Main Webpage on the Edwin A. Grimshaw Collection

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Grimshaw, Margaret M., Cambridge, Mass (EAG 2)

19 Garden Street, Apt. 21

Cambridge, Mass. 02138

October 9, 1979

Dear Mr. Grimshaw,

I was born in Providence, Rhode Island, June 4, 1890. My father was born in England and came to New England when young, was buried in Providence, R.I.

As a child I thought grim meant not pleasant and shaw meant wood, which may have been not right (although I was definitely told is was)

I had two older half-brothers, born here, died long ago.

Best wishes for your family tree.

Sincerely yours,

Margaret M. Grimshaw

P.S. You know – at least I’ve been told, that Grimshaw is now the name of many in England.

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Grimshaw, N. C., Bridgewater, Mass (EAG 3)

October 14, 1979

E. A. Grimshaw

My husband (Milton) passed on 3 years ago so I will answer your letter. He also did start tracing the Grimshaws but didn’t keep it up, so I gave all the papers to our son. We only had the one son, but he has 4 sons.

I told my son of your letter so he was interested – said he would write but to get him to move a bit faster, I will send you his address so you can write to him.

Antone C. Grimshaw

135 W. Main St.

Waterbury, Conn 06702

Sincerely,

N. C. Grimshaw

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Grimshaw, Donald, Plymouth, MA 02360 (EAG 4)

Dec 4, 1979

I am sorry for having delayed this so long. Last August, I moved from Boston to Plymouth and have been extremely busy.

As near as I can tell, I have no knowledge of any of the names listed on the other side. Two or three of the names are the same as some of those in my family but the birth dates don’t coincide. My ancestors were born much earlier than any shown on your list.

Sorry I couldn’t help.

Sincerely,

Donald Grimshaw

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Grimshaw, Mary W., Lewiston, Maine (EAG 5)

120 Montelle St.

Lewiston, Maine 04240

10/26/1979

E. A. Grimshaw

Sorry the delay in answer to your request to trace your genealogy. I just got back from Scotland and have traced back to the early 1700, very interesting.

My husband passed away two years ago. Ray Grimshaw, his father came from Canada, mother Minnie Fleetwood from Liverpool, England. I know there is a St in Canada, called Grimshaw. There are also some Grimshaws in New York State. I am sorry can’t give you very much information, but I will forward the information to Ray’s brother in Florida, he may be able to help.

Mr. R. Leon Grimshaw

8020 26^th Ave North

St. Petersburg, Florida 33710

Sincerely,

Mary W. Grimshaw

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Grimshaw, Steve, Augusta, Maine, (EAG 6)

Dear Mr. Grimshaw,

I’m sorry it’s been awhile on writing back but as far as I know, if we’re related the relation must go very far back. All my descendants got here to the new world by way of Canada from Ireland and France. I really don’t know much about where my folks come from but on my fathers side they came from Ireland (which is close enough to England). So as we may or should be related some time way back.) If there are a lot of people with, French decent in your area, we may be related more recently from the old French possessions in the new world. Maine has many people of French Decent at least 150,000 Mainers were born or parents were born in Canada. (World Almanac and book of facts) If you have anymore light on the subject, please write back.

Sincerely,

Steve Grimshaw

\ (Mr. Gary Grimshaw’s Son – Age 15)

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Grimshaw, Stanley R., South China, ME, (EAG-7)

South China, Maine

Oct. 26, 1979

Dear Mr. Grimshaw

I admire your efforts in tracing … our genealogy, but am afraid I have little to offer. Due to a difference [in] our religion, I know very little about my father’s family.

I believe he had a twin brother, at least he had a brother named Joseph, whereabouts unknown. He had two sisters: Elizabeth Welsh [John]; Annie Goodwin [Harry]. Elizabeth lived in Dover, N.H. [She] had a large family, only three that [I] knew. John, Velma & Raymond.

Annie lived in Kennebunk, Maine. [She] had two children, I never met.

My father, John, born 1888, died 1950. My mother, Carrie, born 1891, died 1946. Lived in Augusta most of life.

There were eight members of my family.

Donald, born 1913, wife Alexandria Roussell, son Gary born July 1940.

Mildred Zientara [Thadius], born 1915, no family.

Stanley, 307-17, wife Pauline Hemphill, 5-21-17, daughter, Sandra Thomas, 5-10-44, son, Richard, 11-18-47.

Marjorie Dennett [Donald], born 1919, 5 children.

Jane Cunningham [Damon], 4 boys.

Madeline – unmarried.

Dorothy Hart [Byron], 3 children.

Gail Woodward [Edwin], son Michael, dau Brenda.

Four of us are g-parents, if you want the latest up-date.

Our whole family live in and around Augusta. Afraid I have lost track of the girls birthdates. Since the death of our parents I see very little of the girls, but Donald & I are very close. Perhaps he has some further information for you.

Good luck in your endeavor.

Stanley R. Grimshaw

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Grimshaw, Norman – Rutland, Vt – (EAG 8)

Rutland, Vt

10/16/1979

Dear Mr. Grimshaw,

Recently I received your inquiry concerning your family tree and I was very much interested until I showed it to my mother who is 89 years old this month.

She went over the chart that you sent me, but said that there is no way that the two Grimshaw families are related.

Our Grimshaw family originated in Manchester, England. My father’s father was named Edward and my father was named Hugh Edward. He married my mother who was born in Stowe, Vt and her name was Francis Gates Stockwell.

Sorry I wouldn’t help you more.

Good luck

Regards

Norman Grimshaw

64 Bellevue Ave.

Rutland, Vt 05701

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Grimshaw, Miss Marian, Hawthorne, NJ (EAG-9)

72 May Street

Hawthorne, NJ 07506

Nov. 27 1979

Mr. E.A. Grimshaw

A few lines in reply to your request about the Grimshaws. The Grimshaws originally came from France to England and settled on the Isle of Man. My branch of the family were in the textile business, and came from Lancaster. They settled in Macclesfield about 20 miles from Manchester. My Great Grandfather Hugh Grimshaw and his children were silk manufacturers as were his brothers and their children.

I am enclosing two charts, one of my Great grandfather and one of his brothers. The reason for this is one of Great Grandfather’s brothers and his sons build and ran a silk mill in Paterson New Jersey in 1872. I am also enclosing a small sketch of the Grimshaw coat of arms. I was born in Macclesfield, Eng. myself and would like some idea of where Droylsdon and Strathmore are located.I would like to know if you would be kind enough to send me the name of the place to send for a list of names as I know there are some in Connecticut that are related to us. So as not to give you the impression that I know a great deal about England I was only two years old when I came here. My brother Frederick of Plock Road, Clifton won’t be writing as he doesn’t have any of this data and I told him I was sending it to you. If you could let me know what kind of information you are interested in, I will try to help if I can. P.S. Sorry one of the charts is a little messy, but drop me a line if you need to know more.

Sincerely, yours,

Miss Marian Grimshaw

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Fischer, Edith – Hawthorne, NJ – (EAG 10)

My Dear Miss Grimshaw,

I am sorry to be so slow in answering your letter but I have been very busy.

Please pardon the writing as my eve is giving me a little trouble.

About looking up our ancestors, Grace and I did quite a bit of that some years ago but we didn’t get in to it so thoroughly. I have sent a few things to you which might be of interest but most of our results were about our own family which I don’t think would interest you and I am not able to start again. I just finished making a report for one of my nieces.

I am sending you the name of my neighbors who is interested and might be a help.

Wishing you great success, I am.

Edith Fischer

Neighbor – Mrs. Ellen Grimshaw

May Street

Hawthorne, New Jersey

In the 18^th century, the British took to traveling for pleasure. It was an age of elegance and the British were the wine connoisseurs of Europe. They not only bought the wine but often the vineyards. They often then settled locally and married the daughter of the next vineyard owner. The housed themselves usually have British names like Cockburn, Williams, Dow, etc. The bulk of the wine produced in Jeres or Oporta is made and owned by Anglo-Spanish or Anglo Portuguese. That must be why there are Grimshaws in France now. A cousin of ours met a man who told him that he knew some Grimshaws who lived in France. Two old Aunts told my sister that the Grimshaws came from France with the Huguenots and she said that an ancestor of the Grimshaws sailed with Captain Cook and was killed with him by the natives of Hawaii.

Books by Grimshaws

1. When I Was a Boy in England by Ivan G. Grimshaw 1931

2. Identification of a Patent Making Flat Rope by Machinery by John Grimshaw 1922

3. Fifty Years Hence by Rovert Grimshaw 1892

4. Grimshaw Family by F. Baker (I haven’t that date)
   

My sister found the following material in the New York public library about the Grimshaws.

Local of Grimshaw, some woody place in South Lancashire, called no doubt after the earliest possessor Grim is a surname, common in Lancashire and Yorkshire

Alice Grimshaw of Great Harwood 1579

Grim Saxon, fierce rough warlike.

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Grimshaw, Joyce – Denville, NJ – (EAG 11)

Nov 6, 1979

Dear Mr. Grimshaw,

Received your letter. My husband’s father (Wilfrid) was born in England but he has since died. He kept in contact with people in England but my husband did not, therefore he hasn’t any information other than a name we found in my father-in-law’s address book. Shortly before his death in 1976, we do know that a cousin in England phoned my father-in-law, requesting information. Since he also was attempting to trace family members. They corresponded several times than my father-in-law became ill and died. What they talked & wrote about we do not know (Wilfrid lived in Florida), but we have this mans name and telephone #:

Mr. Edwin Tom Costello

16 Church Rd.

Stanlry, Liverpool I 3

England

Phone# 051-228-3147

Also when our son was born 25 years ago (John) someone from England who did correspond with my mother-in-law sent her info about a John Grimshaw who was an attorney in England, but I can not find this information either.

Sorry we could not have been more of a help to you, but since my husband has no living relatives on Grimshaw Side, I do not known where we can question anyone.

Sincerely yours,

Joyce Grimshaw

14 Horizon Dr.

Denville, NJ

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Grimshaw, M., Rennemede, NJ, (EAG-12)

609 Central Ave.

Runnemede, N.J. 08078

(no date)

E. A. Grimshaw

I’m sorry I can not help you. My husband’s parents were separated before I met him. I will tell you what I know of his family. I am sending your letter to my sister-in-law in Phila. She is the only one living in this family. She said if she can help you she will .write to you. Mrs. Thelma Symnoski.

My father-in-law was:

John Grimshaw – Helen Kippling 4 children

Born 1850 Phila., Pa

Died 1960

Helen Grimshaw – MeGee 1 child, June

Born 11-1906 Phila.

Died

Alice Grimshaw – Mathew Weber No children

Born 5-19-1908 Phila.

Died 5-17-1968 Phila.

Thelma Grimshaw – Stanley Symnoski No children

Born 9-14-1909 Phila

Joseph Grimshaw – Mary Hatfield 1 child, Mary Carole

Born 8-29-16 Phila.

Died 7-30-68

Cousin to John Grimshaw, Samuel Grimshaw, 1 child, Samuel Grimshaw, Jr., 1 child to Jr. – Richard Grimshaw

Sincerely,

Mary C. Grimshaw

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Grimshaw, S. R. – Trenton, NJ – (EAG 13)

Dear E. A. Grimshaw,

I have looked over your charts and I don’t think my branch of the family are related. My side of the family came from Manchester, England about 1870. The name Grimshaw as you may not know means Grim’s Woods, which was the name of this family in England named Grimm. It was later spelled Grimshaw, Shaw being an old English word meaning forest. There is a t present a town in Lancastershire County, England. It was told to me that many people took there name from the town. So you may find many people with the name Grimshaw with that name who are not really related. I guess my family moved from Lancastershire to the city of Manchester and then immigrated to southern Massachusetts and later to Philadelphia, Pa. and parts of New Jersey.

I’m sorry I can’t provide more information but it was nice hearing of your side of the family. There is an interesting family crest also.

Sincerely,

S. R. Grimshaw

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Dixon, Robert A. – Bolton, Connecticut – (EAG 14)

January 21, 1980

Dear Mr. Grimshaw,

Recently my cousin, Norman Grimshaw of Lullow, Vermont, sent me your letter to him which told of your attempt to trace the Grimshaw genealogy. I have reviewed your "family tree" and see no name that I recognize.

I, too, am trying to trace the Grimshaws, but am having difficulty in doing so. My mother was a Grimshaw. Her name was Ada Mary Grimshaw, born September 15, 1892. She married twice to Arthur Dixon and Raymond Barker, and died July 22, 1978. (She was born in Glastonbury, Connecticut). Her father (my grandfather) was Edward Grimshaw who was born April 24, 1857 in Prestich, England. On October 13, 1881, he married Mary Ann Heywood. They had 6 children, Hugh, Walter, Sarah Ellen, May, Clara, and my mother, Ada.

Edward died December 27, 1924 in Hartford, Connecticut and is buried in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

I know that his parents were John and Sarah Walker Grimshaw, but I have been unable to learn any more about them. Letters of inquiry to various people in Prestwich, England have not brought any satisfactory responses.

If you have learned anything of this line of Grimshaws, I’d appreciate your sharing it with me. I, in turn, will keep your "tree" in my file and check it against anything I uncover – and, of course, advise you of any findings.

Thank you – and best wishes,

Robert A. Dixon

17 Rolling Hills Trail

Bolton, Connecticut 06040

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Grimshaw, Agnes C. – Whiting, New Jersey – (EAG 15)

158A Constitution Blvd.

Whiting, New Jersey 08759

October 27, 1979

Dear Mr. Grimshaw,

I doubt if I can be of any help to you in your search for the genealogy of your family. None of the names in your ‘tree’ are familiar to me.

My husband was David Grimshaw who was born in 1908 in Rutherford, New Jersey. (He died in 1952) His father was Thomas, born in Macclesfield, England about 1872. The brothers and sister, that I knew, were John, Joseph, and Annie. They all came to the United States in the early 1900’s. Another brother, David, remained in England, along with 2 or 3 others.

The family of Judge John Grimshaw, who lived in Paterson, New Jersey, was distantly related to my husband’s family.

They were all originally from Macclesfield, or its vicinity where they were connected with the silk business, which they continued in this country.

Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful. If any of this information fits in, I’ll be glad to add any thing more that I can.