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Introduction / Westray Grays / Early Westray Grays / Miscellaneous Gray Information Margaret Gray and James ShearerMargaret Gray was born in Eday, according to the census records, and her parents' names were given in the Death registration as William Gray and Jane Liddle. There are no records now of births or baptisms in Eday before 1789, but her age in the census records and her age on her death registration (89 years) indicate that she was born about 1773 or 1774. No other record has been found which mentions a couple named William Gray and Jane Liddle, or indeed any indication of anyone named Gray in Eday before about 1800. There was a Margaret Gray christened in Westray on 20th June 1773, the daughter of Henry Gray and Jane Liddell. Perhaps this was the same Margaret Gray who married James Shearer, and her son David Shearer simply got the name of his grandfather wrong when he registered the death. Perhaps she was christened in Westray, for whatever reason, even though she was born in Eday. Margaret married James Shearer, probably in Eday about 1809. Again, the records of marriages in Eday only go back to 1821. According to Margaret's death registration, James was a crofter. No record has been found for him in the censuses, so it appears that he died before 1841. The IGI lists two sons for Margaret and James, and the census records indicate that there was also a daughter:
At the time of the 1841 census, Margaret was at Sandsend, South End, Eday, with her son David and his family. She was recorded there again in 1851, when her age was given as 77 years, and her place of birth as Eday. In the 1861 census, she was at Manseboat, Eday, with her daughter Margaret, son-in-law Robert Reid, and grandson Robert Reid. Margaret's age in 1861 was given as 88 years, and again her place of birth was Eday. Margaret died at Upper Stackal, Eday, on 6th April 1863. | |||
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