In cases like this, sometimes it helps to broaden your search. Here are my suggestions.
Just because David was born in a particular town or city, that doesn't mean he was baptized there, or that his family stayed there. Your challenge, even if you find a baptism somewhere that might fit, will be in proving that it belongs to your guy.
If you're lucky, you might find a mention of David, or his wife and children, in a relative's will, or in a newspaper notice about a relative (if not about David himself).
Have you been able to determine where David was buried? It might be useful to find out if there are any other Brays buried in the same cemetery.
Do you know if any funeral home records still exist in the right time frame and general location where David and/or his wife lived and died? Sometimes funeral homes recorded parents' names.
Was there an obit for David that might have mentioned any relatives?
Even if you have David's children living with him in census records, have you searched for them individually, just in case they might also have been listed in a relative's household while on a visit?
Have you checked the tombstones or cemetery records for the Brays who lived in Ringmer, in case David was named there (even if he wasn't buried there)? Similarly, have you checked marriage and death records, and obits and marriage notices, for those Bray families, in case David was a witness or was mentioned?
These are all long shots, and take a lot of time and effort, but I've had to do all of this, and more, when trying to research some relatives. Sometimes I've found important clues or solid evidence and other times I've either found possibilities or nothing at all. None of it is a waste, though, because I believe that disproving a theory is as important as proving one.
In the meantime, someone on Rootschat might find what you're looking for.
Good luck!
Josephine
