The Grays were a medical family who had a huge impact on the medical history of Newmarket in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, providing medical services to the town from 1866 for over a century, over several generations. Their practice succeeded that of William Henry Day and evolved into Alton House Surgery, which became The Rookery Medical Centre in 1974. The entire chain of associated medics can be traced back to the early 18th century (see The Rookery Practice chain), but this page is an overview of the Gray family, their practice and associated buildings. Further details regarding the main individuals and their medical careers etc. (i.e. Frederick Clement Gray, Clement Frederick Gray, Gilbert Clement Gray and Norman Gray) can be found on the pages dedicated to those individuals, likewise for their key properties Lushington House, Alton House and Brackley House.
The Gray family originated from Alton in Hampshire (after which Alton House was named), the town where Frederick Clement Gray was born in 1812. He came from a family of merchants who had a particular interest in cheese, with similar earlier origins in Newbury, Berkshire. Frederick had many siblings (the most of note from a Newmarket medical history point of view being Emma Maria Gray who married Edward Hamilton Walker – see below), but it seems Frederick was the only medic in the Alton or Newbury family. He became an apprentice locally in Alton, but finished his training at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. Frederick Gray qualified in 1834 and initially practised in London, where he met and married his wife Sophia Brown in 1843. Their first three children were born in the London area, Emily Sophia (who later married Edward Antrobus), Jane Maria (who later married Thomas Tebbutt Crompton) and then Clement Frederick Gray in 1846, who was later to follow in his father’s footsteps as a Newmarket medic.
The family moved to Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent during the late 1840s, where they had two further daughters, Ellen who appears to have died in infancy and 10 years later Florence Ellen who sadly died in 1874 as a teenager in Newmarket. In between Sheppey and Newmarket the family lived in Melbourn in Cambridgeshire, then Holmes Chapel in Cheshire.
The Grays came to Newmarket in 1866, by which time Frederick Gray was already in his early 50s (an encouraging thought, that it’s possible to change tack at that age yet still leave such a significant legacy from a new venture). At that time Clement started attending lectures in London (having been Frederick’s apprentice from 1863 in Cheshire). His two older sisters appear to have married whilst the family was in the north and stayed there, although their families retained close ties and various members later lived with the Grays, most notably their orphaned granddaughter Florence Crompton (see the 1871 and 1881 census details and comments in the references below). The family lived in Lushington House from their arrival in 1866, Frederick stepping into William Henry Day’s shoes there.
Clement Gray qualified in 1870 and by the time of the 1871 census he was in practice with his father at Newmarket (perhaps having been in practice only one day, since he joined the Medical Register the day before the census was taken!). The Grays initially leased Lushington House, but then in 1875 they bought it, from the Lushingtons after whom it was named. Frederick and Clement practised from there together until Frederick’s death in 1888. An interesting snapshot into Gray family life is preserved in a newspaper report from January 1878 showing the whole family supporting Clement in his role as Workhouse Medical Officer on Christmas Day 1877 (see the references below). In 1882, Clement married Eleanor Rowley, who was the housekeeper at All Saints’ vicarage, a church with which Clement and Eleanor Gray were deeply involved throughout their lives. There’s even a memorial to them in the pulpit to this day (see the page on Clement Frederick Gray for an image).
The two generations would therefore have lived and worked together in Lushington House during the mid 1880s, although Frederick’s medical activities must have tailed off during that period as he entered his 70s, given that he was described at his death as suffering from lingering senile decay. However, in 1883 he was involved at least to some degree in an extraordinary case of cæsarean section performed by Clement.
Before Frederick’s death he saw the arrival of the next generation of medical Grays, with the birth of Gilbert Clement Gray in 1885. The year after Frederick’s death Norman followed in 1889, so the 1891 census for Lushington House shows the household consisting of Clement, Eleanor, Gilbert, Norman, Frederick’s widow Sophia Gray, and several servants. Clement and Eleanor had no further children.
After Frederick’s death it seems Clement employed a series of assistants in the practice (see the page of Clement Gray for details). This was likely at least part of the reason that they purchased Clifton House next door to Lushington House in 1895, where some of the assistants then lived (before that the assistants had lived at Carl House in Grafton Street, which the Grays therefore might well also have owned?).
Both Gilbert and Norman followed their father and grandfather into the medical profession, and subsequently into general practice at Newmarket. Gilbert came on stream about 1909/10; the 1911 census shows all three of them in Lushington House on the day of the census, but with Norman still a medical student. Norman joined them fully fledged in 1915/16.
The Gray household on the 1911 census at Lushington House, showing Clement and Gilbert as Medical Practitioners and Norman as a Medical Student – see the references below for the significance of this image to talkingdust.net’s existence (see below or click image for source and acknowledgements etc., ref. Image 1).
Gilbert Gray married Irene Noel Walker at Epping in 1912. She was his second cousin, a granddaughter of the Emma Maria Gray mentioned above. Gilbert and Rene (as she was known) had no children, but it’s of note that their nephew, Colin Walker, was a partner at Alton House Surgery then The Rookery Medical Centre from 1949 to 1975, so technically he was the last of ‘the Grays’ to work in the practice. He was a great great grandson of Frederick Clement Gray’s merchant father of Alton, aside from being Gilbert’s nephew-in-law.
After his marriage, Gilbert Gray lived in Brackley House, which possibly functioned as a branch surgery for about a decade, Norman Gray living there after his marriage too (see the page on Brackley House for details).
Norman Gray married Catherine Ogden at Eastbourne in 1915 (he had qualified in 1914, giving his address as Lushington House in 1915 but Brackley House in 1916). Whilst he was away during the First World War in 1917, Catherine had a daughter (also named Catherine) but died tragically of complications shortly afterwards. This was reported in the local press, including the comment, ‘There is probably no man in New-market who is held in such general affection and esteem as Dr. Gray, sen.; and his sons have already gained both the confidence and the high regard of a very large section of the townspeople’ and on reporting the funeral ‘Blinds were drawn at every private residence and place of business along the route traversed by the cortege. The largeness of the attendance at the church and at the cemetery also gave convincing evidence of the general respect and affection in which the Gray family is held in the town and district, and of the deep sympathy felt for them in their bereavement by all classes in the community. Such an assemblage had not been seen at any funeral in the town for years… the first part of the service took place at All Saints’ Church, with which the Gray family is so closely associated.’ Another paper reported ‘It is an indisputable fact that there is no family in Newmarket or district more be-loved than that of Dr. and Mrs. C. F. Gray – every member seems to find their greatest pleasure in doing good by stealth and blush-ing to find it known’.
The 1901 OS map of Newmarket above and 1926 below, showing Lushington House (L) and Alton House (A) before and after the latter was built (see below or click image for source and acknowledgements etc., ref. Image 2).
Norman Gray remarried to Bridget O’Farrell at Chelsea in 1924, the same year that plans were submitted for the building of Alton House next door to Lushington House. This was partly a home for Norman and family, but also an adjoining complex of rooms served as a purpose built surgery – allegedly the first in the country. The Grays had bought Godolphin House and gardens in 1921, essentially dividing the property into three: present day Godolphin House; what is now the Freemason’s Lodge next door; and the garden was retained by the Grays, being added to the Lushington House property. Essentially Alton House was built at the bottom of this extended garden – see maps from before and after on the right, showing these changes, and the pages on Lushington and Alton Houses for further details, the latter including some plans. Lushington, Clifton and Alton Houses remained partly in the ownership of the Grays and their descendants until 2013.
Clement Gray retired shortly after Alton House was built, leaving Gilbert and Norman to run the practice from there. The number of partners gradually increased and eventually the practice took over the whole building, the Grays moving out, likely in the 1940s (see the pages on Norman Gray and Alton House Surgery for further discussion on this). The practice moved to The Rookery shopping centre in 1974 to become The Rookery Medical Centre. It’s of note that in 1997 a new wing was opened at ‘The Rookery’ named ‘the Alton Wing’ after the old surgery. It’s not clear whether anyone at the time realised that the name Alton went back all the way to the Gray family’s origins in Alton, Hampshire, over a century earlier (probably not). I worked from my consulting room in the Alton Wing for over a decade before becoming aware of that fact at the start of this research in 2013.
There was a further generation of medical Grays in Newmarket not connected to the surgery. Norman’s daughter Catherine grew up to become a physiotherapist. She trained at St Thomas’ Hospital in London and worked at Newmarket’s White Lodge Hospital during the Second World War (we have her to thank for the photograph on the page about Newmarket Hospital, and her descendants for keeping it).
Gilbert Gray retired early in 1946 to become a sheep farmer on the Isle of Mull, prompted by the introduction of the NHS! He lived there until after his wife Rene’s death in 1962. He spent his final years living in a hotel at Newbury, Berkshire, where he died in 1972 in his late 80s. Interestingly his great great grandfather, Joseph Gray, had been Mayor of Newbury in the late 18th century. Gilbert was interested in family history, so presumably moving there was partly inspired by that?
Norman Gray retired from the practice in 1954, but continued to see some private patients, and was Senior Medical Officer at Newmarket race meetings until 1969. He lived his entire life in Newmarket, his last address being a flat in Glenwood Court, Newmarket High Street, but interestingly he died on a round the world cruise in his early 80s in 1971, so was buried at sea in the South Pacific!
Image 1: The 1911 census, reference RG14/9178 (cropped); image ©, reproduced with kind permission of The National Archives.
Image 2: Maps of Newmarket. Southampton: Ordnance Survey; upper half 1902 (revised 1901) and lower half 1926 (revised 1925), sheet 42.6 (both cropped – red annotations mine); images © Crown Copyright 1902 & 1926 respectively, used under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, reproduced with kind permission of the National Library of Scotland and the Ordnance Survey. [Note: for the source click here for 1901 and click here for 1926.]
Note: see comments regarding images and copyright © etc. on the Usage &c. page as well.
1834, 6th February: Frederick Clement Gray passed the LSA examination, apprenticed to ‘Thomas Charles Woodward’. Reference: Court of Examiners Candidates’ Qualification Entry Book, The Society of Apothecaries Archives, Apothecaries’ Hall, Black Friars Lane, London EC4V 6EJ. [Note: the apprenticeship is recorded as having started on 27th January 1827, he started attending lectures in January 1832, and was at St Bartholomew’s Hospital for 12 months.], [Note also, Thomas Charles Woodward, at his death in 1853, was said to have been ‘engaged in the practice of his Profession at Alton, where he earned himself great celebrity as an accomplished surgeon and successful Medical Practitioner. Subsequently, from ill-health, he was compelled to leave Alton, and for some twenty years has been a resident either in or near Andover’. Reference: The Medical Times and Gazette 1853;7:543.]
1834, 6th February: ‘APOTHECARIES’ HALL. NAMES of gentlemen to whom the Court of Examiners granted Certificates of Quali-fication on Thursday, February 6th… Frederick Clement Gray. Alton…’. Reference: The London Medical and Surgical Journal 1834;5(107):96.
1843, 7th Janaury: Marriage of Frederick Clement Gray of Hornsey to Sophia Brown of Kingston, at Kingston, Surrey. Reference: Online image of Kingston All Saints’ marriage register held at the Surrey History Centre, ancestry.co.uk (accessed 26th June 2017). [Note: this is Kingston-upon-Thames.]
1844, 20th May: ‘NOTICE is hereby given, that the Partnership here-tofore subsisting between us the undersigned, Frederick Clement Gray and Peter Brendon, as Surgeons and Apothecaries, at Highgate, in the county of Middlesex, under the firm of Gray and Brendon, was, on the 20th day of May now last past, dissolved by mutual consent; and that all debts due to and from the said firm will be received and paid by the said Peter Brendon, who will continue to carry on the said business on his own account.- Witness our hands this 31st day of August 1844.’ Reference: The London Gazette. Sept 3 1844; Issue 20379: 3056.
1846, 10th June: Clement Frederick son of Frederick Clement and Sophia Gray of Forest Row baptised, St John’s Church, Hackney, London. Reference: Online image of the Hackney St John’s parish register held at the London Metropolitan Archives, ancestry.co.uk (accessed 15th July 2017). [Note: Frederick’s occupation is recorded as ‘surgeon’.]
1850: ‘GRAY, FREDERICK CLEMENT, Sheer-ness, Kent – M.R.C.S. and L.S.A. 1834; M.D. Jena; Surg. to the Coast Guard, Isle of Sheppy.’ Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1850. [Note: he is not in the first few directories, perhaps because they were a new thing and he was not sure of the need to be in them? He remains listed in Sheerness up to and including 1859, then appears in Melbourn (see 1860 below).]
1851, 30th/31st March: Fredk C. Gray born in Alton, Hampshire, aged 38, ‘surgeon M.R.C.S. & L.S.A.’, residing in Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, together with his wife Sophia, children Emily, Jane, Clement and Ellen, and three servants. Reference: The National Archives, 1851 census. [Note: Emily was aged 7, born in Highgate, Middlesex, Jane aged 6, born in Woodford, Essex, Clement aged 4, born in Dalston, Middlesex, Ellen aged 3, born in Sheerness, Kent.]
1860: ‘GRAY, FREDERICK CLEMENT, Mel-bourn, Cambs.- M.R.C.S. Eng. and L.S.A. 1834; M.D. Jena; L.M. Edin. 1836; Surg. Melbourn Dist. Royston Union, and Wimpole Dist. Caxton Union; late Surg. Coast Guard, Isle of Sheppey. Author of “Dissert. Med. Inaug. de Operatione Cæsariana,” 1842.’ Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1860. [Note: he remains in Melbourn in the 1861 directory, then from 1862 to 1866 inclusive he gives his address as Holmes Chapel, Cheshire (see 1862 below).]
1861, 7/8th April: Frederick C. Gray born in Alton, Hampshire, aged 48, with his qualifications listed and the abbreviation ‘GP’, residing in Melbourn High Street, Cambridgeshire, together with his wife Sophia, children Emily, Jane, Clement and Florence (described as surgeon’s wife, daughter and sons), and some visitors and servants. Reference: The National Archives, 1861 census. [Note: Emily was aged 17, born in Highgate, Middlesex, Jane aged 16, born in Woodford, Essex, Clement aged 14, born in Dalston, Middlesex, Florence aged 3, born in Sheerness, Kent.]
1862: ‘GRAY, FREDERICK CLEMENT, Holmes Chapel, Middlewich, Chesh.- M.R.C.S. Eng. and L.S.A. 1834; M.D. Jena; L.M. Edin. 1836; Surg. Melbourn Dist. Royston Union, and Wimpole Dist. Caxton Union; late Surg. Coast Guard, Isle of Sheppey. Author of “Dissert. Med. Inaug. de Operatione Cæsariana,” 1842.’ Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1862. [Note: this entry reads as if he still has the Melbourn and Caxton Union roles, but presumably that could not have been the case living in Cheshire!], [Note also, this entry is marked as him not having returned his annual circular, which is odd given that the entry has changed?], [Note also, his entry remains essentially the same except from 1863 ‘Church Hulme Dist. Chester Union’ is added, but still the Cambridgeshire roles not removed, up to and including 1866, then from 1867 he’s recorded as being in Newmarket (see below).]
1864: Frederick Clement Gray not in the Melbourn section of the Post Office Directory, as he appears to have left for Cheshire. Reference: The Post Office Directory of Cambridgeshire… . London: Kelly and Co.; 1864, pgs 66-67.
1866, 16th October: First mention of Frederick Clement Gray in Newmarket: ‘Newmarket Farmers’ Club.- An adjourned meeting of the members of the Farmers Club Committee was held at the Golden Lion Inn, on Tuesday last… Dr. Gray, of Newmarket, was elected a member of the association.’ Reference: Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal. Saturday Oct 20 1866: 8. [Note: see the page on Frederick Clement Gray for an image.]
1867: ‘GRAY, FREDERICK C., Newmarket, Cambs- M.R.C.S. Eng. and L.S.A. 1834; M.D. Jena; L.M. Edin. 1836; (St. Barthol.); late Surg. Coast-guard, Isle of Sheppey. Author of “Dissert. Med. Inaug. de Operatione Cæsariana,” 1842.’ Contrib. to Lancet, 1855, &c. Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1867. [Note: his first Newmarket entry in the Medical Register is also 1867, but from its inception in 1859 up to and including 1866 his address is given as Melbourn (see 1860 and 1862 Directory entries above) – perhaps he didn’t update his Medical Register entry until he moved to Newmarket?]
1869, 4th March: Clement Frederick Gray passed the first part of the LSA examination, apprenticed to ‘Fred”. [sic] C Gray’ . Reference: Court of Examiners Candidates’ Qualification Entry Book, The Society of Apothecaries Archives, Apothecaries’ Hall, Black Friars Lane, London EC4V 6EJ. [Note: the apprenticeship is recorded to have started in June 1863, he started attending lectures in October 1866 (interestingly exactly when Frederick Gray appears to have moved to Newmarket – see reference above), and gained his hospital experience at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. It says that his apprenticeship was for 5 years (the standard length) so presumably 3 years in Cheshire, 2 years in Newmarket, but an unclear amount of the latter two spent in London attending lectures – see The History of medical treatments, training, qualifications and regulation for more background.], [Note also, he passed the second part of the examination 24th November 1870, which is when he officially qualified.]
1871, 2nd/3rd April: Frederick C Grey [sic] born in Alton, Hampshire, aged 58, together with his wife Sophia, son Clement, daughters Florence Gray aged 13 and Emily Antrobus aged 27 ‘wife of land owner’, two Crompton grandchildren aged 3 and 2, both born in Manchester, and five servants, living in Lushington House, Terrace, Newmarket. Both Frederick and Clement are described as ‘Gen Practitioner London’ presumably referring to their place of qualification. Reference: The National Archives, 1871 census. [Note: Emily was aged 27, born in Highgate, Middlesex, Clement aged 24, born in Dalston, Middlesex, Florence aged 13, born on the Isle of Sheppey.]
1872: ‘GRAY, CLEMENT F., Newmarket, Cambs.- M.R.C.S. Eng. and L.S.A. 1870; (St. Barthol.)’. Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1872. [Note: he is not in the 1871 directory (nor register), and this entry has an annotation to signify that he ‘had not registered under “The Medical Act,” up to November 1, 1871.’ – interestingly this annotation does not disappear until the 1874 edition, but the later Medial Registers indicate that he did in fact register on 1st April 1871. This is perhaps because for some unknown reason he does not appear in the Medical Register until the 1874 edition.]
1875, June: Rough notes written in pencil on the back of the Abstract of Title for Lushington House, ‘Wm Henry Day Esq MD of Manchester Square had a lease for [number looks like a 5 and 8 superimposed?*] years. Mr Fredk. Gray – succeeded Dr Day– F G has lived there 9 – For some years S. R Lushington lived in the house’ Three more lines read ‘Lord Chesterfied – Fl[…?] – absolute Cook.[?]’ Reference: ‘Abstract of the title of James Lushington Wildman Lushington and Francis James Wildman Lushington Esquires to a messuage with garden and appurts at Newmarket in the County of Cambridge’ in collection RH114/013, (Cambridgeshire County Record Office [called Cambridgeshire Archives], Cambridge – subsequently relcoated to Ely). [Note: I originally saw this collection at a solicitors’ office in London thanks to the Directors of the Lushington House Investment Company (see the page on Lushington House), and subsequently arranged for it to be deposited in the Cambridgeshire Archives where it now has this reference number.], [ * Note also, William Day had leased the house for about 5 years but had been in Newmarket about 8 years, so perhaps this number reflects an initial remark followed by a clarifying remark made by someone in conversation with Frederick Gray as the notes were being made?]
1875, 2nd August: Lushington House described as ‘that messuage or dwellinghouse situate on ‘the terrace’ at Newmarket… formerly in the occupation of Lord Chesterfield afterwards of the said Stephen Rumbold Lushington then of William Henry Day and now in the occupation of the said Frederick Clement Gray‘. Reference: Conveyance of a Messuage or Dwellinghouse situate at Newmarket in the County of Cambridge. J. L. Wildman Lushington and F. J. Wildman Lushington to Frederick Clement Gray Esquire, in collection RH114/013, (Cambridgeshire County Record Office [called Cambridgeshire Archives], Cambridge – subsequently relcoated to Ely). [Note: see comments in the reference above regarding this collection.]
1877, 25th December: ‘CHRISTMAS-DAY AT THE UNION-HOUSE.- On Christmas-day the inmates of the Union-house were greeted at an early hour by the fife-and-drum band of St. Mary’s, con-ducted by Mr. John Turner, who promenaded the yards and played several lively airs. The inmates of all classes were made as comfortable as the bountiful supply of roast beef, roast pork, plum pudding, ale, &c., could possibly make them, and they appeared well satisfied, adding that “they wished there was a Christmas-day every month.” Mrs Gray and family, C. F. Gray, Esq., Medical Officer, and the Rev. J. Denman, Chaplain, visited the various wards, and all seemed much pleased at the content and thankfulness exhibited by the aged, sick, and children, the latter looking remarkably clean and healthy under the care of their recently appointed teachers, Mr. Wm. Eade and Mrs. Eade. Mr. Richard Barrow, a Guardian, provided a very liberal supply of tea and loaf sugar for the infirm and aged women. Miss Seaber, Mrs. C. Hammond, and several other ladies and gentlemen gave their usual gifts.’ Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Tuesday Jan 1 1878: 8. [Note: I used this as the basis for a Christmas card sent to all staff at The Rookery Medical Centre, Christmas 2013.]
1881, 3rd/4th April: Fredk. C. Gray ‘General Practitioner’ born in Alton, Hampshire, aged 68, together with his wife Sophia, Clement F Gray unmarried son aged 34 ‘General Practitioner’, born in Dalston, London, a granddaughter (Florence Crompton, born in Manchester, aged 12), niece, and couple of servants living at 2 The Terrace (i.e. Lushington House). Reference: The National Archives, 1881 census. [Note: both of Florence Crompton’s parents had died by this stage, her father having died in 1869 and mother Jane Maria Crompton nee Gray in 1876.], [Note also, Emily Antrobus (see 1871 above) aged 37 born in Highgate is shown on this census as a widow living in Sharow, Yorkshire, with children born in Cheshire and Yorkshire, the oldest aged 17.], [Note also, Clement Gray’s wife to be, Eleanor Rowley, can be seen as the housekeeper at All Saints’ church Vicarage, Newmarket, aged 25.]
1882, 30th March: Clement Frederick Gray, surgeon of Newmarket, married Eleanor Rowley at Wolverhampton. Reference: Online image of the Wolverhampton St Mark’s marriage register held at the Staffordshire County Record Office, Stafford, www.findmypast.co.uk (accessed 26th July 2019).
1883, 8th July: Frederick Gray assisted Clement Gray in a cæsarean section operation, performed in a patient’s house at Newmarket. Reference: Gray C. Case of cæsarean section in a dwarf: recovery of the mother. The British Medical Journal 1883;2(1189):727. [Note: Robert Fyson, Ernest Last Fyson and Walter Hutchinson were also present.], [Note also, click here for the full account.]
1885, 12th June: Gilbert Clement Gray, son of Clement Frederick (surgeon) and Eleanor, Lushington House, baptised at All Saints’, Newmarket. Reference: Microfiche of Newmarket All Saints’ parish register (fiche 13), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1888, 17th May: ‘DEATH OF DR. F. C. GRAY.- We regret to announce the death of Dr. Frederick Clement Gray, M.R.C.S. England, L.S.A., L.M., Edinburgh, which took place at his residence, Lushington House, shortly before 2 o’clock on Thursday afternoon. The deceased gentleman, who was 75 years of age, came to Newmarket to practise about 22 years ago and soon earned a reputation for skill in his pro-fession; he had an extended experience, having taken his degree in 1834, and undergone his hospital training at St. Bartholomew’s, London. His last illness, caused principally by senile decay, was a lingering one; he was last downstairs on Easter Sunday, and previously to that had been confined to his room for some weeks. He leaves a widow and family to mourn his loss, the latter including Dr. C. F. Gray, the well-known surgeon of this town.’ Reference: The Newmarket Journal. Saturday May 19 1888: 5. [Note: Frederick Clement Gray is buried in Newmarket Cemetery under a large cross not far from the entrance on the right hand side, with and alongside other family members – see the page on Frederick Clement Gray for an image.]
1889, 18th July: Norman Gray, son of Clement Frederick (surgeon) and Eleanor, (The Terrace, Newmarket), baptised at All Saints’, Newmarket. Reference: Microfiche of Newmarket All Saints’ parish register (fiche 13), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1895, 11th October: Conveyance of Clifton House from Mrs Caroline Daley to Clement F. Gray Esq. Reference: In collection RH114/013, (Cambridgeshire County Record Office [called Cambridgeshire Archives], Cambridge – subsequently relcoated to Ely). [Note: see comments above regarding this collection.]
1891, 5th/6th April: Clement F. Gray born in Dalston, London, aged 44, ‘General Medical Practitioner’ living at Lushington House, High Street, Newmarket, together with his wife Eleanor, young sons Gilbert C. Gray and Norman Gray, widowed mother Sophia and several servants. Reference: The National Archives, 1891 census.
1901, 31st March / 1st April: Clement F. Gray born in Dalston, London, aged 48 [sic he was 54], ‘surgeon’, living in the High Street, Newmarket, with his wife and 11 year old son Norman. Reference: The National Archives, 1901 census. [Note: Gilbert was aged 15 and away at school – see the page on Gilbert Clement Gray.]
1909: ‘GRAY, Gilbert Clement… Lushington house, Newmarket…’ Reference: The Medical Register. London: General Medical Council; 1909.
1910: ‘GRAY, GILBERT CLEMENT, Lushington House, New-market (Nat.Tel.8) – M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.Lond. 1908; (St. Bart.); Ho. Surg. Roy. Free Hosp.’. Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1910. [Note: he does not appear in the 1909 Directory. From 1913 he gave his address as Brackley House, then as Lushington House again from 1922, and Alton House from 1926. Likely he changed from giving his residential address to practice address in 1922.]
1911, 2nd/3rd April: Clement Frederick Gray born in Dalston, London, aged 64, ‘Medical Practitioner’, living in Lushington House, High Street, Newmarket, together with his wife Eleanor, two sons Gilbert Clement Gray ‘Medical Practitioner’ and Norman Gray ‘Medical Student’, and two servants. Reference: The National Archives, 1911 census. [Note: this reference has special significance for talkingdust.net. In the spring of 2013 all I knew about the medical history of Newmarket was that many years ago our practice had been ‘on The Terrace up the other end of the High Street’ and that several of the doctors had been called Gray, all from the same family. I knew none of their first names. An 83 year old patient ended our consultation with the interesting aside that she’d been a patient of the practice since she was born. Interested I asked who the doctor had been when she was a little girl and she replied ‘Dr Norman Gray’, emphasizing the Norman, for obvious reasons. Fascinated by this I sent a message out to all staff, wondering whether anyone knew of a longer-standing patient (subsequently we found several in their 90s). A few days later a receptionist showed me a copy of this 1911 census entry that she’d found. The obvious thing to do was to look further back in the same house – the digging had started and talkingdust.net is the result!]. [Note also, see image above.]
1912, 24th August: Gilbert C Gray married Irene N Walker at Epping (3rd quarter 1912). Reference: Transcription of England and Wales marriages 1837-2005 (online database, not image), www.findmypast.co.uk (accessed 26th August 2017). [Note: subsequent correspondence with descendants of the Grays confirmed that this was on 24th August.]
1915: ‘GRAY, Norman, Lushington House, Newmarket – B.A. Camb. 1912; M.R.C.S,,[sic.] L.R.C.P. Lond. 1914; (St. Bart.)[sic]’. Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1915. [Note: from 1916 (see below) Norman gave his address as Brackley House, like Gilbert (see 1910 reference above), with Clement, Gilbert and Norman all describing themselves as Gray and Sons. In 1920 Norman was back listing Lushington House (possibly changing to listing his practice address), until 1926, when Gilbert, Norman and Hendley (see The Rookery practice chain) start listing Alton House (Gray and Hendley). It appears Clement might have retired in 1926, since he stops listing Gray and Sons or any other roles (the Rous Memorial Hospital but not the Newmarket Union having been mentioned in 1925). It’s not until 1928 that his entry actually mentions ‘retired’ though – see below.]
1915: Norman Gray married Catherine M Ogden at Eastbourne (1st quarter 1915). Reference: Transcription of England and Wales marriages 1837-2005 (online database, not image), www.findmypast.co.uk (accessed 26th August 2017).
1916: ‘GRAY, Norman, Brackley House, Newmarket (Gray & Sons; Tel.69) – B.A. (Nat.Sc.Trip.) Camb.1912 [Note: this changes from 1912 to 1910 in 1917]; M.A., M.B., B.C. 1915; M.R.C.S.,L.R.C.P.Lond. 1914; (Camb. & St. Bart); Surg. Cheveley Park Milit. Hosp.; late Ho. Surg. Roy. Free Hosp.’. Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1916.
1916, 8th February: ‘Gray + sons’ mentioned in the Newmarket Union minutes in receipt of some medical fees. Reference: 611/43, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: earlier references in 1915 refer to Gray and son, then the plural Gray + sons appears on 8th February 1916 (although there are a couple of entries using the singular a couple or few years later, likely in error.). Reference: 611/43-44.]
1917, 7th February: Birth of daughter Catherine Phyllis Eleanor Gray to Norman Gray and his wife Catherine. Reference: see 6th March baptism reference below.
1917, 3rd March: Death of Norman Gray’s wife Catherine reported in the paper. She had been seriously ill since the birth of their daughter. She died at Brackley House, and it was reported that, ‘her husband and relatives have had the keenest sympathy of everyone in the town, and each day the bulletins on the door of Brackley House were read by a host of inquirers… Mrs Gray was the wife of Dr. Norman Gray, who, during the last two or three years, has been associated in practice with his father, Dr. Clement F. Gray. There is probably no man in New-market who is held in such general affection and esteem as Dr. Gray, sen.; and his sons have already gained both the confidence and the high regard of a very large section of the townspeople.’ Reference: The Newmarket Journal. Saturday Mar 3 1917: 3. [Note: a similar article in the Bury Free Press included the comment ‘It is an indisputable fact that there is no family in Newmarket or district more be-loved than that of Dr. and Mrs. C. F. Gray – every member seems to find their greatest pleasure in doing good by stealth and blush-ing to find it known…’ Reference: The Bury Free Press. Saturday Mar 10 1917: 6.]
1917, 5th March: Funeral of Catherine Gray reported in the paper: ‘Blinds were drawn at every private residence and place of business along the route traversed by the cortege. The largeness of the attendance at the church and at the cemetery also gave convincing evidence of the general respect and affection in which the Gray family is held in the town and district, and of the deep sympathy felt for them in their bereavement by all classes in the community. Such an assemblage had not been seen at any funeral in the town for years… the first part of the service took place at All Saints’ Church, with which the Gray family is so closely associated’. Reference: The Newmarket Journal. Saturday Mar 10 1917: 3.
1917, 6th March: Catharine Phyllis Eleanor Gray, daughter of Norman Gray (Medical Practitioner) and Catharine Mary, of Brackley House, Newmarket, baptised, All Saints’, Newmarket. Reference: FL609/4/16, All Saints – Newmarket Register of Baptisms 1914-1948, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: their names are spelt Catharine in this record, but seem to be Catherine elsewhere and she used the spelling Catherine throughout life.] [Note also, this reference indicates that she was born on 7th February.]
1921, 30th September: Conveyance of Godolphin House from Capt. E. F. E. Hammond to C. F. Gray. Reference: In collection RH114/013, (Cambridgeshire County Record Office [called Cambridgeshire Archives], Cambridge – subsequently relcoated to Ely). [Note: see comments above regarding this collection.], [Note also, it appears that following this purchase the property was divided into three sections. The eastern part of the building remains as Godolphin House today (on the corner of The Avenue), the western part was sold to The Freemasons, whose Lodge is still there today (details of this transaction and a diagram of their section are in RH114/013), and the original garden of Godolphin House was added to the Lushington House property. Then the Grays built Alton House in part of this new extended garden of Lushington House.]
1924, 12th March: Plans for Alton House. A notice with the plans reveal that they were for Dr C. F. Gray, Lushington House, Newmarket, and described as ‘Home with surgeries etc. attached’. There are three sheets of diagrams/drawings, all labelled ‘House High Street Newmarket for Dr. Gray’. Upstairs contained the bedrooms and bathroom etc. Downstairs in the main house were four rooms (kitchen, drawing room, dining room and interestingly ‘waiting room’). A corridor past the waiting room led into the main surgery area, which consisted of another waiting room, a dispensary, two consulting rooms and a mysterious, surprisingly large, ‘electrical room’ (19 1/2 feet by 10 feet). Reference: EF506/6/1/19/666, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: see the page on Alton House Surgery for an image.]
1924, 28th May: Norman Gray married Bridget O’Farrell at Chelsea (2nd quarter 1924). Reference: Transcription of England and Wales marriages 1837-2005 (online database, not image), www.findmypast.co.uk (accessed 26th August 2017). [Note: subsequent correspondence with descendants of the Grays confirmed that this was on 28th May.]
1943, 16th January: ‘Death of Dr. C. F. Gray / Newmarket’s Great Loss / Friend and Physician to Two Generations / It is with profound and sincere regret – a regret which will be fully shared by everyone in New-market and district – that we re-cord the death of Dr. Clement Frederick Gray, who passed away at his residence, Lushington House, High Street, Newmarket, on Saturday. He had attained the great age of 96 years… Dr. C. F. Gray was the son of the late Dr. Frederick Clement Gray, of this town, who died in 1888, and, after obtaining his medical qualifications, joined his father in practice. … For the greater part of his life he had been closely associated with All Saints’ Church, New-market, and for many years he was people’s churchwarden of the parish… / … Dr. Gray married, over 60 years ago, Miss Eleanor Rowley. Born at Wolverhampton, she came to Newmarket about 63 years ago to reside at All Saints’ Vicarage… In his married life Dr. Gray was singularly happy. He and his wife were kindred spirits in the fullest sense of the term – earnest, devout, broad-minded Christians who practised to the full the principles they professed; and who spent the whole of their lives in helping others, and found much joy and happiness in their labours. Mrs. Gray died on June 29th, 1929. Their two sons, Dr. Gilbert Gray and Dr. Norman Gray, both en-tered their father’s profession, and, upon gaining their qualifica-tions, joined him in practice… Several years ago Dr. Gray retired and handed over the practice to his sons, by whom, with their partners, it is now carried on. Reference: The Newmarket Journal. Saturday Jan 23 1943: 7. [Note: see the page on Clement Frederick Gray for more details from this report.]
1947: Memorial ‘REMEMBER / CLEMENT FREDERICK GRAY / BELOVED PHYSICIAN / FORTY YEARS CHURCH WARDEN / AND ELEANOR HIS WIFE / SERVANTS OF JESUS CHRIST / THIS PULPIT WAS DEDICATED / BY THEIR SONS / 1947′ [ / indicates new line]. Reference: Carving inside the pulpit of All Saints’ church, Newmarket (from a photograph taken by myself 24th November 2013). [Note: see the page on Clement Frederick Gray for a later image.], [Note also, Clement Frederick Gray is buried in Newmarket Cemetery under a large cross not far from the entrance on the right hand side, with and alongside other family members – see the page on Frederick Clement Gray for an image.]
1947: ‘GRAY, Gilbert Clement (retired), Carsaig, Isle of Mull, by Oban, Argyllsh.- M.R.C.S. Eng., L.R.C.P. Lond. 1908; (St.Bart); late Ho. Surg. Roy. Free Hosp. ; Capt. R.A.M.C., T.’ Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1916. [Note: the 1946 directory shows him still in Newmarket.]
1954: Norman Gray shown as retired in the Medical Directory, with his address changed from Alton House (Gray & Partners) to Bedford Cottage in Bury Rd, Newmarket. Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1954. [Note: this probably does not reflect him moving, but changing from a business to a residential address on retirement. Gray family documents suggest he was living elsewhere by 1951.]
1971: Gilbert’s last entry in the Medical Directory records him living at 121 Andover Rd., Newbury, Berkshire. Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1971. [Note: apparently he lived in a hotel there, so perhaps this was a hotel?]
1997, 1st May: The Newmarket Journal reported that The Rookery Medical Centre had extended its premises naming the new area the Alton Wing after its location in the High Street prior to 1974. Reference: The Newmarket Journal. Thursday May 1 1997: 8. [Note: it was formally opened on 2nd May 1997.]
Newmarket Union Minutes 1866-1930. Reference: 611/25-46, DC1/4/1 and 2706/1, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: these are the books that cover the Grays’ period.]
Re: Suffolk Medical Biographies. http://www.suffolkmedicalbiographies.co.uk (originally accessed pre October 2013). [Note: at the time of writing (September 2017), this website had no pages on Frederick Clement Gray or Norman Gray, and only a couple of references to Clement Frederick Gray, which in fact appear incorrect – see the pages on Clement and Frederick for further comments (http://www.suffolkmedicalbiographies.co.uk/Profile.asp?Key=1764) and Gilbert Clement Gray (http://www.suffolkmedicalbiographies.co.uk/Profile.asp?Key=1765)]. [Note also, see comments regarding this website on the Francis Greene page.]
Honan RF. The Gray Matter. Adelaide: Lutheran Publishing House; 1987. [Note: this book charts the Gray family from old family records going back to 1437 (!) and includes lots of detail regarding Australian branches descending from Frederick Clement Gray’s brothers, but it does include a small section on the Newmarket medical Grays, including pictures of Alton House and Lushington House taken in 1985. I have used this source for some dates of birth, marriage and death etc. and early Gray family history.]
Personal correspondence with living descendants of the Grays, especially Andrew Thomson, a grandson of Norman Gray.
Shops History Newmarket. http://www.newmarketshops.info/index.html. [Note: newmarketshops.info has been supplied with information regarding the medical history of Newmarket by the author of talkingdust.net since August 2013 (see footnotes on some of the pages). Both websites continue to be developed, and in this sense are mutually symbiotic.]
The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1850ff. [Note: this publication has been known by various titles over the years. Initially it just covered London, but from 1847 it had a wider remit, being variously known as the London and Provincial Medical Directory, The Medical Directories, The Medical Directory, etc., essentially the same work with minor variations and developments. It is usually referred to as The Medical Directory (as opposed to The Medical Register), so that is how it’s consistently referred to on talkingdust.net.]
The Medical Register. London: General Medical Council; 1859ff.
Note: For published material referenced on this website see the ‘Acknowledgements for resources of published material’ section on the ‘Usage &c.’ page. The sources used for original unpublished documents are noted after each individual reference. Any census records are referenced directly to The National Archives, since images of these are so ubiquitous on microfilm and as digital images that they almost function like published works. Census records are covered by the ‘Open Government Licence’ as should be other such public records (see the ‘Copyright and related issues’ section on the ‘Usage &c.’ page for which references constitute public records, and any other copyright issues more generally such as fair dealing/use etc.).