A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Bray, Benjamin John
BRAY. (Lieut., 1810. f-p., 18; h-p., 32.)
Benjamin John Bray died 2 Oct. 1846, at Walworth, in his 60th year.
This officer entered the Navy, 26 July, 1797, as Fst.-cl. Boy, on board the Bruizer gun-brig, Lieut.Commander Laurence Dundas Bruce, on the Home station, and while in that vessel was laid up for some time in consequence of a severe injury on the head inflicted by a fall from the quarter-deck into the spirit-room. In Oct. of the latter year he became Midshipman of the Wilhelmina 32, Capt. Jas. Lind, on the East India station; where he removed with the same officer, in March, 1803, to the Sheerness 44, flag-ship at first of Rear-Admiral Peter Bainier, and afterwards commanded by Lord Geo. Stuart, under whom he was wrecked, off Trincomalee, 7 Jan. 1805. He subsequently served, as Master’s Mate and Acting-Lieutenant, in the Howe 38, Capt. Edw. Batsey, and Dédaigneuse 36, and Russell 74, both flag-ships of Sir Edw. Pellew, and appears to have been for some time employed in blockading the Isles of France and Bourbon. After a further attachment to the Sapphire 22, Capt. Geo. Davies – Terpsichore, Capt. Gordon, in which frigate he came home early in 1809 – and Diadem 64, bearing the flag of Sir John Borlase Warren at Halifax, Mr. Bray was made Lieutenant, 28 June, 1810, into the Driver 22, Capt. Dyer; and, on his return from North America, in the Rapid, was placed on half-pay in May, 1811. He afterwards served, in 1815, on board the Brune troop-ship, Capt. Wm. Stanhope Badcock, lying at Spithead – was appointed, 11 March, 1823, to the Genoa 74, Capt. Sir Thos. Livingstone – and, from 1825 to 1828, was employed in the Ordinary at Chatham. He obtained the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 6 March, 1835.
Lieut. Bray has left a family.