Walter Ray : Short Biography

Walter Ray (c. 1891) was the son of Arthur Ray & Teresa Finlay who were living in Jervis Street when they wed. These Rays of Dublin were tinsmiths and had a shop in Temple Bar's Essex Street West. They were members of the Anglican Church of Ireland. THE DUBLIN REGULAR TINSMITH SOCIETY held meetings in the Trades Hall, Capel street.

In the Census of 1901 Walter Ray was living with his parents and siblings at 16 Great Longford Street (off Aungier St, near Whitefriar St Church). Shortly after that they moved back to the family shop in Temple Bar. 

On 14 Aug 1910, Walter Ray married Mary Byrne at the Church of St Nicolas Francis Street (Walter having converted to Catholicism to do so) witnessed by Christopher Hughes & Ellen McInerney. At this time, Walter Ray age 19, shop assistant, 9 West Essex Street, (son of Arthur Ray, general laborer), Mary Byrne age 18 (c. 1892) of "7 Cross Kevin Street" (dau. of Patrick Byrne, laborer) had no occupation. 

At the time of the 1911 Census, the couple was residing at 7 Cooke Street (aka Kevin St Cross) with Walter's widowed mother-in-law Esther Byrne and Mary Byrne's youngest sister Annie (b. 1901). Of the 4 children Esther Byrne bore since she married in 1887, only Annie & Mary had survived.

In this census, Walter was recorded as a shop assistant, presumably still at 9 Essex St, Temple Bar where his father still resided. (Although in 1910 and 1912 he was recorded as a labourer). In 1913 Walter was recorded as a salesman and as a messenger in 1915. In 1917 and 1919, he was again recorded as a laborer.

Children (raised Roman Catholic):

• Mary Josephine Ray born at 7 Cooke Street m. 1938 James Hayes (a next-door neighbour at Montague St)

• Annie Ray b.1912 at 7 Cooke Street 

• Christina Ray b.1913 at 9 Protestant Row 

• Esther Ray b.1915 at 8 Montague Place 

• Florence b.1917 at 8 Montague Court 

• Walter Ray Jr b. 1919 at 8 Montague Court 

​