Joseph BRAY, 1873 marriage, in Black Hawk until after 1880

BRAY, BECKWITH, BAUGE, VANTOSSEL, HAGENSON, RUBENDALL, KERN, NEELY, SPEARS, SPENCER, COLLINS, JOHNSON, LANDIS, LANDES, WARE, HADLEY

Posted By: Barb Drummer (email)
Date: 3/9/2004 at 22:07:38

I have an old post with an outdated email address and in the event that someone might be able to connect with my Bray family I want to repost so that a correct email address is showing.

Am looking to connect with someone on the BRAY name. Specifically Joseph BRAY b. Sept 28, 1840 England, according to his obituary, but according to his age upon marriage he'd be born 1845, and the 1900 Wright Co. census says Sept 1841,while familysearch.org in the 1880 gives his est. birth as 1842. Under citizenship in the 1900 Iowa, Wright county census it says 1869 and 31 years in this country. The obituary says that Joseph left his home and family and came to the US and settled in Black Hawk County. (Things found including Obit, census, a daughters birth record argue as to Joseph's actual place of birth in England one saying Wallhurst, another saying Woodbridge.)
Marriage of Joseph Bray to Alice M. Beckwith, Nov 22, 1873 at the Bride's father's, Lincoln Twp., Blackhawk Co. IA. Joseph Bray age 28, Alice M Beckwith, age 20. Vol. D. pg. 109. Alice's parents are Horace and Prudence (Collins) Beckwith)and are mentioned in the writing The Cedar Tree for Black Hawk County, IA. Alice also had a brother, Fremont Beckwith. In 1880 find Lincoln Twp., Blackhawk county, Iowa, pg. 497
Bray, Joseph, 38, farmer, b. England
Alice, 26, wife, b. Illinois
Horace W., 5, son, b. IA
William H., 3, son, b. IA
Paulina B., 1, daughter, b. IA
(Horace and son Fremont are in Lincoln twp in 1880 as well with Horace a Wd.)
The family also lived in Wright county and I have census info for those. Joseph and Alice had 11 children. Horace W.Bray (md. Mary Abby Vantossel), William H. Bray (md. Mattie Bauge), Clarence Bray (md. Louella Sophia Hagenson),Joseph C. Bray, Grant C. Bray (md. Nellie Josephine Hagenson), Charles K. Bray (married Pearl Rubendall) were the boys and girls were Clara (adopted name Landes/Landis md. Oscar G. Johnson), Cora (md. Frank Spears), Lena (Paulina) md. Roy Kern) and Bess (Bessie~Betsey) (md. ? Neely) and Marie (adopted name Ware md. Floyd B. Spencer). My Grandmother would have been the youngest, she being born Oct 20, 1892 in Dows IA and her Mother, Alice died Dec 8, 1892 when Marie was less than 2 months old.
Alice is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery, Dows, as is Joseph. Son William H and a Mattie wife of Will H Bray died in Mower Co., MN and are buried at Fairview Cemetery in Dows, Iowa . Mattie Bray was nee Bauge. After her Mother's death, my Grandmother was adopted by Alfred T and Lillie Hadley WARE (? formal or informal adoption) and when Lillie was expecting their first son Raymond Marie went with Lillie's parents Rev. William Jasper and Mary I (Carpenter) HADLEY and can be found in 1900 Cedar county census with them listed as their g-daughter as Marie B WARE. We always knew Marie as Beulah Marie Bray, Ware, Hadley, Spencer. (She lived with the Hadley's until marrying my Grandfather in abt 1912). In searching though have always found her as Marie, even in SSDI as Marie Spencer.. I know from the obit found and sent to me by Dows Iowa Librarian that Joseph died in Galt IA 1906 and all 11 children were there for the funeral including Miss Carrie (Clara who had the adopted name of Landis/Landes and married Oscar G. Johnson) Whitten, and Miss Marie Marshalltown. To have attended her birth father's funeral at 13 or so "out of town" and to have grown up knowing her siblings though adopted I suspect and would like to prove or disprove a "blood" kinship between the Bray or Beckwith family and that of the Hadley or Ware family. All of the children have been found in census and I have marriage information for all and children for most as well as burial information. Am looking to find all the information possible on all of them including and hoping for a connection to find Joseph's parentage in England and possible siblings. Hopefully someone will see this post on the Black Hawk county surname page and it will ring a bell. If anyone out there has information contact me at bdrummer@marshallnet.com.
Regards and hope to connect with someone.
Barb Drummer