Williamsburg Bray School Scholar Names

Between three hundred and four hundred enslaved and free Black children were educated at the Williamsburg Bray School during its fourteen years of existence, from 1760 to 1774. Through primary source research, the W&M Bray School Lab has identified over eighty of them.

The legacies and history of the children - known and yet unknown - who studied at the Bray School are at the heart of all of the research the W&M Bray School Lab does. The names are presented below, divided by years of attendance and by period. The duplication of some names is intentional and accurate.

The names below have been taken from the only known reports of students at school for the Williamsburg Bray School known to exist as of May 2024.

September 1762

John. Anne. Dick. London. Aggy. Shropshire. Aberdeen. Mary. Harry. George. Bristol. Mary Anne. Aggy. Roger. Mary. Rippon. Robert. Lucy. Elizabeth. George. Locust. Sarah. Hannah. Mary Jones. John. Jane. Doll. Elisha Jones. John. Phoebe.

November 1765

Young. Mary. William. Jerry. Nanny. Dolly. Elizabeth. Catherine. Fanny. Isaac Bee. Johanna Bee. Joseph. Davy. Molly. Squire. Edmund. Johnny. Nancy. Davy. Phillis. Pat. Jack. James. Sal. Charles. Elizabeth. Betty. Harry Ashby. John Ashby. Sal. Sylvia. Roger. Sam.

February 1769

Grace. Sarah. Catherine. Nancy. Johanna Bee. Clara Bee. Jerry. Joseph. Dick. Jack. Mary. Sally. Sukey. Sam. Jack. John Ashby. Mary Ashby. Sally. Adam. Fanny. Charlotte. Jenny. Jack. Dennis. Nancy. Judy. Ratchel. Mourning. Matt. Harry.