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1779 The Will of John Grey of Longhorsley South Moor in the County of North’land Yeoman Dec’d Rgist’d.
The last Will and Testament of the Within Name John Grey of Longhorsly South Moor in the County of Northumberl’d.
In the name of God Amen - This 24th Day of November 1778 – I John Grey of Longhorsley Southmoor being very Weak and Sick of Body but of Sound and Disposing Mind and memory Do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament in Manner and form following (that is to Say first and principally I commit my Soul to the Mercies of God thro’ Jesus Christ my Saviour and my Body to a Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Executors hereinafter Mentioned And as to such worldly goods as it hath pleased God to bestow on me in this Life I dispose of the same as follows---- I leave and bequeath to my Dearly beloved Wife Margaret Grey the sum of Ten pounds every year as long as she continues my Widow And likewise all my Household furniture--- I leave and bequeath to my well beloved son Edward Grey all my Freehold piece of land containing Eight acres lying on Tyne Side in Corbridge known by the name of Stanners With all Deeds and appurtenances thereunto belonging to him and his Heirs forever--- I leave and bequeath to my Well beloved Son John Grey the sum of Fifty pounds--- I leave and bequeath to my Well beloved daughter Margaret Grey the sum of three hundred pounds---- I leave and bequeath to my three sons (towit) George Grey, William Grey and James Grey all my movable Effects or personal Estate of what kind soever to be by them enjoyed share and share alike I mean that all the Goods belonging to my three farms (towit) at Nesbit in the parish of Chatton- Wingate?s in the parish of Longhorsley and at Longhorsley be parted equally among them Share and Share alike They paying out of the Same all the above Legacies as they become due I likewise appoint them Sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament and hope they will faithfully discharge the trust reposed in them- And thereby Ratify and confirm this and no other to be my last Will and Testament And do utterly disannul and make void all Wills and Testaments by me heretofore made and declare this to be my last Will and Testament and herewith I have set my hand and Seal the day and year first above written--- John Grey Signed and Sealed pronounced and declared to be the last Will and Testament of the within mentioned Testator in the presence of --- Jos. Middleton John White Wm Common
John GREY, yeoman, of Longhorsley south moor [Longhorsley, Northumberland] Date of probate: 1779 will, 24 November 1778 (DPRI/1/1779/G7/1-2) registered copy of will, 24 November 1778 (DPRI/2/25 p131-132)
Above: The top of an old family tree from the large Milfield scrapbook, probably written in the 1880s. Margaret Grey was John's second wife, his first, Margaret Dobson, it is assumed, died childless. This old tree has John, George, James and Margaret as the four children of John and Mary. The writer of this tree knew there was another sibling but not their name. James is said to be of Berrington here but not in the later published family tree. The Rea family who are shown marrying the Greys, later lived at Berrington in the 1930s and 40s. It is not known if it was continuously occupied by members of either family.
Left: The researchers for "A History of Northumberland, Volume XII" have added three more children: William, Edward and Elizabeth. William married Alison Bell and had children, but died in his early 40s and Elizabeth may also have died young since we have no information about her. Edward married Jane Campbell who " had an early breach with him" and left with their son Henry to live in Edinburgh, which may be why the family knew little of them. It seems likely that John Grey of Longhorsley did move to Nesbit as his daughter Margaret was married in Doddington in 1780.
South Moor is connected to James and John, as John is said to be "Yeoman of Longhorsley, South Moor" in his will. It is possible that as the oldest son James took on South Moor and his father returned there in old age. Edward became a surgeon. This is unusual for the Greys who are almost all farmers, and shows he must have been well educated. It is known that both John and George bought land so there must have been some money in the family. William Grey is said to be of Nesbit , which was perhaps his fathers originally and also of Kimmerston although the family historian connects Kimmertson with a son of James. We know that it was the Kimmerston Greys who lived at Berrington.
For more information on the children click on the links. The James who died at Milfield was a different James Gray with an "a", and is not connected with this family as far as we know. There is a death record online in 1785 for a James Grey of Wingates Moor, who is more likely to be the correct James.
John Grey of Longhorsley and Nesbit.
Baptised at Longhorsley 3 April 1697
Will proved 1779
The chart below is made from a variety of sources not all primary. George Bolton and Mary Grey are the ancestors of Jasper Bolton who married Emily Grey daughter of John Grey of Dilston and Emily Mary Bolton who married Charles Grey Grey, John Grey of Dilston's son. Is this William Grey of Burgham brother to Mary/ Margaret Grey who married John Grey of Longhorsley?
"Northumbrian documents of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, comprising the register of the estates of Roman Catholics in Northumberland and the correspondence of Miles Stapylton" was published by the Surtees society in 1918. It can be read online here. The earliest documents date from 1717. After the 1715 Rebellion, George I had ordered a register of the estates of Roman Catholic landowners. The laws were introduced because many had supported the Stuarts. The penal laws ordered that two thirds of their estates were seized by the crown or taxed to make up for their treachery. These documents stored in Newcastle's Moot Hall at the time of the book's publication, are not a complete set for Northumberland. The records for Newcastle, Berwick, Norham, or Bedlington and Islandshire are not included. A number of Gray/ Greys are listed as tenants. On page 64 an undated document lists the estates of Edward Horsley Widdrington of Horsley Esq. They include Felton, Felton Hall, North Moor and the manor and lordship of Bockenfield. A tenement called Bywell, with lands, let to Wm. Tully, John Blackett, Robt. Brown, Thos. Grey, 70 pounds, and A tenement called Burgham, with lands, &c., let to Edw. Gray, Robt. Brown, and Robt. Moore, 45 pounds. This could be dated about 1717.
Research on Wingates in 2007 for the The Wingates Community History Group Compiled by: The Archaeological Practice Ltd.Newcastle upon Tyne: shows that it was owned by the Thornton family. See page 42" Although it was some distance from the Border and the English reiving surnames of North Tynedale and Redesdale, the area around Wingates was not felt to be immune from the threat posed by Border raids. In 1597 Nicholas Thornton of Netherwitton agreed to maintain a watch upon ‘Wyndgayttes edge’ with his ‘division’ (CBP, II, 452,no 831). Thornton was one of seven gentlemen whom Edward Gray, acting on behalf of Lord Eure, Warden of the Middle March, had persuaded mount such a watch in this part of central Northumberland. Gray recommended that each of these gentlemen was to select 40 men out of his division to maintain the watch at his designated location"
page 45 " the Thornton estate remained in family hands until the 1760s when, following the death of James Thornton in 1761, the property was divided between Thornton’s two daughters who passed their portions on to the families into which they had married. A list of the properties on the estate was drawn up during the 1760s (ZTR, XXI/5), probably as part of the settlement of the will and also in connection with a family dispute over some of its terms (see Hodgson 1827, 319) which lists the properties on the estate, giving details of the farms, their rentals and names of the tenants and the terms of the tenancy. These are as follows: Farm name Tenant Rent Terms of tenancy, Wingates James Horne £100 For 15 years from 12 May 1757, Wingates Middle farm and Moor John Gray £100 No written agreement, but verbally for 11 years from 12 May 1765 East part of Wingates William Gray £82 No written agreement, but verbally for 11 years from 12 May 1766, Wholm and part of Wingates Ralph and George Young £83 No written agreement but verbally for 11 years from 12 May 1765, Garrett Lee and Part of Wingates, Mary Burn £67. 10s. For 11 years from 12 May 1763, Garrett Lee Lionel Aynesly £52. 10s. For 11 years from 12 May 1763, Wingates South Moor John Flood £24 No details given. In addition, the colliery at Chirm was leased to Thomas Stair for £20" The Chirm farm, sometimes referred to as Wingates North farm, appears to have been constructed around 1800
On page 16, item N12/22: 13 September 10 William III (1698) (1) Charles, Earl of Carlisle (2) Edward Grey, Yeoman Lease by (1) to (2) of a messuage in Long Horsley.
Further research may lead to which farms these were.
The earliest Longhorsley Greys who may or may not be related are an Edward Grey who had two children, one called Edward baptised 7 January 1668 and a Willliam, baptised on 2 February 1671.
John Grey of Lincolnfield would have been their contemporary.
The chart on the left is speculation but the dates do fit. If the Edward Grey who was father to Edward and William in St Helen's register also had a son called John (who was John of Lincolnfield) that would make John of Longhorsley's marriage to Margaret "daughter of his cousin Edward".
We cannot be sure if the Edward at the top of the tree was Edward of Angerton Mill. We cannot be sure that the Edward of Burgham's father William was the same William who was father to William of Horsleybirks. We do not know if Edward Grey of Burgham was the same man as Edward of Old Felton.
For more on other Grey families at Felton see here:
The Horsley Widdringtons owned land in Longhorsley which they rented to Greys in about 1717: The estates of Edward Horsley Widdrington of Horsley Esq. included Felton, Felton Hall, North Moor and the manor and lordship of Bockenfield. "A tenement called Bywell, with lands, let to Wm. Tully, John Blackett, Robt. Brown, Thos. Grey, 70 pounds, and A tenement called Burgham, with lands, &c., let to Edw. Gray, Robt. Brown, and Robt. Moore, 45 pounds". Among other farms there is one named Horsley Birks in Horsley.
The online registers for Felton have an Edward Grey baptising three children at Felton including the Margaret who married John of Longhorsley. There is also a baptism in 1693 for an Edward whose father's name is William. The voters lists has an Edward Grey at Old Felton in 1747 at the same time as a William at Burgham. It isn't known if the Edward Grey at Old Felton is the same man as at Burgham.
However a baptism for a son called William in the 1720s has not been found at Felton. There is a William voting in 1747 and 1774 who lived at Burgham, and Burgham is listed as let to William in 1763, while Felton registers have the burial of a William who lived at Burgham on 14 Dec 1782.
However Tom Robson, Senior Archivist at Cumbria Archive Centre (Carlisle), has looked at the leases in the Howard papers (DHN/N/12/6, 9, 22, 33) which give this information:
No.6: Edward Gray of Horsley, Co. Northumberland, yeoman
No.9: Thomas Gray of Horsley, Co. Northumberland, yeoman
No.22: Edward Grey of Longhorseley, Co. Northumberland, yeoman
No.33: Edward Grey of Longhorseley, Co. Northumberland, yeoman
Longhorsley was previously called Horsley, but the name was changed. There are two other Horsleys, one is west of Heddon on the Wall, the other Horsley is south east of Rochester on the river Rede. There is also Horsley High Barns farm on Longhorsley Moor, and Horsley Tower at Longhorsley. This could mean that these Greys lived at Horsley before they arrived at Longhorsley or were at Longhorsley all the time. The records of Holy Trinity at Horsley, (Elsdon) only cover baptisms 1844-1985, marriages 1849-1977 and burials 1848-1980. The records for the other Horsley come under Ovingham Parish. The Northumberland Archives Service has births/baptisms 1772-1837 for Horsley (Independent). The I.G.I. includes births/baptisms 1785-1837. Ovingham being on the river Tyne, and John Grey owning a piece of land on the river Tyne at Corbridge it seems more likely that if they had moved to Longhorsley it was from the Horsley near Wylam. Although the Corbridge land could have been inherited through marriage.
It would therefore be unlikely that they descended from Edward or Thomas Grey of Angerton.
Further Research. In letters to George Aynsley Smith, George Grey Butler in 1926 writes "So that the Edward Grey of Longframlington and of Burgham in your sketched pedigree, is identical with the Edward Grey described as her “husband's cousin” in my draft pedigree". This pedigree has not been seen. The list of electors for election of knights of the shire for Northumberland taken at Alnwick 1747-48, includes freeholders who voted for Ossulstone in Coquetdale Ward as Thomas Grey and John Grey of Longframlington and a Thomas Grey Jun who voted for Allgood at Longframlington. In the 1774 election there are two John Greys and a Thomas Grey at Longframlington. There were Thomas, John and William Greys at Longframlington all through the 1800s. Parish registers for Longframlington's St Mary the Virgin are on the IGI: Baptisms 1653-1717 , and marriages 1685-1717. However none of them use the name George.
William Common is a link to both William Grey at Burgham and John Grey at South Moor. He is said to be schoolmaster of Causey Park Bridge. It is possible he was an in-law of the two Greys. Causey Park was owned by the Ogle family. There is a burial record at Longhorsley on 13 July 1815 for a Robert Grey of Causey Park aged 98. However Robert is not a name these Greys used until later. Most of the names associated with the Causey Park and Causey Park Bridge area in Bothal registers are of skilled craftsmen and labourers. There are a number of Greys in Bothal parish , including a pitman, a John Grey, schoolmaster of Morpeth Banks, dying in 1809 at the age of 99, and a Robert and Mary Grey of Oldmoor baptising children: John in 1786, Elizabeth in 1788, Henry in 1791, Robert in 1793, Mary in 1795, and Frances in 1797. Oldmoor is some distance from Causey Park, nearer Ashington. A record of schools in Northumberland can be found on line. Church Education in Northumberland was examined by Parliament in 1818, although this is nearly 30 years after William Common. However it indicates his precarious financial position. The four columns show the numbers of parishioners in each parish, endowments for the education of youth, other institutions and observations.
