Thomas Bray

  Research Notes:

Marilyn O'Neill states:
Tavistock was an ancient stannary (tin-assaying and tin-marketing) town about 15 miles from Plymouth. The source of the name Tavistock is Tavy the River on which the town lies and "Stock" indicating that the town became a prominent agricultural market for the area.
Mining of tin had been a considerable industry for many centuries and in 1305 Tavistock was recognized by a Royal Decree that established it as a Stannary Town - a town where miners could have their tin officially assayed before sale.
Tavistock's market was recognized by the granting of a Market Charter by King Henry I to the town in 1105. Its 900^th Anniversary of the Charter was celebrated in 2005. The market still continues to this day. The present building housing the Market was provided in 1850 by the 7^th Duke of Bedford who also arranged the construction of the still existing canal from the River Tavy in the centre of Tavistock to the River Tamar for the purpose of transporting mineral ores especially of copper. A statue of that Duke of Bedford stands outside the Town Hall.
Sir Francis Drake - the seafaring hero - was born in 1542 at Crowndale Farm just south of Tavistock (constructed around 1450 the buildings no longer exist). A statue of him is not far from the town centre on the road to Plymouth - the port from which he set sail to confront and beat the Spanish Armada.
Morwellham Quay
Morwellham Quay is part of the World Heritage site at Tavistock featuring a historic port village, copper mine and railway some 4 miles west of Tavistock. It provides the opportunity to "go underground" in the George & Charlotte copper mine to experience the harsh working conditions of miners in Victorian times (1837-1901).

The 1841 England Census shows Thomas Bray b1791 age 50 living in Carharrack working as a copper miner along with his wife Jane age 50 and their children: Thomas age 20, John age 17, William age 16 and Samuel age 11 who are also working at the copper mine. Their sister Jane age 13 is not shown as working and is probably assisting her mother at home.

Three of Thomas & Jane's children were already married and had left home by the 1851 census: Mary Ann Trevena Bray married Francis Magor in 1837, Thomas married Sarah Ann Landeryou in 1844 and Samuel married Elizabeth Sims in 1850.
One pertinent piece of information on the 1851 England Census is Thomas Bray's birthplace which is recorded as Tavistock, Devonshire (Devon).
In March 1858 Thomas dies at Carharrack and is buried on 21 March 1858 in St Day Parish. Note that the burial states he is 72 whereas he is actually 69. (Note that the spelling of Carharrack is also incorrect in the transcription - so the age transcription may also have been mis-transcribed)

A search at the churches of Gwennap, St Day and Redruth (St Uny) has found no headstones for either Thomas or Jane. Note that although a person may have died in one parish they are sometimes buried in the parish where they were born, not where they died - therefore a thorough search had to be conducted in all three places: birth / lived / died.

St Day: The parish of St Day is located in the Hundred of Kerrier and Deanery of Carnmarth (which is actually located within this parish). The parish is named after St Day who, whilst not well known in Britain, is often found honoured in Brittany. The old pronunciation of 'St Dye' was in common use until fairly recently. The parish was formed in 1835 from within the parish of Gwennap. It lies about 2 miles east of Redruth. The area is heavily populated with houses that were once occupied by local miners. The tin mining
industry has now died out in the area. St Day is an attractive village situated in the centre of the once-extensive mining district.

Tavistock was an ancient stannary (tin-assaying and tin-marketing) town about 15 miles from Plymouth. The source of the name Tavistock is Tavy the River on which the town lies and Stock indicating that the town became a prominent agricultural market for the area. Mining of tin had been a considerable industry for many centuries and in 1305 Tavistock was recognized by a Royal Decree that established it as a Stannary Town '96 a town where miners could have their tin officially assayed before sale. Tavistock's market was recognized by the granting of a Market Charter by King Henry I to the town in 1105. Its 900th Anniversary of the Charter was celebrated in 2005. The market still continues to this day. The present building housing the Market was provided in 1850 by the 7th Duke of Bedford who also arranged the construction of the still existing canal from the River Tavy in the centre of Tavistock to the River Tamar for the purpose of transporting mineral ores especially of copper. A statue of that Duke of Bedford stands outside the Town Hall.
Sir Francis Drake '96 the seafaring hero '96 was born in 1542 at Crowndale Farm just south of Tavistock (constructed around 1450 the buildings no longer exist). A statue of him is not far from the town centre on the road to Plymouth '96 the port from which he set sail to confront and beat the Spanish Armada.

England & Wales Death Index 1837- 1915 '96 Thomas Bray b1791
Name Thomas Bray
Registration Year 1858
Registration Quarter Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration district Redruth
Inferred County Cornwall
Volume 5c Page 218
Cornwall OPC Database
'96
Thomas Bray b1791
Day Month 21 -Mar Year 1858
Parish Or Reg District Day, St.
Forename Thomas
Surname BRAY
Age 72
Residence Carrarhack
Transcriber Kay Woodhouse

A search at the churches of Gwennap, St Day and Redruth (St Uny) has found no headstones for either Thomas or Jane. Note that although a person may have died in one parish they are sometimes buried in the parish where they were born, not where they died.

  Noted events in his life were:

• connection. ⁸⁹² Stephanie ? married Brandon Ingle (c1960)
His father was David Ingle (c1930) who married Muriel Crawford (1930)
Her father was Marhlon Crawford (1895) who married Valerie Rapson (c1895)
Her father was Thomas Rapson (1816) who married Rosanna Bray (1863)
Her father was William Bray (1825)
His father was Thomas Bray (1791) & he also had Thomas Bray (1821)
He had Arthur Augustus Bray (1869)
He had Albert Alan Bray (1896)
He had Robert Alfred Bray (1920)
He had Robert Arthur Bray (1947) who married me - Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

• connection. ⁸⁹³ Debora Fikany's links to me are as follows:
Debora Fikany (c1950)
Her father was Richard Fikany (1929)
His father was Edward Fikany (1888) who married Laura Samson (1893)
Her father was Richard Samson (1853) who married Elizabeth Bray (O1863)
Her father was Joseph Bray (1825) who married Jane Bray (1827)
Her father was Thomas Bray (c1791) & he also had Thomas Bray (1821)
He had Arthur Augustus Bray (1869)
He had Albert Alan Bray (1896)
He had Robert Alfred Bray (1920)
He had Robert Arthur Bray (1947) who married me - Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

• alt birth, 1791, Tintagel, Cornwall England.

• alt birth, 22 Jul 1798, Redruth, Cornwall England. ²¹

• Military: was iun the miners militia, 1821.

• Resided, 1851, Carharrack, Gwennap, Cornwall England.

Thomas married Jane (Jennie) Trevena, daughter of John Trevena and Ann Simons, on 8 Feb 1817 in Redruth, Cornwall England.⁸⁹¹ (Jane (Jennie) Trevena was born circa 1791 in Redruth, Cornwall England ⁸⁹¹, christened on 21 Feb 1793 in St Uny, Redruth, Cornwall England, died in 1869 in Carharrack, St Day, Cornwall England and was buried on 11 Feb 1869 in Redruth, Cornwall England ⁸⁹¹.)