Brough & Bray

Between 2009 and 2018, several DNA tests (shown below) strongly suggested that a number of Brough and Bray descendants were directly related to each other, and that their common ancestral couple were possibly Richard Brough (b.1759) and Ellen Parrott, who were married on October 6, 1777 in Trentham, Staffordshire, England. Today, detailed analysis and specific genealogical information on this possible relationship is described and documented in the BFO Global Brough Database.

Possible Relationship of the Brough's and Bray's of Staffordshire, England, in the early 1800's

In 2009, a direct male descendent of John Bray (b.abt.1806) took a Y-DNA 46-Marker test (via Ancestry.com), and in 2018, he took a Y-DNA 111 test (via Family Tree DNA). Both Y-DNA tests revealed that he was a direct descendant of the male Brough's of northern Staffordshire, England--as listed by the Brough Family Organization (BFO). After extensive analysis the BFO Research Committee reached the conclusion that John Bray (b.abt.1806) was possibly the son of William Parrott Brough (chr.1783) and Mary Bray (chr.1786). William Parrott Brough was the son of Richard Brough and Ellen Parrott and he was christened in 1783 in Trentham, Staffordshire. He may have lived in the Trentham area during the early 1800's. (Trentham is a suburb of the city of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.) According to available parish records, Mary Bray appears to have been the only surnamed "Bray" female who was young, single and residing in the Stoke area between 1802-1807 when John Bray was born. It is therefore possible that Mary Bray, who died in 1807, may have been acquainted with William Parrott Brough and that she and William were the parents of John Bray. Interestingly, John Bray named his first son, "William" (b.1828), and his third daughter, "Mary Ann" (b.1844).

The birthdate of John Bray probably took place sometime between 1802 and 1807, as the most reliable dates given for the year of his birth appears to be the 1841 British Census--which states that he was born sometime between about 1802-1806, his immigration record--which states that he was born in about 1807, and the 1870 U.S. Census--which states that he was born in about 1806. The Brough Family Organization (BFO) has listed John Bray's birth year as "about 1806" because no birth or christening record has yet been found for him, although his possible mother, Mary Bray, died on 26 August 1807 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Also, the birthplace of John Bray was possibly in the area of Trentham, Staffordshire, England, as his possible father, William Parrott Brough, who was christened in 1783 in Trentham, possibly lived in the Trentham area during the early 1800's.