Sir Robert Pattinson, (1872-1954) SIR Robert Pattinson was elected as Grantham MP in 1922, but it only lasted a year. He had unsuccessfully contested the Grantham Division as Liberal 1918, but was returned for the same division in 1922. A year later, however, when he was seriously ill, he was unseated by the Conservatives. He […]
Walker, Jenny – Jenny finds music is the key to happiness
Jenny Walker, LGSM, BA (Hons), Dip Spec Ed EVER since she was a small child, Jenny Walker has been musical. She took piano lessons in her home town, Southampton, and has never strayed far from the piano. Jennifer Sharon Gale, then gained a place at UCNW (University College North Wales) at Bangor, where she read music. […]
Myers, John – The parson who had four wives
Rev John Myers (1739-1821) THE Rev John Myers was a man with humble origins who amassed a large fortune, mainly by marrying well. After three years at St Bees School, Cumbria, he taught at Gosforth, and later said prayers at Haile and Ponsonby. He was ordained to the curacy of the two parishes in 1763, […]
Groome, Auckland – Agent to the Dukes of Rutland
Capt Auckland William Wollaston Groome (1865-1954) CAPT Auckland William Wollaston Groome was agent to the Duke of Rutland and the Belvoir Estates, until retiring aged 82. For many years he was chairman of the Belvoir Bench of magistrates. He lived at Knipton Lodge. Born in Stowmarket, Suffolk, he served on the committee of the Belvoir […]
Royce, Annie – Young headteacher was pioneer suffragette
Annie Royce (1885-1954) BORN in Sproxton, Annie Mary Royce became a respected teacher in Grantham, but not before she had distinguished herself as one of the first suffragettes. At Sproxton school, as a six-year-old she was mention by the school inspector as a “distinguished pupil”. She joined the suffragette movement in 1904, while at college […]
Dolan, Anthony – Parish priest delves into the past
Rev Canon Anthony Dolan (1939- ) BORN Nottingham shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, Anthony Dolan’s parents met and married in Dublin, his father’s hometown. They moved to Nottingham where eventually they got a house in Old Basford, Bulwell. He attended Our Lady’s Primary School then in 1950 and went to St. […]
Cooke, Robbie – Grantham top-scorer joined Manchester United
Robbie Cooke (1957 – 2021) ROTHERHAM-born ‘Cookie’ was a former Mansfield Town apprentice who joined Grantham at the start of the 1978/79 season, making his debut in the County Cup game against Boston United and perhaps surprisingly only netting his first goal in his sixth game at Stourbridge. Robbie’s scoring rate in the second half […]
Weston, Bennett – Had a sense of humour right to the end
Bennett Weston (1919-2013) Born at Stainby, Norman Bennett Weston was the eldest of three brothers. After leaving the King’s School, Grantham, he started to train as an electrical engineer at Metropolitan Vickers, Manchester. During his time there he pursued a hobby of potholing. World War Two intervened and he was called up to the Royal […]
Appleby, Montague – Montague didn’t find cricket taxing
Montague didn’t find cricket taxing Montague Appleby (1881 – 1954) Montague William Appleby, was one the greatest all-rounders in the history of Grantham Cricket Club. As a bowler he was the taker of a record number of wickets. Mr Appleby, of Harrowby Road, played regularly twice a week practiced assiduously on at least another two […]
Starkey, Grace – Was Grantham’s oldest woman
Grace Starkey(1858-1954) GRACE Annie Starkey died just three days after celebrating her 96th birthday, at the time being Grantham’s oldest woman resident. She had been a widow for 25 years, a member of the Bridge End Road Wesleyan Church and had lived in Harrowby Road for 62 years. She was bedridden for the last 18 […]
Taylor, George – A cashier at a town bank
George Taylor (1885-1954) GEORGE Henry Taylor was first cashier at the Midland Bank, Westgate for 17 years. Son of a Castle Donington schoolmaster, Mr Taylor came to Grantham from the Derby branch of the Midland Bank. He was a keen golfer in his earlier days, and member old Harrowby club. He had also been auditor […]
Campbell, Malcolm – Grantham man ran America
Short, Walter – Wally was a master of the oche
Walter Short (1928-1954) “WALLY” Short, who lived at Uplands Drive, was a keen darts player, turning out for the Lord Nelson and Railway Tavern teams. A pupil at Spittlegate School, on leaving school he became a waiter at the George Hotel. After six years, he worked for Bristowes Tarvia, Dysart Road and until his death, […]
Beech, Joe – Hitting all the right notes
Joe Beech (b1994) NOTTINGHAM-born Joseph Beech came to Grantham as a two-year-old, where most of his family already lived. While attending Cliffedale School (1998-2005) and The King’s School (2005-2012) he was successively a chorister and then the inaugural Organ Scholar at St Wulfram’s Church, studying the organ with Tim Williams and the piano with Sally […]
Flowers, Joan – Local witch cheated the hangman
Joan Flowers (C1570 – 1619) Joan Flowers, together with her daughters Margaret and Philippa were ‘known to be herbal healers’ and came from a local family which ‘had fallen on hard times’. They were employed as servants by the 6th Earl and Countess of Rutland, at Belvoir Castle when additional staff was needed for the […]
Wade, Thomas – Meeting royalty was blooming great for Thomas
Thomas Wade, (1868-1954) STAMFORD born Thomas Wade began his working career as an apprentice with Stamford florists and nurserymen, W & J Brown, and rose to the position of manager of its Grantham branch. He was a well-known exhibitor at both the Chelsea Flower Show and the Royal Horticultural Show, and on several occasions was […]
Arendzen, Leo – Artist who became a parish priest
Barlow, Raymond Keith – Grantham man was the first airborne casualty of war
Keith Barlow (1892-1914) RAYMOND Keith Barlow has the unenviable distinction of being the first airman to die in wartime. He died on 11th August 1914, just one week after Britain had entered the First World War. The son of High Street tobacconist Mr. B. C. Barlow, tobacconist, and a grandson of Mr and Mrs Lewarton, […]
Layne, David – GI from Great Gonerby knew how to jump to it
David Layne (b1944) Great Gonerby-born David Layne was educated at Spittlegate Infants School, then Spittlegate Primary at Stonebridge House. After that he was educated privately. Aged 21, he decided to emigrate to Dayton, Ohio, in the United States. At that time (1966) the economy locally was poor and he was, to say the least, “restless!” […]
Asher, Percy – Porter’s son became a top academic
Percy Asher (1900-1966) BORN in Rutland Street, the son of a railway porter, Percy attended St Anne’s and Boy’s Central schools. He left school at the age of 14 and worked in Hornsby’s offices until 1926 when, after attending a number of WEA courses, he undertook a three-year degree course in economics at University […]