Gray/Grey family at Etton, Holme on the Wolds, Cherry Burton, East Yorkshire Riding

Grace Gray, my great grandmother married William Robert Pincombe at St John the Divine, Arva, Ontario 23 May 1865 and this was one of my great finds when I wrote, along with the other members of the Pincombe family in the London Ontario area, the Pincombe Profile which forms a part of the Westminster Delaware History book titled: Delaware and Westminster Township History Book, Volume II, Together in History. The Westminster Township Historical Society: The Aylmer Express Limited, Aylmer, Ontario. pp 522-525, 2006. 


I had searched online for their marriage, traveled back to London to check the London Room and Toronto Archives but had not found their marriage recorded. The Church at Arva burned down and took the records with it unfortunately. However, my half-second cousin had the Pincombe family Bible and in the course of discussion with them I acquired scans of all the pages in the Bible and about 400 images from various photo albums. My grandfather's baptism had also been lost in the fire at Arva and his birth was not registered (at least not yet found) so the clarification on his birth date was also good. 


Grace Gray was the daughter of Robert Gray (Junior) and Elizabeth Mary Ann Routledge. She was born in London Township 22 Nov 1839 and baptized 19 Feb 1843 at St Paul's Anglican Church in London, Ontario (now St Paul's Cathedral). She died 31 Jul 1886 in London Township and was buried at Trinity Anglican Church in Lambeth. Her life was to be somewhat sad as their first child died as an infant of one month while they were living on Concession 5 Lot 4 of Lobo Township. The infant was buried at Poplar Hill Cemetery. Their next child, my grandfather, was the only child who lived to adulthood. The third child Elizabeth Mary Ann died at 13 one year after her mother from influenza. The fourth child Robert Henry died at the age of six months of a brain fever. 


Robert Gray (junior) was baptized 3 Nov 1810 at Etton Yorkshire the son of Robert Gray (senior) and Elizabeth Cobb. This information successfully passed down through the family so I had an excellent starting point. The other great source that I have used extensively for these families was written by George DeKay in 1976:


Carling, Beverley, Gray, Hildred, West, Mason and their descendants: Pioneer Families of London Township, Middlesex County, Ontario. London, ON: George P. DeKay, 1976


Since George and I share Gray ancestry I have had a number of conversations with him but unfortunately due to Grace's early death and the family (to a large extent) moving west details of even her actual existence had been lost to that family. The picture I remember seeing of her as a child has also disappeared. Although the picture of her daughter reminds me of the picture of her mother. My mother did resemble her grandmother and aunt. My mother had a few stories about her grandmother from her father but my grandfather Pincombe died when she was only eight so again the stories are far back in the past.


Robert Gray and Elizabeth Cobb married 13 January 1806 at Lund (near Beverley), East Yorkshire Riding. Robert was baptized 4 Aug 1774 at Holme on the Wolds and he was buried 29 Jun 1864 at Cherry Burton (Robert supplied his birth place on the 1851 and 1861 census). Robert is identified as the son of Robert Gray husbandman. My cousin did not feel that there was sufficient information to determine which Gray family Robert belonged to in this area. 


I decided to pull all the Gray records from the Etton Parish Records as I found it interesting that Robert died at Etton but was buried at Cherry Burton (as was his wife). Etton is 1.1 miles NNW from Cherry Burton and Holme on the Wolds is 2.2 miles NNW from Cherry Burton. To reach Etton from Cherry Burton you take the Etton Road from Etton you take Main Street and then Main Street turns north traveling through South Dalton to Holme on the Wolds.

The Parish Registers at Etton indicate that Robert Gray was taken to Cherry Burton for burial (as was his wife and their first infant who died very young).  


The Poor Law Register lists only two Gray surnames at Cherry Burton - Roger Gray and Robert Gray. In 1797 Robert Gray (baptized at Holme on the Wolds) is listed on the Cherry Burton Poor Law Assessment (L6 10s 0d and L1 7s 1/2 d ). In 1798 same place (L6 10s and L1 1s). In 1799 same place (L8 2s 6d and L2 1/2 d). In 1800 same place (L8 2s 6d and L1 4s). In 1801 same place (L89 2s 6d and 12s 2d). in 1804 same place (36s 15d and 4s 71/4 d). In 1805 same place (36s 15d and 3s 1/3d). In 1806 same place (36s 15d and 6s 1/2d). In 1807 same place (28s and 2s 4d). In 1808 and 1809 same place (L4 and 4d). In 1810 same place (L4 and 1s).  In 1811 same place (L4 and 4d). In 1815 same place (L4 and 8d). In 1816 same place (L4 and 4d). In 1817 same place (L4 and 4d). In 1818 same place (L4 and 6d). In 1819 same place (L4 and 4d). In 1820 same place (L4 and 4d). In 1822 same place (L4 and 6d). In 1823 same place (L4 and 4d). In 1824 same place (L4 and 4d). Robert Gray is not listed in the Poor Law Register of 1827, 1829 or 1830. 

Although Robert Gray was baptized at Holme on the Wolds his father Robert does not appear on the Land Records there.  They Gray family does not appear on the Land Records at Lund either. '


The Parish Registers for Cherry Burton are quite interesting for the Gray/Grey family living there.


The first mention that I found thus far is


Robert Grey buried 8 Aug 1736 at Cherry Burton (possibly this is the Robert Grey baptized at Kilnwick 28 May 1686).


This Robert Grey is shown as baptizing five children at Cherry Burton


Robert Grey baptized 28 May 1708 at Cherry Burton and is liked the Robert Grey buried at Cherry Burton 13 Nov 1780 (74 years old). He is also likely the Robert Grey who married Ann Stephenson 2 Jul 1734 at Cherry Burton.


Stephen Gray baptized 8 Apr 1712 at Cherry Burton


William Gray baptized 28 Jun 1714 and buried 23 Sep 1715 at Cherry Burton


Ann Gray baptized 10 Apr 1719 at Cherry Burton


Mary Gray baptized 17 Feb 1725 at Cherry Burton


In the next generation of Gray at Cherry Burton there is


Robert Gray baptized 4 Oct 1739 and the son of Robert and Ann Gray. This is likely the Robert Gray buried at Cherry Burton 20 May 1808 farmer at Etton (70 years of age) and the father of Robert Gray baptized at Holme on the Wolds. He is likely the Robert Gray (the younger)  who married Jane Hilton 6 Jun 1771 with witnesses Robert Constable Junior and Francis Baker (likely the Parish Clerk as his signature often appears). The mother of Jane Hilton was likely Mary Constable (married to Thomas Hilton). Robert Gray the younger would work for this family as his father was still living (not buried until 1780). 


We also have the first son of Robert Gray and Elizabeth Cobb buried at Cherry Burton and noted in the register as coming from the parish of Etton. John Gray, fourth child of this couple, was buried at Cherry Burton 5 Apr 1817 (5 years of age).


Jane Gray (wife of Robert Gray living at Etton) was buried 13 Sep 1824 (87 years of age) at Cherry Burton thus giving more evidence for Robert Gray (baptized at Holme on the Wolds) being the son of Robert Gray and Jane Hilton.


Elizabeth Gray (formerly Cobb) and wife of Robert Gray was buried at Cherry Burton 29 May 1842 (47 years of age with no mention of Etton but this Elizabeth is known to be the wife of Robert Gray).


Robert Gray (baptized at Holme on the Wolds) was buried at Cherry Burton but it was noted that he lived at Etton 29 Jun 1864 (89 years of age). 


It is the Land Records of Cherry Burton where I find Robert Gray in 1758 as owner of a piece of land which he also occupies and along with James Stephenson junior occupiers of Richard Bell's land and Robert Gray by himself on Mrs. Barker's land. In 1789 Robert Gray still owns a piece of land at Cherry Burton and is occupying Richard Bell's and Mrs. Barker's land. In 1790 he is still an owner as well as occupying his own land, Robert Barker's and David Burton's land. In 1791 he is still an owner as well as occupying his own land and Reverend Mr. Barker's land. In 1792 he is still an owner as well as occupying his own land he also occupies Reverend Mr. Barker's land. In 1793, 1794, 1795, 1796 and 1797 the same as 1792. In 1799 he is still an owner as well as occupying his own land and Hannah Frankland's land. In 1800 same as 1799. In 1805 same as 1800. In 1810 same as 1800. 


In 1787, 1789, 1793, 1794, 1797 and 1804 there are no Gray/Grey families at Etton. In 1807 Robert Gray is a tenant of the Reverend John Fox and paying L1 16s 10d. In 1810 and 1811 the same (different payment). In 1814 Robert Gray is still there as a tenant of two different people but my copy is blurry. In 1816 he is still an occupier of the Rev Gilby but also one of the assessors. In 1820 he is still an occupier of the Rev Gilby. In 1827 he is still an occupier of the Rev John Gilby. In 1828 the same. In 1830 the same. I am wondering if at some point (perhaps the mid 1820s to late) Robert Gray junior (my 2x great grandfather became the occupier and his father perhaps retired. I do know that one of the reasons that Robert Gray emigrated was the lack of available land to farm at that time in Etton and the stories of available land in southwestern Ontario. The last record that I photographed was 1832 and Robert is known to have been in Ontario by 1835 when he married Mary Routledge. 


His father Robert remained on the census at Etton until his death in 1864. By the census he would appear to be living in the Village at least from 1841 on. 


The story of the Gray family is only slowly unfolding. I need to look at more records but the relationship from son to father appears to be quite correct 


Robert junior baptized 3 Nov 1810 at Etton
Robert the younger baptized 4 Aug 1774 at Holme on the Wolds
Robert the elder baptized 4 Oct 1739 at Cherry Burton
Robert baptized 28 May 1708 at Cherry Burton (father was Robert)


Likely searching through new available records for Yorkshire would be a good next step to determine if the Robert Grey baptized 28 May 1686 at Kilnwick was the father of Robert Grey baptized 28 May 1708 at Cherry Burton. The line from there down appears to check out with parish registers, poor law records and land tax assessment.