Joseph Gray

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Joseph Gray, Shetland author, was a blacksmith and engineer who opened the first motor garage in Shetland. He was born on the 9th of November, 1869 at the High Street, Lerwick. His father was Gifford Gray, a fisherman and seaman, (b.11.4.1835, Delting) and his mother Catherine Smith Sutherland, (b.10.1.1840, Brough, Nesting). Joe Gray married twice and and had thirteen children in total, first Joan Margaret Anderson, (b.3.1.1872, Queyfirth, Northmavine) with whom he had four, and secondly Agnes Robina Harrison, (b.25.10.1879, Houll, North Roe) who bore nine.

His collection of stories Lowrie: Being a humorous account in the dialect of incidents in the life of a Shetland crofter, first published 1933, was reprinted in 1934, 1949, and in 1991. Gray's stories of a hapless crofter ill at ease with a changing world combine to make one of the best loved of all the Shetland classics.

A film was recently made of one of the stories, Lowrie Dines at Hillsook.

Joe Gray died on the 4th of March, 1934 at 25 Burgh Road, Lerwick.

External Link

Shetland Museum has photos of 'The Motor Garage'

& Joe Gray with his staff outside the garage