Zacharia and Ellen (Wilde) Grimshaw, Immigrants to Strathmore, Alberta, Canada
Zacharias and Ellen (Wilde) Grimshaw (date unknown)
Zacharias Grimshaw was born in 1868 in Droylsden, Lancashire. He and Ellen Wilde were married in nearby Leigh (Tyldesley Top Chapel) in 1894 and emigrated to Canada in 1897. They obtained a homestead close to Strathmore, Alberta and lived out their lives there. It is not known why Zacharias and Ellen chose Strathmore, which is located near Calgary, Alberta, as their home in Canada. Their children were Robert (died in a gasoline fire at age 20), twins John and Janie (John died of diphtheria at about age two), Catherine, Edith May, twins Armand and George, and Alfred Grimshaw (died at age nine). Zacharias returned to England for a time during his military service in World War I, where he was involved in ferrying horses to France.
Zacharias and Ellen Grimshaw’s son, George Grimshaw, emigrated to the U.S. and was married to Annie Franssen in Minnesota. According to his son, Edwin, George went to Texas to work in the oilfields. George and Annie are buried in Lafayette, Louisiana. George and Annie Grimshaw’s son, Edwin Armand Grimshaw, was born in Texas (El Campo) but has spent most of his life in Louisiana, where he currently lives. Ed has provided most of the information that made this webpage on Zacharias Grimshaw and his descendants possible.
Edwin also contributed substantially to the Grimshaw immigrant “story” when he solicited responses from Grimshaws on their origins in a mailout in 1979. These responses, and their importance to Grimshaw history, are described on a companion webpage.
Contents
Photos of Zacharias, Ellen and Their Family
English Origins of Zacharias and Ellen Grimshaw
Droylsden Location and Information
Possible Connection to the Audenshaw Grimshaw Line
Zacharias and Ellen Immigrated to Strathmore, Alberta, Canada from Droylsden
Life and Family at Strathmore, Alberta
Strathmore Information and Location
Zacharias Grimshaw Returned to England during his World War I Service
Robert Grimshaw Perished in a Gasoline Fire in 1916 at Age 20
George Grimshaw, One of Twin Boys of Zacharias and Ellen
Armand Grimshaw, the Other Twin Boy of Zacharias and Ellen
Descendant Chart for Zacharias, also Showing His Parents
Webpage Credits
Thanks go to Edwin A. Grimshaw, son of George and Annie (grandson of Zacharias and Ellen) Grimshaw for making this webpage possible. Ed provided most of the information, photos, and other images on this webpage. Anyone wishing to exchange information with Ed, or add to his family history information, can reach him at the following e-mail address: eegrimshaw@gmail.com. Also, Ed provided a great deal of information on Grimshaw immigrants in the 1979 to 1980 timeframe, when he mailed out over 600 inquiries to Grimshaws living in the U.S. at the time. He received more than 80 responses, with invaluable information on Grimshaw immigrants and their descendants. This information is compiled on a companion webpage. Thanks also go to Steve Kluzniak for sending the Attestation papers for Zacharias’ service during World War I.
Photos of Zacharias and Ellen (Wilde) and Their Family
The following photos of Zacharias, Ellen and their family are from Edwin Grimshaw, Zacharias and Ellen Grimshaw’s grandson.
Zacharias and Ellen Grimshaw (seated) with Beatie Wilde, sister of Ellen.
Zacharias, Ellen and their family. Identities believed to be as follows (left to right): Janie, Armand, Alfred, Zacharias, Ellen, and George Grimshaw.
Ellen and Zacharias Grimshaw. From Ed Grimshaw, June 2009.
Photo of Ellen Grimshaw, taken later.
English Origins of Zacharias and Ellen Grimshaw
Birth Records of Zacharias Grimshaw
Ed Grimshaw has found two birth records for Zacharias. They are shown in Figures 4 and 5 below.
First birth record of Zacharia.
Second birth record of Zacharias
Possible Connection to the Audenshaw Grimshaw Line
Based on proximity of Zacharias’ birthplace, Droylsden, to Audenshaw and other locations prominent in the Gorton and Audenshaw Grimshaw family line (see companion webpage).
Droylsden Location and Information
Maps showing Droylsden location. The map on the left shows proximity to Manchester. Both maps show the nearby location of Audenshaw.
Droylseden, Audenshaw and surrounding area as seen on GoogleEarth.
Droylsden on Wikipedia
Droylsden
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coordinates: 53°28′58″N 2°09′30″W / 53.4828°N 2.1582°W / 53.4828; -2.1582
Population 23,172 (2001 Census)
Metropolitan borough Tameside
Metropolitan county Greater Manchester
Region North West
Post town MANCHESTER
Postcode district M43
Dialling code 0161
Police Greater Manchester
UK Parliament Ashton-under-Lyne
Droylsden is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is situated 4.1 miles (6.6 km) to the east of Manchester city centre, and 2.2 miles (3.5 km) west-southwest of Ashton-under-Lyne, it has a population of 23,172.
Historically a part of Lancashire, Droylsden grew as a mill town around the cotton mills established in the mid-19th century, and the Ashton and Peak Forest canals. Beginning in the early 1930s, Droylsden’s population expanded rapidly, as it became a housing overflow area for neighbouring Manchester.
The Fairfield area of Droylsden has notably been home to a Moravian community since 1785, and which still exists to this day.[1]
History
Droylsden was settled around 900AD. Before Droylsden became a part of Greater Manchester, it was popularly referred to by Mancunians as “The Silly Country”.[2] One suggestion as to the source of that nickname is that once a year, some of the town’s folk used to watch an annual carnival by bringing a pig and sitting it on a wall to watch the passing entertainment with them. The Pig on the Wall public house, converted from a farm in 1978, takes its name from that story.
The first machine woven towel in the world – the terry towel – was produced by W.M. Christy and Sons Ltd, of Fairfield Mills, in Droylsden, in 1851. William’s son, Henry, had brought back a looped towel from Turkey in the 1840s, which Christy’s managed to copy on an adapted loom. Their Royal Turkish towels became famous, with Queen Victoria having a regular order. The mill closed at the end of the 1980s, and in 1997 Tesco opened a supermarket on the site.[3]
Construction of a marina began in March 2007, it is expected to be complete in 2012. The marina will have 92 three and four bedroom houses, and 291 one and two bedroom apartments as well as waterside offices, restaurants, and shops.[4]
Geography
Droylsden is located at 53°28′58″N 2°9′30″W / 53.48278°N 2.15833°W / 53.48278; -2.15833 (53.4826, -2.1582), about 4 miles (6 km) to the east of Manchester city centre, close to Ashton-under-Lyne, Clayton, Openshaw and Newton Heath.
Education
Littlemoss High School for Boys is a comprehensive school, located in Cryer Street, that educates around 550 boys aged 11-16.[5]. Fairfield High School for Girls has been granted Specialist Science College status.
Governance
Droylsden was anciently a chapelry in the parish of Manchester, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.[6] It became an urban district of the administrative county of Lancashire under the Local Government Act 1894, and was granted its arms on the 16th October 1950.[7] In 1974, as a result of the Local Government Act 1972, Droylsden became a part of the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester.
Droylsden was once a large township, including Big Droylsden, Little Droylsden, and Clayton. In 1889 Little Droylsden was subsumed into Openshaw, and in 1890 Clayton was ceded from Droylsden’s control to become part of Manchester.[3]
From 1918 until 1950, Droylsden was represented by the parliamentary constituency of Mossley. Manchester’s expansion to the east and the increase in the electorate, resulted in the seat being divided in the 1950 boundary change. The areas adjacent to Manchester, including Droylsden itself, formed the new Droylsden constituency, with the remainder forming part of Ashton-under-Lyne. The Droylsden constituency was itself abolished in 1955, when Droylsden also became part of the Ashton-under-Lyne constituency.
David Heyes MP has represented the constituency of Ashton-under-Lyne since 2001. He is a member of the Labour Party.
Culture
The Droylsden Little Theatre is a small theatre which runs amateur productions. It is a registered charity and the society has been running productions since 1931.
Economy
During the 1930s, Droylsden’s population expanded rapidly, as it became a housing overflow area for Manchester. Today the area is predominately occupied by employed home owners.
Robertson’s Jam was a significant employer in the area. The factory was established in 1891, on the banks of the Ashton Canal, on Ashton Hill Lane. At its peak it employed around 1,000 workers; that number was reduced to around 400 before closing during 2008 .
Droylsden today
Droylsden is still generally considered to be a favourable area to live and massive amounts of investment into east Manchester can only improve this further. Along with the long awaited Metrolink, Droylsden is about to acquire a Marina area near its town centre. This is to include flats, canal-side restaurants, bars & shops. This latest development also appears to have prompted the nearby, local Tesco store to plan for a massive revamp of its premises.
Houses in Droylsden are, in the main, mortgaged and occupied by employed or retired/semi-retired residents, although there has recently (from early 2000s onwards) been an increase in private landlords buying and then renting houses out.
Droylsden borders Clayton, Openshaw & Newton Heath and although it does have some social problems of its own, this can often mean that Droylsden can be prone to a crime “spill-over” from these areas of Manchester. A recent (2008) initiative called the Community Diary, which was created between the partnerships of Tameside Council, the local Reporter newspaper and the police im to help prevent any increase in crime.
Sports
Droylsden is home to Droylsden F.C. who won the Conference North league in 2006-07, gaining promotion to the Conference National for the 2007-08 season, although they were relegated back to Conference North for 2008-09.
Droylsden is one of a number of locations which are promoted as the birthplace of speedway racing in the UK. An event was staged in 1927, billed as dirt track racing.[citation needed]
Notable people
England’s rugby union captain from 1956 to 1958, Eric Evans MBE, was born in Droylsden in 1921.
Communist Harry Pollitt was born in the town.[9]
Other famous people who grew up in the town include pop stars Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits, 10cc’s Eric Stewart, Howard Donald of Take That, The Monkees’ Davy Jones and cult author Jeff Noon.
Bibliography
Nevell, Mike (1993). Tameside 1700-1930. Tameside Metropolitan Borough and University of Manchester Archaeological Unit. ISBN 1-871324-08-4.
Zacharias and Ellen Immigrated to Strathmore, Alberta, Canada from Droylsden
From “Trails..”
Page 482-483:
Zacharias Grimshaw
By May Payne
Mrs. Grimshaw, Mr. Grimshaw, George Snaith.
My father, Zacharias Grimshaw, was born in Droylesden, England. When he came to Strathmore in 1897 he worked for the CPR as Section Foreman. At this time Strathmore was just a section house near Eagle Lake. The following year my mother arrived from England with their baby son Robert, who is two years old. The long trip from Oldham, England to Strathmore took over a month by boat and train.
My mother cooked for the section crew. They bought their groceries in Calgary, using the railway as transportation.
When Mother and Dad came to the Namaka district there were only two other white women in this area, Mrs. Sevens and her daughter Florence, who is Mrs. Jim Harwood Snatha Senior. It was a very lonely life for Mother at first, with no female companionship except the Indian women who visited and sat on the floor and drank tea which Mother served them.
On one occasion a young Indian man appeared at her kitchen door decorated in war paint, hatchet in hand, asking for tea. Mother made him tea, which he drank and then left.
Dad and Mother got along real well with the Indians. Dad bought or traded horses with (them).
John and Jane (twins) were born here in 1899. Two years later John died of diphtheria contacted (sic) from a section man who also died. Katherine was born in 1903.
My father managed to buy some cattle and a few years later went homesteading. We lived in a shack west of the house was later built. Our home and land was (sic) located 5 miles north of Namaka. The CPR in your went through in 1905 and divided our land. We exchanged our land west of the canal for CPR land east of the canal. We were able to purchase another quarter section of land also.
Armand, Katie, George, May Grimshaw.
I, Edith May, was born in 1905. In 1907 the second pair of twins was born, Armand and George. They weighed approximately 3 pounds each. Mother did not have enough milk for them but kept them alive by feeding them strained oatmeal and keeping them on pillows near the oven door.
Our house now standing was built around 1909.
The Harwood School was built on land Dad gave in 1911. Bob and Jane attended school in Strathmore when weather permitted so the Harwood School was a Godsend.
Alfred was born the same year as the school was built.
We look forward to the Christmas Concert at school. Also they had box socials.
We always look forward to the Namaka Sports Days on May 24. They had foot races, sack races and two-related races. First prize seventy-five cents, second prize fifty cents. We met our friends and had a great time.
During World War I Dad enlisted in the Army and went to England. His duties involved taking horses to France by boat. Mr. Grimshaw did custom threshing and when he was away at war Bob was carrying on and was burned to death in a threshing engine fire in 1917 while threshing on Hans Thompson farm east of Namaka. With the traumatic news Dad returned home and was discharged.
In 1920 Alfred died at the age of nine.
When Armand married Muriel Hamer, a neighbor who lived just down the road, Dad had a small house built on the school grounds. Actually it was built onto the Teacherage and he and Mother lived there until his death December 11, 1936. A few years later Mother moved to Strathmore in a small house on Railway Avenue and lived there until her death on Feb. 28, 1963.
Janie married Howard Lyons. They have two boys, Edgar now living in Strathmore and Clarence living in Calgary. Janie died in 1946.
Katie Mary Bill Laurie. They had two children, Doris and Bill. Doris died several years ago.
I married Harold Payne. We had three children, Viola, Ray and June.
Armand married Muriel Hamer. They had one daughter, Evelyn. Armand died in 1951.
George married Annie Franssen and moved to Louisiana, USA soon after his marriage. They had two children, Edwin and Georganne. And he died two years ago. George has remarried.
Our family spent many happy years in the Namaka District. Some of our friends were the Knights, Harwoods and Harry Shouldices.
From:
Namaka Community Historical Committee, 1983, Trails to Little Corner: a Story of Namaka and Surrounding Districts: Namaka Community Historical Committee, po. 482-483.
Homestead and Homestead Receipt
A photo of Zacharia and Ellen’s homestead, and an image of their receipt for this homestead, are shown in Figures 6 and 7 below.
Figure 6. Zacharia and Ellen Grimshaw’s homestead, located east of Strathmore, Alberta.
Homestead record for Zacharias and Ellen Grimshaw’s homestead. “Northeast 1/4 of Section 4, Township 24, Range 24”
Life and Family at Strathmore, Alberta
Anecdote by Daughter Katherine (Grimshaw) Lawrie
Life With Father (Zacharia Grimshaw)
Many details of the lives of Zacharia and Ellen and their family were recorded in a note prepared by one of their children, Catherine (Katie). This note, written in August 1982, is shown below.
Eddie, my nephew, has heard of my father’s humor and witticism, and has asked me to jot down any of his humorous remarks that I remember, so here goes!
To begin, Dad was a very complex person, much more so, than most of us. One moment he could be full of laughter and merriment, – the next a roaring tyrant-
He was raised in Lancashire, England and was the son of a ‘Green Grocer’. When he grew up, he worked in the depot of a railroad company. What his work was I could not say, but my Aunt Clara told me when I was in England in 1972, that she thought it had something to do with tickets, (either selling or collecting) but she could not remember more that that, as Dad left England around the turn of the Century (1897 – 98).
I believe that one of his (Dad’s) first jobs was riding the range for one of the ranchers. I have not heard too much about that time but believe the Rancher’s name was George Lane. I don’t believe Dad had ever ridden a horse in England!.
Can you imagine a “green” Englishman tackling a job like that? But Dad had spunk and thats what he did!! One of his fellow cowboys was Pat Burns who later became a multi-millionaire in the meat packing business.
From that Dad went to working on the railroad – as many immigrants did, while becoming oriented in Canada. He was thus able to get a home for mother (and the first born of the family) their son, Bob, whom Dad had left in England until he could send for them.
Later, Dad took up a homestead near where the town of Strathmore now stands. The first homestead house was of logs. That’s where my older sister, Myself, May and twin brothers Armand and George were born. Our younger brother was born in our second house. We spent our early years in the log house until about 1911 but I am not sure of the year.
A road allowance had been put thru and a road built, so the second (new) house was near the road. Heavens! – This sounds as if I were trying to write the family history!
When settlers began moving in, we enjoyed having neighbors, and, because Dad loved company, fun and singing, he quite often had friends in for the occasional “sing ‘ song” as he called it.
The Harwoods, our nearest neighbors had 13 children, some of whom were about the same ages as our seven. They had three older brothers, and I think the middle one was the same age as our older brother, who was killed by a gasoline explosion, during the First World War.
The people in those days made their own entertainment and fun. Gatherings at our home became almost a regular event, as we became older. I remember those parties so well!. We always sang, “The Green Grass Grew All Round: all 23 verses of it! with the rest joining in for the chorus. George, your father, would recite “The Shooting of Dan MeGrew” and “Red Wing” was another old favorite.
The evenings always ended by mother singing “Alice Where Art Thou”. Mother always complained that Dad couldn’t’ carry a tune in a bucket but Dad always said, “It’s not whether you can sing or not, it is whether you sing or not, that is important”. How true.
Mother sang very well and we always retired feeling rather sad after the rendition of “Alice Where Art Thou”.
After the road was put thru, it wasn’t long till settlers started moving in and so it was no time till a school was needed. Dad donated about 3 acres of his land and the “Harwood School” was built. It was located about a quarter of a mile from our house-just a nice walk.
Our first teacher was a Miss Higgenbottom, a devout Catholic, and as I remember a very good teacher. We opened school each morning by reciting the “Lords Prayer” and the teacher would read a verse from the Bible. One evening, the Harwood boys came over to visit our brother Bob and to teach him a song they had just learned, “Halleluiah! I’m as Bum”. May and I were sent to bed but we heard enough to learn the chorus. The next morning we got it pieced together on the walk to school and were singing as we arrived at school. We thought we were early, we certainly had not heard the bell ring – so we walked into the school singing (with much gusto) “Halleluiah! I’m a Bum”. Upon our melodious entry the classes, which were already assembled, turned as one and the teacher went on with the prayer, while May and I stood at the door feeling very unnecessary – – –
Dad had always said that if we got into trouble at school, we would be in far worse trouble when we got home and he MEANT IT. So it was very reluctantly that we slowly went home for lunch as we knew the teacher had stopped at the house on her way to her own ‘teacherage’. However, we need not have worried as we knew just as soon as we saw the twinkle in Dad’s eyes as he suggested that the next time we barged in during prayer time, we might try singing something little less sacrilegious than “Hallelluiah I’m a Bum”.
Butchering time came around every fall and was the most dreaded day of our lives! Dad would have one of the neighbors over to help while our brothers were too young. The idea I believe, was to stun the victim with an axe, then slit its throat so that it would bleed properly (this was important).
Somehow, I don’t think the pig was ever as stunned as it should have been; because the squealing, was not just a squeal but was an agonized scream which went on until the animal was dead!
I used to put a pillow over my head but the dreadful screams came thru, so that I never felt very well the rest of the day.
After the actual killing was over, and the hanging, scraping and dissecting was taking place, Dad and his friend must have had a ready supply of funny stories because we could hear roars of laughter. We knew they must be callous and cruel men. It was a long time before we could face the idea of eating pork.
As each year drew to a close, Dad would always come in on old years day (when we were small) and say to mother –
“Nellie, guess what I saw today?”
Mother – “What did you see?”
Dad – “I just saw a man with as many noses as there are days in the year.”
We had to wait awhile to figure that one out.
My sister, May and I came in from play one day and as usual, we were ravenous. We ate and ate – finally Dad said to us –
“Do you know what you will be saying to your mother if you keep on eating like that much longer?”
Us, between bites, “No, what?”
Dad, “You will say to mother, Lay I down, but do not bend I “
Our older sister laughed so hard but we just went right on eating. We didn’t get the joke for a long time.
If Dad ever stumbled or skidded or came near to falling, he always said, “If I hadn’t been a dancer, I would have been a goner”.
I so often think of Dad’s humor and have a quiet laugh, remembering. Then when I get around to putting them down, I find that I have forgotten what it was.
And so it goes –
The Neighbors enjoyed Dad’s humor. They knew that he would always come up with something to give them a laugh and brighten up their day.
Katherine Grimshaw Lawrie
Armand and George Grimshaw at Harwood School (p. 472 of “Trails”)..
There are some obvious problems with the identifications, but Armand and George appear to be the only twin boys in the photo (lower left corner).
Harold and May (Grimshaw) Payne in “Trails” (p. 210)…
Strathmore Information and Location
Strathmore, Alberta
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Motto: Where quality of life is a way of life
Location of Strathmore in Alberta
Coordinates: 51°02′16″N 113°24′01″W / 51.03778°N 113.40028°W / 51.03778; -113.40028
Country Canada
Province Alberta
Region Calgary Region
Census division 5
County Wheatland
Government
– Mayor George Lattery
– Governing body Strathmore Town Council
Area
– Total 15.59 km2 (6 sq mi)
Elevation 970 m (3,182 ft)
Population (2007)[1]
– Total 11,102
– Density 655.7/km2 (1,698.3/sq mi)
Time zone MST (UTC-7)
Postal code span
Highways Trans-Canada Highway
Waterway Eagle Lake; WID Canal
Website Town of Strathmore
Strathmore is a town located along the Trans-Canada Highway in southern Alberta, Canada, 40 kilometres (25 mi) east of the city of Calgary, within the boundaries of Wheatland County.
History
The town began as a hamlet for the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) lines that were built in the area in 1883. The CPR named the town after one of its benefactors, Claude Bowes-Lyon, the Earl of Strathmore. The Earl’s granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth, as consort to King George VI, later visited the community in June, 1939.
In 1905, the CPR moved the hamlet of Strathmore four miles north to its current location. A track laying record was made between Strathmore and Cheadle when the railroad was built. In one hour one mile (1.6 km) of steel was laid and, at the end of the ten-hour working day, the rails were laid to Cheadle, 9 miles (15 km) for a record. Efforts by the Canadian government to develop western Canada led to increases in Strathmore’s population and its importance as a rail supply stop.
The CPR railroad tracks are now gone, the land having been subdivided.
Demographics
In 2007, Strathmore had a population of 11,102 living in 4,431 dwellings, a 7.41% increase from 2006. The town has a land area of 15.59 km² (6 sq mi) and a population density of 655.7/km² (1,698.3/sq mi).[1]
Industry and Employment
Today, the town is an important agricultural community. Oil and gas exploration is also a growing interest in the area. It is the headquarters of the Golden Hills School Division. Many commute daily from Strathmore to Calgary. Over the past three years the town has seen a major growth in commercial development.
Education
Strathmore is part of the Goldenhills School Division.
Strathmore has three elementary schools (Wheatland, Westmount, and Brentwood), one junior high school (Crowther Memorial Junior High School), one high school (Strathmore High School) and a Catholic School that runs from K-6 (Sacred Heart Academy) as well as a 7-12 Catholic school (Holy Cross Collegiate).
In September 2008 Strathmore’s newest school, Trinity Lutheran Christian Academy, opened at the former Covenant Bible College property. The school Christian school with grades K through 9 and is publicly funded.
Strathmore was the home of Covenant Bible College Canada. The CBC-C campus relocated in 1995 from its prior home in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. In Covenant Bible College, students took a course in religious studies. It was closed in 2007 due to dropping student enrollment, and other fiscal problems. The former CBC campus was sold for $5.5 million. It was sold to another Christian organization EnCharis.[2]
Climate
Annual Precipitation
Average precipitation per year: 412.6 mm or 16.2 inches
Measurable bright sunshine: 332.9 days per year
Total hours of bright sunshine: 2,294.6 hours per year
Average wind speed: 14.8 kilometers per hour, from the West and Northwest
Total snowfall per year: 135.4 centimeters or 53.3″
Days with measurable snowfall: 62 days
Average number of frost-free days: 112 frost-free days per year
Two maps from GoogleMap showing the location of Strathmore near Calgary (upper map) and nearby Eagle Lake and Namaka (lower map)
Locations of Strathmore and Namaka as seen on on GoogleEarth
Zacharias Grimshaw Returned to England during his World War I Service
Photo from “Trails to Little Corner”, p. 144. Photo appears to have been damaged before being included in the book.
Thanks go to Steve Kluzniak for providing these images of Zacharias’ attestation paper.
Robert Grimshaw Perished in a Gasoline Fire in 1916 at Age 20
George Grimshaw, One of Twin Boys of Zacharias and Ellen
Armand Grimshaw, The Other Twin Boy of Zacharias and Ellen
Section on Armand (Two articles from “Trails”)
Page 481-482:
The Armand Grimshaw Family History
By Muriel Lockie
Armand Grimshaw and I, Muriel Hamer, were married on the 28th day of December, 1936. We made our home on the land where he had lived all his life with his parents.
Armand and I met when I was a young girl, when my family lived just down the road from his. He used to come to our place and catch a ride to the dances at Namaka before he had a car. A lot of fellows road horseback in those days to get where they wanted to go. Our family was a large one, so in the winter time as soon as the dishes were done in the evenings we got around a table and played cards, mostly five hundred. Armand often came and joined us.
We went out together seven years before we were married. The times were hard, very little money to spare. We have some very dry years and with the sending sod in the high winds, we had nasty dust storms. It used to get so dark in the day time from blowing dust that we would have to light a lamp, no electricity in those days. The next day when the storm was over house equally from its ceiling down, dust sifted through every crack.
Money was scarce. We milked cows, kept a few chickens and pigs. With selling eggs and cream and a few pigs we were able to keep the house in groceries, even if the crops were poor. The farm work was all done with horses. Armand used to break colts to work and had the use of them while training them up since we couldnt afford to buy any. He used to work on the roads to pay the taxes. Road work was done with horses at that time.
Almost seven years after we were married our letter, Evelyn, came along, our one and only child
Armand and Ariel Grimshaw with daughter Evelyn
A year or so after Evelyn was born, Armand had a chance to run a big grain cleaner during the winters, which twenty farmers had bought between them. He went from farm to farm unless the weather was too cold or stormy. He got paid pretty well so things began to pick up. He later bought the cleaner. The only drawback was Armand was only home on weekends so it was rather lonely for Evelyn and me, but I managed to keep busy with chores, housework, sewing, mending and knitting. We had a radio so we could have music and news. The winters seemed to pass by quickly.
After Evelyn started school and went on the bus to Strathmore, I took up curling. Florence Wathen picked me up and we curled three afternoons a week, which was a nice break. Armand took up curling later when he had time and really enjoyed it.
In 1951 Armand took sick with cancer of the lung, was operated on in March and gradually wasted away all summer. He passed away in October. The neighbors came in that year and put in the crop and helped out whenever they could. Without all their help I dont know what we would have done. By this time we had our corn combine, so Gordon Sinclair came and ran it, also George Luckie, a curling friend of Armands from Strathmore came out on weekends and helped when he wasnt working.
I stay on the farm for a time after Armands death. I didnt feel that I could give up my home that I love, as well as my husband, so I tried to farm on my own with the help of neighbors.
In 1953 I married George Lockie. we stayed on the farm until December, 1955. Has Georges work was in Strathmore, we decided to move there, so I sold out to George Grimshaw who is still the owner of the farm.
In 1976 George Lockie passed away of a heart attack. I still live in my home and Strathmore.
Evelyn went in for a teacher and taught two years in Rockyford, then spent another year in Edmonton at University. She taught at Innisvail for one year. She met and married Robert Tronsgard while at Innisvail. He was working in the bank there. Two of their sons were born there, then Robert got transferred to Airdrie as manager of the bank. Another son was born there. In 1977 they moved Carstairs, where they have their own business, the McLeods Hardware. They both work in the store and enjoy serving the public.
Oil on the farm we enjoyed the Namaka dances, the card parties at different homes and the get-togethers with our friends and neighbors. Even though times were hard and money was scarce it was a good life in a time always to be remembered.
Page 98-99:
Grain Cleaning Outfit
By Muriel Grimshaw Lockie
Armand and I only had a small farm. In the 1940s, I don’t recall the exact year, a Crowfoot-Rockyford grain cleaning co-op needed an operator. As Armand was always looking for extra jobs to help towards our living, and he was good with machinery, they got him to run it for them.
It was a winter’s job. He was paid by the bushel, so he put in as long a day as daylight would allow. He started out in the fall, when harvesting was done and cleaned grain all winter until seeding time. Another men helped him and together they traveled a good many miles in a Jeep, pulling the outfit behind. It was mounted on a flatbed with rubber tires so it’s easy to pull from farm to farm.
He got his board and room where ever he was working, so he was away from home Monday morning until Saturday afternoon. The only disadvantage to this job was that he was away from home so much. I had all the outside chores to do all winter which included milking several cows and keeping pigs and chickens. We went to town Saturday nights to get our supply of groceries for the week.
After two years of working for the owners they sold in the outfit. He made a good living with it, cleaning grain in the Rockyford, Gleichen, Namaka, Strathmore, Nightingale, Cheadle, Carsland and Lyalta districts. One year he went as far north as Airdrie.
He cleaned grain up until 1951. Then he took sick, had an operation for cancer of the lung in March and lived until October. Armand enjoyed the work and all the friends he made. I know he had (sic) lived longer he would have kept on cleaning grain because he had talked to buying a new outfit.
I sold the outfit to Elmer Bollinger of Gleichen. I think he kept it for his own use.
Tuffy Roberts and Dick Coldwell ran out of their own for many years after Armand.
Descendant Chart for Zacharias and Ellen Grimshaw
The descendants of Zacharias and Ellen are shown in the chart below. Also shown are the parents of Zacharias, Edwin and Martha (Hindley) Grimshaw. Zacharias and Ellen had two sets of twins — Janie and John first, then Armand and George.
Edwin (Edward) Grimshaw (1825 – ) & Martha Hindley (1833- ) Married 9 June 1854 in Tyldesley Chapel, Lancaster County, District Leigh
|–Zacharias Grimshaw (19 August 1868 Edge Lane, Droylsden, England – 11 December 1936 Strathmore, Alberta, Canada) & Ellen (Nellie) Wilde (30 March 1871, Oldham, Rochdale, Lancshire, England – 28 February 1953 Alberta, Canada) Married April 1894
|–|–Robert Grimshaw (1 November 1896 England – 19 November 1916 Gleichen, Alberta, Canada)
|–|–Janie Grimshaw (18 September 1899 – 1946 or 19488) & Howard Lyons
|–|–|–Edgar Lyons & Millie Doherty
|–|–|–Clarence Lyons
|–|–John Grimshaw (18 September 1899 – ca 1901, diphtheria)
|–|–Katherine Grimshaw (29 June 1903) & Bill Lawrie
|–|–|–William Lawrie
|–|–|–Doris Lawrie
|–|–Edith May Grimshaw (24 May 1905 Strathmore, Alberta, Canada) & Harold Payne
|–|–|–Viola Payne
|–|–|–Ray Payne
|–|–|–June Payne
|–|–Armand Grimshaw (28 March 1907 Strathmore, Alberta, Canada – 1951 Strathmore, Alberta, Canada) & Muriel Hamer. Married 28 Dec 1936.
|–|–|–Evelyn Grimshaw (ca 1943 – ?) & Robert Tronsgard
|–|–|–|–3 unknown boys
|–|–George Grimshaw (28 March 1907 Strathmore, Alberta, Canada – 20 April 1981 Lafayette, Louisiana) & Annie Louise Franssen (18 February 1909 West Depere, Wisconsin, USA – 22 Sept 1977 Concord, Mass.) Married 16 October 1933.
|–|–|–George Anne Grimshaw & David Creed
|–|–|–|–Cheryl Kaye Creed
|–|–|–|–David Davis Creed
|–|–|–|–Elizabeth Doris Creed
|–|–|–|–Eric George
|–|–|–|–Krystn Denise Creed
|–|–|–Edwin Armand Grimshaw (1934) & Martina Jane Stephens (1937)
|–|–|–|–Steven George Grimshaw
|–|–|–|–Monya Ann Grimshaw
|–|–|–|–Armand Christopher Grimshaw
|–|–|–|–Sean Edwin Grimshaw
|–|–Alfred Grimshaw (19 January 1911 Strathmore, Alberta, Canada – 1920)
Final Resting Places
Zacharias and Ellen lived out their lives in Alberta and are buried at or near their homestead in Strathmore. Their gravestones are shown below. The gravestone of their son, George (and his wife, Annie,) is in Lafayette, Louisiana are also shown below.
Zacharias and Ellen’s gravestones, located near Strathmore, Alberta
Gravestone of George Grimshaw, son of Zacharia and Ellen, and George’s wife, Annie (Franssen) Grimshaw
Ed and Tina Grimshaw in Lake Charles, Louisiana
The photo Ed Grimshaw and his wife Martina (“Tina”) (Stephens) Grimshaw shown below was taken in the back yard of their home during a visit in June 2009. Thanks again go to Ed for contributing the information that has made this webpage possible.
The Edwin A. Grimshaw Collection of Grimshaw Family Lines
A little over 20 years ago Ed Grimshaw, Zacharias and Ellen’s grandson, purchased a book of Grimshaw family information offered by Beatrice Bayley. In an effort to trace his family history, Ed sent inquiries to the nearly 600 Grimshaws listed in Bayley’s book. He received 81 responses to his inquiry letter. These responses, received in 1979 and 1980, comprise a valuable record of Grimshaw immigrants to the U.S. and their descendants. Ed’s collection of responses, with associated Grimshaw immigrant information, are described in a companion webpage.
Webpage History
Webpage posted December 2001, Updated January 2002. Updated June 2009 with addition of photo of Ed and Tina Grimshaw, total reorganization, and addition of many new sections.