The LNER Encyclopedia

Sir William Gray was an LNER Director and had a B1 class loco named after him. I presume he was from the same family who owned the West Hartlepool Shipyard where the two LNER paddle steamers Tattershall Castle and Wingfield Castle were built. If so an interesting connection?

I dont know about the Shipyard but the tea was definitely named after him. He also had a private station at Falloden on the ECML located between Chathill and Christon Bank (about 45 miles north of Newcastle)where he would insist on guests coming down to watch the passage of the ten o clock from the Cross.

If you're talking about the tea, you mean GrEy, don't you, as in Earl Grey?

Very big aristocratic landowning dynasty in the Northeast producing tons of politicans, the Greys, (such as Sir Edward Grey, Foreign secretary at the outbreak of WWI), but surely that's a different kettle of (very posh) fish to 61189, Sir William Gray?

They are two different people.
Sir William Gray was born the son of a Draper in Blyth, and moved to Hartlepool to follow that trade. He became mayor then developed an interest in shipbuilding and became a partner in Denton, Gray and Co., later William Gray and Co. Shipbuilders. He later became the President of the Chamber of UK Shipping.
The Fallodon family spelled their name Grey and Sir Edward Grey was Foreign Secretary during WW1, and also a director of the NER. As 52D states he always made a point of going to the bottom of the garden to watch the Flying Scotsman pass. Fallodon Station was built by the Newcastle and Berwick Railway in 1847 for the exclusive use of the Grey family and their servants, and remained a private station until it's closure in the 1930's

Earl Grey snuffed it in July 1845, the Flying Scotsman started running in June 1862. I think he took his guests to see the "Scotch Express" passing.

The Earl Grey of tea fame was Charles Grey the 2nd Earl who died in 1845, 2 years before the N&B main line was built. Also known as Lord Howick, he is commemorated by Grey's Monument in Newcastle.
Sir Edward Grey who was the great politician, naturalist and railway enthusiast, was 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon and great - great grandson of Charles. He died in 1933.
Sir William Gray died in 1898 so therefore could not have been a director of the LNER, however he was a director of the NER

Too many grey areas!!