John Charles Ray was born in dwelling #69 (?)

John Charles Ray listed as a miner in Stones directory.

The Charles Ray family may have moved from dwelling #20 to dwelling #67. The family included John Charles Ray.

On May 13 1898, John Charles Moffatt Ray married Annie Rebekah Truman. (Anglican marriage register for Otago). This may no be John Ray, son of Charles - but the dates fit. f this is correct, it is unclear where John and his new wife lived at the time.

John Ray worked for the Great Gold Central Dredging Company as a dredge master. The company was floated in 1899. The Great Gold Central dredge was built near the half way house in Cromwell Gorge. The dredge worked the Clutha River in the half way house area without great success until the company went into liquidation in 1904.

In Nov 1901 it was reported that John Ray was the dredge master of the Bannockburn Creek dredge. He was preparing to leave for the West Coast. The Bannockburn Creek Dredge company was floated in 1899. The dredge was constructed in 190 and worked briefly with poor returns. The company was in liquidation in 1900 and the dredge was sold in 1902.

John Ray was the dredge master of the Upper Magnetic Dredge. The company was floated in 18999 with its dredge being constructed in the Kawarau Gorge. The dredge worked in the Kawarau River above the Roaring Meg. In 1902, the dredge and claim were offered for sale.

The Upper magnetic Gold Dredging Company was in liquidation without paying a dividend. The new Royal Maori Gold Dredging Company purchased the dredge which was dismantled and transported to the company's claim which was on the Clutha River, upstream of Lowburn. John Ray may have worked as the dredge master for the New Maori Dredging Company. The company went into liquidation in 1904.

On March 8, John Ray was the dredge master of the Rise & Shine No 1 Dredge, working in the Shine Basin of the Clutha River at Lowborn.

In July of 1905 Mr J C Ray applied for a number of abandoned portions of dredging claims on the Kawarau River. He was no longer listed in Stones directory fir Bannockburn (his last entry was 1903)