Work in progress ...
Fergus:
Simeon:
In 1861 Simeon Grundy was living with his parents and siblings in Black Moor, Astley and at just 12 years of age he was a Coal Miner.
After his marriage to Mary Cross in 1868 and for the rest of his working life he was a Railway Porter at Tyldesley Railway Station.
Tyldesley Railway Station [closed in 1968] was demolished in the late 1970s.
It was situated at the bottom of Wareing Street some 150 yards from Simeon and Mary’s house.
Simeon and his family lived first at 77 Astley Street c.1871-1881 and then, according to Census records, at number 4 and then number 8, Wareing Street where he died in 1926.
The Wareing Street houses, and probably also 77 Astley Street, were miners cottages.
At the time of the 1881 Census Simeon and Mary had five children and another Railway Porter lodging with them.
In 1891 six of their children were living with them in their small house: the eldest was Maggie aged 18 and the youngest Lucy aged 3.
The newspaper report: Death of Tyldesley’s oldest inhabitant states: Mrs Grundy had eleven children but only five daughters survive - However, I have only been able to find nine children born to Mary and Simeon.
This photograph came to me from a descendant of Henry who lives in America.
Henry was another brother of Fergus, Simeon and Holland
Note:
This photo has been incorrectly attached to other people [not Simeon] on Ancestry Trees.
I believe this is Simeon and Mary with their five surviving daughters:
Alice, Martha, Minnie, Lucy, and Janet.
There is more information about Simeon and Mary's daughters - the five surviving marked with an asterisk * - below.
It appears that the older girls are seated and younger ones standing but I do not know which is which.
The children of Simeon and Mary
1 Jane Grundy Baptism: 6 Sep 1868 St Stephen, Astley.
Jane died 1st January 1875 aged 4 years and 6 months and is buried in the family grave in Tyldesley Churchyard.
2 William Grundy, the only Son, Baptism: 6 Mar 1870 St Stephen, Astley.
William died 28th March 1880 aged 20 years. He is buried in the family grave in Tyldesley Churchyard.
3 Maggie Grundy Baptism: 7 Jul 1872 St Stephen, Astley.
Maggie married Herbert Orrell on 24th June 1899 at Tyldesley Parish Church. There was an announcement of the wedding in the Leigh Chronicle and Weekly District Advertiser of Friday 30 June 1899: Herbert Orrell to Maggie Grundy both of Tyldesley.
Maggie died in October 1899 just 3 months after her marriage.
She is not mentioned on the family gravestone in Tyldesley Churchyard.
4 Fanny Grundy Baptism: 1 Feb 1874 St Stephen, Astley.
Fanny died 25th April 1874 age 4 months.
*5 Alice Grundy Baptism: 6 Jun 1875 St Stephen, Astley.
On 9th July 1898 Alice married Reuben Clare. They lived at 14 Wareing Street in 1901, Rueben listed as a Cotton Card Room Hand. In 1911 they were residing at 13 Wood Street, Leigh and Reuben was a Railway Porter. With them were their three children: Minnie, Frank and Harry. In the Leigh Chronicle & Weekly District Advertiser of Friday 5th November 1909 there is a report of a young boy fatally injured at Leigh. The report mentions Reuben Clare one of the Railway Porters.
Reuben died in 1923 and the address at the time was 12 Bedford Street, Leigh.
On the 1939 Register Alice is living at Prospect House, Warrington Road, Leigh with her daughter and son in law Minnie and Eustace Collier.
Prospect House is now a children’s nursery [2019]
*6 Martha Grundy Baptism: 5 Aug 1877 St Stephen, Astley.
Martha married William Howcroft and they were living at 333 Holden Road Leigh in 1939.
*7 Janet Grundy Baptism 7 Sep 1879 at St Stephen’s Astley.
Found on Ancestry.co.uk an image of the original baptism register where it is entered as “Jennett”. Also found a baptism record for "James" Grundy a child of Simeon Grundy & Mary I think, as this is the same date, it is a mis-transcription of Janet.
When she was about 32 years old in 1911, Janet married Robert Edward Hall.
They lived at 21 Wareing Street and were still there in 1939 when Robert was a Master Plumber and Special Constable.
They may not have had any children as when Janet died in 1955 the will indexes only mention Frank Clare, Shop Manager who was the son of her Sister Alice.
*8 Minnie Grundy Baptism: 30 Apr 1881 St George, Tyldesley.
I have been unable to find an image of the baptism register entry for Minnie.
Leigh Chronicle: MARRIAGE OF A CHORISTER
26 Nov 1909 • Tyldesley Parish Church
Miss Minnie Grundy, dau ofSimeon Grundy, was married on Sat, Tyldesley Parish Church to Mr. David Kendrick of Astley Miss Grundy has been a member of Church Choir for years. The organist played Mendelssoh's "Wedding March” as the happy couple left the
*9 Lucy Grundy Baptism: 1 Jan 1888 St George, Tyldesley.
I have been unable to find an image of the baptism register entry for Lucy.
Transcription of newspaper articles
Mr Simeon Grundy, foreman porter at Tyldesley railway station has just completed 45 years service as an employee of the L and N W Company in the town. "Sim" who is well and favourably known to all classes of the travelling public, has often been described as a model of what a railway porter ought to be. His courtesy and civility are proverbial, he is ever ready to oblige, and whatever the provocation his patience and good temper remain unruffled. If a passenger goes astray at Tyldesley it is not "Sim’s" fault, for the veteran porter makes a practice of calling out the name of the station and directing passengers in a voice which is often heard half a mile from the station. Mr Grundy has had many offers of promotion, but his affection for Tyldesley has kept him in the town. [Leigh Journal 3rd March 1911]
Tyldesley’s Veteran Railway Porter – Retires after Fifty Years’ Service
A familiar figure has disappeared from the railway platform at Tyldesley as a result of the retirement, after 50 years service, of Mr Simeon Grundy, the senior porter. Mr Grundy entered the service of the London and North Western Railway Co. on March 7th 1865, about six months after the railway from Eccles to Tyldesley, Leigh and Pennington was opened, and during the whole of his long term of duty he has been stationed at Tyldesley. There were not many trains when he began work, and railway travelling lacked many of the conveniences and comforts with which passengers in these times are familiar. There were no upholstered third-class carriages, and so the partions between the compartments did not extend to the top, passengers were able to see the occupants of the entire carriage. Luggage was carried on the roofs of the coaches, which were fenced off with steel rails and covered with tarpaulin sheets in wet weather. The porters obtained access to the carriage roofs by means of light step-ladders which had hooks on the top to attach to the steel rails. Passengers were not very numerous and it was no uncommon thing for Mr Grundy when he was on the late turn to act as temporary station master, ticket collector, porter, booking clerk and telegraph clerk. Amongst the regular passengers with whom he came into contact in the early days of his railway career were the late Mr Caleb Wright, MP, Mr Charles Eckersley, JP, Mr Samuel Taylor of Barlow House, the two Mr Cleggs of Hindsford House, the present Mr R J Clegg’s uncles; Mr Green, Mr Holland, Col. Ross, Sir Edward and Lady Wetherall, and Mr George Wetherall. Unfailing courtesy and a readiness to oblige have always been outstanding traits in "Sim’s" character, and they have gained him many admirers and friends amongst the travelling public. Many of the passengers of 40 and 50 years ago took a personal interest in the genial porter’s welfare and Mr Grundy recalls with evident satisfaction that once when he was laid aside with a serious illness, Lady Wetherall and her daughters frequently visited his house to make inquiries concerning him. Although he has had several offers of promotion "Sim" always preferred to remain at Tyldesley and he has been allowed to have his way. Many tributes have been paid to his sonorous voice which has indeed gained him widespread fame. Local passengers of course have long been familiar with his clear, ringing tones and have ceased to marvel at his vigorous platform calls but travellers from a distance have often expressed surprise at his lung power and have spoken to their friends and written to their favourite newspapers of "the porter at Tyldesley with the mavellous voice". Nearly thirty years ago "Sim’s" station cries formed the theme of a bright and complimentary article in a London newspaper. When the man with the voice was on duty there was no excuses for a railway traveller going astray for in the quite of the night time his directions to passengers have been heard over a mile away. Mr Grundy has served under many station masters the complete list in their order of service being Messrs. T Kniveton, Appleton, Adderley, Hargreaves, Mather, Hadfield and Edwards. About two years ago Mr Grundy stumbled on the station subway steps and injured his knee. He was incapacitated for some time and since then he has suffered from rheumatism and so feels it necessary to retire from duty. It is interesting to note that Mrs Grundy has completed 25 years service as cleaner of the station premises. [Leigh Journal 12th March 1915]
Veteran Tyldesley Porter
50 years service with L and N W Railway Compay
It is an exceedingly rare event for a man to complete 50 years in the service of one company and rarer still to spend all that time on one station, yet this can be claimed by Mr Simeon Grundy the veteran porter at the L and N W Railway Co.’s Tyldesley passenger station for he entered the company’s service on March 7th 1864 and is still in the service though on account of rheumatism and advancing years he is now seriously thinking of retiring. At one time the only railway in the Leigh Division was the old line from Bolton through Chequerbeat, Chowbent, Westleigh and Pennington to Kenyon but then in August 1864 the extension from Eccles via Tyldesley and Leigh to Pennington was completed and it was duly opened for goods traffic in that month and for passenger traffic in September. Mr Grundy has thus been employed on the line ever since it opened, except for the short period between August 1864 and the beginning of March 1865. Naturally during that time he has witnessed many changes in stationmasters. The first stationmaster at Tyldesley was an Astley man, Mr Thomas Kniveton, a relative of Mr Amos Kniveton, of Leigh and he was followed by Mr Appleton of Widnes who was in turn succeeded by Mr Adderley from Staffordshire who remained there for no fewer than 24 years. His son William is now a school attendance officer at Tyldesley. Mr Hargreave, of Ordsall Lane came next and was followed by Mr Mather of Ordsall Lane and Mr Hadfield who hailed from the Levenshulme district whilst the present stationmaster, Mr Edwards came about three years ago from Cardiff. The short sturdy figure of Mr Grundy has been a familiar form on the Tyldesley platform for half a century and it is believed that he possesses the most powerful voice of any porter in the employ of the L and N W Rly. Co. Many travellers have remarked that they never came across a railway man who shouted out so clearly the name of the station. Who is there in this district who has not heard in ringing accents Old Simeon shouting out "Tyldesley change for Chowbent, Hindley Green, Platt Bridge and Wigan. Keep your seats for Leigh and Bedford and Kenyon". There was no fear of anyone going to a wrong destination if Old Simeon was about. Ever courteous and obliging he has been for many years held in the highest esteem by both rich and poor travellers on the railway and it would not be at all surprising if a testimonial were set on foot to celebrate such an unique event as the completion of 50 years service at one station. It is a remarkable fact that there has not been
A SINGLE FATAL ACCIDENT
At the Tyldesley passenger station since it was opened. A few brakesmen have been killed in the sidings but nobody has been fatally injured nor killed outright on the passenger station, though on one occasion, before the underground passage was made some 40 years ago, there was an accident that luckily did not prove fatal. Prior to the underground passage being made people used to cross the line from each end of the platform and one day an old woman from Bolton who used to travel with a little pack on her back containing prints and other drapery goods was going across by the north end level crossing when she was caught by a light engine and knocked down. Luckily she was only bruised and after being conveyed to Bolton Infirmary she soon came round. Old Enoch Parr who died years ago was in charge of the engine. Mr Grundy remembers the time when there were no guards vans and when the third class carriages were not the luxurious places they are now. The third class carriages were open from one end to the other with bare wooden seats about the height of a chair back and one could see from one end to the other. During the last 40 years however, cushions have been used. There are other conveniences now which were absent years ago. It may be of interest to some to learn that passengers luggage had at one time to be put on the top of the carriages and fastened down with straps and porters used to have step ladders to take the luggage up. Only small articles could at that time be taken into the carriages. Now there are strong racks for light articles and guards vans for heavy luggage. [Leigh Chronicle 5th march 1915]
Former Tyldesley Porter’s Death
The death of Mr Simeon Grundy, which took place at his home 8 Wareing St., Tyldesley, on Monday afternoon, will be deeply regretted by those who came into contact with him during his 50 years service as a porter at Tyldesley railway station. Mr Grundy was 77 years of age, being born at Blackmoor, Astley in 1848. He was only 16 years of age when he commenced as a porter at Tyldesley, serving 50 years at that station. Passengers were not very numerous in Simeon’s early days, and it was no uncommon thing for Mr Grundy, when he was on the "late turn" to act as temporary station master, ticket collector, porter, booking clerk and telegraph clerk. Unfailing courtesy and a readiness to oblige were outstanding traits in "Sims" character, and it was undoubtedly this that made him such a popular figure. One of the characteristics of the deceased gentleman was his sonorous voice, which gained him widespread fame. When he was on duty there was no excuse for any passengers going astray, for in the quiet of the night his "directions" have been heard over a mile away. About two years before he retired in 1915, Mr Grundy stumbled in the station subway steps and injured his knee. He was incapacitated for some time and suffered from rheumatism, which made it necessary for him to cease work. The funeral took place at Tyldesley parish Church yesterday (Thursday). [1926]
Holland:
