THE RAY, DALE, AND ALLEN COMMEMORATION FUND. 1 33 
Ray Society, and the Council of the Selborne Society. Among 
the individual subscribers (a majority of whom were members 
of the Club) were many whose names are well known in the 
County of Essex and in the scientific world. To one and all, 
the Committee tenders, on behalf of the Essex Field Club, 
warmest thanks. 
The work having been completed in the course of April 1912, a 
meeting of the Club was held at Braintree and Notley on the 
27th of that month to inspect the result, all subscribers who were 
not members of the Club being invited. 
Fine, though rather chilly, weather prevailed. The party, 
which met first at Chelmsford, was rather small, but was aug¬ 
mented, later in the day, by members and friends from other 
parts of the county. A pleasant drive of eleven miles brought 
the company to Black Notley, where they were welcomed at the 
Rectory by the Rev. W. Warren. A stroll through the Rectory 
grounds was en jo\ r ed. These contain many varieties of conifers, 
AGAIN RESTORED (TOGETHER WITH THE ADJACENT TOMB 
OF RAY’S FRIEND, BENJAMIN ALLEN), IN I912, BY PUBLIC 
SUBSCRIPTION, ON THE INITIATIVE OF THE ESSEX FIELD 
CLUB. 
THE DATES OF RAY’S BIRTH AND DEATH, AS STATED ON THE 
OTHER SIDE, ARE WRONG. HE WAS BAPTISED 6TH DECEMBER 1627, 
HAVING BEEN BORN PROBABLY 29TH NOVEMBER IN THAT SAME 
YEAR. HE DIED 17TH JANUARY 1704-5. 6 
which were planted under the direction of the late Professor 
C. C. Babington, of Cambridge, the well-known botanist. The 
visitors then proceeded to the churchyard, where the renovated 
tombs of Ray and Allen were inspected and the work which had 
been done on them was approved. On that of the former had 
been added a new inscription, reading as above. 
6 There has been much confusion as to the dates of Ray’s birth and death. Dr. Derharn, 
Ray’s earliest biographer, says (Select Remains of John Ray, p. 1, 1760) that “ he was bom No¬ 
vember the 29th, 1628,” and this is the date inscribed on the tomb. Later, the Rev. W. L. P. 
Gamons, of Sidney College, Cambridge, after “searching the parish registers,” wrote (see Lan- 
kester’s Memorials of fohn Ray, p. 7m : Ray Soc., 1846) that Ray “ was baptised on the 29th of 
June 1628.” From these two statements (both of which are wrong), most subsequent writers 
have been led to conclude that Ray must have been bom on 29 November 1627 and baptised 
29th June 1628. The first to ascertain the real date was Mr. W. H. Mullens, who, on consulting 
the parish registers, found that, on the same page thereof, are recorded the baptisms of two John 
Rays (doubtless related) which had been confused together. Both of these entries Mr. Mullens 
has produced photographically (see British Birds, ii., p. 296, 1909). They read respectively:— 
“ 1627.—John [son] of Roger and Elizabeth Ray [was baptised] December 6 ”, and 
“ 1628.—John son of Thomas and Dorothie Wray, bap. June 29.” 
The first entry alone relates, of course, to the great John Rav, It shows that Ray was bom 
probably, as Derharn states, on Thursday, 29 November, but in 1627, not in 1628, and was 
baptised, seven days later, on Thursday, 6th December. Similarly there has been confusion as 
to the date of Ray’s death. Derharn gives it correctly (op. cit., p. 80) as 17th January 1704-5. 
Vet the inscription on the north side of the tomb gives the year as 1705-6, and this has been 
widely followed. It was in consequence of these muddles that it was decided to add an inscription 
giving the correct dates. 
