The Emmingham Family
The following information and photographs have been supplied by Jason Wileman. Our thanks to Jason and his family, it’s a wonderful glimpse of life in Victorian Gringley.
My family are the Emminghams and Pages. I spent much of my childhood in Gringley as my Grandparents lived there, but the Emminghams have lived in the village since 1860. My Grandfather Stan was born in Gringley in 1928. My mother was born in Gringley also. My Grandparents lived on Middlebridge Road (now Hillside Cottage). In 2001 my Grandmother Avis left the village to move closer to family, but she kept in touch with many people.
Robert and Hannah Emmingham were the first of my branch of the Emmingham family in the village. Robert’s Aunt Ann lived on the Carr with her husband William Flower in 1860, Robert & Hannah moved to the village in late 1877. The photo below is a sad one as not long after they arrived their son William went fishing in the canal, he drowned and the picture below shows Robert and Hannah with the deceased William. This is one of the Victorian mourning photographs, common at this time.
Robert Emmingham passed away in 1905. He is buried in St Peters Chuchyard. Hannah passed away in 1921, she is buried in the new cemetery.
1878. Mourning photograph of Robert and Hannah Emmingham with son William
c1880 -1890. Robert and Hannah Emmingham
Robert Emmingham
Robert farmed and was very involved with the Methodist movement. When he died in 1905 all but one of the children had left Gringley, most notably George Emmingham who emigrated to America in 1903. Robert, David, my Great Grandmother, Grandfather and my mother all attended the Methodist Church. I believe when Grandad died in 1996 his service was in the Methodist Church and he was buried in the main cemetery.
George Emmingham, Robert and Hannah’s son
George emigrated to America in 1903 with a woman from Epworth. He started a large family over in Oregon and there are still many members of the family that way today. He returned to the UK only once in 1959 long after his parents had died. He stayed with my Grandparents.
Below is the obituary for Uncle George Emmingham which was placed in the newspaper in the US when he passed. As you can see it mentions Gringley, and his one single return which I have photographs of. Apparently he turned up at Middlebridge unannounced, Grandma and Grandad were in a field, my Uncle Melvyn who was young at the time answered the door and ran screaming “there’s a tramp”. George said, “I’m Stan’s Uncle”. Grandma asked “are you Uncle Bob from Worksop?” He replied, “No ma’am, I’m Uncle George Emmingham from the United States”. He stayed down Middlebridge for a few nights, - hard to imagine leaving in 1903, his parents alive, his brothers alive and then returning all those years later to find there’s a new generation he’d never met and the old family are no more.
George Emmingham's Obituary
1959. George Emmingham (seated) on his return from America visiting Gringley for the first time since 1903.
David Emmingham left, Doris Page (centre) and Stan Emmingham (right).
At Hillside Cottage, Middlebridge
2021
My Grandmother, Avis lived in the village from the 1930s-1940s and then some time in the 1950s to August 2001. Avis Emmingham (nee Page) died in July 2021, she was 92. My Grandmother kept a beautiful garden and at Christmas Grandma and Grandpa had turkeys. They kept pigs and chickens too and grew veg in the field at the back. Grandad used to work at the place that is now called Ellicar Gardens, and Rose Cottage.
Jason in the back garden of his Grandparents' house in 1992
24 Oct 2021
When clearing out Grandmother’s loft we found a Bible with inscription gifted to Robert and Hannah Emmingham in 1862 on their wedding day. They married in Aisthorpe, Lincs and moved to Gringley in 1877.
Inscription in Robert and Hannah's Wedding Bible, 1862 by Rev. R.W. Otter
We also found my Great, Great Grandfather’s Sunday School Bible from 1892.
Robert and Hannah’s Children
- Mary, 1864-1933
- Elizabeth, 1866-1948
- William, 1868-1878
- Frances, 1870-1875
- Jonathon, 1872-1945
- Robert, 1874-1961
- David, 1877-1945
- George, 1879-1977
All lived in Gringley apart from Frances who died two years before moving to the Village
Robert Emmingham Jnr, son of Robert and Hannah
Mary Emmingham, daughter of Robert and Hannah, with her family
David Emmingham with his grandson Stan, 1929 in Gringley
Notes: Jonathan Emmingham moved towards Worksop and I’m in touch with some of his relatives. Robert Emmingham Jnr moved towards Bradford and again I keep in touch with some of his relatives. They all spread out with the exception of my Great Great Grandfather David, who never left the village. David died in December 1945, my Grandmother remembered him being laid out on the table down Laycock Avenue after his passing. David is buried at the foot of his mother’s plot we believe although it is unmarked.