Keomi Gray

                                                           Keomi Gray

                                 Birth 21 Mar 1841 in Wesbeach, Norfolk, England

Death Living

                        Death 17 May 1923 in Gorleston, Norfolk, England

 

Keomi Gray was the daughter of Osery Gray (son of Ossory Gray) and Eliza Heron (daughter of No Name Heron).

 

She is my 2nd great Aunt. Her sister was Emma Gray who was the mother of Minnie Tyler, she was my grandfather Sydney's mother.

 

In the 1860s Keomi met the artist Frederick Sandy's, and spent time in London with him, sitting as a model for some of his work,

and that of his great friend, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. 

 

Although Frederick was married to Georgiana Creed, he never divorced her, but had a long affair with the Romany woman Keomi Gray.

 

  Frederic and  Keomi had four children,

 

Ethel Maud Gray
b. 1863 London
Frederick Cyril Gray
b. 1865 London
Madeline Gray
b. 1867 London
Henry Herbert Gray
b.1868 London

 

 

 

 

  Keomi was depicted as "Medea" by Frederick Sandys, and also as one of the bridesmaids in Dantes "Beloved". 

 

   According to Wikipedia,  Medea is an oil painting on canvas by the Pre-Raphaelite painter Frederick Sandys which was created in 1868. Medea was modelled on Keomi Gray, a gypsy woman whom Sandy's had met in Norwich, England, and taken back to London to sit for many of his paintings. The painting was submitted to the Royal Academy of Arts for display in the Summer Exhibition of 1868 .

 

The original painting hangs in the Birmingham Museum of Art                          Birmingham, Alabama,

   

"Medea"

 

 

 

 

 

The next painting is called "Beloved"

Keomi is the dark haired woman on the right with the coral necklace.

This picture was commissioned in 1863 by George Rae, for £300, but was not finished until the winter of 1865-6. Rossetti also made further alterations in 1873 when he idealized the Bride's head and left hand and the head of the attendant on the right. The model for the bride was Marie Ford, whose beauty Rossetti greatly admired. The virgin bridesmaid in the left foreground was modelled by Ellen Smith, the woman on the right by the artist Frederick Sandy's gypsy mistress Keomi Gray.




Frederick Sandy's, “Judith,” c.1860,                                                                        auctioned by Sotheby’s November 5, 1997

the artist:   Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys (born Antonio Frederic Augustus Sands)

the model:   Keomi Gray, a Romani or gypsy model for Pre-Raphelites Sandys, Dante Gabriel Rossetti (The Beloved), and (perhaps) Simeon Solomon;   mistress of the artist for 5 years, with whom she had several children (1,2);  subject of a yet-unpublished novel (3).

the story:   until this painting was sold by Sotheby’s in 1997, it had not been viewed in public since 1879.

After Frederic  Sandy's took off with another friend of his,  Keomi met Charles Stewart Bonnett, whom she married in 1875 at Yarmouth.

 

They had three children together, Nellie, Rose, and Florence.

They are all pictured in the photo below Keomi is standing inside the wagon looking out the open windom.

 

William M Boswell and Aggie Trail

William M Boswell "Pap"   Born  Feb. 10, 1876  in Indiana, United States            Died  Jan 3,1959                 MARRIAGE TO AGGIE TRAIL:   On November 3, 1899 William marries Aggie Trail she is 20 years old. On the marriage certificate Aggie says her fathers last name was Johnson and her mother was a Wharton. William says his fathers name is Samuel Boswell. William and Aggie have 11 live children:   Albert Boswell B: abt 1901     Clyde Boswell B: 1906 D: 1929 Clyde was shot and bled to death. As I was told he and some of his brothers was trying to steal chickens (or some sort of food) from a farmer. The farmer had been stolen from before and had a gun rigged to go off when the door opened.  Clyde was shot and died from the bleeding. His mother Aggie died in Jan of that year and Clyde died about 2/3 months later.     Bernell Boswell B: 1908  D: 1964          Goldie Boswell B: 1910 D: 1983 As the oldest girl, after Goldie's mother died she had to raise the rest of her sibling's. The baby (Nellie) was about 9/10 months old when the mother died.         Gentey (Jennie) Boswell B:1913 D: 1993         Aubrey Boswell B: 1914 D: 1981          Harry Barney Boswell B: 1917 D: 2003     Sophie (Beggins) Boswell B: 1918 D:1986 Sophie died from Pancreatic Cancer.          Pansy (Butch) Boswell B: 1921         Nettie Florence (Pudder) Boswell B: 1924  Pudder died from a brain aneurysm.       Nellie Mae Boswell B: 1928 D: 2014  Nellie died last Sunday from heart failure.       Aggie died 10 Jan 1929 in Charleston, South Carolina  On Aggie's death certificate her parents are listed as Cash and Lulia Trail, this is not correct according to the marriage certificate for William an Aggie. She lists her father as a Johnson and her mother as a Wharton.  L. W. Boswell is the person who gave this information and signed the certificate.  The rest of the info seems correct based on what we know about Aggie.    William never remarried. In 1930 he is living in Louisville Kentucky and is listed as widowed and living with most of his children. William Boswell 53 Goldie Boswell 18 Sopha Boswell 12 Pansy Boswell 9 Nellie M Boswell 1 1/2   Nettie F Boswell 6 Aubrey Boswell 15 Harry Boswell 13 Burnell Boswell   23   William Boswell died Jan. 3, 1959 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

 

Minnie Ada Tyler Wife of Herbert Mace

Minnie Ada Tyler

Birth  Feb 10, 1883 in Edmonton, Middlesex, England

Death Living

She died 1933 of heart failure in New Jersey, USA

Minnie's mother was Emma Gray she was born around 1843. 

Emma's parents were:

Eliza Herring 

B: 1815 in Norfolk, England

D: 1885 in Barford, Norfolk, England at 70 years old.

Eliza's parents were  Edward Herring and Rose Lovell

Emma's father was  Orsary Gray

Born 1798 in Castleacre, Norfolk, England

Died Dec 21, 1882 in Docking Union Workhouse

                                                             Orsary's Parents were:                                                                                                        Orsary Gray B: 1777 in Cambridgeshire England and                                         Ann Riches B: 1781 in Norfolk, England

Orsary and Eliza were married Nov 1, 1830 in Wisbech, Cambridge.  Eliza was 15 years old. They had 11 children: Here are the names of some of them.

• Louis Gray 1833-1906 he married
  

  

  Leanabel Mary Smith

  1838 – 1904

  
  

  

• Gentee Gray

  1834 – 1918

  
  

• Alfred Gray

  1839 – 

   

• Emma Gray

  1843 –
  

  

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  Keomi (Gray)  Bonnett 1845-1914                                                                             Keomi Gray (in wagon).  from left seated: Florence & Rose Bonnett, Madeline Gray (standing) Charles Bonnett (in bowler hat) Nelly Bonnett (on steps) Herbert Gray.

  

  
  

• Samuel Gray

  1846 – 1918

• Keytumas Gray

  1849 – 

• Leborina Gray

  1851 – 1923

• Soberona Gray

  1851 –

On May 7, 1900 Minnie married Herbert Mace in Summit county Ohio.

Herbert is 22 years old and list his parents as Pooley and Jane Smith

Minnie is 17 years old and list her parents as Sidney Tyler B: 1840 and Emma Gray B:1843 

 Herbert and Minnie had 6 children:

• SYDNEY POOLEY mace

  1903 – 1986
  

  

• Herbert Mace

  1907 – 1997

• Alfred Mace

  1908 –

• Earle Mace

  1914 –

• Bertram Mace

  1916 – 2009

• Wilhemina Mace

  1917 –

 The 1920 Census states that in that year Minnie is 30 years old. She is living in Penns Grove, New Jersey with her husband Herbert and their children:

Sydney 15

Alfred 12

Herbert 9

Earle 6

Bertram 5

Wilhelmina 3

	Minnie died 1933 of heart failure in New Jersey, USA

 

Jane Smith wife of Leapolous Mace

 Jane Smith was born about 1849 in St Alborns, Herefordshire, England

Death Living

She died on Jun 4, 1914 in Cumberland, Cumberland, North Carolina, United States




Her parents were Ambrose Smith 1806-1879
and Sanspareil Heron Born about 1800.

 Her Grandparents were:
 Ferdinand Smith

• B: 1785 –D: March 11, 1826 in captivity Portsmouth Hampshire

• Morella "Amaryllis" Smith

  B:1787 – 1854

Ferdinand Smith was put to death.
The cause is listed as burglary. It appears he was with a group who stole sheep and cows. One of the men was Lewis Boswell. Below are photos from the prison that list what he did and state that he got the death penalty.

Morella Smith, widow of Ferdinand Smith, 1854 inquest

From The Ipswich Journal, 3 June 1854:

WOODBRIDGE

INQUISITION. By Mr. Woods Coroner. – On Thursday last, at Grundisburgh, on the body of Amaryllis Smith, widow, aged 70 years. It appears that the tribe of gipsies frequenting this and the neighbouring counties, to which she had for many years been attached, arrived at Grundisburgh on Monday last, and pitched their tents in an orchard at the back of the Half Moon Inn. One of  their women being ill Mr. Acton attended her, and on that occasion saw Mrs. Smith in good health. On Wednesday afternoon, she was heard in her tent making a rattling noise in her throat; it was shortly repeated, when her daughter rushed into the tent just in time to catch her when falling. She was unable to speak and insensible. Mr. Acton was sent for and was speedily on the spot, but she died a few minutes after his arrival. His examination being to the effect that she died of serous apoplexy, the Jury were quite satisfied that her death was from natural causes; verdict accordingly.

Morella Smith – recorded here and on her death certificate as ‘Amaryllis’ – was the wife of Ferdinand (aka Faden John) Smith [reference A2 in the Borrow's Gypsies family tree elsewhere on this site]. The couple were married in 1803 in Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk. She was the mother of Ambrose Smith, George Borrow’s ‘Jasper Petulengro’ (c1804-1878) [B8] and must have been known to Borrow, if his description of his first encounter with Jasper and his parents at Norman Cross near Peterborough is fact rather than fiction. The daughter mentioned in the newspaper report is Elizabeth Smith  who gave evidence at her mother’s inquest, where her surname is recorded in her statement as ‘Buckland’.

Jane married Leapolous Mace on Jan 19, 1874 in Durham England. She was 25 years old.

Jane and Leapolous had 4 children:

Madonna Mace B: Oct 28, 1876 in Camp Deebank, Kincardinshire Scotland.

She died Jan 13, 1916 in Asheville, North Carolina.

In 1910 the census says Madonna is 34 years old and living in Brooklyn New York,

with her husband Gustavus Middleton and their 6 children. Living next door is her Father Leapolous, Mother Jane and Brother Augustus who was 27 at the time.

Madonna and Gus had twin girls Violet and Bertha. This picture of them appeared in the newspaper along with an article about their grandfather Pooley Mace.

	Herbert Mace Born 1878   Herbert married Minnie Tyler and they have 6 children Sydney Polley Mace 1903 – 1986 Herbert Mace 1907 – 1997 Alfred Mace 1908 –  Earle Mace 1914 –  Bertram Mace 1916 – 2009                                                 Wilhelmina Mace                                                1917 –

	Augustus Mace Born August 31, 1880 in a tent on Littledenny Farm, Denny Stirlingshire, Scotland.                  Death 1939 in Cumberland, North Carolina, United States Draft Card For Augustus Mace Sept 12, 1918. Photograph of an aristocratic group, one of several photographs copyrighted by Augustus Mace. Originals in the National Archives. He also photographed the Prince of Wales and Queen Alexandra and these photos are in the National Archives. Apparently he was a well known photographer!
	Melbourne Mace Born in Scotland in Dec. 5, 1880.
	Melbourne Mace Residence Year: 1917 Street address: 525 S Adams Residence Place: Petersburg, Virginia Occupation: Salesman Publication Title: Petersburg, Virginia, City Directory, 1917

This is a copy of Melbourne's Draft Card September 12, 1918.

Leapoleous Mace

LEAPOLEOUS MACE
Leapoleous (Pooley) is the father of Herbert Mace. Herbert Mace is the father of Sydney Pooley Mace or better known as Papa Mace.

Leapoleous (Pooley) Mace is standing in the middle.

Birth about  1841 in Beeston, England

Death Living

Death 31 Oct 1912 in Cumberland, Cumberland, North Carolina, United States

His father is Barnabas "Barney" Mace, 

born in 1819 in Fransham, Norfolk England Died in 1871.

His mother is Lurena "Lavinia" Baker.

Born 1824 in Fransham, Norfolk England Died about 1881.

According to the 1851 Census, Leopolius was 12 years old and was living with his family in Beeston, Norfolk, England.

Jan 19, 1874 Leapoleous Mace married Deliah Jane Smith in Durham England. 

In 1881 Pooley is living on Broughton Rd Christie's Field in Scotland.

He is 41 years old, he is married to Jane Mace (35) and list his occupation as a Horse Dealer. 

They are parents to Madonna 5 years old, Herbert 4 years old and Thomas 7 months old.

On September 7, 1891 Pooley arrives in New York, he departed from London, England on the ship "Ludgate Hill"

 Here is the passenger list:

																																																																																									This is the "Ludgate Hill" The ship Pooley was on when he departed London, England and arrived in New York.

Twins Violet & Bertha Middleton On April 15, 1910 Pooley is 69 years old and is now living in Brooklyn New York with his wife Deliah and their son Augustus. Living next door is his Daughter Madonna Middleton her husband Gustavus and their 6 children (including twin girls Violet & Bertha). This is a newspaper article  from 1907 The Newark Daily Advocate, 21 February 1907 (published in Ohio, USA) “Gypsies do not fear winter  New York, Feb 21. – Blissfully indifferent to zero weather and snowstorms, a band of gypsies is spending a delightfully comfortable winter in New York City. Their tents, some of which are supplied with electric light and other modern conveniences, are clustered near the subway station at 174th street, in the Bronx.  Most of them are descendants of the ancient Lovell and Smith tribes, but one among them, although forgotten for almost half a century [sic], was at one time a conspicuous person throughout civilization and one of the best known gypsies in the world. He is Pooley Mace, first cousin of “Jem” Mace, who was for many years the champion pugilist of the world, and no doubt the most widely known and most popular scientific fighter of the century. During the great champion’s triumphs in Europe and this country, Pooley Mace traveled with him as his sparring partner, and now, when one has gained the old man’s confidence, he sits in his cosey [sic] tent, surrounded by his children and grandchildren, and with a memory of remarkable accuracy, tells of the scenes and the men forty or fifty years ago, when he and his cousin were the lions of the sporting classes wherever they went.”                                  Leapoleous Pooley Mace Died Oct 31, 1912 in Cumberland, North Carolina.  This is the last known photo of him.