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Hi All,

Good news at last, i manage to get hold of someone who has access to the parish records and he has told me that roberts parents are william and ann. he was baptised in williton church in the april 1805.

Cant tell you how happy I am to finally solve this mystery.

Thanks for all your help.

Darren

Darren
You said

I then found another Baptism for a Robert Bray 11 jan 1835 and the parents were John and Susannah.


so I posted the census on him so you could see where he fits in in comparison to yours.

Or he might've been baptised in an independent church; fair few Wesleyans in Somerset.

I'm from Australia too, but I have the advantage as my husband's family still lives in Somerset.

Ozi

Hi Susan,

I have just done this, quite alot of sites came up. Going to work my way thru them. Begining to wonder if he was ever baptised. Thanks for your help

Hi Daren
If you go to your browser and put in Robert bray born 1806 somerset.
A lot of sites will come up a few are really good reading,with family trees et;
They tell you about the births and bapts of families with the same name some took 14 years to get bapts so you could already have his details.

I cannot find a marriage for him and Elizabeth either.

Going to get a cuppa be back later.
Sue

Roberts wife died between 1871 -1881,going by the census
Possibles


England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915
about Elizabeth Bray
Name: Elizabeth Bray
Estimated birth year: abt 1808
Year of Registration: 1875
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
Age at Death: 67
District: Tavistock
County: Cornwall, Devon
Volume: 5b
Page: 230


England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915
about Betty Bray
Name: Betty Bray
Estimated birth year: abt 1809
Year of Registration: 1877
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
Age at Death: 68
District: Clutton
County: Somerset
Volume: 5c
Page: 447

n

Hi Susan,

Its great to know am not the only one with this problem and ive got someone helping me as far away as oz.

I had the year that all his children were born but not the exact date so thats great thanks for that.

Think I will be going to see a medium if i dont get anywhere soon with Robert. ha ha.

Hi Darren
I have been having a look around again and I don't know if you have these,Possible births for Robert and Elizabeth children

Harriet Bray, Bapts 4/5/1834 St Decumans Parenst Robert and Elizabeth

Thomas Bray, Bapts 15/10/1837 St Decumans Parents Robert and Elizabeth.

John Pipping Bray, Bapts 31/5/1840 St Decumans Parents Robert and Elizabeth

Walter Bray Bapts 16/6/1844 St Decumans Parents Robert and Elizabeth.

Henry Bray Bapts 23/8/1846 St Decumans Parents Robert and Elizabeth.

I find it strange we cannot find Roberts bapts in the same place so I would say he was born some other Parish possibly near by,I am searching my uk map as I live in OZ, I am not to sure of my counties.

I will keep trying for a while ,I have the same problem with a few of my lines so I know how you feel.
Sue

Hi LadyKira,

I found this one on the 1851 census, but Robert is showing his dob as 1835 which is far too late, as mine was born 1805 so this must be a cousin.

My Robert is a mystery cant find him anywhere.

Thanks Susan. Just dont seem to be to find him. Thing is will his death certificate tell be anything abt his childhood ?

1851 census - household transcription
Person: BRAY, Robt
Address: Weston Street, Saint Decumans, Watchet


BRAY, John Head Married M 63 1788 Farmer Labourer
Watchet
Somerset VIEW
BRAY, Susan Wife Married F 53 1798 Washer Woman
Nettlecombe
Somerset VIEW
BOWDEN, Mary Daughter Married F 26 1825 Washer Woman
Watchet
Somerset VIEW
BRAY, Faney Daughter Unmarried F 19 1832 House Servant
Watchet
Somerset VIEW
BRAY, Robt Son Unmarried M 16 1835 Farmer's Boy
Watchet
Somerset

Possible death Reg

England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915
about Robert Bray
Name: Robert Bray
Estimated birth year: abt 1804
Year of Registration: 1886
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
Age at Death: 82
District: Williton
County: Somerset
Volume: 5c
Page: 198

If you order his death cert reg it may give you more info on him.
Sue

EDIT

I have searched all of the birth entries in west Somerset for your time frame RE;Robert bray,sorry Darren I can't find him.

Be careful.

What you know is that he lived in Williton as an adult and he believes he was born in Williton or the parish of St Decumans. He may have lived in Williton as a small boy but been born and/or baptised elsewhere.

Ozi

Hi ozi, Thanks for the tip about looking in the census 1841 for Robert Bray i have found him age 5 with John and Susan his parents. This now confirms that he is not my Robert Bray who was born in 1805.

So am back to square 1. Just dont seem to be able to find my Robert Bray's parents in the parish records yet he was born in Williton and he lived their all his life with his wife and children.

Darren

Darren,

It is very common to find names running in families, both with children and the people they marry. I have 4x great grandfather & 3x great-grandfather both marrying different women of the same name (both first name and surname). So far the ladies seem unconnected to each other.

The two Robert Brays may have been cousins although I realise the earlier one died. Your 1805 Robert may have been baptised in 1835 possibly just before he got married. However it may be something you'll never know.

The best thing, if it is at all possible, is to read the original or a copy of the original parish records, not a transcription. Sometimes little notes were added especially if it was an adult baptism. Though it's unlikely the parents would be named in an adult baptism. Have you searched the 1841 census for a Robert Bray born c1835?

It's all ifs and maybes with records.

If your Robert Bray had parents John & Susannah then it is very likely he would have children with those names too. Has that happened?

Ozi

n

hi

well, I have found the baptisim records and they were all baptised in different years.

The Robert Bray I am looking for was born in 1805.

The first Robert Bray that i can find was baptised in 1819, ( i thought this must be him but later found another Robert Bray born to the same parents , so ann said the first child may have died. When I looked at the burial records A robert Bray did died in 1819 3 months old. So this must be the 1st Robert Bray. The 2nd Robert Bray Was baptised in 1835. If this is the Robert Bray i am looking for he would have been 30 when he was baptised. Would this be normal ?

Hi Darren and Anne

That is what happened to me ,I was born first and my two sisters born in the next four years .
We were all bapts at the same time ,I was five years old .
Sue

I have come across a number of cases where baptism comes years after birth - perhaps they wait and get a batch baspttised together - someone will know better than me I expect