Person:Thomas Bracey (2)

Thomas Bracey was baptised on 10th March 1821 at Graveley in Hertfordshire, son of William and Mary Bracey.

In 1844 he married Eliza Moles, from the neighbouring village of Willian. The 1851 census finds the couple living at Graveley. The week after the 1851 census they had a daughter named Elizabeth Jane baptised at Graveley, but she died shortly after birth. The couple do not appear to have had any other children.

Thomas and Eliza appear to have spent the rest of their lives in Graveley. He worked as an agricultural labourer, whilst she was a plaiter.

Eliza died in 1895, aged 70.

The following year, when he was in his seventies, Thomas married again to a woman named Laura Kate Walden, who was about forty years his junior. They had a son, Thomas Walden Bracey, in 1897. The 1901 census finds them living at Pond Side in Graveley.

Thomas died on 23rd December 1904, aged 83. Laura survived him by over 27 years.

1. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Graveley Parish Registers, 1555-1974. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Graveley in the County of Hertford in the Year 1821
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   90	1821 March 10th private	Thomas Son of	William and Mary	Bracey	Gravely	Padler [sic]	Tho[ma]s Fordham Green, Rector

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 436; Book 8; Folio 8; Page 19, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Village, Graveley, Hertfordshire
   William Bracey, male, 60 [1776-81], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Mary Bracey, female, 55 [1781-86], born Ireland
   John[?] Bracey, male, 25 [1811-16], born in county
   Thomas Bracey, male, 20 [1816-21], born in county
   Elizabeth Bracey, female, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   William Bracey, male, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   Sarah Bracey, female, 12 [1828/9], born in county
   William Sapsard[?], male, 20 [1816-21], born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1709; Folio 199; Page 6, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: In the village, Graveley, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Bracey, head, married, male, 30 [1820/1], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Graveley, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Bracey, wife, married, female, 25 [1825/6], b. Willian, Hertfordshire

4. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 816; Folio 94; Page 5, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Graveley, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Bracey, head, married, male, 40 [1820/1], Farm Labourer, b. Graveley, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Bracey, wife, married, female, 35 [1825/6], b. Willian, Hertfordshire

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1364; Folio 91; Page 3, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Village, Graveley, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Bracey, head, married, male, 50 [1820/1], Ag[ricultural] Lab[oure]r, b. Graveley, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Bracey, wife, married, female, 44 [1826/7], Plaitter, b. Willian, Hertfordshire

6. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1416; Folio 92; Page 3, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Village, Graveley, Hertfordshire
   Thomas Bracey, head, married, male, 60 [1820/1], Laborer Farm, b. Graveley, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Bracey, wife, married, female, 55 [1825/6], b. Willian, Hertfordshire

7. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 1105; Folio 60c; Page 2, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Village, Graveley, Hertfordshire
   Three rooms occupied
   Thomas Bracey, head, married, male, 70 [1820/1], Ag[ricultural] Lab[oure]r, employed, b. Graveley, Hertfordshire
   Eliza Bracey, wife, married, female, 63 [1827/8], b. Willian, Hertfordshire

8. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 1299; Folio 29; Page 4, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Pond Side, Graveley, Hertfordshire
   Three rooms occupied
   Tho[mas] Bracey, head, married, male, 80 [1820/1], Living on his own means, b. Graveley, Hertfordshire
   Laura C. Bracey, wife, married, female, 38 [1862/3], b. Lewes, Sussex
   Tho[mas] W. Bracey, son, male, 4 [1896/7], b. Graveley, Hertfordshire

9. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. Thomas BRACEY, December Quarter 1904, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 371, aged 83 [1820/1]

10. ↑ Find a Grave, accessed 25 Sep 2018.

    In Loving Memory of ELIZA, THE BELOVED WIFE OF THOMAS BRACEY, WHO DIED 3RD MAY 1895, AGED 69 YEARS.
    Also of
    THOMAS BRACEY, WHO DIED 23RD DEC. 1904, AGED 83 YEARS.
    Also of
    THOMAS WALDEN BRACEY, WHO LOST HIS LIFE IN PALESTINE, IN THE GREAT WAR, 1914-1919.
    And LAURA KATE BRACEY WHO DIED 7TH JUNE 1932, AGED 69 YEARS.
    "PEACE, PERFECT PEACE."

11. ↑ England. National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858 onwards. (Ancestry.com).

    1927
    BRACEY Thomas of Graveley Hertfordshire died 22 December 1904 Administration London 11 May to Laura Kate Bracey widow and Jesse Bracey gardener. Effects £232 15s.

    The date of death quoted here is one day out from that given on his headstone. As this probate record was over twenty years after the event, it is considered the headstone is more likely to be accurate.