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JOHN GRIMES and MARY SCOTT (8)

 

JOHN GRIMES. John’s age at his burial gives him a birth date of around 1767, and the 1851 census tells us that he was born in Felbrigg. This leads us to the following baptisms of John and his twin sister.

Baptisms. St Margaret, Felbrigg.
1767 May 6  John & Sarah son & daughter of Wm & Mary Grimes.

His mother was Mary Allet. She already had a two-year-old daughter when she married John’s father.

John was the eldest of nine children, but his twin sister Sarah died aged two. There was also one surviving daughter from his father’s first marriage.

We do not know his father’s occupation, but it is very likely that he was an agricultural labourer.

Before his marriage in 1789, John had moved to Mary’s parish of Aylmerton, 3 miles away.

 

MARY SCOTT. We can also find Mary age and birthplace from the censuses.

Baptism. St John the Baptist, Aylmerton.
 1769 Mar 5  Mary daughter of James and Martha Scott.

Her mother was Martha Storey.

Mary was the third of eight children, but only four survived infancy. Her mother died in 1787, when the last child, and only son, was born. He too died a few days later. Mary may wll have had to help with the younger children. 

Marriage. St John the Baptist, Aylmerton.
1789 Oct 13  John Grimes of this Parish Single Man and Mary Scott of the same Parish Single Woman.
Both make their mark. + .
Witnesses: William Grimes and John Ward, who make their mark.

The wedding was only just in time. Their daughter Elizabeth was born 3 days later.
Baptisms.  St John the Baptist, Aylmerton.
1789 born Oct 16, bapt Oct 18  Elizabeth  Daughter of John and Mary Grimes.
1791 born Feb 24, bapt Feb 27  Ann
1793 born Mar 1, bapt Mar 3  William

They moved to Beeston Regis, probably so that John could obtain work as a fisherman, rather than as an agricultural labourer.

Here another two children were born.
Baptisms. All Saints, Beeston Regis.
1798 born.Jul 9, bapt Jul 29  Sarah.
1806 born Sep 8, bapt Sep 14  John son of John & Mary Grimes (late Scott Sp), This is useful confirmation that this was indeed the same couple.

Beeston Regis lies 3 miles west of Cromer. Before the 14^th century it was known as Beeston-next-the-sea. In a county famed for being flat, Beeston Regis stands out, quite literally. Beeston Bump overlooks the sea and the village below it.

In the graveyard of All Saints, where John and Mary were later buried, is a large flat sone, with the name James Reynolds carved on either side.
The story goes that Jame Reynolds was a local yeoman, who used to drive his cart between two standing stone by the churchyard. At dusk, a hooded, grey-robed figure would leap out and seize his horses’ reins, terrifying the animals. He appeared to be an unquiet spirit of a monk form the former Beeston Priosry, James decided to guard against this, and asked that one of the stones should be laid on his grave to imprison the spirit beneath.

John was working as a fisherman with his son in 1841.
1841 Census. Beeston, Beeston Regis.
John Grimes 61        Fisherman      Y
Mary Grimes                                    Y
William Grimes          Fisherman       Y

William’s wife Martha had died a year after they were married.

1851 Census. Beeston Regis.
John Grimes      Head             Mar     82     Retired Fisherman   Felbrigg
Mary Grimes     Wife             Mar     79                                       Aylmerton
John Grimes        Grandson      U         18     Fisherman                Beeston Regis
Robert Grimes     Grandson      U         17     Fisherman                Beeston Regis   Deaf

The younger John and Robert were the sons of John and Mary’s youngest child John. Both their sons became fishermen, as did their grandsons.

John died before the next census, having reached the considerable age of 90.

Burial. All Saints, Beeston Regis.
1857 May 6   John Grimes, aged 90.

Mary was one of four, out of eight, siblings to survive infancy, but she lived to the  even more remarkable age of 98.

Older people often fell into poverty, but Mary had a steady – and somewhat surprising – source of income.
1861 Census. Street, Beeston Regis.
Mary Grimes Head    W        94        Proprietor of Houses   Aylmerton
Mary Bishop   Boarder           15                                            Sheringham

Her occupation is not what we would expect from a fisherman’s widow. We do not know when and how she acquired these houses, nor how many there were. They may have been a legacy, or John may have been the skipper of a fishing boat who made a significant  profit.
Mary would also have received a small income from her young boarder.

She died six years later.
Burial. All Saints, Beeston Regis.
1867 Mar 25  Mary Grimes, aged 98.

 

NEXT GENERATION: 7. DENNIS-GRIMES

PREVIOUS GENERATIONS: 9. GRIMES-ALLET

9. SCOTT-STOREY

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