Intoduction / Eday and Papa Westray Grays / John Gray / William Gray and Margaret Corrigal / Samuel Gray and Mary Jane Byers

John Byers and Mary Rendall

John Byers was born in Eday around 1856. His father came to the island, being born in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh. He married Mary Rendall who was born in Westray in July 1852, the daughter of George Rendall and Sarah Yorston.

A number of their children and grandchildren were to marry either Grays or descendants of Grays, notably in the Foulis family from Papa Westray.

There children were:

• Sarah Ann Byers b. 28th December 1876 who married William Armit Foulis

• John Byers b. 1877 who went to Glasgow

• George Byers b. 22nd September 1881 who married Jane Shearer and had nine children. One of their daughters, Sarah Foulis Byers (born 31st January 1915 in Eday), married James Miller who was a son of James Miller and Margaret Allan Drever . See Foulis Genealogy (1).

• Mary Jane Byers b. 1892 who married Samuel Gray

They can be seen at Braehead in Eday at the time of the 1881 and 1891 censuses but had moved to Green, in the south of the island, by 1901.

Mary Rendall died on 18th September 1931 and John Byers, the following year.

Erected In Loving memory of Our Dear Mother Mary Rendall Who died 18th September 1932 Aged 80 Years Also Our Dear Father John Byers Who Died 6th January 1933 Aged 77 Years Until The Day Dawn

They are interred in the Old Kirkyard by the shore in Eday.