Edward Charles Bray [9314] ³

  Birth Notes:

"James Park"

  Death Notes:

Carramar

  Noted events in his life were:

• Other: THE CROOKWELL GAZETTE, 1934 Jun 20, Crookwell, King County, New South Wales, Australia. ⁶ "ONE man in his time plays many parts." So said Shakespeare. ? Mr. E. C. Bray has ably fulfilled this quotation in his life. Commencing life on his own he learnt the sugar-boiling trade, became manager of a factory, manager of a cattle station, sheep breeder-dealer, horse-breeder, dairyman, auctioneer and valuer, veterinary surgeon. He certainly has not been an idle man and today rides his horse and is a very active man in every way giving the lie to his age, in spite of the fact that he has passed the "allotted span." He is yet a very straight man in statue and speech and is possessed, of a particularly fine memory

Edward Charles Bray was born at "James Park," Crookwell, in 1857, being the third son of James W. Bray, who came to Crookwell district in 1835. He left Crookwell temporarily at, the age of five and went to Goulburn to commence his education at a Grammar School (private, there being no public schools at that time) conducted by Mr. S. E. Belcher. Two, years later he was taken by his father to Berrima; where he continued at school and at the age of 14 years he returned with his family to "James Park," Crookwell. For two' years ha assisted his father in his calling of horse breeding and at the age of 16 years went to Grafton to learn the sugar-boiling trade. He progressed rapidly in this sphere and became manager of a large factory at the early age of twenty. This responsible position was, however, short lived, as three months after his appointment the factory and contents, valued at £18,000, were destroyed by fire.

Leaving the sugar trade, single and carefree, he went to Sydney and within a week of his arrival there successfully answered an advertisement for a manager of a cattle station and thus commenced his duties in this respect for the Hon. Alexander Stuart on his property at Hartley on the Cox River. He remained at Hartley in this capacity, until the death of his father in 1881, when he returned to ''James Park" to follow in his father's (and grandfather's) footsteps as a horse-breeder.

Always eager to improve his position, some time afterwards, he commenced to lease large areas of land and went in extensively for sheep. To this stage of his life he had advanced steadily and was in a very prosperous position financially. He invested heavily in sheep and at one stage had as many as 35,000, sheep on hand.

A change of his good fortune took place-that dread disease, Anthrax, got a grip of his sheep taking heavy toll of his stock and finances, in fact left him, penniless. He was holding thousands of pounds, represented in promissory notes, which became worthless. As an instance of his ill fortune he recalls that on one occasion he put 11,000 wethers, which he bought at 9/- a head onto 13,000 acres of land. The disease went through his flock and within about three months he mustered only 1600, which he sold for 2/- a head. Sheep, in full wool, were lying everywhere, and even the wool could not be touched on account of the contagious character of the Anthrax.

Thrown onto his resources, but not beaten, he commenced in a small way, boiling down sheep at "James Park," sending the tallow to Sydney and feeding the carcasses to the pigs. He worked this new business up till be had 350 pigs being fed on the carcasses and in about 18 months boiled down 32,000 sheep. He had bought these at prices ranging from 4d to l6d per head. Later he went in for dairying.

About this time, 42 years ago, he married Lucy, the second daughter of the late John Howard, of "Normanton," Crookwell.

It was about this time also that he launched out as an auctioneer and for 40 years without a break he held an auctioneer's license. It is only during the last year or two that he has retired from this calling and that of veterinary surgeon after many years of successful practice.

Mr. Bray's love of horses is inherited. His grandfather and father were both lovers of horseflesh. They bred horses extensively for the Indian market. At one stage Mr. Bray's father had eight to ten stallions and between 300 and 400 mares. There being no fences, men tailed mobs, of 50 and. 60, all day and at night put them into small paddocks. It was from odd horses lost by his father, that Mr. Bray accounts for the number of wild horses (brumbies) running about the surrounding districts then and later.

Mr. Bray has been a horse judge at shows all over N.S.W. (twice at Sydney) and has been a particularly successful exhibitor at shows. On one occasion he took four horses to Sydney Show and came back with four blue ribbons. At the first Crookwell Show he won four first and three second prizes for his horse exhibits. During the past 53 years he has had as many as 67 stallions of all breeds, including "Sainora," sold for 1500 guineas as a yearling, "Abydos," 1350 guineas, "Normanby" (winner of Sydney Cup), 1000 guineas, and many others of note.

Mr. Bray was a keen shot in his day and was very successful at pigeon shooting contests throughout N.S.W.

Mr. E. C. Bray's first memory of Binda is interesting. It then contained a store, hotel and police station (with two mounted police). The Post Office was at Islington (Binda) and was presided over by Mr. William McDonald. There was no Crookwell then. Some 18 years after Binda became established Crookwell started to go ahead. A Mr. Samuel Cox (father of Messrs. Reg. and Ernie Cox) opened a flourmill and general store next to the present Court House. The flourmill is now used as the freezing works. Another mill was later erected by Mr. James Warne and still stands behind the Commercial Hotel. The hotel was erected about the same time and was conducted by Mr. Edward Stephenson, who was later bought out by Mr. Samuel McGuiness, father of Mrs. L. Munro, of Crookwell.

There were still a few blacks, about in Mr. Bray's boyhood and their chief camp was on "Mount Henry" close to the present residence of Mr. James Norris. The blacks lived on opossums and fish.

At this time there were only two doctors in Goulburn, Dr. Waugh and Dr. Handford, and a clergyman visited Binda once a month. The first clergyman to go to Binda was Rev. Daniel Paul Meek Hulbert, in 1860. He christened Edward Charles at the age of three years.

The bushrangers, Ben Hall, "Gilbert" and Dunn were going strong at this time and kept the early settlers in great fear. The properties on either side of "James Park" were burnt out by them but no harm-befell the family or property of James Bray. The properties that were burnt out are now known as 'Oak Park," Binda, and "Hyde Park" (now Mr. Ingolby Webster's property).

As a boy "Gilbert" worked for Mr. Bray's father, first as a horse-breaker and then as head stockman. He was a reliable man, and a fearless and good rider. However, he got mixed up with bad company and finally went "bush" with others of his kind.

Up to 1861 the then residents of Binda got their mail only once a month from Goulburn. It was by way of a very rough bush track and James Bray and Charles Shelley Oakes took it in turn to obtain their mail from Goulburn. In 1862 Mr. Bray's father and Mr. Oakes were called to Sydney to be sworn in as Justices of the Peace. The trip took a fortnight to complete in a four-in-hand drag. Returning from this trip Mr. James Bray held a Court at Binda every month. When the family moved to Goulburn and later Berrima Mr. Bray's father acted as Police Magistrate in both places

Mr. Bray's father was the first President of the Crookwell A., P. and H. Society.

Mr. and Mrs. Bray reared a family of two daughters, Lucy Muriel (now Mrs. A. F. Graham, of Dally, Queensland), Adeline Mildred (now Mrs. J. H. Dounton, of Lakemba, N.S.W.), and one son, James, of Riverstone. His son enlisted for the Great War at the age of 18 years. There are four grandchildren.
Mr. Bray claims with justifiable pride six generations of the Bray name in Australia-five generations actually born in Australia, a distinction which few, if any, can lay claim to. A glance at this "family tree" reveals some interesting facts, history not only of Crookwell District, but also of New South Wales.

Mr. Bray's great-grandfather, John Bray, came to Australia in the Second Fleet in 1790 with the 102nd Regiment, New South Wales Corp

He married Mary Downes in Sydney, who had been given a grant of 25 acres adjoining John Bray's grant at Concord. She was said to be the first woman to receive a grant of land in New South Wales.

Mr. Bray's grandfather, Thomas Bray, was given a grant of 103 acres of land near Binda (as it is now called) and eventually he acquired additional land making the area, up to 3,600 acres. He had two sons, James (father of Mr. E. C. Bray) and Henry, and later on split up this land, giving 1529 acres on one side of the Crookwell River to James and calling it "James Park," and the balance on the other side of the river to Henry, calling it "Mount Henry," and so the names still survive.

Thomas Bray, on being given the grant, had 70 convicts "allotted" to him. They were in chains and were walked up to Binda from Sydney. At night time the chains were fixed to deeply driven stakes to make the convicts captive. 'An anvil was given to each man that had convicts assigned to him in order to cut off the chains, they being riveted around the convict's limbs. Mr. E. C. Bray still has this anvil, which he naturally cherishes. Also with each batch of convicts Implements of punishment were given, but Mr. Thomas Bray experienced no trouble with his batch and no punishment was required. The convicts were set to work cutting slabs for house building, sheds, etc., and clearing land.

Mr. James Bray continued on "James, Park." He planted an orchard there, and to-day, even though 103 years have passed since its planting the orchard remains and the trees still bear.

• Other: Crookwell Gazette p4 Os Fowler, 1935 Oct 23, Crookwell, King County, New South Wales, Australia. ⁶ Edward Charles Bray, a man without peer as a judge of horse flesh in the Commonwealth today.
In the old days Mr. Bray, can tell you, the district was a happy hunting ground for buyers of cavalry mounts for the Indian Army and the horses bred there were ideal for the army officers. Mr. Bray laid the foundation of that successful era by securing the typical sire that would produce the stock. In those days the Australian horse was known though India, the British Isles
and the world as Walers.
Mr Bray only bought the best. A fearless horseman he could ride any buckjumper to a standstill. Among his well known horses Abydos, Firefly, Caroticus 2, (an imported Welsh pony) and Lord Jersey, a trotter.

• Registration: Death, 1942, Liverpool District, New South Wales, Australia. ⁷

Edward married Maria Todhunter [22473] [MRIN: 9177] in Darling Point, Cumberland County, New South Wales.¹

Edward next married Lucy Muriel Howard [9316] [MRIN: 3576], daughter of John Howard [26724] and Harriett Lucy [28819], on 1892 May 14 in Crookwell, King County, New South Wales.² (Lucy Muriel Howard [9316] was born on 1872 Jan 17 in Yass District, New South Wales ⁸ and died after 1955 ⁹.)