George Gray (1798 - 1876)

Born 1798 in London, England [uncertain]

Husband of Mary (Connor) Gray — married 8 Jun 1829 in Narellan, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 14 Jul 1876 at about age 78 in Crookwell, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Robyne Tracy [send private message] and Tony Marrinan [send private message]

Biography

George Gray was a convict after the Third Fleet transported to New South Wales

George was born about 1798.^[1]

George Gray, age 19, was convicted at the Old Bailey in London on 29 May 1816 for pocketpicking a watch. He was sentenced to be transported for seven years.

The Old Bailey trial:

GEORGE GRAY was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 18th of May , a watch, value 2l. the property of Reuben Gooch , from his person .

REUBEN GOOCH . I was a sailor. I lost my watch on the 18th of May, between eight and nine o'clock at night. I fell in with the prisoner at the Crown and Thistle, by Tower-hill ; we had four or five pots of ale to drink. I was not half drunk; I was a little drunkish. I told him, I wanted a ship; he told me he could get me one, and asked me to take a walk to see the mate. The watch was safe in my pocket then; and we went out, and I felt him draw the watch out, and he ran off as quick as he could, and I ran after him; but he turned out of my sight, and I lost him. I am sure he is the man, I can swear positively.

GUILTY , aged 19.

Transported for Seven Years .

London Jury, before Mr. Recorder.^[2]

He was transported on the Morley, which departed England in November 1816 and arrived Sydney NSW on 10 April 1817. The convict indent for this ship had the information: Native Place London, Calling Labourer, age 20, Height 5ft 4in, complexion ruddy, hair sandy, eyes grey.^[3]

Soon after disembarking from the “Morley” he was forwarded to Liverpool for distribution.^[4]

In the 1822 muster he was listed at Mr Cartwright's clearing party at Liverpool.^[5]

In November 1822 he was on a list of prisoners, from the Prisoners Barracks at Sydney forwarded to Windsor for distribution, to be assigned to settlers "taking into consideration the wants of the approaching harvest".^[6]

He obtained his Certificate of Freedom in June 1823.^[7]

In 1829 Reverend Hassall sought permission to marry George Gray and Mary Connor who had arrived as a convict on the Elizabeth in 1828. George and Mary were both working for Mr Green at Bringelly. George was described as "industrious" and Mary had her master's permission. However the application was at first refused because there were two Mary Connors on the Elizabeth. Permission was granted on 7 May 1829.^[8][9]

On 8 June 1829 they married at Narellen, NSW. The marriage register had the entry: "Marriage solemnized in the Parish of Narellan in the County of Cumberland. George Grey of the Parish of Cabramatta and Mary Connor of the Parish of Cabramatta were married in this Chapel by Banns with the consent of His Excellency the Governor this eight day of June in the Year 1829 by me Sgd. Samuel Marsden, Senior Chaplain. This Marriage was solemnized between us George (his x mark) Grey and [Sgd?]. Mary Connor. In the presence of George Horne of Denbigh and Jane (her x mark) Crawford of Stoke Newington Farm."^[10]

In 1832 George Gray and Mary nee Connor with their first two children moved to the Goulburn district and acquired a 30 acre lot at Pejar near modern day Crookwell. Here they will raise their family of nine children.^[11]

They had 9 children:

• Elizabeth (Gray) Jackson (abt.1830-1909)
• William (Grey) Gray (1832-1898)
• Charles Gray 1834–1866
• Peter Gray (1836-1907)
• Mary (Gray) Dalton (1839-1890)
• Susan (Susanna) Gray 1842–1858
• Anne Gray 1844–1907
• James Gray 1846–1852
• George Gray 1848–

Death: George Gray died 14 July 1876 at Middle Creek, County Argyle, in the Southern Tablelands, New South Wales. According to his Death certificate he died of old age, he was a farmer, age 82 years, son of William Grey a dealer, mother unknown, born in England, 60 years in NSW, married in NSW at age 29 to Mary McClesh, issue three boys and three girls living, two boys and one girl deceased. Informant was his son Peter Grey (who made his X mark), of Middle Creek. George Gray was buried on 17 July 1876 at Laggan.^[12][13][14]

Funeral notice, The Goulburn Herald and Chronicle 15 July 1876:

THE Friends of the late GEORGE GRAY, Middle Creek, are requested to attend his Funeral, which will take place on MONDAY, 17th instant. The procession will leave his late residence, Middle Creek, at 6 o'clock a.m.^[15]

Research Notes

Several trees on Ancestry.com have George's birth 4 Oct 1796 at Tower Hill, parents William Gray and Jane Taylor, without giving the source! (Baptisms at Tower Hamlets, St George in the East checked to end 1797) In the trees this William Gray has the same date and place of death as George, so the trees are obviously incorrect. The birth at Tower Hill may originate from the fact he committed his crime at Tower Hill. It is possible the source was "A Family of Grays 1797-1984" by Colin Gray (1984) which was quoted by Vic Dalton in Vol 1. Does anyone have a copy of Colin Gray's book? Heather.

Date of death needs to be confirmed. Alternative unsourced date suggested is 1867.

• CR, Church of England, Cobbitty, Narellan

Sources

1. ↑ "Convict Records: George Gray". 2021. Convictrecords.Com.Au. George Gray
2. ↑ Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 11 June 2022), May 1816, trial of GEORGE GRAY (t18160529-78).
3. ↑ New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 for George Gray, Bound Indentures 1814-1818 https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/2024/images/32082_223755__0003-00138?pId=20676
4. ↑ State Archives and Records of New South Wales Reel 6005; 4/3496 p.117
5. ↑ New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1806-1849, New South Wales General muster 1822 https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/1185/images/IMAUS1787_114235-00014?pId=292556
6. ↑ State Archives and Records of New South Wales 4/3506, p.462, Reel No: 6009
7. ↑ Classified Advertising (1823, June 5). The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), p. 1. Retrieved June 11, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2181930
8. ↑ New South Wales, Australia, Convict Applications for the Publication of Banns, 1828-1830, 1838-1839 for George Gray, 1829 (Reel 716) https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/9094/images/41726_329147-00132?pId=251
9. ↑ New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Convicts' Applications to Marry, 1826-1851, Granted 1830 https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/1504/images/30514_081752-00076?pId=8139
10. ↑ Marriage certificate 866/1829 Vol 13 GREY GEORGE CONNOR MARY CR
11. ↑ Dalton, (Vol 1), p.23
12. ↑ Death Certificate NSW 1876/006303
13. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183633456/george-gray : accessed 11 June 2022), memorial page for George Gray (1796–14 Jul 1876), Find a Grave Memorial ID 183633456, citing Laggan Cemetery, Laggan, Upper Lachlan Shire, New South Wales, Australia ; Maintained by The Grave Recorders (contributor 48659261) .
14. ↑ " George Gray 1798–1876 – Australian Royalty ". 1798. Australianroyalty.Net.Au. George Gray
15. ↑ Family Notices (1876, July 15). The Goulburn Herald and Chronicle (NSW : 1864 - 1881), p. 4. Retrieved June 11, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article101459024

• Unsourced family tree handed down to Tony Marrinan.
• D Wong, contributor (2016), Convict records database https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/gray/george/63346
• Purnell, Marion, "George Gray, 1798–1876", Australian Royalty database, https://australianroyalty.net.au/tree/purnellmccord.ged/individual/I59701/George-Gray
• Dalton, Vic. Who We Are : A Family History Vol1. by Vic Dalton. 1st ed. Mt. Isa, Qld.: V. Dalton, 1989.

See the Changes page for the details of edits by Heather Stevens and others See Also:

• "Ancestors Of". 2021. Lunatribe.Com. George and Mary
• Added to my ancestor’s (Elizabeth Gray Edwards profile by David Urquhart