The Family of Edward Gray and Mary Branston
Edward Gray				=	Mary Branston
of Bingham					of Flintham
1896-					1893-
_________________________________|_________________________________
|	|	|	|		|	|	|	|
Joseph	William	Sarah	John		Elizabeth	George	Ann	Edmund
1816-	1818-	1821-	1824-1891		1826-	1829-	1832-	1835-

Joseph Gray 1816-
        Joseph was born in 1816 at Cropwell Bishop Nottinghamshire. He was married to Mary of Barnstone Notts. who was born in 1811. At the moment I have only located one son, Henry, born at Barnstone in 1839.
        By 1851 the family were living at Thorpe Arnold with Joseph employed as an Agricultural Labourer. In 1861 Joseph and Mary were lodging at Rutland Terrace in Melton, Joseph being employed as a Brewer. In 1871 Joseph and Mary were living at Wyfordby where Joseph had reverted to his original job as an Ag. Labourer and in 1881 at Brentingby. Joseph was still there in 1891 living on his own having been widowed but still working as a Farm Labourer at the age of 75. At the age of 85 Joseph was still working but now as the Clerk to Wyfordby Parish Council.

William Gray 1818-
        William was born at Brentingby and baptised on the 1st of November 1818 as recorded in the Church of Thorpe Arnold cum Brentingby. He married Ann Clipson of Great Weldon on the 24th of November 1842 at Weldon in Northamptonshire. Ann was born at nearby Gretton and William had probably found work down there which is where their first child Sarah was born.
        In 1843 they were living at Goosberry Square, Melton Mowbray where their son John was born on the 22nd of November 1843.
        By the time of the 1851 Census they had moved to Brickfield Cottages in Melton with William in the occupation of an Agricultural Labourer. In all they had eight children.
It seems likely that Brickfield Cottages were situated on the west side of Pidgeon Row [Snow Hill]. Jack Brownlow, in his book Queen of the Shires, refers to three brickyards in the Snow Hill area:

        "...the old brickyard in Snow Hill was filled in and new houses and buildings erected there including the Egerton Brewery. "Another former brick pit was developed when Mr Wakerley built Temperance Terrace near the site of the Beck Mill. "A new brickyard was opened at Mill Leys near Snow Hill to cater for the increasing activity" [house building].

        By 1861 the family were living in Norman Street with William working as a Brewer. Sometime before 1871 they moved to Leicester and at the time of the Census were living at Syston Street with their two sons William and Henry.
        By1881 William was a widower and living with his daughter Mary Elizabeth Hart at 24 Friars Causeway Leicester employed as a Platelayer on the Railway.

Sarah Gray 1821-
        Sarah was born at Brentingby and baptised at Thorpe Arnold cum Brentingby church on the 29th April 1821.

John Gray 1824-1891
        John was born at Brentingby and baptised on 20th March 1824. He married Mary Brown of Asfordby who was the daughter of William Brown, a Shepherd. At the time of their marriage on the 18th July 1853 at Melton Parish Church they were both described as 'Servants,' John at Sysonby and Mary at Rearsby. At the time of the 1861 Census they were living in King Street, Melton Mowbray with their four children: Thomas b. 1855; Arthur b. 1856; John b. 1859 and Edward b. 1860.
        They were still living at Anderson's Yard, King Street by 1871 (Census), but only Edward of the original four children was still with them with two additional children: Joe b.1863 and Elizabeth b.1865. There was one other person, Alice Barnes who was described as a 'Servant' both in her occupation and in the relationship to John, the head of the family, which might seem strange as John was still in the occupation of an Agricultural Labourer!
        By 1881 (Census) and still living at Anderson's Yard with his wife and two of their children, John is described as a Shepherd, Edward as a Horse Driver and Joe, b.1862 as a Shoe Maker.
        John died at Anderson's Yard, King Street Melton and was buried on the 20th October 1891. A Mary Gray is recorded as having been buried in the Kings Street Cemetery on the 27th of June 1902 at the age of 75 having died at 13 Charlotte Street.

Elizabeth Gray 1826-
        Elizabeth was born at Brentingby and baptised on 31st December 1826. In the 1841 Census at the age of 15 she is listed separately to the rest of the family but so far no further information has been obtained.

George Gray 1829-
        George was born in 1829 at Brentingby and baptised on 7th February 1830. He married Mary Ann Kirby of Wing, Rutland, a servant, at Thorpe Arnold Church on the 22nd March 1858.
        In 1851 (Census) they were living in Granby Square, Rutland Street when George was employed as an Agricultural Labourer. In 1871 (Census) there were four children: Sarah 11; Kate 5; George 4 and Benjamin aged 4 months.By the time of the 1881 Census where Mary is listed as a Laundress, they still had four children living with them: Sarah age 21, a Laundress; Kate age 15, also a Laundress; George, 14 and Alice 9. It may have been that Benjamin died at an early age as we have not so far found any other trace of him.

Ann Gray 1832-
        Ann was born at Brentingby and baptised on 15th October 1832. At the age of nine she was living with her parents and three brothers at the Lodge Brentingby. In 1859 she was living at Burton Lazars and on the 17th March 1859 at Burton Lazars church she married William Laxton of Burton Lazars, a Labourer, who was the son of John Laxton, a Game Keeper. They had three children living with them in 1881: Mary born 1860, a Dressmaker; Ellen born 1868 and John E born 1873.

Edmund Gray 1835-
        Edmund was born at Brentingby and baptised on 26th April 1835. At the age of fifteen he was living with his parents and was described at the 1851 Census as 'at home', nothing more is known about him.