| Notes |
- " Rev G of Lochwinnoch Scotland; Duned. & Auck. NZ"
Source: Andrew O Thompson's Genealogy
According to the «b»1891 Scotland Census«/b» Henry Begg Gray was born in Glasgow in 1862. There is only a record for the birth of a Henry Gray in Glasgow for the year «b»1863 «/b»in the Statutory Birth registrations«b».«/b» Prior Census records have not yet been found;
«tab»
In November of«b» 1889 Henry Begg Gray «/b»was ordained in the church at Lochwinnoch.
At the time of the «b»1891 Scotland Census «/b»Henry was living in the Manse of the U.P. Church in Lochwinnoch with his sister Mary C. Gray, and a servant, Mary Jamieson.
Later that year,«b»1891, «/b»he married «b»Jessie Lundie«/b» in Edinburgh. They were both 28 years old. The following year their first child, James Lundie Gray, was born, followed five years later by Alfred Smith Grey. Two years after that in «b»1899«/b» George Tasker Gray joined the family.
This is how history has recorded the year 1900 for Henry Gray:
8 September he received the call to New Zealand,
29 September he intimated to his congregation that he has accepted the call,
6 October he resigned from his post
13 October he preached his farewell sermon
27 October he and his wife received gifts from the congregation at a presentation ceremony.
No specific mention is made of his wife or his father-in-law although in his resignation speech he says «i»one of the reasons for taking the post is because of ill health, not of himself but of those dependent upon him. «/i»Jessie had lost three brothers to tuberculosis so it is possible that she, too, was infected, or one of the children.
(No record has yet been found of Henry's older sister, Mary, after their departure for New Zealand so one could speculate that she went with them, or that it was she who was ill and needed a better climate.)
Family lore has recorded another two children, «b»Percy «/b»and «b»Marshall«/b» who, presumably were born in New Zealand. This is yet to be verified.
«i»
«b»«/i»Updated 23 Aug 2007«/b»:
Found on the webside of the New Zealand Presbyterian Church. Archives-
"«i»GRAY, Rev Henry Begg
b 22.1.1862
w Jessie L. b 26.8.1863 m 10.6.1891 d 1930
Licensed by Glasgow South Presbytery of the United Presbyterian Church, Scotland.
Ordained by Paisley Presbytery of UP Church at Lochwinnoch 18.11.1889
Received from UP Church with Commission.
Ind St Andrews Auckland AP 17.4.1901
North East Valley Dunedin DnP 1906
Hawera [Tatanaki] TkP 7.2.1917 - resigned 18.2.1923
Waihi [Waikato] WkP 16.10.1923 - retired 12.7.1925;
after living in retirement in Thames [Waikato] for some time, he went to Scot[land] in 1932.
Father of Rev J.L. Gray & of Mr G.T. Gray.
'essentially an evangelist, fervent in spirit, instant in season & out of season.'
Died 21.2.1933 Scotland
Source:New Zealand. Presbyterian Church. Archives. Register of NZ Presbyterian Ministers"«/i»
http://www.archives.presbyterian.org.nz/Page166.htm
Article in "Touchstone" September 2004:
When the "Fire of God" Glowed in Dunedin
By Yvonne Wilkie
Director of Archives
On October 4 1931, an article from "The Outlook" entitled 'The Fire of God' was read at the North East Valley Presbyterian Church (NEV) morning worship. The author of the article, the Rev. Henry Gray, once again motivated the congregation into refocusing their approach to witnessing the gospel within the Valley community. They agreed to gather each Sunday at the conclusion of evening worship to 'wait on God for power and service'. As a consequence the annual report for 1932 reported that 'evidences of the work of the Holy Spirit' had become apparent in Congregational prayer life and in their 'desire for the word of God and understanding of the truths'.
Henry Gray had been the pastor of the NEV congregation for 10 years, from October 1906 until February 1917.
He followed the well known and much loved David Borrie. During the period without a minister the people had determined that through intensive and regular congregational prayer meetings God would 'send them the minister most suited for His ministry'. Henry Gray's acceptance of their Call gave the congregation a new lease of enthusiasm and they 'were full of hope his work in the district would be abundantly blessed'.
With the knowledge of God's power behind them 12 office-bearers 'accompanied by several wives' met the Gray family at the wharf in Dunedin to 'give them a hearty' welcome into their midst. The induction is described as impressive and his ministry during the next decade is can also be described as impressive.
The Congregation determined that his ministry would begin with a week of special prayer meetings followed by a week of meetings to 'deepen the spiritual life'. Although faithful to their commitment, the next few years appeared reveal little upward spiritual movement. This all altered after a 12-day parish mission in 1910.
The first prayer meeting following the mission Gray notes in his article that 'the Fire of God fell on the assembled company that led to wondrous results.' Fifty-four people joined the Church that next Communion including 34 new Christians.
The communicant membership over the following seven years rose from 210 to 488. Their weekly prayer meetings averaged 80 to 100 and the 'presence of God was manifested in a most remarkable way'. Prayer circles evolved in homes, study groups grew, missionary support and youth work burgeoned. A regular and increasing number of members met at 4 pm each Sunday at the Botanical Gardens. They took with them a platform and an organ to share worship and their faith stories with those who passed by. These activities and others Gray believed, helped to deepen each individual's faith, and as a group, their courage to 'speak of God'.
A window can be opened onto Dunedin's spiritual life through most of the years of Gray's ministry at the Valley. A steady stream of revivalists visited the city not least the Rev. J. Wilber Chapman who with Charles Alexander made a deep impression on the city during the mission of 1910 and 1911. The Presbytery recorded that all congregations
had felt 'the wind of the spirit pass around their walls'.
It was Gray's own experience of the 'Fire of God' however, which sustained his ministry in the parish and beyond during his ten years. He speaks of his 'spiritual transaction with God' taking place on July12, 1903 where his 'intellectual self had been dethroned and the spirit of God crowned King'. He does not go into any details but we are aware of his strong association with the Keswick - Higher-Life Movement.
Soon after his arrival in Dunedin he along with two Brethren members established the Pounawea Convention; the 'Otago Keswick'. An interdenominational evangelical movement, the annual Convention met for 'the deepening of the spiritual life'. It sought to proclaim "liberty from sin" and the reality of "life more abundant," through the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit. Pounawea of this time was a bush clad area where one could experience the 'movement of the Spirit in tranquillity'. The 1911 Convention reports that the 'tone of the meetings throughout, as befitted their aim to run "on Keswick" lines was quiet, reverent, bright, suggestive of a calm sacramental Sabbath, far among the hills with Christ.'
"All One in Christ"
- an outdoor meeting in a bush clearing during the Pounawea Convention of 1911
In February 1917 the Gray ministry came to an end at North East Valley. In his farewell speech he emphasised the need for continuity of 'men with much spirituality' to fulfil their 'lofty Godly traditions'. The article of 1931 came as a gentle reminder to the Congregation that the 'Fire of God' lay in constant prayer and the recovery of the indwelling of abundant life.
These years offer an interesting window into the spiritual life of Dunedin.
From Marilyn McHaffie, July 2008
The family came to NZ via Victoria, Australia on the vessel "Ortona". They arrived in Victoria (most likely Melbourne) in December 1900 and on-travelled to Auckland, NZ (Henry's ministry in Auckland started in 1901). I haven't yet got the disembarcation records for NZ (I need to go to NZ Archives for that...on another day) but the Australian ship records show:
Gray, H G Rev, 37 (the 'G' is no doubt a typo)
Gray, Mrs, 34
Gray, James L, Master, 8
Gray, W H P, Master, 5
Gray, Alfred S, Master, 3
Gray, G W T, Master 1.
- PRIVATE
- PRIVATE
|
Abt 1859 - 1933 (74 years)
