He was born in Cornhill, London, the son of an exchange broker and a milliner.

He was the fifth of 12 children and the only child in his family to survive infancy.

He lived with his mother after she left his abusive father.

He was educated at Eton College where his uncle was one of the masters.
He recalled his schooldays as a time of great happiness, as is evident in his Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.

Gray was a delicate and naturally scholarly boy who spent his time reading great literature and avoiding athletics. It was probably fortunate for the young and sensitive Gray that he was able to live in his uncle’s household rather than at college.
He made three close friends at Eton: Horace Walpole, son of Prime Minister Robert Walpole, Thomas Ashton, and Richard West. The four of them prided themselves on their sense of style, their sense of humor, and their appreciation of beauty.

Thomas Gray (26 December 1716 – 30 July 1771) was an English poet, classical scholar and professor at Cambridge University