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Can anyone help me with information re my mother's family? Her mother was Cecilia B Richardson, born Hull Yorkshire 1888, married William Gray 1926, died 1938. I have started tracing Cecilia's line, but have hit a brick wall re mum's father. He was called William Gray and was a widower aged 58 when he married Cecilia in Poplar on November 27th 1926. He died in or around 1936. His father is named on Cecilia and William's marriage certificate as Malcolm Gray (deceased), a merchant seaman. I've found Malcolm in the 1845 naval records, and believe he was born in Chatham. I can't find Malcolm in any census. I'm new to genealogy and would be grateful for any advice as to how I might trace William and Malcolm Gray and their descendants.
I know all advice regarding family trees is to start with the easier most obvious family members, but my mother is now 86 and despairate for any information I can find. She was raised in an orphanage from the age of 10, and has no knowledge of her father's side of the family, other than vague memories of an older half sister from his previous marriage. The half sister had 3 children, one of whom was close to my mum's age (mum was born in 1928)
Hope someone can help! Thank you <3

Have you traced Cecilia on any census records ?

Have you looked for Williams previous marriage

Is Beatrice her middle name :

1891

Harry Richardson Head Married Male 23 1868 General Laborer Hull, Yorkshire, England
Mary A Richardson Wife Married Female 23 1868 - Hull, Yorkshire, England
Sydney Richardson Son - Male 0 1891 - Hull, Yorkshire, England
Cecilia B Richardson Daughter - Female 3 1888 - Hull, Yorkshire, England
Elizabeth Richardson Daughter - Female 2 1889 - Hull, Yorkshire, England
Alice M Wright Boarder Single Female 23 1868 Packer In Paint Works Cottingham, Yorkshire, England

Yes, that's the right Cecilia, I've even managed to trace my mum's aunts from the census but I've no idea about William's previous marriage. I was hoping to find his father as Malcolm is a less common name than William, and see if I could trace William and get more details via that route, I've had no luck. I'll keep trawling through the census and parish records working on the theory that Malcolm is a preferred maybe middle name rather than his birth name. Thank you Glitterbaby and Shirley for the advice though :-)

What was the occupation of William on the marriage cert ?

Malcolm Gray
United Kingdom, Merchant Navy Seamen Records
Name: Malcolm Gray
Event Type: Military Service
Event Year Range: 1845-1854
Event Place: United Kingdom
Birthplace: Kent

Yvonne , thank you! Yes, that does look promising. I'll check it out. Sorry to be a pain, but I'm only just getting the hang of how to use the site. It's lovely to know there's people out there I can ask for help x

Glitterbaby - labourer..... Hate to think what that was in reality because mum says she just remembers himas being paralysed down one side!

??

Name: Daniel Malcolm Gray - mariner
Spouse: Mary Louisa Crouch
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 17 Jul 1864
Parish: West Hackney
Borough: Hackney
Father Name: Daniel Charles Malcolm Gray - mariner
Spouse Father: Joseph Crouch
Register Type: Parish Register

Both shown as full age

Yvonne , yes, that's the naval record that seems to relate to him

Wonder if this is the father of Daniel given the year of birth

First name(s) Daniel Malcolm
Last name Gray
Relationship -
Marital status Married
Gender Male
Age 50
Birth year 1811
Occupation Shipkeeper
Birth town -
Birth town as transcribed SOUTH RONALDSHAY
Birth county -
Birth county as transcribed -
Birth place other as transcribed -
Street -
Parish -
City or borough -
County British Ships in Home Ports
Country Ships and Overseas Establishments
Vessel name Wellington
Municipal ward -
Parliamentary borough -
Registration district British Ships in Home Ports
Enumeration district -
Piece number 4472
Folio number 17
Page number 1
Family member last name GRAY
Family member first name(s) DANIEL
Record set 1861 England, Wales & Scotland Census

Thank you all so much! Your help is very much appreciated. Mum was so pleased to find out who her maternal grandparents were, especially when she found out she was named after her Nan, that she got quite emotional. Makes all the hard work worthwhile :-). Hopefully thanks to your help I can fill in some more blanks for her xx

Just looking at anything at the moment

1911
52 Wycliffe Road Winton, Bournemouth

Daniel Malcolm Gray Head Married Male 75 1836 Old Brompton Kent Retired Restaurant Keeper
Mary Ann Gray Wife Married Female 65 1846 London Whitechapel -
Kitty Palmer Visitor Single Female 25 1886 Basenstoke Hants Dress Maker
Manyla Bravsel Visitor Married Female 33 1878 France Visitor None



Think this one married in 1905 to Mary Ann Crouch




No idea if relevant or not
First name(s) Daniel Malcolm
Last name Gray
Gender Male
Birth year 1868
Birth place -
Baptism year 1868
Baptism date 12 Aug 1868
Place Stepney
County London
Country England
Father's first name(s) Daniel .
Father's last name Gray
Mother's first name(s) Mary Louisa
Mother's last name -
Record set England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975


Name: Louisa Mary Gray
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 18 Jun 1865
Father's name: Daniel Malcolm Gray - mariner
Mother's name: Mary Louisa Gray
Parish or Poor Law Union: St Mary Stratford Bow
Borough: Tower Hamlets
Register Type: Parish Registers

Oh bother I can find 6 baptisms in the name of Daniel and Mary but not one for William

1881 ??

Name: Malcolm Gray
Age: 59
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1822
Relationship to Head: Head
Spouse: Phoebe Gray
Gender: Male
Where born: South Rolinsea, Orkney, Scotland
Civil Parish: Limehouse
County/Island: London
Country: England
Street address: 3 Turners Rd Carpenters Shop
Marital Status: Married
Education:

Employment status:

View image
Occupation: Shipkeeper (Out Of Employ)
Registration district: Stepney
Sub registration district: Limehouse
ED, institution, or vessel: 25
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 470
Folio: 20
Page Number: 37
Household Members:
Name Age
Malcolm Gray 59
Phoebe Gray 48
William Gray 14 born Poplar



1871
Name: Phoebe Gray
Age: 39
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1832
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Middle Aston, Oxfordshire, England
Civil Parish: Mile End Old Town
Ecclesiastical parish: Trinity
Town: Mile End Old Town
County/Island: London
Country: England
Registration district: Mile End Old Town
Sub-registration district: Mile End Old Town, Eastern
ED, institution, or vessel: 14
Household schedule number: 79
Piece: 562
Folio: 7
Page Number: 13
Household Members:
Name Age
Phoebe Gray 39
William Gray 3
Malcolm Gray 2



1901 ?
Name: Phoebe Gray
Age: 65
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1836
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Oxfordshire, England
Civil Parish: Limehouse
Ecclesiastical parish: St Peter
County/Island: London
Country: England
Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View image
Registration district: Stepney
Sub-registration district: Limehouse
ED, institution, or vessel: 17
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 322
Folio: 90
Page Number: 20
Household schedule number: 129
Household Members:
Name Age
Phoebe Gray 65
William Gray 34 born Poplar


William listed as single and a dock labourer



1891 Phoebe is a widow lodging with Johnston family in Limehouse

1911 poss

Name: William Gray
Age in 1911: 43
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1868
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Poplar, London, England
Civil Parish: West Ham
County/Island: Essex
Country: England
Street address: 6 Martindale Road, Custom House, West Ham
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Dock Labourer
Registration district: West Ham
Registration District Number: 188
Sub-registration district: Canning Town
ED, institution, or vessel: 14
Household schedule number: 85
Piece: 9484
Household Members:
Name Age
William Gray 43
Annie Gray 39
Alice Gray 2
Walter Challes 42 - lodger


Says married 4 years and one child born and still alive

hi
this is the only death record i can find for malcolm that might match he's birth year

Deaths Sep 1884 (>99%)
GRAY Malcolm 68 Dartford 2a 271

Thank you all once again for your help. As I said, I'm a novice to this , but knowing there are kind people out there willing to spare some time to help is just brilliant. I'll crack on my research and see where the results you've come up with take me. My mum has asked me to pass on her thanks to you too. Her surname is spelt incorrectly on her birth certificate and she was an only child, so I'm just glad she's still with us and I'm aware of her correct birth name or the whole project would be impossible!
Thank you once again to Glitterbaby and Yvonne :-)

Apologies if this has been posted before, ties in with GB's 1881 census of the Malcolm married to Phoebe:

Merchant Seamen Transcription

First name(s) MALCOLM
Last name Gray
Age -
Birth year 1823
Birth day 21
Birth month 08
Birth place South Ronaldsey
Birth county Orkney
Place SOUTH RONALDSEY
Discharge number -
Identity certificate number -
Card type -
Date range 1845-1854
Series BT113
Piece number 3
Record set Merchant Navy Seamen
Category Education & work
Subcategory Merchant navy & maritime
Collections from Great Britain

5ft 11 in Brown hair, Blue eyes, Fresh complexion. marks: man & woman on right arm.

First went to sea as apprentice in 1830. (so young!!!!)

When unemployed resides at Shadwell.

Age when ticketed: 22.
Age in 1845: 22
Can write: yes.