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Thomas Grigg (1857-1932)

Photographer of Dorchester

© Compiled by Michael Russell OPC for Dorchester April 2011 (Last updated July 2012)
[I am particularly grateful to the assistance given to me by Jenny Davis for the background information supplied on their lives at Combe St Nicholas]

St Nicholas’s Church - Combe St Nicholas


© Copyright Martin Bodman and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Ancestry (1)


Thomas Grigg (1857-1932) was the grandson of an agricultural labourer George Grigg (1775-1876) who was born at ' Isle Abbotts' in Somerset circa 1775. George married Thomas's paternal grandmother Elizabeth Slade (1783-1867) in Combe St Nicholas on 9th December 1807 and they settled in the village to raise a family of nine children between 1809 and 1828. George lived to be over 100 years old and newspapers for 4th September 1875 reported "that he was still able to reap wheat in his sons ground the other day" (19).

George and Elizabeth's eldest son Thomas Grigg (1809-1880), baptised at Combe St Nicholas on 2nd Dec 1809, had moved by 1841 to live in Dorchester where he initially worked as a groom. Their second son (and 6th child) was George Grigg (1820-1896), our photographers father, who was baptised in the parish church on 23 Jan 1820. His father married his mother Sarah Stewart a native of Southampton in Combe St Nicholas on 20th March 1845. She was the daughter of George Stewart, a wool sorter by trade, and his wife Elizabeth who lived close by at Higher Wadeford. George and Sarah also raised a large family of nine children in Combe St Nicholas, our Thomas being their 7th child. George after his marriage worked as a labourer for a local clothier and in his 60's became a wool dyer whilst Sarah made stays to supplement their income. His father who had worked hard all his life died at the age of 76 in Combe St Nicholas on 27th December 1896 leaving an estate of £98 14s 6d. (2)


Thomas Grigg (1857-1932)

Thomas, like his father before him, was born in Coombe St Nicholas just 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of Chard in Somerset and baptised in the local parish church on 12 April 1857 (3). By the age of 14 however he is living with his uncle Thomas Grigg (1809-1880) who as explained above had moved to Dorchester many years earlier and been running the Great Western Hotel in West Fordington since at least 1859 (4). Unfortunately Thomas and his wife Mary Ann had no children of their own and seem to have taken Thomas under their wing from an early age. The census returns show that Thomas was employing people to help run this large Hotel, and given that George & Sarah had 8 other children to feed, it made a great deal of sense for him to learn a trade under their tutelage. This impressive hotel was situated right next to the Militia Barracks at the end of Dorchester High Street and must have been a far cry from the much quieter life he experienced as a young child in Combe St Nicholas. No doubt this change in his circumstances raised his ambitions.

    According to the back of the photograph shown below the photographic business run by Thomas was established in 1875 although the earliest reference that I can find to our Thomas Grigg as a photographer is in Kelly's Directory for the year 1889. Certainly photography was well established and had a high profile in Dorchester by 1875 due mainly to the commendable work undertaken into carbon printing by John Pouncy (1818-1894) another native of Dorchester. By 1875 his son Walter Pouncy (1844-1918), had already taken over running the Pouncy photographic business which was situated at 38 High West Street. Walter aged 31 was still a young man and undoubtedly would have been an inspiration to Thomas if he was still in Dorchester at this date.
Information about Thomas during these early years is difficult to come by, but his uncle described as 'Thomas Grigg Gentleman of Fordington' died at the age of 71 on 28th Feb 1880 leaving his wife Mary Ann an estate of just under £2,000, a considerable amount of money.(5) Probate was granted to the executors of his will being Mark Pilley a boot and shoe maker of Dorchester and Thomas Grigg of Horton in the County of Buckingham a grocer and his nephew. I have no information as to why he went to Buckingham. His uncles death however seems to have drawn him back to Dorchester presumably to support Mary as in April the following year in the 1881 census he is shown as resident at 34 South street and his aunt Mary Ann was a lodger just down the road at number 14. Thomas's occupation given in that census is that of licensed 'victualler' a description often attributed to his uncle in the past so he seems initially to have taken over the licence and carried on at least part of the business. By the time of the next census Mary has moved in with Thomas and his family and when she dies in 1893 she only leaves effects totaling £44. 14s 1d so it looks like his uncles wealth was used in establishing his photographic business.

Marriage

Throughout this period it seems highly likely that Thomas returned to Somerset from time to time to see his parents and siblings as only two years after his uncles death, he married in Combe St Nicholas on 1st February 1882 to Bessie Owsley (b1858) a native of Ashill in Somerset (1 & 6). Bessie was the daughter of George Owsley (1830-1861) a master baker and at one time an innkeeper. With his wife Mary Ann (1827-1862) (nee Dyer) they produced four children, Arthur William (1856-1930); Bessie b.(1858), and twins Dorcas Jane and Walter Harry (b. Aug 1860). Her father George Owsley died on 10th Oct 1861 and her mother followed 3 months later on 8th Jan 1862 leaving them as orphans with an estate between them of under £100. It's not clear what happened to the children but at least one (Walter) ended up in an orphanage in Bristol. By 1881 however Bessie aged 22 is working in the hamlet of Wadeford still within the parish of Coombe St Nicholas with her older brother Arthur William already at the age of 24 a master baker. The picture below shows their bakers cart circa 1940.

The Owsley Bakers House (Shop) and Cart (20)



For more pictures of See 'The Old Parish' via this link

Thomas & Bessie soon produced the following children all born in Dorchester:-
    Thomas Arthur Grigg (1883) (7); Bessie Mary A. Grigg (1885) (8) ; George Ernest Grigg (1886-1887) (21); Lillie Georgina Grigg (1890) (9); Rena Emma Grigg (1891) (10) ; Walter Charles Grigg (1893) (11)
Thomas appears to have run his business from their home in South Street Dorchester as he is first listed there as a photographer in the 1889 edition of Kelly's Trade Directory (now recorded as 35 rather than 34 South St), and it was where the family was resident in 1891. Mary Ann described as his aunt is with them aged 83. Thomas himself was away on business at the time of the census but I have not been able to locate where.

He obviously moved his business around Dorchester as the 1895 edition of Kelly's Directory shows his business at 3 East Parade, but in the 1901 Census he is living with his family at 54 Icen Way and his 18 year old son Thomas Arthur Grigg (1883-1915) has a job locally as a reporter. In 1906 he moved again to live at 43 High East Street (12) and was still there in 1911 (with his two unmarried children Lillie & Walter) and in 1915 (13). His son Thomas Arthur continued in his profession as a journalist marrying Evelyn Couling in the Dec qtr 1910 at Upton upon Severn in Worcestershire. (14) Unfortunately he died at the age of 32 on 28th Nov 1915 at which time they were living at Hill View Kings Road Sherborne in Dorset. (15)

Thomas GRIGG died at the age of 75 in the registration district of Poole in Dorset in the year 1932 (16).
Photographs by Thomas Grigg

I have so far only recovered a few of the thousands of photographs taken by Thomas Grigg in his studio in Dorchester. If you have one buried in your family album I would love to add it to those shown below. Please make contact using the email address shown on the home page. The following photograph is possibly the earliest that I have as it was taken whilst his studio was in South Street. Whilst we know he was at 34 South street in April 1881 he is described as a victualler not a photographer and the earliest reference we have to his photographic business being there is 1889 (and then at number 35) although he claims the business started in 1875. We also know he was at 3 East Parade by 1895 so my best guess is that it dates from the early 1890's.

Boy in Fancy Dress as Robin Hood or William Tell (circa 1890)

    
Picture © Michael Russell OPC for Dorchester & Fordington

I am grateful to Paul WOODROW of Kingston, Ontario, Canada for this photograph which he believes to be of Isabella Lee of Puddletown. It is slightly later than the photograph above as Thomas has added the number 35 to his address in South Street which seems to fit with Paul's estimate of 1892.

Isabella LEE of Puddletown (circa 1892)

 


    
Picture © Paul Woodrow Kingston Ontario Canada

Paul comments:- "Although the person in the photo is not identified, I believe it is Isabella LEE. She was a daughter of Richard & Tamar Mayers, and was born in Puddletown in 1826. She married Harry WOODROW in Puddletown in 1846, and had a total of 13 children up to 1865. Her husband Harry died in 1872 and in 1879 she married James LEE in Puddletown. This family was still in Puddletown in the 1881 and 1891 census. James' death is listed in the first quarter of 1892.

Isabella's son, Henry Mayers WOODROW, born in 1848 in Puddletown, emigrated to Canada in 1872 and lived the rest of his life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was my great-grandfather (making Isabella LEE my great-great grandmother). Since the photo of "Isabella LEE" was in the WOODROW family photo album in Toronto, and with Henry's Dorset roots, I believe this woman is his mother. Isabella died in 1913 in Bridport, Dorset.

Based on the address of Thomas Grigg's studio (35 South Street, Dorchester), this photo was probably taken between 1889 and 1895, when he moved to 3 East Parade. Since Isabella appears to be in mourning, perhaps this narrows the date down to 1892 (following the death of her husband, James LEE)"

Surprisingly I purchased this photograph from a dealer in Victorian photographs in Cyprus which just goes to show the power of the internet. The address is now 13 High East street and he has become an 'Artist to H.M.Government' . It is difficult to date but he appears to have been in High East Street from after 1906 (although living at number 43). A pure guess would be 1915?

    
Picture © Michael Russell OPC for Dorchester & Fordington
Other Photographs taken by Thomas GRIGG

         

Genealogical Notes:-    [If anyone has any more information, particularly about his role as 'Artist to H.M.Government' can more accurately date the photographs, or possess copies of any of this documentation please make contact as it would help add to our understanding of his life and help verify facts]

(1). Most of the Information about the life of the Grigg & Owsley families in Combe St Nicholas has been provided by Jenny Davis who has a particular interest in the village.
(2). National Probate Register for 1897 - George GRIGG of Combe-St-Nicholas Somersetshire labourer died 27 December 1896 Probate Taunton 19 January to John BROWN gentleman Effects £98 14 6d
(3). GRO 1st qtr 1857 Chard Registration district Ref 5c/501 baptism from Jenny Davis
(4). Post Office Directory for 1859
(5). National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941 Record for Thomas Grigg 1880 Personal estate under £2,000: 12th March. The Will of Thomas Grigg late of Fordington in the County of Dorset Gentleman who died 28th February 1880 at Fordington was proved at Blandford by Mark Pilley of Dorchester in the said County Boot and Shoe maker and Thomas Grigg of Horton in the County of Buckingham Grocer the nephew the executors. NOTE:- His uncle seems to have had a number of nephews; for example in the 1871 census an older nephew, John Barber was also staying with him in Fordington.
(6). Thomas Grigg's marriage is at GRO 1st qtr 1882 to Bessie Owsley Chard District Somerset Ref 5c/600
(7). GRO Thomas Arthur Grigg Dorchester District 1st qtr 1883 Ref 5a/349
(8). GRO Bessie Mary A Grigg Dorchester District 2nd qtr 1884 Ref 5a/352.
(9). GRO Lillie Georgina Grigg Dorchester District 4th qtr 1890 Ref 5a/341
(10). GRO Rena Emma Grigg Dorchester District 3rd qtr 1891 Ref 51/319
(11). GRO Walter Charles Grigg Dorchester District 1st qtr 1893 Ref 5a/314
(12). National Archives A2A A collection of deeds, maps, manorial and estate documents, sale catalogues and family papers D/COO:H/T/12 1906 Nos 20 and 43 High East Street (Coombs, Alington, Grigg)
(13). Kelly's Directory 1915 (Also in the 1911 Census with his wife, daughter Lillie and son Walter)
(14). GRO 4th qtr 1910 Upton upon Severn Worcestershire Ref 6c 559
(15). England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941 Record for Thomas Arthur Grigg of Hill View Kings-road Sherborne Dorsetshire journalist died 28th November 1915 Probate at Blandford 29th December to Evelyn Grigg Widow and Garnet McDaniel Ingram Accountant Effects £461.0s8d
(16). GRO Thomas Grigg 1932 age 75 Reg district Poole Dorset Ref 5a/261
(17). 1911 Census resident at 43 High East Street Dorchester enumeration district 2 thomas Grigg Head married male age 54 photographic Artist born Coombe St Nicholas Somerset; Bessie Grigg wife married female married 29 years aged 52 born Ashill Somerset; lillie G Grigg single female age 21 born Dorchester; Walter C Grigg son single male age 18 ironmongers apprentice born Dorchester
(18). The National Archives A2A website shows that the Dorset History Center has a photograph taken by T.Grigg of Miss Jane TREW Mistress of Beaminster Infants school (1875-1892)
(19). Isle of Man Times & General advertiser 4th Sep 1875, Issue 749: Also Dundee Courier & Argus Issue 6901 and many others including the Preston Guardian.
(20). This photograph is reported on the web to be circa 1940 but Jenny Davis (who lived in the village) and I both think this dates much closer to the start of the century circa 1904?
(21). GRO George Ernest Grigg born Dorchester District 1st qtr 1886 Ref 5a/339 - died Dorchester District 3rd qtr 1887 Ref 5a/191 aged 2


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