Elizabeth Gray

Died October 5th 1849

                   Elizabeth Gray Headstone

                                                   The family gravestone (which, unlike many others

                                                    in St Michaels,  remains in excellent condition)

 Elizabeth Gray was an 83 year old widow when she died in the cholera outbreak on 5th October 1849.

We got a lot of information from the clearly engraved gravestone (above) towards the front of St. Michael’s churchyard. Elizabeth had been born Elizabeth Mason, in Alnwick, in 1766. When she married Matthew Gray on 12th October 1794, in St. Michael’s the witnesses were Algernon Percy and Matthew Swanson. Matthew was a mason by trade, which initially caused confusion, owing to Elizabeth’s maiden name. 


Son Matthew was born the following year and became a shoemaker in Newcastle. Two daughters were born to Elizabeth and Matthew. Margaret was born in 1796 (See below) but died aged 27, on 27th March 1823, and Elizabeth was born in 1798 but died age 16, on 3rd September 1814. Matthew Snr died on 20th October 1820, age 54. We know he was born in Bamburgh in about 1766 so was the same age as his wife Elizabeth. When she died in the Cholera outbreak, she had been a widow for 29 years.

Elizabeth didn’t appear on the 1841 census, but Rawlinson’s report says she was living in Clayport at the time of her death.

Above: Birth record of daughter Margaret

1849 Cholera Outbreak
Ann Allison George, Susan and Isabella Anderson Ann Appleby John Douglas Arnott John Balmer Ann Bamburgh Isabella Bell Jane Berkley Sarah, Robert, Sarah Black Dorothy and Jane Brankston Ann Brown Isabella Burn Elizabeth Burnett Sarah Burnett Mary Carr Thomas Carr John Cavenah Julia Dixon, Appalina Cooper Harvey and Catherine Cross Edward Davis George and Jane Davison William Dick John and Sarah Dickman Isabella Dixon Adam Dixon Rebecca Dobbs John Douglas Jane Douglas Jane Duncan Robert Duncan Ann Egdell Ralph Emmerson Ann Fawdon, Ann Fawdon Mary Ann Featherstone Henry and Ellen Mary Ferguson Isabella Flannaghan George and Eleanor Forster Robert Gardner Elizabeth Gray Dorothy Grey Robert Grey Thomasine Grey Mary and Henry Hedley Mary Henderson James and Ann Hindmarsh William Howey Ann Hudson, Ann Hudson George Hume, Alice Hume John Hunter Dorothy Jameson, Jane Jackson Joseph Jamison Thomas Jeffrey Elizabeth Jobson Mary Joicey James Keen, Margery Keen Frances Laing George Lindsay, John Lindsay Catherine Lockey James Lockey Ann Lough Patrick Macone Margaret Marshall Mary Maule Latitia McLaughlin James McMillan Thomas McMillan Neil McNab Elizabeth Mennim Catherine Metcalf Ann Middlemas Margaret Millar Mary Mills Margaret Moffit Jane Morrison Ann Nesbitt Ann Newton John Newton James Paxton Ann Pearson Mary and Isabella Pickard George Pike Rebecca Quin Mary and William Ramsay George Reed Thomas and Ann Robarts Michael Sanderson James Skelly George Slight Elizabeth Smails John Smith Sarah Smith John Snowdon Jane Snowdon Robert Stansfield John Stocker Robert Tate Dinah and Charlotte Tate George Taylor Grace and Jane Taylor Mary Thew Thomas Thompson Jane Thompson Henry Tinson John Walker Robert Wallace Alice Wardhaugh John and Robert Wardle Thomas Wilkinson James Williams Mary Wilson Elizabeth Wood Appendix-James Wood