GREENHAM/GRINHAM FAMIIES

NOTE: the surname appears in both spellings - GREENHAM and GRINHAM - it is the same family.


Other researchers have followed various members of this family - I saw where there was no information on Louisa and enjoyed chasing up and finding the following on her. (Research done June/July/August 2008). She was the 8th known of Charles and Elizabeth Greenham's children.

A BIT ABOUT CHARLES GREENHAM AND ELIZABETH NEE HOCKEY OF CHARLTON ADAM, SOMERSETSHIRE, ENGLAND.

A very moving letter follows. It was written in 1854 by both Charles and Elizabeth to their sons Charles and George who had emigrated to Australia :

NOTE: Spelling and grammar as in typed copy of letter sent to me by a SEALEY descendant. Barb O'Neil

The following is a copy of a letter addressed to:

Mr George Grinham
Portland Bay
New South Wales
Australia

Charlton Adam, near Somerton, Somersetshire, England, 2nd April, 1854

My dear Children and Grandchildren,
This sweet Embracement I take once more, with the greatest Pleasure, Delight and Comfort of mind, sould and body. I take my pen in hand, to drop you, my dear Children, a few lines Earnestly hoping it will meet you in Good Health, as it leaves us at the present time. Ah you little think what Joy it gives your poor old Mother and me to hear from any of you, my dear Children, and I also hope that for the Future you will send word Oftener, as the Journey from us to you can now be Accomplished in three months. So you see it is just Half the difference in the time to what is was when you and William went out. Now my dear Children, to Commence, I am Happy to hear that you are all so Comfortably Settled in Life. It is All of gods great mercy. I see in your letter you have drays, oxen, cows, fruit trees, gooseberry bushes and a pretty little flower Garden. God give you all Health and Happiness to enjoy it, for then Sweet will be the bud, and likewise the flower, when gathered in full Bloom. I am highly pleased with the sight of the colour of my grandchildren's hair, but dearly would like to see the substance of my grandchildren. But I must be Content to see only their Hair. I should very much like to be in that Colony with you my dear Boys and girls and grandchildren. I see also that my dear boy wants to know his age, so I will give him his Age, likewise his fathers and his mothers and all his brothers and sisters ages.

Your father Charles Greenham was born 25th February 1797
Your mother Elizabeth Greenham 15th August, 1797
And their children:
George Greenham was born 21st February 1819
Jane Greenham 23rd July 1820
William Greenham 27th February 1822
Isabella Greenham 10th March 1824
Elizabeth Greenham 14th February 1826
Charles Greenham 20th September 1828
Gerard Greenham 4th July 1830
Louisa Greenham 20th July 1832 see Louisa's story below.
Mary Greenham 1st March 1834
Isreal Greenham 3rd November 1836
Lucy Greenham 29th January 1839

Now you will be able to tell all your Ages. I observed in your letter that George and Charles would pay for Isreals and Gerards voyages if they would like to come to your Colony. As for Isreal, I can Answer for him myself, for he is Home with us. I have been Showing him the Trade this last three years, and he is Always keeping on about going to Australia, and in Particular this last twelve months. So he will gladly Accept your kind offer, and he will Work that out with you against when he doth reach your Port. It doth cost 25 pound for a passage to Australia and you can send for him as quick as you Please, for he shall be at your Command at an hours Notice for it will be no trouble for him to get Reddy for he is always in readiness to go to his Brothers. I observe that you and Charles family are not Living very far Apart which doth make it more Comfortable, I hope, for both families. As for Charles wife, I met her when she was Living at Bailey's the Shopkeepers at Charlton. She seemed to be a little industrious clean woman. I used to Joke with her that I would recommend her to a Sweetheart some day, little thinking that my son Charles was the very Sweetheart for her. For so it is and I am glad it is so, and I hope they will be happy together and be possessed with many pretty Children, for it is no Long a family that makes a man poor, But it is a Long Lazy family. I am working at Mary Fitzpain for H. Shute Esq. at the Low wages of two shillings a day. This is a great Contrast from your country's wages. A man of my abilities could do Well if once I could get there. I have some faint thoughts the I shall see you all Some Day. This letter is Carried towards you by favour of one Uriah Arthuer of Cary Fitzpain now Starting from the place where I myself Doth work. So if any of my dear Children should happen to fall in with this man Uriah Arthuer he will be able to tell you about us for he doth start from Mary Fitzpain. So as I observed that the two wives wrote these letters, and so I suppose that they live handy together. And so if I should not be able to write directly to my son Charles and my daughter (in law) Susan that perhaps you will read this letter to him. For I have not had very much time for writing. But your Mother is going to finish this Letter with some of her Scribel for she has I consider aplenty of time to write a Letter as long as my Leg. As for Gerard, you may depend on it that he will never have the Heart to go to Australia, for if a person was to pay his Passage and give him money into the Bargain, I do not think they could Prevail with him to go to sea. So he is a Proper Land Solger, and another thing too, that he has a Great Swob of a woman that he doth hang about her. I daresay that my daughter Susan doth know the Cock eyed Covey for she is the one from Kingsdon by the name of Mary Ann Sansem a good for nothing except it is to Eat and Drink. I will just tell you a few that have Died this last twelve months. Parson Brymer and his wife are both dead. Young Robert Hallet and Frederick Francis the ... are Dead and a great number of people have been ill this last twelve months. That rank of old Buildings just below our place that belonged to old Mr Hockey was all Burnt Down last Summer. There are new School rooms builded at the top of Chearchells. To make you understand the position it is at the top of Mill Hill towards the Charlton Church. Your Mother has written on one side of this paper I see, while I have been to my Daily Work. Mrs Somers has got nothing but outdoor Sizens at this time of the year. William Hockey still lives at the Grey Hound Inn and is in Good Health. Young Bill Somers the Stone Mason and his wife are gone to America. Please give all my Grandchildren a Hearty Good Kiss from me and tell them I hope to see them one day God willing. Now my dear Children and Grandchildren I must bid you Farewell at present. Please answer this letter as soon as possible. Yes, my dear daughter, I do know Manchester. I send Grandmother's present for little Tean. I remain you ever Loving and Affectionate Father Charles Greenham, Carpenter and Joiner, Charlton Adam, near Somerton, Somersetshire, England.
Goodbye for the Present.

My dear Children, it is with much pleasure that I write you these lines hoping they will meet with you approbation. I am happy to inform you that we received your kind and welcome letter, and my dear little Grandchildrens hair. I am very glad you sent it to me. I prize it more than gold. Please to give the Dear Babes a kiss for me and tell them Grandmother hopes to meet them all in heaven. My dear Children I should be very glad to see you all once more in the body, but as that is not likely at the present, it is my daily prayer to God that I might meet you all in glory to part no more forever. Bless God I have a strong hope I shall meet you there my dear children. I am very thankful to hear that God doth bless you with so many temporal blessings. I would to God you are enjoying his spiritual blessings my dear Children. Nothing would give your poor old mother so much Comfort as to hear you were all running the want of Gods comman and offering all your works to him. I pray God he may give you all the graces of the Holy Spirit and enable you so to do. I have to inform you that your sister Louisa has two children a boy and a girl. They are living in London. Likewise your sister Mary is married in London to a carpenter who has work in London. His name is Sealey. They all give their kind love to you and likewise Gerard and Isreal, and your Aunty Fanny and your Uncle John and Aunty Patty. And all your relatives give their kind love to you all. No more at the present from your ever loving mother.
Goodbye, God bless you my children.
Elizabeth Greenham.


NOTE: the following was on the bottom of the typed letter:
(Uriah ARTHUR and his wife Elizabeth arrived on the "MARSHALL BENNETT" at Geelong, August 11, 1854. Uriah and Elizabeth came from Cary Fitzpaine, a small village in the parish of Charlton Mackerel, which had been a manor in ancient times. It took its name from the river Cary and the Fitzpaine family who owned it. This letter was written only a month before George and Mary embarked for Australia and interestingly Uriah and his wife arrived a few days after Mary and George, so the letter came at the same time almost as the Sealeys. If Mary and George were living in London as Elizabeth suggests, it is possible there was very little communication between the families. Those at home in Charlton Adam may not have known of Mary's intentions to emigrate at the time of writing.)

NOTE: A lovely letter and with so much information - a great boon to anyone researching this family....! And how wonderful to realise that not that long afterwards they were to be reunited with their sons and their families in Australia.

We can't even begin to understand what it must have been like for families to be separated in this way, often with no prospects of ever meeting again.


Charles and Elizabeth left Liverpool 27/2/1855 aboard the "MERMAID" arriving in Melbourne in May 1855.

AND THEIR CHILDREN -

George Grinham m. Mary Watmough 1848 in Australia. He arrived Port Phillip in 1844 having migrated first to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) on the ship "ARAB" (possibly 1841..?) NOTE: I have not seen any record of the voyage aboard the ship "ARAB". With him was his brother William. After arriving in Melbourne the brothers established a meat marketing business, possibly still in operation under the family name in 2004? NOTE: This information passed on to me by another Greenham/Grinham researcher - no documentation seen by me. (From Tas. Archives online - Greenham, George - Passenger "SWAN" Dep. 11 September 1845 - George Town, Hobart- Destination: Port Phillip CSO95/1/1 p288).

Jane Greenham - left Liverpool 27/2/1855 aboard the "MERMAID" with parents Charles & Elizabeth, brother Isreal and possible son William aged 6. Arrived in Melbourne in May 1855.

(not a child of Charles and Elizabeth) - William Greenham aged 6. Left Liverpool 27/2/1855 aboard the "MERMAID" with Charles & Elizabeth, Jane and Isreal. (Possibly a son of Jane? She was not married). Arrived in Melbourne in May 1855.

William Greenham m. Mary Ann Coleman 1850 in Australia. Arrived Port Phillip in 1844 having migrated first to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) on the ship "ARAB" (possibly 1841..?). NOTE: I have not seen any record of William's arrival on either "SWAN" or "ARAB".

Isabella Greenham d. 1848 England

Elizabeth Greenham d. 1847 England

Charles Greenham m. Susannah Ford 1849 in Australia. Arrived Australia on "BRITISH EMPIRE" 6/6/1849 NSW State records online.

Gerard Greenham no marriage found, but m. Mary Ann Sansem in England. (family shown on 1861 census in Kingsdon, District of Wells: Jerod - Ag. Lab., wife Mary A, children Elizabeth and Charles.

Louisa Greenham m. John Kight 1852 in England.See Louisa's story below.

NOTE: Information on the movements of Louisa follow at the end of the list of children of Charles and Elizabeth Greenham.

Mary Grinham m. George Sealey. Shortly after their marriage George & Mary sailed from Liverpool 24 May 1854 on the "OCEAN CHIEF", landed in Melbourne Aug. 7th 1854.

Israel Greenham m. Margrey McNiel 27/7/1857 in Sandford, Vic., Australia. Left Liverpool 27/2/1855 aboard the "MERMAID" with parents Charles & Elizabeth. Arrived in Melbourne in May 1855. Marriage details from Lamont family bible (per J Smith).

Lucy Greenham d. June 1841 Somerset, England.

NOW WE LOOK AT WHAT LOUISA WAS UP TO BETWEEN 1841 AND HER DEATH IN 1906.

Louisa Grinham was born 20 July 1832 at Charlton Adam, Somerset.

She is on the 1841 census, age 10, living in Charlton Village, Somerset with her parents Charles and Elizabeth Greenham, and siblings Charles 12, Mary 7, Israel 4 and Lucy 2. Her father is a carpenter/joiner.

By 1851 Louisa is to be found at 15 Eastbourne Terrace, Paddington, London. She is still single. At the same address is James Hunter, age 62, also unmarried - occupation Colonial Service. He was born London. (There is no description for Louisa in the "Occupation" column).

On 11 August 1852 Louisa married John Kight, carpenter and joiner, bachelor, at the Office of the Superintendent Registrar, Kensington, London. Her residence at that time was 22 Westbourne Grove, Paddington, as was that of John Kight. John's father was Thomas Kight, farmer. Witnesses at the marriage were Louisa's father Charles Grinham and Mary Grinham, sister of Louisa.

Birth of a daughter Matilda was registered at Kensington in the April/May/Jun quarter of 1852. In April/May/Jun quarter of 1853 a son Charles was registered at Marylebone.

Louisa's sister Mary Grinham married George Sealey at St James Church, Westbourne Grove, Bayswater, London on 21 August 1853. Mary and George emigrated to Australia.

In the letter written by Louisa's father Charles and mother Elizabeth on 2nd April, 1854 to their sons George and Charles who had already emigrated to Australia, they mention "I have to inform you that your sister Louisa has two children a boy and a girl. They are living in London."

This information fits in beautifully with the above details.

The birth of a further child, John was registered in Kensington in the Dec. quarter of 1854.

There is a death registered for Francis John Kight in the March quarter of 1860 - this may or may not be the same child...but he is not shown again on the later census returns. There is a birth for Frances Lytten Kight registered in the December quarter of 1860 in Kensington.

On the 1861 census John and Louisa are living at 31 Elgin Crescent, Kensington with their children Matilda 9, Charles 8, Frederic 5, Walter 3, Francis 6 months - also Sarah Allen and James ..?, house servants. The family is living in the home of James Hunter, age 70, born Middlesex - the same gentleman Louisa was shown with in 1851, though so far there is no information on the connection between them. His occupation is hard to read - it appears to have been "retired" which has been crossed out and replaced by the initials "N.S." - possibly "Not Stated"..?

At the time Louisa was at the same address as James Hunter, (in 1851) her future husband John Kight was listed as being at 45 Brindley St, St Mary, Paddington. He is 19, born South Cerney, Gloucestershire, is unmarried and is a visitor to the household. His occupation is shown as carpenter. He was visiting Wm Oliver also a carpenter, wife Sarah and children Hanna and Wlm. This appears to be the home of John Kight's sister Sarah, as Sarah Kight married William Olliver in 1846 in Marylebone. Sarah was also born South Cerney, Gloucestershire.

In 1871 John, (now shown as "Head" of household), Louisa and children Matilda 18, Charles 17, Lytton (son) 10, Louise 8, Clara 1½ and Percy 5 months are still living with James Hunter, now aged 90, gentleman, unmarried and interestingly shown as Father-in-law, in Charlton Villa, Grange Road, Ealing.

James Hunter's Will was made in 1869 and it's interesting to see that between the 1861 census when the occupation for John Kight was carpenter and joiner, and 1871, it has altered to "gentleman". Was the mystery man a benefactor, relative of some kind or what...? Louisa was his testatrix.

He died 7 May 1874 leaving his estate to Louisa. Effects under £100 (UK).

In 1881 John now 49, Louisa 48 and children Albert 17 (single) and Percy 10 are residing in Grange Rd., St Mary, Ealing. John has no occupation shown, but there is a cook and domestic servant Fanny James, Ann Hutchins cook and domestic servant and Eliza Isles housemaid and domestic servant in the household.

Not bad for a chap aged 49...!

1891 finds John, "living on own means" and Louisa at 2 Rose Villas, Uxbridge Road, Ealing. There is another person Delila Florence Attwood age 40 - no occupation shown - possibly a servant..?

In 1901 John 69 and Louisa 68 are at 8 Mt Park Rd., Ealing - also shown is Alice Mary Barrett, ladies' companion.

There is a death registered for Louisa Kight age 74 in Brentford in the December quarter of 1906.

(Further information added January 2015 - England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966 for Louisa Kight (www.ancestry.com) states -

KIGHT, Louisa of 9 Mount Park-road, Ealing Middlesex widow died 6 November 1906 Probate London 17 January to Samuel Walker auctioneer Effects £9,198 10s 4d. This grant has ceased. Another grant August 1907.
KIGHT, Louisa of the "Rest", 9 Mount Park-road, Ealing Middlesex widow died 6 November 1906 Probate London 8 August to John Battams solicitor Effects £9,198 10s 4d. Former grant 17 January 1907.

£9,198 10s 4d - WOW!

I had originally suggested the following re her husband John:
Her death is followed not many years after when John Kight 72 is registered at Cirencester, Gloucester in the June quarter of 1910. The age is out a few years so this may or may not be Louisa's husband...

However the Probate for Louisa shows her to be a widow in November 1906.......


CHILDREN OF JOHN KIGHT AND LOUISA NEE GRINHAM
Those shown in italics are possible/probable, but not shown on census and not researched any further.

Matilda 1852 - on 1871 census with parents age 18
Charles 1853 - on 1871 census with parents age 17
John 1854
Frederic (b. c1856) - on 1861 census with parents age 5 (BD&M index Frederick KNIGHT Mar 1856 Brentford)
Francis John Birth Sep 1857 Kensington. Death March 1860 Kensington
Walter Dec 1858 - on 1861 census with parents age 3
Frances Lytten Dec 1860 - on 1871 census with parents age 10
John Louis Dec 1862 Brentford
Louise (b. c1863) - on 1871 census with parents age 8
Albert Edward June 1864 Brentford - on 1881 census with parents age 17
Mary Louisa June 1867 Brentford. Death (3) March 1870 Brentford
Clara Agnes Dec 1869 Brentford - on 1871 census with parents age 1½.Death (5) Dec 1874 Brentford
Percy Douglas March 1871 Brentford - on 1881 census with parents age 10
Mary Louisa M June 1872 Brentford. Death (0) Sep 1872 Brentford



So from knowing nothing about Louisa there is now a sketchy outline of where she was, who she was with and what she was up to during her 74 years.



Louisa's connection to that of my husband's line is:

Louisa's brother Charles married Susannah Ford. Their daughter Louisa Mary Grinham married John Francis McSheehy.

John Francis McSheehy was the younger brother of Ellen Agnes McSheehy who married Michael O'Neil (my husband Dennis' Great grandfather).

Louisa Grinham was the Aunt of Louisa Mary Grinham. While there is no blood relationship as far as my husband is concerned, there is a definite connection and it was a real challenge researching her past!

If anyone has further details I would be delighted to hear from you.



Names, dates and information are presented with the best intentions.
Family history being what it is, although much time, effort and
money is expended, we can never know it all!



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