William John Gray

william john (willie) Gray gvsamuelandfrancesgray williegrayandjeanniemcclements WilliamJohnGray02 Garvagh War Mem 001 Willi Gray Reference to Sammy Gray William John Gray Death Notices 1961 William John Gray Funeral Invoice Death William John Gray Coleraine Road 1961 aged 73

William was born on January 3rd, 1888 in Englishtown.

• Birth Notes

  Birth record, taken from Letterkenny Local Registry Office, shows that Willaim John was born on 3rd January 1888 at Macosquin to William Gray of Englishtown, Labourer, and his wife, Anne Gray formerly Brewster and that his father registered the birth on 17th January 1888.
  
  Civil Birth Record
  Name:    William John Gray    Date of Birth:    03-Jan-1888
           Registration Date:    1-Jan-0
  Address:    Englishtown    Parish/District:    AGHADOWEY
  Gender:    Male    County    Co. Derry
  Denomination:    Registrar District
  Father:    William Gray    Mother:    Anne Brewster
  Occupation:    Labourer    
  Sponsor 1 /
  Informant 1:    William Gray    Sponsor 2 /
  Informant 2:    
  Notes:

William's father was William Gray and his mother was Ann R Brewster.  His paternal grandparents were James [Camus/Glenhall/Cullyvenny] Grey and Eliza Jane Brown; his maternal grandparents were Robert  [Dromore] Brewster and Mary Boyd. He had a brother and three sisters, named "Twin son", Mary Alice, Anna and Sarah Matilda Galloway.  He died at the age of 73 on April 6th, 1961 in The Gables, Garvagh.

• Death Notes

  This is the death notice taken from a clipping in the family album: "Mr William J Gray Garvagh.  One of Garvagh's most esteemed residents, Mr William John Gray, passed away on Thursday last week at his residence, The Gables.  He had been confined to bed for the last three months.  A native of the Macosquin district, Mr Gray moved to Garvagh over 50 years ago.  He was a well known building contractor and he retired from business some seven years ago.  Mr. Gray gained the esteem of everyone by his great integrity and kindly unassuming manner.  He was highly gifted and was a craftsman of unusual skill and perception.  His passing is much regretted by many friends.  Mr. Gray, who was a faithful member of Main Street Gravagh Presbyterian Church, Garvagh, is survived by his wife (formerly Miss Jean McClements); his son, Samuel, who resides at Ballykelly and four daughters - Miss Sadie Gray SRN, Mrs. McWilliams, Larne; Mrs. Atkinson, Tonbridge, Kent; and Mrs Pink, Surrey.  The funeral, which was largely attended, took place on Saturday afternoon to First Garvagh Presbyterian Church burying ground, Rev D. H. Allen B.A, officiated in the home and at the graveside."  (NB - there is a discrepancy here: if he was a faithful member of Main Street Presbyterian Church, which is 2nd Garvagh, why is he buried in 1st Garvagh on the Kilrea Road?)
  
  Registration number    Forename of deceased    Surname of deceased    Date of death    Age at death    Date of birth    Sex of deceased    Registration district    
  D/1961/95/1008/14/257    William    Gray    6th April 1961    73        Male    Coleraine(pre-1973 Q4)

• General Notes

  Married in Second Dunboe Presbyterian Church on 14th April 1909, when he gave his residence as Englishtown.
  
  Listed as being from Englishtown in the Communicants Roll book of Macosquin Presbyterian Church from 1900-1909.
  
  There is a William Gray signing the 1912 Ulster Solemn League and Covenant in Ardvarness which is where his in-laws lived.  However, there is also a William Gray signing in  Garvagh  - did he cheat and sign twice?! 
  
  Was living in Garvagh when Sadie was born in 1910 according to Aunt Moira.
  
  Was living in Garvagh when my father was born in 1911. 
  
  His obituary suggests he came to Garvagh sometime before 1911 as it says he was a resident there for over 50 years when he died in 1961.
  
  A reference he wrote for my father in 1955, when he says he was in business for 53 years, suggests he was in Garvagh by 1902, unless he was in the building trade before he went to Garvagh. 
  
  Moira says first house was on Bridge Street, near 1st Garvagh Presbyterian Church, second was beside Northern Bank, third and fourth were Inglenook and The Gables.
  
  The 1911 Census shows him living in Main Street, Garvagh, aged 23, from Co Derry, living with Jeannie Gray, aged 23 from Co Derry and Sarah Evyleen Gray, aged 6 months, born in County Derry.  They have been married for three years, with one child and he is a Stone Mason.
  
  BG: I wonder why my grandfather went to Garvagh to be a mason when Coleraine was so much closer and was it connected with the Grays in Garvagh in the GV:
  Gray                    Alexander         Garvagh                      Errigal     Derry
  Gray                    Sarah J.          Main Street,Garvagh          Errigal     Derry
  My grandfather called his first daughter Sarah and that is not either his mother's name nor his wife's.
  
  Family lore has it that my grandfather was a well respected building contractor in Garvagh, who built a lot of houses but who went bankrupt because he was too nice to collect the money owed to him.  My mother also told me that his wife, my grandmother, was, in her younger days before she found religion, s spendthrift who spent my grandfather's money on dresses and hats, so much so that he was forced to place an ad in the local papers saying he would not be responsible for debts she ran up.  This is believable when you look at the photographs of her as a young women but it must also be remembered that my mother and grandmother quarelled so seriously that my parents left Garvagh in 1955.  This robbed my grandfather of the services of his only son in his building firm.  Moira gives a slightly different and more credible version of events.  She says that my grandfather did not bother too much with paperwork and yes, certain people such as the local Pharmacist Templeton and the local Doctor, Mooney, did not pay my grandfather for work done and that when the banks called in his loans, he had to sell Inglenook and move into The Gables which was not big enough for four adults plus me and Jim.  That's why my father and mother left Garvagh for Ballykelly.
  
  In June 2007, my Aunt Moira informed me that, contrary to what I believed she had told me in the past, my grandfather DID indeed serve as a soldier "in France in 1918".  This confirms the picture I have of him in army uniform.  Unfortunately, I have never been able to identify the cap badge although it resembles the laurel wreath of the Royal Engineers.  Source: Internet site called "Eddies News Extracts", which uses the "Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland who allowed me access to their copies of The Witness and The Banner of Ulster to obtain those extracts", I found the Presbyterian Church In Ireland -- Roll of Honour 1914-1919 listing a William Gray from 1st Garvagh, a sapper in the Royal Engineers. Also,  Macosquin Presbyterian church had a W J Gray, Private, of Garvagh listed.  Both of these entries must relate to my grandfather so it is very exciting to discover he might have served as an engineer in World War One.  I have checked the internet and the cap badge of a member of the Royal Engineers is not the same as the one my grandfather is wearing in the photograph I have of him in army uniform, but, it is more similar than any other cap badge I have seen online.
  
  This from here - http://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/RobertThompsonGarvagh.htm
  Gray, William John, Sapper, Royal Engineers, joined the colours October 1918, son of William Gray & Annie Brewster, Coolyvenny. Born 3rd January 1888, baptised Macosquin Presbyterian Church

Details of William's family with Mary Jane (Jeannie) McClamont