Thomas Wray b. 1844 Hull

[Pheno]

I have this chap in my family tree and can trace his birth, baptism and marriage and the birth of his children without any trouble but he doesn't appear after the 1881 census when he was 37 living at 61 Hessle Road described as a Fruiterer (a family occupation).

I made the assumption that he had died between 1881 & 1891.  I also noted the birth of his seemingly youngest child Edward Salcha Wray registered Hull Sep qtr 1885.  Odd name I thought but it narrowed down the death to between 1885 & 1891.

This was years ago and today an Ancestry hint has shown me the UK Registers of Births, Marriages & Deaths at sea of British Nationals and a particular entry for the death of a Thomas Wray noted on the ship 'Mona' on 10 February 1885 aged 41 - exactly the right age.  However the description is
that he was a Humber pilot based at Hull.  The thing that draws me to this entry being my Thomas Wray is the entry in the Cause of Death column which reads: Knocked overboard by main boom of the 'Salcha' of Norway.

The reason for his son being named Edward Salcha when baptised 5 months after this tragedy.

My question is: what was a lifelong fruiterer doing acting as a Humber pilot when this occupation has never been mentioned previously.  Would he have needed credentials?

Is there any mention of his death in newspapers?

Pheno

Added: Oh no - I have just found a record of Edward Sacha Wray being admitted to the Hull lunacy asylum on 7 Dec 1908 - his date of discharge being his death recorded as 25 March 1958.  Locked up for 50 years!

[emeltom]

The only thing I can find is an article from September 1885 in the Hull Packet stating that Thomas Wray, a Pilot, had been knocked overboard in February from a schooner in the Humber and although no body was found at the time, a body was recovered 6 months later from the sea at Stillingborough. An inquest was held at the Ship Inn in Stillingborough and and verdict of Found Drowned was given.

Emeltom

[Pheno]

Thank you very much Emeltom - that rounds it off nicely. 

Pheno

[emeltom]

Interestingly young Edward's baptism is on familysearch and it names both Thomas and Jane as parents - no mention of Thomas being deceased. It would be interesting to see either the original entry in the Parish Register or his boirth certificate, to see if any mention is made of his father being deceased.

Emeltom

[Pheno]

Yes thats why I had assumed that Thomas' death had occurred after July 1885 as there was no indication on the baptism record that his father was deceased at the time.

Pheno

[avm228]

Yes thats why I had assumed that Thomas' death had occurred after July 1885 as there was no indication on the baptism record that his father was deceased at the time.

Pheno

His body hadn't yet been found, so perhaps it wasn't clear that he was dead?  Or at least not officially so.

[Michael J]

my wife has Wray's in her tree; Charles Wray was living at 51 Hessle Road Hull when he married in 1883 so your Thomas may well be connected to her.

Michael.

[Pheno]

Yes, I think there are lots of Wray families in Hull - it seems to be a Yorkshire name.

If you give me a bit more detail such as parentage or birth year I can check.

Pheno

[Michael J]

Charles Wray appears to have been born in Kirmington Lincs in 1861, he is aged 2 months in the 1961 census (RG9/2399/?/?) & is the youngest of 11 children.

His parents are Thomas Wray b. 1814 in Grasby Lincs & Jane Spalding b. 1816 in Swallow Lincs. Their marriage was on 17 Jan 1836 in Holy Trinity Hull.