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Born in 1811, as a rich manufacturer's son Charles Bray attended boarding-school and at his father's death in 1835 had £1,200 p.a. with town and country houses (the father Jonathan's will is CCA/2/3/314/33). An Owenite and freethinker, and interested in phrenology, Bray lived at "Rosehill" off the select Radford Road, where he was visited by intellectuals including "George Eliot". In c.1845 Bray instituted a lower-class club with reading-room, but it languished: with Joseph Cash, in 1843 he founded the Coventry Co-operative Labourers' and Artizans' Friendly Society which promoted 400 allotments (including on family land at Coundon, 1843-56ff - see PA491/93/5.IX,6) and sold provisions in Gas Street; it was broken by the 1859 slump. Bray published the "Coventry Herald and Observer" (see PA202/7/5 for Bray's purchase of that newspaper), united to W.F. Taunton's "Coventry Free Press" as the "Coventry Herald and Free Press" on 21st. Oct., 1863 (see PA202/7/6: PA2684/10/1/129); he became sole proprietor in Sep, 1867. Bray gave £5 towards the School of Art, rebuilt in 1859; in 1850 he was a trustee of the Coventry and Warwickshire Building and Investment Society (see PA333/2: PA451/1/3). In partnership with William Henry Bray from 1838 (PA56/18/1), Bray was still primarily a ribbon-manufacturer when in 1846 he was named an executor under William Merry's will (PA101/12/530). See PA368/131/6; PA368/134/28. Bray owned considerable property at Radford (see PA202/7/1-3: PA2830/2/1.XXIII), but his heterodoxy led to his burial in a simple grave in an obscure corner of London Road cemetery. In 1859 he was a member of the Coventry Theatre Lessee Company (see PA124/1). For his trusteeship of the Coventry & Warwickshire Building & Investment (later Benefit Building) Society, see CCA/2/3/872/3: PA184/6/1; PA184/7/2,6,10,11; PA184/8/2,4,6,7: PA56/25/2. Bray was mortgagee in 1851 for premises described as in Earl Street (BA/A/G/11/3,11) which he modified in 1861 when they were described as in High Street (BA/A/G/5/57). Bray was a founder-trustee of the Mechanics' Institution, later the Coventry Institute, 1837 - see PA436/5/2 p.135. Bray was on the city council, 1838-48. PA54/127/37 is a "Coventry Herald" bill. PA500/56/1 suggests that Bray had Cross Cheaping premises. PA506/243/35 is a handbill opposing his candidature in the 1848 Bishop Street Ward election. He had Much Park Street premises, 1847-51 (CCA/2/3/313/15: PA56/86/21). In association with others, Bray was interested in Little Close, Radford, initially as a Sir Thomas White's Charity trustee, 1848-58 (PA56/102/1-4: cf. PA2770/27/13). Holy Trinity feoffees sold him land - see PA56/110/3.III. A British School trustee, 1840-83 (PA2398/6/2/8/8,12). Bray was in 1853 interested in Jenner Street, Bishopgate Green property (PA2473/2/282/2). Qua Coventry & Warwickshire Building & Investment (later Benefit Building) Society trustee, see also CCA/2/3/785/17: PA2691/13/1/1.II: PA2770/48/2-4,8; PA2770/50/2. The highminded Bray gave penny readings at the Corn Exchange, but his hearers were not that appreciative (see PA2571/2). For his Radford land, cf. PA2770/21/1; PA2770/27/17 According to PA2002/23/1.I,III he had an interest in land to the east of Middleborough Road formerly Barrs Hill Close. As a mortgage-assignee for 38 & 39, Bishop Street, 1883, see CCA/2/3/432/19.XIV. For his Much Park Street property, 1835-52, see CCA/2/3/312/17-27 passim; CCA/2/3/314/49.I,II.