Gray (John and Jane Branch)
DESCRIPTION
NameGray (John and Jane Branch)DescriptionJohn Gray was born c.1833, County Clare, Ireland, to Robert and Ann Gray.
Jane Woods was born c.1836, Limerick, Ireland to Thomas and Margaret Woods.
The couple were married in 1857 and in 1858, aboard ‘Northern Light’ arrived in Australia. Their immigration records state John had a sister, Bridget, who was living at Windsor. The settled at Calderwood where they leased a farm from Osborne.
The ‘Wagga Wagga Advertiser and Riverine Reporter’ 23 July 1876, reprinted a letter written from John to Jane dated 26 June 1870. In the letter John references seven children –
Mary b.1858 Sydney (married Walter Brett, died 1943, Sydney)
Robert b.1860 Calderwood (married Rebecca Poole/Stow, died 1932, Mayfield)
Tom (Thomas James) b.c.1864 (died 1908, Surry Hills)
Margaret b.1862 Calderwood (married Stephen Gower, died 1943, Kensington)
Jane b.1866 Calderwood (married William Cubis, died 1947, Newtown)
Johnny (John) b.1868 Calderwood
Baby (Patrick) b.1870 Calderwood (died 1955, Cessnock)
On the NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages Index, no birth for Thomas can be found, however, his funeral notice from 1908 mentions a sister Mrs Gower, and his death register names parents as John and Jane. Also, on Jane Jnr’s birth certificate from 1866, it states that John and Jane have four living children previous.
In the 1870’s, John began exhibiting signs of mania. In April, he was charged with threatening to ‘blow the contents of a loaded gun at his wife’s head’. Jane said she was the mother of six children, and that in February he had pushed her into the fire, ordered her to go on her knees, loaded his gun, and threatened her with it. John was of the false belief that Jane was seeing other men.
John spent 21 days prison for ill-treating Jane. Shortly after his release from prison he went to Sydney, and his paranoia worsened. He believed men were following him and trying to kill him and wrote an incoherent letter to the police sergeant at Wollongong.
After eight days in Sydney, John returned home unexpectedly one night 30 June 1870. In a state of mania, he murdered his wife Jane with an axe with the children all at home. John went to see the Magistrate Mr William Moles in the morning, and was eventually arrested. Hi sentence of death was commuted to imprisonment for life, with the first three years in irons.
Jane was buried at the old sand cemetery at Shellharbour.
The eldest Gray children were sent to an orphan school at Parramatta. Baby, Patrick was cared for a time by neighbours, until taken to Sydney by steamer and admitted to the Benevolent Asylum in August 1870. The NSW Registers for the Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children 1852-1915 reveals when Patrick was six years 25 July 1885, he old he was apprenticed to Mr Daniel Scanlon of Ash Island, Newcastle.
John Gray was admitted to the Gladesville Asylum and showed increased mania during his time there until his death 22 July 1875 - Parramatta Lunatic Asylum.
Sources -
NSW BDM
Ancestry.com - shipping records
Trove
External LinkThe Illawarra Tragedy 19 Jul 1870The Murder of Mrs Gray at Calderwood 23 Jul 1870New South Wales 23 Jul 1870Tragedy at Illawarra 23 Jul 1870Central Criminal Court 6 Aug 1870Central Criminal Court 6 Aug 1870Central Criminal Court 6 Aug 1870The Illawarra Murder 10 Aug 1870The Macquarie River Murder 27 Aug 1870Funeral Thomas James Gray 1908The Calderwood Crime 1923Funeral Robert Gray 1932Death Mary Brett 1943Death Margaret Ann Gower 1943Funeral Jane Cubis 1947Probate Patrick Gray 1955
Jane Woods was born c.1836, Limerick, Ireland to Thomas and Margaret Woods.
The couple were married in 1857 and in 1858, aboard ‘Northern Light’ arrived in Australia. Their immigration records state John had a sister, Bridget, who was living at Windsor. The settled at Calderwood where they leased a farm from Osborne.
The ‘Wagga Wagga Advertiser and Riverine Reporter’ 23 July 1876, reprinted a letter written from John to Jane dated 26 June 1870. In the letter John references seven children –
Mary b.1858 Sydney (married Walter Brett, died 1943, Sydney)
Robert b.1860 Calderwood (married Rebecca Poole/Stow, died 1932, Mayfield)
Tom (Thomas James) b.c.1864 (died 1908, Surry Hills)
Margaret b.1862 Calderwood (married Stephen Gower, died 1943, Kensington)
Jane b.1866 Calderwood (married William Cubis, died 1947, Newtown)
Johnny (John) b.1868 Calderwood
Baby (Patrick) b.1870 Calderwood (died 1955, Cessnock)
On the NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages Index, no birth for Thomas can be found, however, his funeral notice from 1908 mentions a sister Mrs Gower, and his death register names parents as John and Jane. Also, on Jane Jnr’s birth certificate from 1866, it states that John and Jane have four living children previous.
In the 1870’s, John began exhibiting signs of mania. In April, he was charged with threatening to ‘blow the contents of a loaded gun at his wife’s head’. Jane said she was the mother of six children, and that in February he had pushed her into the fire, ordered her to go on her knees, loaded his gun, and threatened her with it. John was of the false belief that Jane was seeing other men.
John spent 21 days prison for ill-treating Jane. Shortly after his release from prison he went to Sydney, and his paranoia worsened. He believed men were following him and trying to kill him and wrote an incoherent letter to the police sergeant at Wollongong.
After eight days in Sydney, John returned home unexpectedly one night 30 June 1870. In a state of mania, he murdered his wife Jane with an axe with the children all at home. John went to see the Magistrate Mr William Moles in the morning, and was eventually arrested. Hi sentence of death was commuted to imprisonment for life, with the first three years in irons.
Jane was buried at the old sand cemetery at Shellharbour.
The eldest Gray children were sent to an orphan school at Parramatta. Baby, Patrick was cared for a time by neighbours, until taken to Sydney by steamer and admitted to the Benevolent Asylum in August 1870. The NSW Registers for the Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children 1852-1915 reveals when Patrick was six years 25 July 1885, he old he was apprenticed to Mr Daniel Scanlon of Ash Island, Newcastle.
John Gray was admitted to the Gladesville Asylum and showed increased mania during his time there until his death 22 July 1875 - Parramatta Lunatic Asylum.
Sources -
NSW BDM
Ancestry.com - shipping records
Trove
External LinkThe Illawarra Tragedy 19 Jul 1870The Murder of Mrs Gray at Calderwood 23 Jul 1870New South Wales 23 Jul 1870Tragedy at Illawarra 23 Jul 1870Central Criminal Court 6 Aug 1870Central Criminal Court 6 Aug 1870Central Criminal Court 6 Aug 1870The Illawarra Murder 10 Aug 1870The Macquarie River Murder 27 Aug 1870Funeral Thomas James Gray 1908The Calderwood Crime 1923Funeral Robert Gray 1932Death Mary Brett 1943Death Margaret Ann Gower 1943Funeral Jane Cubis 1947Probate Patrick Gray 1955
CONNECTIONS
CollectionFamiliesPersonMoles, William
Gray (John and Jane Branch). Shellharbour City Council, accessed 23/07/2026, https://discover.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/18028