Introduction / Westray Grays / George Gray and Margaret Seatter / George Gray and Jean Reid / Robert Gray and Christian Harcus / William Gray and Margaret Hewison / William Gray and Janet Craigie

James Gray and Mary Drever

James Gray (b. 25th February 1885) was the seventh of the ten children of William Gray and Janet Craigie. The family had moved to Brandies before he was born.

When he was sixteen, he was an agricultural labourer for George Seatter at Twiness in Rapness.

He married Mary Ann Johnstone Drever (b. 20th April 1881) in August 1905. He was a farm servant staying at Noltland at the time. She was the daughter of carpenter Robert Drever and Jane Harcus from Moa. James and Mary's first child had been born at Moa, two months previously.

The young family emigrated to Graminia, Alberta. They were to have three sons and four daughters, most of who had family of their own.

Mary Drever died in Edmonton, Alberta on 10th April 1942 at the age of sixty one. James Gray lived another twenty five years, dying there on 3rd January 1968, aged eighty two.

Their eldest son, William Gray, who was born at Moa on Westray on 3rd June 1905 married Alice (Kitty) Timbers (b. 11th September 1894, St Albert, Alberta) in November 1938. He died on 8th December 1984, also in Edmonton.