THE BRAY FAMILY OF SHERE: ESTATE AND FAMILY RECORDS AND COLLECTED PAPERS INCLUDING...

Reginald Arthur Bray (1869-1950) was interested in the history of his family and their estates (see introduction to G85/- list, and G85/26/1), and it may be assumed that this deposit represents papers, probably found in Shere Manor House, which he neither needed for the management of the estate nor wanted to read himself, and felt would be of use and interest to others.

It is a rather miscellaneous group which cannot be regarded as in any way distinct from the later deposits, listed under G85/-, and includes, like them, antiquarian papers of William Bray, Nicholas family papers and papers of the Godschall family of Weston House, Albury, as well as a stray from the Loseley MSS (G52/7/8/1). There is, however, a larger proportion of the papers of R A Bray's grandfather, Reginald Bray senior.

The most significant group within these records is papers of the Nicholas family of West Horsley (G52/2/19/1-184) including Sir Edward Nicholas (1593-1669), Secretary of State to Charles I and Charles II, his eldest son John (1624-1704), Clerk to the Privy Council, and John's three sons, Edward (d.1726), Treasurer to Queen Mary, John (d.1742), and William Nicholas, all of whom died without a male heir. Included in these papers are a group relating to affairs in England and Scotland in 1641; others relating to affairs in the court in exile of Charles II in the 1650s; dispatches from Sir William Curtius, official resident of the English Crown in the Holy Roman Empire, 1639-1658; and letters to Edward Nicholas from Lord Villiers, later Earl of Jersey, at The Hague, 1695-1698.

Also of importance are pamphlets and other printed material relating to the Civil War and Sir William Waller's army in South East England (G52/6/-).

William Brays' antiquarian work is supplemented by his 'candid biographies' of contemporaries, including local figures such as Richard Lord Onslow and Admiral Keppel (G52/8/10).

These papers were roughly listed in the 1930s, and no attempt has been made to alter the general arrangement.

G52/1/1-6 Diaries and accounts, 1756-1834

G52/2/1-18, 20-21 Deeds, letters and other original papers, 1698-1857

G52/2/19/1-184 Letters and papers of the Nicholas family of West Horsley, 1641-1698

G52/3/1-13 Bray correspondence, 1765-1871

G52/4/1-2 Printed pamphlets, most by Reginald Bray senior, c.1826-1871

G52/5/1-3 Oddments of William Bray's, c.1800-1811

G52/6/1-7 Pamphlets, probably collected by William Bray, 1643-1803

G52/7/1-19 Genealogical, antiquarian and other papers, 1576-c.1870

G52/8/1-13 Papers and original documents connected with antiquarian works, chiefly of William Bray, 1557-1879

G52/9/1-5 Printed papers relating to Surrey, 1690s-1831

G52/10/1-10 Graphic material, c.1740-1804

G52/11/1-33 Verses, notes and papers, c.1756-19th cent

G52/12/1-71 Newspaper cuttings, 1737-1875

<p>For other records of the Bray family, see G85/-, 1500/-and 1656/-</p>

• <persname>Bray, William, 1736-1832, historian</persname><famname>Bray family of Shere, Surrey</famname>
• <famname>Nicholas family of West Horsley, Surrey</famname>

Given to the Surrey Archaeological Society by R A Bray between 1925 and 1930 (see Surrey Archaeological Collections vol 39, p161, and G85/38/3).

For some details of the Bray family and their introduction to G85/-.