Cornelius (Charles) Bray - The father of James Oswald (Jim) Woodlands (born 20 September 1891)

In the last post, I covered my search for the birth details of James Oswald (Jim) Woodlands, my paternal grandfather. In brief, Jim was born, Oswald Cahill on 20 September 1891 at Dawson Street, Newcastle. His mother was Agnes Cahill but his birth registration didn't give any details of his father. Was I going to find Jim's biological father?  

As I look at the photograph of Jim on the left, I see that strong resemblance with his son, my father - Frank!

Back to my search, technology has completely revolutionised family history research! You can sit at home tapping away at your computer and you're presented with information that you'd have been hard pressed to find a few years ago. "Trove", the National Library of Australia's digital service, provides access to most Australian newspapers up to the mid 1950s.  

So a search under "Agnes Cahill" and I have the answer! In a case reported on 7 November 1891, Charles Bray, a stonemason, has "admitted paternity of the child".

SUMMONS CASES. (1891, November 7). Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) , p. 2.

We hear Charles Bray's words through his solicitor, Mr Windeyer-

"He has been keeping company with the complainant, but has never told her that he would have to fix up matters with another girl in Sydney before settling with her. He was working as a journeyman at the courthouse, and had not told the complainant he was making £9 per week. He had been employed on that job for about six months, but had not averaged more than £2 5s per week."

In response, Agnes's solicitor states that-

"Complainant was a domestic servant, but witness has kept her recently."

Bray was ordered to pay 7s 6d per week for 12 months, with 6s 6d costs of Court and 21s professional expenses.

However, Bray does not obey the court order and, just under two years later, makes his first appearance in the NSW Police Gazette. On 23 August 1893, it records that a warrant has been issued for his arrest "charged with child desertion". He's described as 29 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches high, dark complexion, hair and moustache and an Englishman.

On 24 November 1893, it reported that Bray has been charged on the warrant issued at the "insistence of Agnes Cahill with having neglected to contribute to the support of his illegitimate child". Bray was in custody in the Newcastle lock up on the previous night having been apprehended in Sydney.

Newcastle Police Court (1893, November 24). Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) , p. 6.

I'm not sure whether Bray made good with some or all the money that he owed Agnes at that time. I assume there must have been some money as there's no record of Bray going to goal in 1893. 

In the NSW Police Gazette of 11 April 1894, a warrant is again issued for Bray's arrest for "disobeying a summons for child desertion". His description is slightly different this time - described as "5 feet 7 inches high, medium build, long hair inclined to be curly, heavy moustache, otherwise clean shaved, fair complexion".

On 27 June 1894, the NSW  Police Gazette reports that he has been-

"charged on warrant with disobeying a summons for neglecting to comply with an order of Court for the support of his illegitimate child, has been arrested by Constable Noble, Bowral Police, remanded to Newcastle, and ordered to be imprisoned in Maitland Goal for 12 months, unless the amount of arrears, the sum of £4 17s 6d, be sooner paid".

Bray appears in the East Maitland Goal Entrance Book on 23 June 1894 with a discharge date on 22 June 1895. He is shown as an Englishman who arrived on the Quetta in 1883. His religion is Church of England and can read and write. At this time, I can't say whether Bray served the 12 months or made good with the money for my grandfather's support. 

Since discovering this, I've though a lot about Agnes and her situation with young Oswald - struggling to support them both on her wage as a domestic servant, if she still had steady work, without Bray's financial support. Once I looked at Agnes's family, I knew there was little possibility of financial support and they lived near Singleton - a good distance from Newcastle.

My next search was for Charles Bray arriving from England on the Quetta in 1883. Bingo, Cornelius Bray, aged 20, arrived in Cooktown, Queensland on 28 May 1883 from Plymouth, England. A search of the 1881 England Census showed 17 year old Cornelius Bray, a stonemason, living in Carnkie, Cornwall. He was living with-

• his grandfather, Richard Pascoe, 
• grandmother, Jane Pascoe, 
• mother, Mary J Bray and
• sister, Elizabeth Bray.

Much more of the story to be told but I discovered this a few months before a planned visit to Cornwall. I was staying 10km from Carnkie! My request at reception to book a taxi to Carnkie was met with "why would you want to go there...there's nothing there". A few hours later, I could only agree that Carnkie was not one of the high spots of Cornwell. However, I'd visited the birth place of Cornelius Bray - the biological father of Jim Woodlands, the only grandparent I'd never met!