Introduction / Eday and Papa Westray Grays / John Gray / Peter Gray and Margaret Taylor

Peter Gray and Mary Jane Warden

Peter Gray was to remarry on 1st December 1888. While he was married previously according to the Free Church of Scotland, the second marriage was according to the Church of Scotland in St Cyrus. His second wife was Mary Jane Warden, the daughter of William Warden, a road labourer, and Elizabeth Stewart. Peter's daughter, Barbara Gray, was one of the witnesses. Peter was forty four when he married and his wife twenty two. Like Margaret Taylor, Mary Jane Warden was also a domestic servant. Peter and Mary both lived at Well Green, St Cyrus at this time.

They were to have seven of a family:

• Isabella Gray b. 16th January 1889, Wellgreen, St Cyrus.

• Williamina Gray b. 12th April 1892, Bonhard, Edzell. Williamina remained single and died on 12th December 1956 at the age of sixty four at the Royal Infirmary in Dundee. She then lived in Dundee and had retired from domestic service..

• Jane Ann Gray b. 19th August 1893, Scotson, Parish of Laurencekirk married George Keen, a coal pit labourer. George predeceased Jane who died in Dundee on 28th December 1949 at the age of fifty six.

• Robina Collie Gray b. 14th October 1897, Slains, Parish of Kinneff and Catterline and died of influenza on 19th December 1918 at the age of twenty one. She never married. The informant to the death registration was a half brother, James R H Warden.

• William Warden Gray b. 16th July 1899, Old Slains, Parish of Kinneff and Catterline worked as a farm servant. He died on 29th July 1974 at the age of seventy four at the Infirmary in Brechin. He never married.

• David Gray b. 18th January 1901, Old Slains, Parish of Kinneff and Catterline died on 3rd December 1901, when only ten months old, of tuberculosis.

• John Taylor Gray b. 21st June 1902, Mains of Glenfarquhar, Fordoun

As can be seen from the places of birth of the children, Peter and his family continued to move around the immediate area. During this time, his occupation is given as either farm servant or cattleman. While Peter was the informant for the registration of each of the births, like many at that time, he merely made his mark indicating that he did not have the writing.

They were staying at Bonhard, Edzell at the time of the 1891 census, which indicates that Mary Warden had a child previously.

1891 - Bonhard, Edzell
	Relation	Age	Occupation	Born
Peter Gray	Head	44	Farm Servant	Eday, Orkney
Mary Gray	Wife	34		St Cyrus, Kincardineshire
Mary Gray	Dau	9	Scholar	Glenbervie, Kincardineshire
Peter Gray	Son	7	Scholar	Fordoun, Kincardineshire
Bella Gray	Dau	2	Scholar	St Cyrus, Kincardineshire
James Robert Hadden Warden	Step Son	2		Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire

It would appear that Peter and Mary's ages according to the census are not quite correct. The property in which they stayed is described as having two windowed rooms. This must have been similar in size Peter's dwelling with Margaret Taylor and the time of the previous census in 1881 as it was similarly described.

The property in which they stayed is described as having two windowed rooms. This must have been similar in size Peter's dwelling with Margaret Taylor and the time of the previous census in 1881 as it was similarly described.

Peter died of influenza on 8th February 1919 at Browmuir, Fordoun at the age of seventy three. The informant was his second youngest son, William Gray of Nether Tulloch, Garvoch. The occupation given by William for his father was that of roadman. The great influenza epidemic claimed may lives including that of their daughter, Robina Collie Gray, just two months previously at the age of twenty one.

Mary Warden survived him for almost eleven years, dying on 28th January 1930 at Auchenblaes, Inverurie. William Gray was again the informant, staying at this time at Upper Rowburn, Fordoun, Kincardineshire.