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Thomas Bray (c. 1658 - 1730)

Biographical Sketch

"Born at Marton in Shropshire [England], Bray went from grammar School to Oxford and was ordained [Church of England] on graduation. After a short curacy he became domestic chaplain to Sir Thomas Price in Warwickshire, who gave Bray the living of Marston Lee, where...he noted the poverty of the country parson preventing him purchasing relevant books to meet the demands of his work."

Current archaeological, historical, and interpretative work is being done at William & Mary to better understand the Bray School, a school for free and enslaved African American children between 1760-1774 established by The Associations of Dr. Bray.

Materials in the Special Collections Research Center

Further Reading

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A note about the contents of this site

This website contains the best available information from known sources at the time it was written. Unfortunately, many of the early original records of William & Mary were destroyed by fires, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. The information in this website is not complete, and it changes as we continue to research and uncover new sources.