Two years ago I left comments on the profile of Edward Gray pointing out that he died in Essex, England. Below is a link to what I believe to be his will (I think these Essex wills are possibly on either Ancestry or FMP now too?) I was wondering if anyone from the PGM Project had looked at this?
I also left notes on the profile of Edward’s brother John, who is currently shown to have immigrated, but actually died in Stapleford Tawney (link to his will provided below.)
There doesn’t appear to be any good evidence as to why any immigrants called Gray were attached to this family in the first place & I wonder if it was simply because the parish register had been published in book form (this is a recurring pattern in early 19th/20th century research.)
Due to this miss-attribution, the Gray family of Stapleford Tawney now have a descent from the Grays of Harwich (or sometime Devon) which has no basis in fact.
I would appreciate it if someone else would take a look at the wills & the register of Stapleford Tawney (& the other things I’ve mentioned on both profiles.) It appears to me that a family of Essex Blacksmiths, with links to Hertfordshire, have been morphed into merchants & given the wrong descendants (& ancestors.)
On 12 Feb 2021 L Felix wrote on Gray-443:
The Edward Gray born 1623 in Stapleford Tawney died in 1667 in Harold Wood, Essex, England. He left a will, which is in the Essex Records Office. https://www.essexarchivesonline.co.uk/result_details.aspx?ThisRecordsOffSet=1&id=911174 D/A EW 24/63 The Nuncupative Will of Edward Gray of Harold Wood, Liberty of Havering Atte-Bower, 15 April 1667. I don't know if Essex wills are on any other sites yet, so unfortunately it is probably only behind a paywall; but there is an image & if you have good eyes you can see what it says. It was written 31st march 1667 when Edward was ill with 'the sicknesse of which he dyed'; the beneficiaries of the will identify him as the same man born in Stapleford Tawney: "I give to my brother Thomas Gray and his wife five shillings. I give to his sonne Thomas Gray one shilling. I give to my brother-in-law Thomas Perry and Rebecca his wife five shillings and to his sonne Thomas Perry one shilling. To his daughter Mary Perry one shilling. To his daughter Sarah Perry one shilling. To his sonne Edward Perry one shilling. I give to my kinswoman Elizabeth Staines(?) one shilling. I give to my kinsman John Gray one shilling. I give to my kinswoman Elizabeth Gray one shilling. To my sister-in-law Jane Gray one shilling and to her daughter Mary Gray one shilling. All the rest of my goods and chattels I give unto Grace Gray my loveing wife and I make her executrix of this my will." The sister, Rebecca Perry, was baptised in Stapleford Tawney - 24th September 1615 Rebecca Graye daughter of John Graie. And Rebecca Gray married Thomas Perry in Stapleford Tawney 28th May 1638. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/350052-the-parish-registers-of-stapleford-tawney-essex The above is the same volume used by Augustus Clarke ('Clarke Kindred Genealogies'.) Clarke, in his book, states that neither Edward, Thomas, or John were mentioned further in the parish register. (The Parish registers for Stapleford Tawney seem to have alot of pages missing.) He was correct about Thomas & Edward, but John appears later - there are baptisms for a son John in 1637 & a daughter Mary in 1641 with a wife Elizabeth & a baptism in 1656 for a daughter Mary with a wife Jane. John also wrote a will, which is in the National Archives (still currently free to download) in which he mentions children John, Elizabeth & Mary and his wife Jane. (see Mary & Jane of Edward's will & possibly the kinspeople John & Elizabeth?) John also makes his brother Edward overseer (which would be odd if Edward was abroad.) He bequeaths all his lands & tenements etc. in 'Stortford in the Countie of Hertfordshire' to his son John (A big clue to the origins of this family.) http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D801407 - Will of John Gray, Blacksmith, of Stapleford Tawney, 28th April 1659. (P.C.C., PROB11/290,Pell 200-248 - PROB11/290/438) This will is written 23rd Feb 1658/9 & there is a burial for 'John Grey' in Stapleford Tawney 8th March 1658/9. I think Clarke was mistaken in his identification. (I wonder what it was that made Clarke link Edward Gray to Essex in particular in the first place, anyone know?)
