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North Cray (Cray, North)

OS Grid Reference: TQ4972
The 1841 population was 517

"The Crays are four highly respectable villages and parishes contiguous to each other, situated in the lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, Hundred of Ruxley, and Union of Bromley, on the banks of the river Cray, in a beautiful and diversified country, interspersed with numerous elegant seats and noble mansions. North Cray was the residence of the late Marquis of Londonderry, and it was at his seat here that he terminated his existence. ... On the River Cray are several paper mills, which employ a number of persons of both sexes. Each of the Crays has its parish church, but there is not anything remarkable about either of these edifices."  1852 directory.

Administrative Units

North Cray fell within the Hundred of Ruxley. Its 19th century Registration District & Poor Law Union was Bromley.
Probate Jurisdiction was Rochester to 1845, PCC 1846-57.

See NWKFHS publications West Kent Sources and School Records for further information.

North Cray Map North West Kent Family History Society

Census Publications

  • 1851 Name Index and Page Images published on CD-Rom as part of CD7 (Bromley Registration District).
  • 1851 Name Index (only) published on microfiche as part of Volume I (Bromley Registration District).
  • 1891 Transcript published on CD-Rom as part of CD2 (Bromley Registration District).


For ordering details see Census CD-ROMs on the Publication List page.

Church and Chapels (pre 1910)

North Cray, St James

Church of England - Ancient Parish Church

Original Registers

These date from 1538.
St James - Nov 1997
St James North Cray North West Kent Family History Society