William Bray (antiquary) facts for kids

William Bray (1736–1832) was an English historian and writer. He is best known for helping to write a detailed history book about the county of Surrey in England.

A Long Life

William Bray was born in Shere, a village in Surrey. He was the youngest of four sons. When he was ten years old, he went to Rugby School. After school, he worked for a lawyer in Guildford.

Later, William got a job at the Board of Green Cloth. This was an office that managed the royal household's expenses and arrangements. He worked there for almost 50 years!

When his older brother passed away in 1803, William inherited the family's land in Shere and Gomshall. Because of his important position and legal background, he helped with many local charities and public duties in Surrey. William Bray lived a very long life, passing away at the age of 96 in Shere on December 21, 1832. There is a special monument in the church there to remember him.

His Writings and Discoveries

William Bray loved studying old things and history. In 1771, he became a member of the Society of Antiquaries, a group of people who research history and ancient objects. He later became the treasurer of this society and often wrote articles for their journal, Archaeologia.

His first book, published in 1777, was called Sketch of a Tour into Derbyshire and Yorkshire. It was a travel book about his trips to those areas.

William Bray's most important work was helping to complete a huge history book about Surrey. Another historian, Owen Manning, had started the project but passed away in 1801. William took over, visiting every town and church in the county to gather information. The book, called The History and Antiquities of the County of Surrey, was published in three parts between 1804 and 1814.

He also helped publish the famous John Evelyn's Diary in 1818. This diary was written by John Evelyn, a well-known writer from the 1600s, and it gives us a great look into life back then.

Baseball Mention

Here's a cool fact about William Bray! In his own diary from 1755, when he was 18 years old, he wrote about playing a game. The entry said: "After Dinner Went to Miss Seale's to play at Base Ball, with her, the 3 Miss Whiteheads, Miss Billinghurst, Miss Molly Flutter, Mr. Chandler, Mr. Ford, H. Parsons & Jolly. Drank tea and stayed till 8."

This is one of the earliest times anyone has written about playing "Base Ball." Historians think it's a very important clue about how the game started, even though we don't know the exact rules they played by back then.

His Family

In 1758, William Bray married Mary Stephens. She passed away in 1796 at the age of 62. They had many children, but sadly, only three of them lived to be adults. Their only son passed away before William did.