John Grimshaw was descended from the Edward and Dorothy (Raner) Grimshaw line of Quakers. He and his wife, Margaret, were from Holbeck, near Leeds. They emigrated to the U.S. in 1803 and settled in Dutchess County, New York, where John was engaged in woolen manufacture. Subsequently they moved to Jefferson County, Ohio. John was apparently instrumental in the immigration of three of his nephews (John, Samuel and Joseph Grimshaw), inasmuch as they settled near his family in Jefferson County, Ohio. Information on Samuel and Mary (Shackleton) Grimshaw, parents of John, Samuel and Joseph, is provided on a companion webpage. Nephew Samuel Grimshaw (see companion webpage) settled in New Brunswick and later became a physician before coming to Ohio. John and Margaret Grimshaw’s grandnephew, Samuel (son of Joseph), was awarded the medal of honor for valor during the U.S. Civil War (see companion webpage).
Thanks go to Gregory McReynolds for providing the family information and descendant chart for this webpage Much of the information he obtained in the 1970s from Reg Pearson in Yorkshire, who deserves credit for the original research.
Ancestor and Descendant Chart for John Grimshaw
The ancestors, siblings and descendants of John Grimshaw are shown in Figure 1 down to their great-grandchildren. This line is clearly connected to the Yorkshire line of Edward and Dorothy (Raner) Grimshaw, which is described on a companion webpage. Specifically, it is in the John and Grace (Ibbitson) subline of the Yorkshire line.
Figure 1. Ancestors and descendants of James Grimshaw down through his great-grandchildren.
1. Edward Grimshaw 1559 – 1635 + Esibell Collier
— *2nd Wife of Edward Grimshaw + Doryte Ranen
|–|–2. William Grimshaw
|–|–2. Abraham Grimshaw 1603 – 1669/70 + Sarah Collier – 1695
John was recorded as having registered1 as a British alien during the War of 1812. This record is shown as follows on entry #17 of the companion webpage on Grimshaw immigration records:
17. John Grimshaw, 1812, New York
Scott, Kenneth, compiler, 1979
John was another Grimshaw (the third) who registered during the War of 1812 as a British alien, with the following record included in the reference (Scott, 1979, p. 123):
Grimshaw, John, age 48, 10 years in U.S., wife & 6 children, Washington, Dutchess Co., woolen manufacturer (12-17 Oct. 1812)
John lived upstate in New York, in Dutchess County, and was married with 6 children. He was 48 and worked in the woolen manufacturing business. It appears that he may have been an earlier immigrant – arriving in about 1802 – than the other Grimshaws who registered as British aliens.
John and his family were also recorded in the U.S. Census of 18102, 18203 and 18304, as shown on the companion webpage on Grimshaws in the U.S. Census indexes. The family was living in Dutchess County in 1810 and in Jefferson County, Ohio in 1820 and 1830.
What Is Known of the Lives of John and Margaret Grimshaw and Their Family?
Information provided by Reg Pearson states that John was a shopkeeper in Leeds and emigrated to the U.S. in 1803. The family was affiliated with the Society of Friends (Quakers) in England and continued this affiliation in New York. As noted above, John was engaged in woolen manufacture in New York. It is not known how the family secured their living after moving to Ohio.
Johns father, also John, had a small grocery business in Rawdon, and later became a wool comber and moved to Leeds, where he died in 1790. Johns grandfather, again also John, was a small clothier in Calverley and then moved to Rawdon. This John helped his cousin “draw up a new lease for the Rawdon Friends Meeting House” according to Reg Pearson’s information, indicating a lengthy history of the Quaker affiliation of the family.
John and Margaret had a large family (10 children, including 8 girls,) but the boys did not survive infancy. Thus there are no descendants with the Grimshaw surviving from this family line.
Maps of Jefferson County, Ohio
Census Records in Jefferson County, Ohio
Census records from companion webpages on this website reveal a number of families descended from John and his brother, Samuel Grimshaw. As noted above, there were no male descendants from John and Margaret Grimshaw.
1820 Census: John Grimshaw of Warren Township, Jefferson County, Ohio
1830 Census: John Grimshaw of Wells Township, Jefferson County, Ohio
Father 60 to 70 years old; 1 son 15 to 20; 2 daughters 20 to 30; 1 daughter 15 to 20.
Grimshaws in the 1860 U.S. Census
John and Madelin Grimshaw
John Grimshaw, a 48-year-old machinist, was living with his wife, Madelin (age 40) in Jefferson County, Ohio. John and Madelin were both born in England. They had one daughter, Ellen M., less than 10 years old, who was born in Ohio.
Author’s Note: This John Grimshaw is almost certainly John’s nephew, son of Samuel Grimshaw
Mary (Daughter of Joseph and Anne) Grimshaw
Joseph Grimshaw, a 35-year-old farmer, was living in Jefferson County, Ohio with his 30-year-old wife, Anne and their five children (all born in Ohio) – Edmund, age 10; Louiza M, 8; James, 7; Hannah, 6; and Mary, 5. Joseph and Anne were also born in Ohio. Interestingly, the census record is indexed on little Mary rather than her father, Joseph.
Author’s Note: Joseph Grimshaw is another nephew of John Grimshaw – the son of Samuel Grimshaw. This is almost certainly Samuel Grimshaw’s (next entry) family of origin. Note that Edmund is shown as 10 years old, the same age as Samuel. Were they twins? Did Samuel go to live with his aunt and uncle for economic reasons?
Samuel Grimshaw
Ten-year-old Samuel Grimshaw was living in Jefferson County, Ohio with the family of Thomas and Margaret Blackburn. He was a native of Ohio.
Author’s Note: Samuel was probably living with his uncle Thomas Blackburn, likely the brother of his mother, Ann (Blackburn) Grimshaw. Samuel was the son of Joseph Grimshaw and the grandson of Samuel Grimshaw, John Grimshaw’s brother.
Samuel and Alice Grimshaw
Samuel Grimshaw, a 42-year-old physician, was living with his wife, Alice (age 35), and daughter Mari (age 10) in Jefferson County, Ohio. Samuel was from England, Alice from Ireland. Interestingly, Mari was born in New Brunswick- did Samuel and Alice meet and marry in New Brunswick after immigrating separately? Catherine McFarland, who was living with the family, was in all likelihood Alices mother, since her age is about right and she too was born in Ireland
Author’s Note: Samuel is a third nephew of John Grimshaw – the son of Samuel Grimshaw
Autograph Book Entry by Rachel (Grimshaw) Scholfield
One of the remaining records of this family is an entry into an autograph book by Rachel, the 8th child of John and Margarret; it is shown in Figure 2. This entry reads as follows:
For Lydia
Oh may thy future hours be given
To peace to wisdom and to Heaven
Thy hopes disdain a mortal birth
Thy joys ascend a bove the earth
10mo 15th 1882 Thy Grand mother
Rachel G Scholfield
Lydia Jane Schofield (later Fawcett) would have been about 18 years old when her grandmother wrote this entry in her autograph book.
Figure 2. Image of Autograph Book Entry by Rachel (Grimshaw) Scholfield
Additional Information from Keith Fawcett
In July 2003, Keith Fawcett provided substantial additional information on the Grimshaw and Schofield lines. His contributions are shown below.
July 28, 2003
I did receive your e-mail requesting information on Lydia Schofield. It took a while for me to get this together for you and I hope this is what you were looking for. If you need anything sideways or deeper back, just let me know. At any rate, please to reply that you have received this from me. As I mentioned before, Lydia was my grandmother.
From Lydia back:
Lydia Jane Schofield was born Sept. 20, 1864 in Chesterhill Ohio and died on Jan.8, 1932 in Altadena, CA. is buried in the Friends Cemetery there. I have a picture of the flat stone marker which was characteristic of all Friends markers in that section of the Cemetery. She married Willis Thomas Fawcett on April 16, 1889. Willis was born May 4, 1864 in Chesterhill. OH. They moved to Pasadena, California in 1926. Willis died Jan.2, 1931 (the year I was born). I never saw either grandparent, nor they me.
Willis and Lydia had moved from Ohio to West Branch, Iowa in 1884. Dates of marriage and moving don’t seem very logical.
Lydia was the daughter of John Issacher Schofield, born Dec. 28, 1828 in Stillwater, Belmont Co. Ohio and died on Feb.22, 1877 in Chesterhill, Morgan Co. Ohio. He had married Belinda Hobson (the daughter of Stephan Hobson and Lydia Watt) on Mar.26, 1862 in Chesterhill. Belinda was born on Mar. 20, 1834 near Richmond, Jefferson Co. OH and died Dec. 19, 1924 in Chestehill.
John Issacher Schofield’s father was Andrew Schofield, born may 23, 1805 in Washington City, Maryland and died Aug. 14, 1851 in Eagleville, WI. Andrew married RACHEL GRIMSHAW (born Oct.20, 1804 in Duchess Co, NY and died Sept.15, 1893 in Chesterhill, Ohio) on Oct. 19, 1825 in Smithfield, Meetinghouse, OH. My family up to my father had been 10 or 11 generations of Quakers, (Society of Friends).
Andrew Schofield’s father was Issacher Schofield 1765 – 1834. If you need more specific dates etc. let me know. Andrew Schofield married Edith Marshall 1770-?.
RACHEL GRIMSHAW’S father was John Grimshaw (born Aug.13, 1766 in England and died Nov.26, 1836 in Jefferson Co. OH). Married Margaret Hartley (born in England and died Oct. 16, 1835) on Dec.12, 1791 in York Co. England. I would be interested in knowing where in England they were born if you have that information. My fathers side originated in the Yorkshire area – again, all Quakers back to 1660.
John Grimshaw’s father was John Grimshaw IV (?) and his mother was Hannah Firth.
Margaret Hartley’s father was Benjamin Hartley and her mother was Sara ?.
I’m sure that you have all this information.
From Lydia forward:
Lydia and Willis had seven children. Marie 1893-1987, Alice 1890 – ?, Edith, Clifford, Lois, J. Claire died at birth, and my father Raymond Lindley Fawcett 1894-1987 born in West Branch Iowa, across the road from the Herbert Hoover birth place.
Raymond married Luora Evelyn Fleming in Iowa City, Iowa in 1930. I, the only child, was born July 15, 1931 in Iowa City, IA.
I, Keith Lindley Fawcett, married Mary Louise Nelson of Packwood Iowa, in 1956. We have three children, Scott Lindley1958, Todd Nelson1961, and Meghan Rae 1970. Todd now in St. Paul, MN has two children, Brittany Ann Fawcett 1988, and Jacob Nelson Fawcett 1994. That’s about it, unless you need more details, which I doubt very much.
It is great to share family with people who are interested. I have retired now for 15 years from teaching music here in Wisconsin and have many projects and hobbies to keep me busy. This genealogy is my last major project I hope to finish.
Thank you for all the websites and information. Every little bit helps to fill in the gaps.
Interestingly, One of your sources in my first cousin once removed. Greg McReynolds is the son of my 1st cousin, Mary Jane (Fawcett) McReynolds. I visited them about 5 years ago in Pasadena. Greg has picked up the family genealogy from my deceased cousin James Lindley Emerson who began this many years ago. Most of my information has come from James and Greg.
The poetry from Rachel to my grandmother Lydia was most interesting. Lydia lived for many years having my paternal great-grandmother, Mary Huestis Fawcett staying with she and Willis. Mary Huestis Fawcett, a good Quaker and Temperance leader actually published two books of poetry.
At this time I do not find any pictures of Andrew and Rachel, however I am not giving up. I do have pictures of the Friends Cemetery and stones in Pasadena (or Altadena).
Thanks again for your correspondence. (Are you retired?)
Very best regards, Keith Lindley Fawcett
Samuel Grimshaw, Grand-Nephew of John and Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient
It appears that Samuel Grimshaw, son of Joseph and Ann (Blackburn) Grimshaw, was the grandson of Samuel Grimshaw, who married first Mary Bentley and second Mary Shackleton. The grandfather Samuel, as shown in the descendant chart above, was the brother of John Grimshaw, the subject of this webpage. The younger Samuel is the subject of a companion webpage.
References
1Scott, Kenneth, compiler, 1979, British Aliens in the United States During the War of 1812: Baltimore, MD, Genealogical Publishing Co., 420 p.
21810 Index
31820 Index
41830 Index
Webpage History
Webpage posted April 2001. Updated August 2003 with info from Keith Fawcett. Updated May 2004 with census information and description of connection to Samuel Grimshaw, recipient of Medal of Honor in the Civil War. Updated June 2008 with addition of information on the immigration of his nephews John, Samuel and Joseph.