Hi Larky
I have already researched this family for my wife's cousin. Unfortunately, I didn't keep a copy of her family tree. My wife is descended from William Henry Grenfell's younger brother John Grenfell (the second given that name as the first one died in the 1840s). The second John Grenfell was originally a tin miner but he educated himself and when he died he was the borough surveyor of St Ives.
William Henry migrated with his family up to Scotland and as I remember there is a close connection with another Cornish family called SEMMENS. The TONKINs and the CARTERs are also closely linked to the GRENFELLs (GREENFIELD - probably just the collator's version of the GRENFELL name).
My wife's second cousin was a SEMMENS whose father was born in Scotland but lived most of his life in Burnley and Leeds. Ironically he moved back to Cornwall for the last years of his life.
The parents of William Henry Grenfell were William Grenfell and Eliza Rowe who appear on the 1841 census living at Trowan, which is a hamlet or farm community on the hills west of St Ives.
In 1851 William (snr) gives his birthplace as Madron (a village north of Penzance). The only William Grenfell christened at Madron around this time was one christened on 12 Mar 1815, the parents being Richard Grenfell and Patience Lawry who were married at Madron 17 Oct 1788.
I don't believe that William Grenfell and Eliza Rowe ever married (I have been searching for this marriage for some years). They set up their home together in the mid-1830s on Trowan Farm just outside St Ives. This farm apparently let out apartments and according to the 1841 census there were seven tin mining familes and three farming families living there.
William was a tin miner.
1841 Census
St Ives HO107/
ED8 Page 9/17
Trowan
William GRENFELL, 25, Miner of tin, in county
Eliza GRENFELL, 30, in county
Richard GRENFELL, 4, in county
William GRENFELL, 2, in county
John GRENFELL, 1, in county
1851 Census
St Ives HO107/1917
ED21 Folio 513 Page 28
Fore Street 38
William GRENFELL, head, marr, 39, Miner, Madron, Cornwall
Eliza GRENFELL, wife, marr, 40, Paul, Cornwall (only census this birthplace was ever mentioned)
Richard GRENFELl, son, 14, St Ives, Cornwall
William Henry GRENFELL, son, 12, St Ives, Cornwall
Peter R GRENFELL, son, 2, St Ives, Cornwall
Jane ELLIS, lodger, unm, 23, Servant,St Ives, Cornwall
Eliza(beth) ROWE is problematic because she gives her birthplace as Paul in the 1851 census and St Hilary after that apart from 1871 when she cites St Ives as her birthplace. I was happy that St Hilary was her birthplace until another post on Rootschat headed 'baptisms' http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,417072.0.html
began to cast doubt on whether this is the right Eliza(beth) Rowe. I have yet to check the Paul baptisms.
I live about a mile away from St Hilary church so I guess I wanted her to be from there.
This is her census records to the end of her life.
1861 Census
St Ives RG9/1590
ED8 Folio 12 Page 22
Beach 123
Eliza GRENFELL, head, widow, 49, Miner's widow, pork and potato seller, St Hilary, Cornwall
Peter GRENFELL, son, 12, Scholar, St Ives, Cornwall
John GRENFELL, son, 9, Scholar, St Ives, Cornwall
Frederick GRENFELL, son, 6, Scholar, St Ives, Cornwall
Stephen MARTIN, lodger, unm, 22, Copper miner, Ireland
John BRAY. lodger, unm, 21, Copper miner, Gwennap, Cornwall
1871 Census
St Ives RG10/2334
ED6 Folio 4 Page 1
Market Strand 2
Elizabeth GRENFELL, head, widow, 58, Miner's widow, St Ives, Cornwall
John GRENFELL, son, marr, 25, Miner, St Ives, Cornwall
Catherine GRENFELL, dau-in-law, marr, 22, St Ives, Cornwall
Frederick GRENFELL, son, unm, 16, Miner, St Ives, Cornwall
Mary GRENFELL, g'dau, 1, St Ives, Cornwall
1881 Census
St Ives RG11/2341
ED7 Folio 88 Page 1
Market Strand 2
Eliza GRENFELL, head, widow, 69, Lodging house keeper, St Hilary, Cornwall
Hope that helps a bit
Graylight
