(Research):Hello John,nice to hear from you again.My Mother, Muriel was the eldest of 5 daughters,born to Ethel Gray ,Elizabeths younger sister,and Richard Mobray Steedman,Royal engineers.Sadly Richard was killed in 1915 at the 1st battle of ypres.The family moved to Kent,where the Grays originated from.When Ethel became ill with Diabetes ,and lost her sight,she came to live with Muriel and our family.We spent alot of time together,her and I and I consider myself to be very lucky.She told me all sorts of things about her past,sing old Geordie songs and tell old tales
Sarah Ann Collard was a remarkable woman for her time,she could not read or write,but ran a successfull business.she had been left a widow,when her husband George Gray died,he came from Rochester Kent.Elizabeth,your grt.Grandmother ,taught Sarah to write her name,and my granmother said Elizabeth was her teacher at school,cost,3 pence aweek!.Elizabeth was born in 1873 and was about ten years older than Ethel.As for John James,their brother,He worked as a coal trimmer on coal barges,then went to America and eventualy joined the U.S, navy,we understand he was lost at sea in ww1.
Sarahs Father was John Collard b1822 north shields,her mother was Sarah Collard b1823 Blowfield Norfolk.
Hope this has been of some help.will try annd help more if I can,Know that Sarah married again later in
life,Ethel only ever refered to him as Palmer,and we think that John James took his name.
Do Keep in touch,love to know what you find out,Best wishes Dorothy