Person:Richard Bray (1)

According to most researchers, Richard de Bray was born about 1425, but it may have been earlier, about 1410, because Richard's eldest son John was apparently grown, married, had a daughter, and was probably deceased by the time Richard had another son by the same name, John, about 1452. Richard would probably not have named another son John if the first John was still living, but this cannot be ruled out. King Henry VI, whom Sir Richard de Bray served, was King of England from 1422-1461, so Richard may have been born anywhere from the late 1300's to about 1435

Richard lived in Bedfordshire, England and later moved to Worcester. He was said by some to have been of the privy council to Henry VI; by others he is called the King's Physician; the former is the more probable, as he was buried in Worcester cathedral. He had two wives; by the first, Margaret, dau. of John Sandys, esq. of Furnes Felles, in Lancashire, he had an only son, John (called John de BRAY "The Elder").

By his second wife, Joan TROUGHTON, he had sons including Reginald de BRAY, and another John (called John de BRAY "The Younger"). "Richard BRAY of Worcester, gentleman alias surgeon", has a pardon of outlawry in a Patent Roll of 1463, which he had incurred in the late reign of King Henry VI, for not appearing to answer a plea of the executors of William Wetenhale, a citizen and grocer of London (Patent Roll of the 3rd year of King Edward IV, part I, membrane 21).

According to another source, his wife (and mother of all of his children) was Grace TROUGHTON, but this is almost certainly incorrect.

According to some researchers Richard was born at Furnace Fells in Lancashire. However, according to THE BATTLE ABBEY ROLL: WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE NORMAN LINEAGES, p. 134: "In Bedfordshire we find Eaton Bray, in the hundred of Manshead, a village about four miles from Dunstaple. 'The family of BRAY were of consequence in the county,' says Lysons, 'at an early period.Thomas de BRAY was knight of the shire in 1289, and Roger de BRAY in 1312. When they settled at Eaton-Bray, to which they gave their name, does not appear; but it was long before they were possessed of the manor [granted to Sir Reginald BRAY in 1490]. Edmund BRAY, grandfather of Sir Reginald [BRAY] the faithful minister of King Henry VII, was described as of this place, and it appears on record that the parish was called Eaton-Bray in the reign of Edward III. It is probable that the BRAYs held the manor under the Barons Cantilupe and Zouche."