William Charles Grimshaw

Immigrant to Nova Scotia from Haydock, Lancashire

Helen Louise (Veal) Grimshaw, William Charles Grimshaw's Wife

Home Page

William Charles Grimshaw was born in 1866 in Haydock, Lancashire (now Merseyside). He served in the 66th Regiment of the Canadian Militia with the rank of Sergeant-Major. The dates of his immigration to Canada and his entry into the Militia have not yet been determined. William married Helen Louise Veal, who was born in Bermuda, so it seems likely that the marriage took place after William left England for Canada. Little is yet known of William's life or his military career. He died of apoplexy at the relatively young age of 54 in 1920 and is buried at Fort Massey Cemetery in Halifax. His wife Helen lived until 1946 and is buried in Camp Hill Cemetery, also in Halifax

William and Helen (Veal) Grimshaw had at least four children - William Charles, Ernest Cecil, Lillian Maud, and James Edward ("Minto") Grimshaw. James Edward married Eileen (last name unknown); this couple is buried in Fairview Lawn cemetery in Halifax as is their son, Robert Thomas Grimshaw. Apparently no descendants of William and Helen (Veal) Grimshaw still live in Halifax, although one grandson, Hugh Grimshaw, lives in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Grandson Hugh Grimshaw lives on Ontario. 

Another immigrant Grimshaw and his wife, Frank and Emily, also lived in Halifax and are buried in Fairview Lawn cemetery. They are described on a companion webpage. William Charles and Frank Grimshaw do not appear to have been related. 

Contents:

Webpage Credits

William Grimshaw Was Recorded in the 1871 and 1881 England Censuses

Photos of William Charles Grimshaw's Wife and Family Members

William Charles Grimshaw Served in the Canadian Militia

Ancestry and Descendant Information for William Charles Grimshaw

Preliminary Ancestry and Descendant Chart of William Charles Grimshaw

Probable Records of Marriage of William and Elizabeth Grimshaw

Where in Lancashire is Haydock, Where William Charles Grimshaw Was Born?

William and Helen Grimshaw's Children

Graves of William Charles Grimshaw and His Wife, Helen Louise Grimshaw, and Their Descendants

Who Was the William Grimshaw Recorded in the 1861 Nova Scotia Census?

References

Thanks go to Gail LeFort-Bignall for posting the information on the Novia Scotia Grimshaws on her website.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/7063/

Thanks also go to Ernest and Hugh, sons of Ernest Cecil Grimshaw, for providing valuable background information on this Grimshaw family line. Hugh provided the photographs of William Charles Grimshaw's wife, Helen, and children.

William Charles Grimshaw was living with his parents, William and Elizabeth (Webster) Grimshaw, at St Helen in Lancashire as shown in the following record.

Source: "England and Wales Census, 1871," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VBF2-34B: accessed 10 Aug 2013), William Grimshaw in entry for William Grimshaw, 1871

Ten years later, in 1881, Elizabeth Webster had passed away.

Source: "England and Wales Census, 1881," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XQ61-WW3 : accessed 10 Aug 2013), William Grimshaw, 1881.

Helen (Veal) Grimshaw, wife of William Grimshaw, is shown in the photo below. The data of the photo is not known. 

The following photo was apparently taken at the time of William's death in 1920 and includes, from left to right, Lillian, William Charles (Junior), Helen (William's wife), and James (Minto) Grimshaw.

Thanks go to Ernie Grimshaw (William and Helen Grimshaw's grandson) for providing the above photos. 

William Charles Grimshaw served in the 66th Regiment of the Canadian Militia as a Sergeant-Major as shown in the record below.

In memory of

Sergeant Major

WILLIAM CHARLES GRIMSHAW

who died on July 12, 1920

Military Service:

Age: 54

Force: Army

Unit: Canadian Militia

Division: 66th Regt.

Additional Information:

Son of William and Elizabeth Grimshaw (nee Webster). Husband of Mrs. H. L. Grimshaw of Halifax.

Commemorated on Page 549 of the First World War Book of Remembrance. [See image below.]

Burial Information:

Cemetery:

FORT MASSEY CEMETERY (HALIFAX)

Nova Scotia,Canada

Grave Reference: S. G.

Location: Fort Massey Cemetery is located at the junction of Queen and South Streets in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is bounded to the west by Holy Cross Cemetery.

The Fort Massey Cemetery was established c. 1778, in conjunction with Fort Massey, to serve as a burial place for the garrison of the Fort. Today it contains the remains of those who served in Canada's military as well as the remains soldiers dating back to the British occupation of Halifax. In some cases relatives of military personnel and certain civilians, who had involvement with the military, were also interred there. Fort Massey Cemetery is significant for it's long history of providing a resting place for military dead.

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Source: 

http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem/Detail&casualty=2755143

William Grimshaw's service is also recorded in the document below from the First World War Book of Remembrance

Information for this webpage began with Gail Bignall's ancestor and descendant information for William Charles Grimshaw. Additional sources are from the Ancestry.com website.

Much of the information on this webpage is from a website by Gail LeFort-Bignall and is summarized below in a somewhat rearranged format.

Soruce: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/7063/wga2.html#I140

 

Grimshaw, Wiliam (*1831 - )

spouse: Webster, Elizabeth (*1835 - )

----------child: Grimshaw, William Charles. (1866 - 1920)

 

Webster, Elizabeth (*1835 - )

spouse: Grimshaw, Wiliam (*1831 - )

----------child: Grimshaw, William Charles. (1866 - 1920)

 

Grimshaw, William Charles. (1866 - 1920)

b. 7 JAN 1866 in Surrey, England

d. 12 JUL 1920 in Halifax NS

father: Grimshaw, Wiliam(*1831 - )

mother: Webster, Elizabeth(*1835 - )

spouse: Veal, Helen Louise (*1868 - )

----------child: Grimshaw, Lillian (1898 - 1975)

----------child: Grimshaw, William (*1900 - )

----------child: Grimshaw, Minto (*1900 - )

----------child: Grimshaw, Ernest Cecil (*1900 - )

 

Veil, Helen Louise (*1868 - )

spouse: Grimshaw, William Charles. (1866 - 1920)

----------child: Grimshaw, Lillian (1898 - 1975)

----------child: Grimshaw, William (*1900 - )

----------child: Grimshaw, Minto (*1900 - )

----------child: Grimshaw, Ernest Cecil (*1900 - )

 

Grimshaw, Lillian (1898 - 1975)

b. 28 FEB 1898

d. 28 MAR 1975 in Delta York PA.

father: Grimshaw, William Charles.(1866 - 1920)

mother: Veal, Helen Louise(*1868 - )

spouse: LeFort, Barnabe' (1895 - )

- m. 15 FEB 1917 in Halifax

----------child: LeFort, William Ernest (1917 - 1991)

spouse: Billings, Albert D. (1893 - 1962)

- m. BEF 1 DEC 1943

 

LeFort, Barnabe' (1895 - )

b. 12 JUN 1895 in Cheticamp Cape Breton NS

father: LeFort, Marcelin(1861 - )

mother: Delaney, Cecile(1863 - 1917)

spouse: Grimshaw, Lillian (1898 - 1975)

- m. 15 FEB 1917 in Halifax

----------child: LeFort, William Ernest (1917 - 1991)

 

Billings, Albert D. (1893 - 1962)

b. 17 DEC 1893 in Maine

d. 30 JUN 1962 in WATERVILLE Maine

father: Billings, George P.(*1862 - )

mother: Chase, ELNORA(1867 - )

spouse: Myers, BERTHA (*1897 - 1993)

spouse: Grimshaw, Lillian (1898 - 1975)

- m. BEF 1 DEC 1943

 

LeFort, William Ernest (1917 - 1991)

b. 23 JUL 1917 in Halifax N.S.

d. 14 JUN 1991 in Dartmouth N.S.

father: LeFort, Barnabe'(1895 - )

mother: Grimshaw, Lillian(1898 - 1975)

spouse: White, Mary (1920 - 1990)

- m. in St. Georges Church Ang.

----------child: private

----------child: LeFort, Donald Rupert (1942 - 1997)

----------child: private

----------child: private

----------child: private

----------child: private

----------child: LeFort, Shirley (1948 - 1949)

----------child: private

----------child: private

----------child: private

----------child: private

----------child: private

 

White, Mary (1920 - 1990)

b. 31 JUL 1920 in Halifax N.S.

d. 17 JAN 1990 in Dartmouth N.S.

father: White, John(1895 - 1957)

mother: Pate, Honora Margarite Pottie(1895 - 1972)

spouse: LeFort, William Ernest (1917 - 1991)

- m. in St. Georges Church Ang.

----------child: private

----------child: LeFort, Donald Rupert (1942 - 1997)

----------child: private

----------child: private

----------child: private

----------child: private

----------child: LeFort, Shirley (1948 - 1949)

----------child: private

----------child: private

----------child: private

----------child: private

----------child: private

 

Grimshaw, William (*1900 - )

father: Grimshaw, William Charles.(1866 - 1920)

mother: Veal, Helen Louise(*1868 - )

 

Grimshaw, Minto (*1900 - )

father: Grimshaw, William Charles.(1866 - 1920)

mother: Veal, Helen Louise(*1868 - )

 

Grimshaw, Ernest Cecil (*1900 - )

b. in Halifax NS

father: Grimshaw, William Charles.(1866 - 1920)

mother: Veal, Helen Louise(*1868 - )

 

Gail also made a couple of postings on the Rootsweb website:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~canns/nsqueries.html

Date: Mar 17, 1997

Name: Gail Bignell

E-Mail: gyspy@brunnet.net

Counties: Halifax, Inverness, Richmond

Surnames: POTTIE / WHITE / GRIMSHAW / LEFORT

Query: I am looking for any information on these families...Nora POTTIE was born in L'Ardios. Not sure what the dates are but it had to be between 1890-1900. She was also a twin if that helps..She married a John White and lived in Halifax after her marriage. She had 9 children.

The LEFORT name is my fathers name his father married a Lillian GRIMSHAW. His name was Barnaby LEFORT. I don't know anything else about them except that Lillian GRIMSHAW remarried a man named BILLINGS and lived in Dalta PA USA. Lillian had two children by this second marriage. If anyone has any info on these families I would love to hear from them...Thanks very much.

 

http://www.rootsweb.com/~canns/nsqueries3.html

Date: February 3, 1998

Name: Gail Bignell

E-Mail: gyspy@brunnet.net

Counties: Unknown, Halifax

Surnames: GRIMSHAW / VEAL / LeFORT

Query: Looking for info on my Grandmother and her family. Her name was Lillian GRIMSHAW b. Feb. 28 1898 d.Mar.1975 married Feb. 15 1917 to Barnabe LeFORT b Jun 12 1895 Cheticamp NS. Her Father's name William GRIMSHAW, Mother's name Louisa VEAL, Lillian was born in Halifax, NS. I'm looking for info on her Parents. If you can help please email me Thank you.

Records for William and Elizabeth (Webster) Grimshaw on Ancestry.com

The Webster Richardson family tree on Ancestry.com (http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/24265365/person/12736155972) has a great deal of information on William Charles Grimshaw's parents and siblings, including the second family of his father, who married Mary Murphy. 

The information in the previous section provides the basis for a preliminary descendant chart.This  information, augmented with information from Ernest and Hugh Grimshaw, searches of Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics, and several other sources leads to the following provisional descendant information for William and Elizabeth Grimshaw.

William Grimshaw* (1831 - ) & Elizabeth Webster (1841, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire - ). Married 24 or 25 Oct 1859, St Nicholas, Liverpool, Lancashire.

|-----Mary Grimshaw (ca 1861 - ?)

|-----Ellen Grimshaw (ca 1864 - ?)

|-----William Charles Grimshaw (2 Jan 1866, Haydock, Lancashire - 12 Jul 1920, Halifax, NS) & Helen Louise Veal or Viel (6 Dec 1872, Hamilton, Bermuda - 18 Feb 1946, Yarmouth, NS)

|-----|-----William Charles Grimshaw (20 Jul 1894, Halifax, NS - 7 Oct 1943, Liverpool, NB) & Ida May Wynacht (13 Nov 1897, Milton, Queens, NS - 3 Apr 1985). Married 18 Dec 1920, Halifax, NS

|-----|-----Ernest Cecil Grimshaw (21 Apr 1896, Halifax, NS - 31 Jan 1960, Yarmouth, NS) & Edna Pearle Wade (ca 1900 - ?). Married 5 Sep 1923, Bridgetown, NS.

|-----|-----|-----stillborn Grimshaw (13 Dec 1924, Bridgetown, NS)

|-----|-----|-----Dorothy ("Bonnie") Evangeline Grimshaw (19 Aug 1926 - 2 Sep 1983) & George ("Mel") Doucette

|-----|-----|-----Marion Ernestine Grimshaw (22 Feb 1929 - 26 Jan 1991) & Arnold Cook

|-----|-----|-----Ernest Grimshaw (19 Jun 1931, Yarmouth, NS - ) & Charlene ("Chick") Hyson

|-----|-----|-----Hugh Grimshaw (4 Jun 1938, Yarmouth, NS - ) & Euphemia Ann Cook

|-----|-----Lillian Maud Grimshaw* (28 Feb 1898, Halifax, NS - 28 Mar 1975, Delta York, PA) & Barnaby LeFort (12 Jun 1895, Cheticamp, NS - ). Married 15 Feb 1917 in Halifax, NS.

|-----|-----|-----William Ernest LeFort (23 Jul 1917, Halifax, NS - 14 Jun 1991, Dartmouth, NS) & Mary White (31 Jul 1920, Halifax, NS - 17 Jan 1990, Datrmouth, NS)

|-----|-----|-----|-----private LeFort

|-----|-----|-----|-----Donald Rupert LeFort (1942 - 1997)

|-----|-----|-----|-----private LeFort

|-----|-----|-----|-----private LeFort

|-----|-----|-----|-----private LeFort

|-----|-----|-----|-----private LeFort

|-----|-----|-----|-----Shirley LeFort (1948 - 1949)

|-----|-----|-----|-----private LeFort

|-----|-----|-----|-----private LeFort

|-----|-----|-----|-----private LeFort

|-----|-----|-----|-----private LeFort

|-----|-----|-----|-----private LeFort

|-----|-----Lillian Maud Grimshaw* (28 Feb 1898 - 28 Mar 1975, Delta York, PA) & Albert Dodge Billings (17 Dec 1893, Maine - 30 Jun 1962, Waterville, ME)

|-----|-----|-----unknown Billings

|-----|-----|-----unknown Billings

|-----|-----James Edward ("Minto") Grimshaw (26 Jul 1901 - 20 March 1960) & Eileen ? (1912 - ca 14 May 2001)

|-----|-----|-----Robert Thomas Grimshaw* (1929 - ca 2 Oct 1995) & Hilda unknown

|-----|-----|-----|-----Heather Grimshaw

|-----|-----|-----Robert Thomas Grimshaw* (ca 1931 - ca 2 Oct 1995) & Ruth Stone

|-----|-----|-----Jeanne Grimshaw* & unknown Peason

|-----|-----|-----Shirley Grimshaw & unknown Johnson

|-----|-----Frank Grimshaw (1901 - ca 18 Nov 1963) & Margaret Emily ? (1901 - ca 11 Mar 1970) [Possible descendant, not yet confirmed]

|-----|-----stillborn Grimshaw (7 Nov 1908, Halifax, NS)

|-----Sarah Grimshaw (ca 1870 - ?)

|-----Edwin Grimshaw (ca 1872 - ?)

|-----John Grimshaw (ca 1873 - ?)

|-----Josephine Grimshaw (ca 1874 - ?)

|-----James Grimshaw (ca 1876 - ?)

|-----Ellen Grimshaw ?

William Grimshaw* (1831 - ) & Mary Murphy (1855, Ireland - )

|-----Maude B Grimshaw

|-----Samuel B Grimshaw

|-----Mabel Grimshaw

Note: Records from Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics were used for Stillborn Grimshaw (b. 1908), William and Ida Wynacht marriage, James Edward Grimshaw, Robert Grimshaw, and several others (total of 10 records).

Two records have been found on FamilySearch.org of the probable 1859 marriage of William Grimshaw and Elizabeth Webster in Lancashire or (less likely) Cheshire. The evidence for this being a correct record is the exactness of both names, the marriageable age of both (ages 28 and 24, respectively), and the birthdate of son William Charles Grimshaw a few years later (2 Jan 1866).

Record 1

Record 2

Haydock is indicated by the red marker "A" below. It approximately halfway between Manchester and Liverpool. St. Helens can also be seen on the map.

Information and photos for the children of William and Helen Grimshaw are provided below.

The following information on one of the sons of William Charles and Helen Louise Grimshaw was found on FamilySearch.org.

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp

IGI Individual Record FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0

North America

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

William Charles Grimshaw

Male

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Event(s):

Birth: 20 JUL 1894 Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Christening:

Death: 07 OCT 1943

Burial:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Messages:

Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church. No additional information is available. Ancestral File may list the same family and the submitter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source Information: No source information is available.

 

 

IGI Individual Record FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0

North America

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

William Charles Grimshaw

Male Family

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Event(s):

Birth: 20 JUL 1894 Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Christening:

Death: 07 OCT 1943

Burial:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marriages:

Spouse: Ida May Wynacht Family

Marriage: 1938 Liverpool, Queens, Nova Scotia

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Messages:

Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church. No additional information is available. Ancestral File may list the same family and the submitter.

 

 

IGI Individual Record FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0

North America

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ida May Wynacht

Female Family

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Event(s):

Birth: 13 NOV 1897 Milton, Queens, Nova Scotia

Christening:

Death: 03 APR 1985

Burial:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marriages:

Spouse: William Charles Grimshaw Family

Marriage: 1938 Liverpool, Queens, Nova Scotia

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Messages:

Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church. No additional information is available. Ancestral File may list the same family and the submitter.

Ernest Cecil Grimshaw, Second Child of William and Helen Grimshaw, and Edna Pearl (Wade) Grimshaw

Ernest Cecil Grimshaw's Obituary in a Halifax Newspaper, February 1, 1960

Ernets Grimshaw's gravestone is in Mountain Cemetery, Yarmouth, NS

James ("Minto") Grimshaw with Daughter Shirley

A photo of William Charles Grimshaw's gravestone was found on a website and is shown below. William is buried in Fort Massey Cemetery in Halifax, and Helen's grave is in Camp Hill Cemetery, also in Halifax.

Source: http://twgpp.org/information.php?id=1675408

The photo is described as follows on the website:

Cemetery: Halifax (Fort Massey) Cemetery
Country: Canada
Area: Nova Scotia
Rank: Sergeant Major
Official Number:
Unit: 66th Regt. Canadian Militia
Force: Army
Nationality: Canadian
Details:
Died of apoplexy 12/07/20 Age 54 S. G. Son of the late William and Elizabeth Grimshaw (nee Webster); husband of Mrs. H. L. Grimshaw, of 48, Cornwallis St., Halifax, Nova Scotia.

William's wife, Helen Louise (Veal) Grimshaw, is buried at Camp Hill Cemetery in Halifax (Division 2, Location 2G). Pictures of her headstone are shown below, with a more distant picture first (gravestone on the right), followed by a back view and front view. The back of the headstone is quite clear, but the front has weathered to such an extent that it can no longer be read. Careful examination shows the beginnings of "Grimshaw" ("GR") on the upper left corner, and the number "7" further down and on the right side. The "S/M" in the inscription is for "Sergeant/Major". The photos were taken by the website author during a visit to Halifax in June 2012.

William and Elizabeth Grimshaw's grandchild, James Edward, is buried in Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia. In addition one great-grandchild, Robert Thomas Grimshaw (son of James Edward and Eileen Grimshaw), is buried in the same cemetery. Photos of the gravestones were taken by the website author during a visit to Halifax in June 2012.

James Edward and Eileen Frances Grimshaw (Location 7D, Lot 217)

Robert Thomas Grimshaw, Son of James and Eileen Grimshaw (Location 8A, Lot 60-A)

A record on FamilySearch found a William Grimshaw that was recorded in Halifax in the 1861 census. Since William was born in 1866, he was not yet born in 1861. On the other hand, William's father, William Grimshaw who married first Elizabeth Webster and then Mary Murphy seems not to have emigrated from England, but remained in his birthplace in Haydock. The census record, shown below, remains a mystery at this time. 

¹Author

²Author

Home Page

Webpage posted January 2007. Updated June 2012 with addition of grave photo of William Charles Grimshaw and probable marriage record of William and Elizabeth Grimshaw. Also, several grave photos obtained during a visit to Halifax. Finally, the explanatory text was added to finalize the webpage in June 2012. Updated July 2012 with change of immigrant from William, who Elizabeth Webster to William Charles Grimshaw, who married Helen Veal. Also with addition of photos of Helen and children from Ernest Grimshaw.