually 18?).
She signed in full, but he did an "X - his mark". Witnesses were John and Martin Mail. [n]
1854 - Lived all of their married life at the Glynde on Payneham
Rd (on the corner of what is now Sunbeam Rd).
He had a blacksmith shop and was the head gardener for a local market
gardener, in an area that became locally known as Gray's Hill, and there became
a successful gardener and was the local constable. [y] [ad]
"Having had a
religious upbringing and a high standard of education, Charlotte was able to
teach William to read and write. She worked as a bookkeeper for a leading
store, and she wrote a book 'The Holy War' and many poems, one being written
for the coronation of King Edw VII, for which she received a letter of thanks
from Queen Mary, then the Princess of Wales." [ad]
22/10/1854 - Sarah Charlotte born Payneham dist [w]
2/5/1856 - Isaac Robert born at Payneham dist [w]
1858 to 1877 - Another ten children born variously as at Payneham
or Glynde dist, two dying in infancy
[w]
1860 (?) - Oral history has it that they acquired their land on
Payneham Rd Glynde when Charlotte inherited money "from the two
Ashtons". [ad]
Somewhere along the way
William acquired the nickname "Dobbin", he was apparently involved
with the Salvation Army, building a hall for them with his son (Isaac?) in
Henry St, but had a falling out with them when he refused to make it a
gift [y]
(There is a photocopy
of their old house in the files)
1863 - Mortgaged their land (Sect 305) to bring the rest of
William's family out from Dorset. [ad]
1864 to 1872 - Wm Gray, farmer, Glynde Sect 305 [z]
1875 - Son Isaac listed as a mason and builder [z]
14/10/1875 - Elizabeth Margaret Pearce (19) married Isaac Robert
Gray (19) at the Wesleyan parsonage in Pirie St Adelaide. Witnesses were Louisa Gray (a sister?) and
William Briggs (a brother-in-law) [n]
1879 - Charlotte left the Methodist Church and joined the
Salvation Army and later the Norwood Mission, a "thorough lady and always
wore a bonnet." [ad]
c1905 - The photo (in the hills somewhere?) of William dressed as
Father Xmas, in a horse and trap, with his wife at the rear, and his daughter
Ada Emily Barber and her four daughters [on file]
1910 (?) - William "had the honour of becoming the first
Father Christmas in the John Martins magic cave, with his naturally long white
hair and beard". [ad]
-------------- SPOUSE DIED ------------
8/3/1911 - Charlotte died of cancer of the stomach aged 78 and was
buried at Payneham [ad]
1914 - Aged 81 William reputedly fell out of an apricot
tree while picking fruit [ oral hist ?
]
5/9/1922 - William Gray, aged 91, retired gardener, residing
Welligton Rd Maylands, born Dorset, in SA 75 years, aged 22 at mar, issue 4m 5f
living, 1m 2f dec, died of Senile Decay "some months" at residence
[m]
6/9/1922 - (Deaths) "On 5th Sept at his
son-in-law's (Mr A W Barber) residence at No 8 Welligton Rd Maylands, William
Gray late Grays Hill Glynde near Payneham, aged 91. No mourning by
request". (Funeral left house at
2pm). [ab]
He died "after
suffering from cancer of the arm", while he was living with his daughter
Ada Barber at Maylands, and was buried with wife Charlotte at Payneham
cemetery [ac] [ad]
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Charlotte Atkinson FAYERS [ 003 ]
====================================
1835 - Charlotte Atkinson Fayers born Bildeston Suffolk. [f] [h]
(If she was
"20" when married in Dec 1853 her birthdate would have been between
Dec '32 and Dec '33 ??)
27/11/1835 - A Charlotte Atkinson Fayers bapt at Hadleigh
Independent Suffolk, the only child of Robert Septimus and Charlotte. [e] [u]
(Born in Hadleigh but
bapt in Bildeston? Hadleigh is a town
ap 12kms west of Ipswich, and Bildeston is a village ap 8kms NW of Hadleigh).
6/2/1839 - A "Charlotte wife of Robert Septimus Fayers"
died aged 41, and was buried at Bildeston in the family altar tomb. [c]
(This is Charlotte's
mother, died when she was 4 yrs old [u] )
7/6/1841 - In census of Hadleigh St Bildeston ("all that part
which lies on the East side of the road from Hitcham to Hadleigh" -- the
main B.1115 through Bildeston), Robert Fayers, 50 (implying born between 1787
and 1791), carpenter, born in Suffolk; Julia 20 (1817 to 1821) born Suffolk;
Margaret 13; Elizabeth 10; Charlotte 6. [b]
18/11/1847 - A "Robert Septimus Fayers" died in Suffolk
aged 47 and was buried in Bildeston in the family altar tomb. [c]
"Place death
registered Cosford Suffolk". [g]
(This is Charlotte's
father, who died when she was 12, leaving her an orphan [u] )
c.1847 - Charlotte was taken into the care of her mother's brother
the Rev Theophilus Atkinson of Ipswich (a missionary?). [d] [u]
(All of her ½ siblings
would have been 17+ at this time and probably living independent lives.)
16/11/1848 - Their ship departed London ... [p] [q]
22/12/1848 - Sailed ex Falmouth on the "Sir Charles
Forbes". The ship was 364 tons,
built in Aberdeen in 1824 (a convict transport to 1837), under Capt W.
Prynne. On the trip out the chief mate,
and a boy, were lost overboard. [p] [q]
8/4/1849 - Arrived in SA (aged 14?) in the company of a Joseph
(one ref says `Yates') Aston and his wife and 7 (or 4) children.
In the local papers,
which tend to only show private passengers list, 8-9 groups "in the
cabin", followed by 20-25 groups NOT in alpha order inwhich the Astons are
2-3 down this secondary passenger list "in the steerage", simply as
"Joseph Aston, wife and seven children" immediately followed by
"Charlotte Fayers" and while this doesn't imply they were together, a
14 yo girl would probably be with those immediately preceeding? (Hard to see Joseph Aston in this context as
a brother to a Lord?!!)
Aston's cargo is (a bit
mundane?) "6 boxes, 2 bundles, 1 cask", but nothing is shown
separately for Charlotte. They are not
on the "Assisted Immigrants" lists, and data suggests that they are
private passengers. [i]
(Refer to the Aston
data in her mother's files)
(In 1909 a Joseph
Aston, who was born in Ipswich c1840, and arr in SA in 1849, died at Hindmarsh
aged 69 – Hindmarsh BMD registers)
13/4/1849 - Adelaide Pryn Aston, arrived aboard the "Sir
Charles Forbes" ... parents Joseph Aston & Phebe Atkinson [u]
(The parents above has
to be Charlotte's mum's sister and her husband, and child is their last, born
aboard ship, and named after the city and the captain)
1850 - Became one of the first scholars, and then later a teacher,
of the Payneham Methodist Sunday School. [d]
31/5/1851 - (Census, for those left behind ?? )
abt 1853 ? - "When Charlotte was in her teens, she was locked
in a room with her arranged suitor, and after her release she ran away, later
to marry her true love, William Gray."
[u]
(This is surely ex oral
history, and hard to visualise what the facts may have been. She would've been
say 18 in 1853, well brought up, possibly a Sunday School teacher by then. Who would've done the locking up?? The Astons?
And who was the suitor? May have
to work backwards from her mar date to see if the papers carried anything)
--------------- MARRIED --------------
7/12/1853 - Charlotte Atkinson Fayers, spinster, married William
Gray, labourer, batchelor, at St Georges Anglican church (at Magill), both
shown as aged 20, (but she was actually 18?).
She signed in full, but he did an "X - his mark". Witns were John and Martin Mail. [n]
16/3/1909 - Joseph Aston died at Hindmarsh, bn c 1840, occ Baker,
res Hindmarsh, married to a Fanny Shearing
[v]
(Presume this is the
son, going on obit data Observer 20/3/1909)
8/3/1911 - Died aged 76, wife of William Gray, gardener, Glynde,
born Suffolk England, resided in the Commonwealth 62 years, 19 years old when
married, cause of death "Carcinoma some months", died at Payneham Rd
Glynde. [m]
?/3/1911 - Buried in the Payneham cemetery. [u]
The following are
extracted from three separate obit notes, variously copied from the Advertiser,
or from the same source, and includes many clear mistakes.
Died at Payneham
recently, in her 78th year, one of the oldest residents, lived there
for over 50 years, born at Ipswich Sussex(?) in 1834(?), arr in Ad 1848(?), in
1852(?) mar Mr Wm Gray of Gray's Hill Glynde, at St Georges Magill, (the
youngest) dau of late Mr William(?) Fayers/ Flayers(?)/ Tayers(?) of Ipswich,
and (in Chronicle) `great great grand niece of the late Lord Ashton.' Her father died when she was a child,
educated by her uncle Rev Theosephus(?) Atkinson a Sth African missionary. Mrs Gray was one of the first scholars and
teachers of the Payneham Methodist Sunday School, connected with it in
1850. Leaving that church in 1879 she
joined Salvation Army at its Sth Aust inauguration, connected with the WCTU for
17 yrs, (part of which time) president of Payneham branch. Also active worker in Norwood Mission Sunday
School to within a few months of her death.
Mrs Gray wrote several poems, left 6 daus, 4 sons, 57 grandch, 83
grtgrandch. Chronicle also elaborates
on `many hymns and poems' she wrote, that she recd a letter from Queen Mary,
and was visited by Tennyson while Gov of SA. [d]
Born in 1834, father
Rev Theophius (or William) Fayers, brought up by her guardians the Hon Joseph
and Lady Margaret (?) Ashton. They (this lot appears to come from oral history,
much of which couldn't come from the obits, or vice versa) arr in SA 1848 and
all lived in a bark hut in Hindley St, later ran a boarding house for young
ladies on the corner of South Rd and Manton St Hindmarsh, Charlotte was a
thorough lady and always wore a lace bonnet, her mother was sister to the Hon
Joseph Ashton of Ashton Hall and sister of Lord Ashton. It is said in her teens she was locked in a
room with her arranged suitor and after she was let out she ran away to marry
her true love William Gray, who she taught to read and write and worked for
Gwynnes Store as a bookkeeper and she had a very good education. She wrote many poems, some for the
coronation of King Edward, and recd a letter of thanks from Queen Mary, then
the Princess of Wales. (Same church
stuff as above). She was left money
from the two Ashton families which bought her family home and land for the
garden. Later the land was motgaged to
bring William's parents out from England. [k]
Other obit notes say
mostly the same, using correct parents, but "arrived with the Ashton
family, Joseph Ashton (and wife and children), that he was related to
Charlotte's mother, and Joseph was a brother to Lord Ashton of Ashton Hall
England, and refers to Charlotte's "...family home and market garden at
Payneham Rd Glynde" and that she "passed away of cancer of the
stomach ... aged 78, and was buried in the Payneham cemetery". [u]
It's hard to exactly
reconcile these bits of information (probably largely oral, maybe from one or
two close relatives who "heard" the stories first hand from
Charlotte, maybe many years before her death).
The "Joseph
Ashton" they keep referring to is most likely the Joseph ASTON who married
Charlotte's mother's sister Phebe, and brought Charlotte out to SA with them on
the "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1849. Charlotte's mother would then be a
sister-IN-LAW to him, which is definitely "related", and sort of a
"sister" as one claims, and Charlotte would be his
niece(-in-law). But this in no way
explains how this becomes "great great grandniece" to a "Lord
Ashton", unless there really is some relationship between Joseph ASTON and
some Lord ASHTON??, but this seems unlikely considering the humble-ish arrival
info in the local papers.
==========================
SOURCES ......
[a] Aldridge letter
1/3/99 "in the Bildeston parish records"
[b] 1841 Census of England
[c] Three typed bits (from
Sheila Fayers?) ex Suffolk records?
[d] Obits - Adv 30/3/1911,
Obsvr 1/4/1911, Chron no date.
[e] IGI
[f] Sheila Fayers letter
c 2/6/1985, ex church records
[g] St Cath's House via
Evelyn Fayers letter 19/10/1991
[h] Copy of Carol Tuck
letter dated 19/10/91
[i] SA Arrivals Records and
newspapers of the day (Ad Lib)
[j] Barrington Paine
letter
[k] A set of typed notes,
source uncertain, presumably some old
person's
reminisences, possibly taken by Carol Tuck.
[m] Death certificate
[n] Marriage certificate
[p] "Migrant Ships
for SA '36-'50" (SAGHS ref 1891)
[q] "Shipping Arr
& Deps SA to 1850" (SAGHS ref 5059)
[r] "300 Years of
Witness" - Hist of Tacket St Ind (SAGHS 4501)
(This is a good source
of additional detail !!)
[s] Suffolk Marriage
Index 1813-1837 (SAGHS ref pt 1463)
[t] Pigots Directory
Suffolk 1823-24 (off Internet)
[u] Set of typed notes from
Gray Reunion, (with her memorial
photo on it).
[v] BISA (SAGHS)
[w] SA Births Index (SAGHS)
[y] Oral history - various
(?)
[z] Directories (Ad Lib)
[aa] Data from Gray Reunion
(V Hbr '88)
[ab] Newspaper notices
(SAGHS)
[ac] Cemetery headstones
[ad] Data from a Gray Reunion
in Vic 1985
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