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Update 11-Jan-2010 |
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A SHORT HISTORY OF DIRECT DESCENDANT ANCESTORS I never knew my father’s parents having only in the last 15 years come to know my father. Since his passing in 2008, this search, which started a quest to know my father’s mother and father, has turned into the research of the genealogy of my paternal grandparents. To date the search accounts for some hundred ancestors who include two 4xGreat Grandfathers and a 5xGreat Grandfather. There are two direct male blood lines: one for the Grandfather side and one for the Grandmother side. It is these two descendancies that are outlined here. A patriarch for the GRANT family has been found in Richard GRANT (see note below), baptized 4 Jun 1807 in Hursley, Hampshire. He was a schoolmaster and his wife Sarah, born 28 Apr 1810 in Eling, Hampshire was a schoolmistress. They married 6 Dec 1830. Both lived to an exceptional old age and raised ten children. Richard died in 1881 in Winchester, Hampshire and as of yet the date of Sarah's passing has not been found. Of their offspring, the first child, son James GRANT, is our next direct ancestor. He was born 21 Oct 1831 in Eling, Hampshire. This is the place of his mother's birth and it can be assumed the place of Richard’s and Sarah’s marriage. A short time later, Richard moved his family to Michelmersh, Hampshire where the second and subsequent children where born between 1834 and 1850. James Grant left home some time after the 1851, when he was at least 19 years old. At the time his occupation was that of an “Under Gardener”. By 1861, at the age of 29, he had set up his own household in Portsmouth, Hampshire (North End, Portsea Is.) with his wife Harriett, age 30. His occupation then was that of an “Ag Labourer”, which generally meant he was a day worker on a farm in the area. At this time, the couple had a young son 2 years old, Henry J. GRANT, born c1859 in Farlington, Hampshire. However, in the 1871 Census, it is revealed that Henry J. was not the first child. There was an older child, William, now age 14, born in Abshot, Hampshire (his occupation was listed as a “Gardener’s Boy”.) It is this son, William GRANT, who is the next direct ancestor By 1881, William was no longer in his father’s household, but was on his own in Bromley, Kent where his occupation was that of an “Agent for the Singer Sewing Machine Co.” (The sewing machine and the Singer company appeared in Britain in 1851.) This seems to be a significant and somewhat temporary change in occupation because he is shown in the 1891 and 1901 Census back at his earthly job as a gardener. William’s household in 1881 comprised of his wife Sarah Alice LASHWOOD (known in almost all cases as Alice), born c1859 in Chipstead, Surrey and their son William J.H. GRANT, age 1, born in Bletchingley or Merstham, Surrey (a conundrum to be resolved). William and Sarah Alice had been married earlier on 11 June 1879, in Croydon, Surrey. (It is Sarah’s maiden name which is carried down the line as the middle name for all subsequent first GRANT sons.) By 1891, the couple has two more sons: Fred Lashwood GRANT, age 8, born in Chipstead, Surrey, and Allen D., age 4, also born in Chipstead. Fred, as a Grandfather, is the next direct ancestor. Sometime before 1901, the household of William and Sarah (Alice) moved to Addlestone, Surrey. Fred was going on 18 years old and was a Plumber’s Improver. His brother Allen was an "Front Office Boy" in a Corn Mill (corn can mean any grain). They had a sister, Norah, age 4 and a brother, Frank, age 2. A few years later, Fred would meet Alice GILLINGS. And this brings us to the next direct line of blood ancestors, the GILLINGS.
The beginning of our GILLINGS line starts about 1833 with the birth of William GILLINGS in Thurlaston, Warwickshire. He matches James Grant in generation and thus a 2xGreat Grandfather as well. William was married to Elizabeth BOSWELL, born c1831 in Olney, Buckinghamshire. William also had a sister, Mary Ann GILLINGS. The life trail for William begins with the 1854 birth of his first son, William Henry GILLINGS on the 31st of August, in Willenhall, Warwickshire. This son, the first of nine children born between 1854 and 1871, was almost always called Henry; however, we refer to him as Wm Henry. William, the elder, can be traced all the way to 1901, when he was found living with his wife Elizabeth and their daughter, Amy, her husband and two children. Meanwhile, Wm Henry GRANT, who is the next direct ancestor, had left the family home between 1871 and 1881 sometime after his 16th birthday . It was on 15 March 1881, in Camberwell, Surrey at Emmanuel Church, when Wm Henry married Elizabeth KITELEY, born c1855 in Warwick, Warwickshire. The next year saw the birth of Alice GILLINGS, born on 27 January 1882 in Camberwell. Alice, as a Grandmother, is the next direct ancestor. Wm Henry GRANT stayed in Camberwell for at least ten years, but in that time Elizabeth disappeared and he had a second wife, Sarah. By 1901, he and Sarah had a son, Thomas, 5 years old – Alice’s half brother. However, Alice was no longer part of the household, although being at least 19 years old she may have been away for temporary work.
The ancestries merged sometime after 1901. Fred Lashwood GRANT, age 24 (in the occupation of Plumbing) met Alice GILLINGS, age 25 (Spinster) and they married on 19 August 1907 in Addlestone, Surrey, at St Paul’s Church. Present were her father, William (a Gardener) and Fred’s father, William (a Gardener as well). The Grants lived in Addlestone and the Gillings in Weybridge separated by about two and one-half miles. (Aside: The marriage certificate shows Fred’s name as Fred Dashwood Grant. He was never recorded as Dashwood before and never after this one instance – always Lashwood.) On August 28, 9 days later, Fred boarded the CPR steamship, SS Lake Manitoba, in Liverpool and was on his way to Canada. He arrived in Montréal on September 27th. Alice followed about a year later, on 16 October 1908 when she boarded the CPR steamship, SS Empress of Britain, in Liverpool and arrived in Québec City on October 22nd. It is not known at this time whether he waited for her in Québec or soon after his arrival made his way west. The story picks up the following fall, with the birth of their first son, Cecil Lashwood GRANT, born 7 October 1909 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The family lived in two locations in Winnipeg: first on Beverley Street and then by the 1911 Census on Sherburn Street with three other families. Fred’s occupation at the time was an employee for the Winnipeg Oil Company and then a Shippers for the same company. The next move was in 1912 to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where the second son, David Jack GRANT was born on 19 February 1913. They lived on 2nd Avenue West, which was near the centre of this small prairie town. Fred was still employed as a Shipper for the Winnipeg Oil Company. Sometime between 1914 and 1915, they were on the move one last time. The foursome arrived in Regina in time for the birth of the third son, Ralph James GRANT on 19 January 1916. The family is traced to 1927. However, that portion of the history and subsequent years will be told later in the genealogy search.
Thomas Gerald GRANT Note: Since writing this the parents of Richard and those of his wife have been found. The information is presently being gathered. |
