William Gregg
Son of Henry Gregg and Mary Usher, born at Heathwaite and baptised on the 7th of January 1816 at Coniston, Lancashire.
Married Ann(e) Borwick (1811-1875) on the 28th of June 1845 at Coniston3,4
Children
E.J. Borwick, born 1838 Coniston1,5 - stepdaughter
Mary, born 1841 Coniston1,5
William Henry, born 1842 Coniston1
Henry, born 18441, baptised on the 17th of May 1846 at Coniston, Lancashire from Gateside
Joseph, born 18461, baptised on the 17th of May 1846 at Coniston, Lancashire
George, born 18481, baptised on the 26th of December 1848 at Coniston, Lancashire
Thomas, born 1850 Coniston1
Isaac, born 1851, baptised on the 2nd of November 1851 at Coniston, Lancashire (died 1907 - descendants in Coniston now)1
Died on the 16th of October 18752
A slater and boarding house keeper, living at Gateside from at least 1851 till his death.
Notes
1 Information from Joan Shrewsbury
2
After the deaths of Ann and William, his brother Thomas wrote and had printed
some memorial verses (Click on thumbnail for original -231k). The first two
verses commemorating William refer to his injuries from mining accidents (see
note 3):-
In Affectionate Remembrance of
A N N
THE WIFE OF WILLIAM GREGG, OF CONISTON
Who departed this life on the 18th day of August 1875, aged Sixty-four years
| I. No matter what the life has been, When nature makes its claim, The mind then turns to things unseen - And to the Saviour slain. II. |
III. We saw the wife and mother dear, Committed to the tomb, We saw the friends shed many a tear, While husband sick at home.
IV. |
|
|
||
ALSO
In Affectionate Remembrance of
WILLIAM GREGG
(The Husband of the Above)
Who Died October 16th 1875, aged 59 years
|
I. His members went in parts, As friends and neighbours know; One leg was buried in the grave, Near forty years ago!
II. |
III. Still Providence and grace Preserved his life, to prove His faith and hope, and strong desire To dwell with Christ above.
IV. |
T. GREGG
Note: The printers for the above sheet were 'Swindale & Wallace, Printers, Queen Street, Millom'. Was this Joseph Swindale, who had married Thomas's daughter Mary the previous year, or one of his brothers John or Thomas. None of the three is known to have been a printer by trade.
3 The following tales are related about Harry 'Fudge' Grigg by Eric G. Holland in his book "Coniston Copper" (Cicerone Press, Milnthorpe 1978). There appears to be a discrepancy in name and in the order of the accidents but it seems the accidents, at least, must refer to William. William named his son 'William Henry'. Was he also a 'William Henry' and thus 'Harry'?
Harry "Fudge" Grigg was one of a family who had worked for many years at the mines. "Fudge" was something of a tough character but he was also a good mimic and not averse to playing tricks on his workmates who were well aware of this and kept on their guard. Once there were two new men, brothers, who were working up in a small stope, quite close to where "Fudge" was, on and off, putting up a raise. He was also working on ore getting elsewhere in the mine, and that was paying better. After studying his pile of deads on the level floor, which had to be shifted, he was possessed of a bright idea. Frorn the foot of the stope he called up to the brothers, in the mine captain's voice, complaining about the deads lying about and ordering them to clear it away. The two men attempted to argue that it wasn't theirs, but when they got down to the level they found the 'captain' had gone. Indeed 'Captain Grigg' had gone back to his other sett. A day later he found all the stuff had been shifted. The brothers, however, had discovered that the raise was his and asked for payment. Grigg pondered over this for a while, then announced that if the captain had wanted it shifted, then the captain would see that they were paid. Apparently they never were and the story soon travelled around the mine to be received with glee.
Sadly there came a day that "Fudge" was in a raise above the Deep Level, when due to circumstances that were never explained, he fired a shot at himself. The result was the loss of his right eye, and the amputation of his right arm below the elbow. He recovered and upon returning to the mine was given the job of waggoning from Deep Level. It was whilst doing this task that he somehow slipped and fell in front of a horse-drawn train of heavy waggons. These were drawn over his right leg which had to be taken off at the knee. Not surprisingly this ended his career at the mine, but a collection amongst the men brought in enough to buy him a pony and a flat cart, a well made peg leg, and set him up as a travelling greengrocer.
Now "Fudge" had for years been a keen Cumberland style wrestler, and whereas most men would have given up -- not "Fudge" Grigg' He kept himself fit, in a lopsided way; and continued with the sport under the name Lord Nelson. There is a tale of a day when he was having a crack with some of the old men of the village on the bridge when he happened to see the local bobby being a bit rough with a little man who had just been thrown out of the Black Bull. This was pure bait to Grigg, who sailed in, and after giving the policeman a pasting -- threw his helmet and truncheon into the beck. This earned him six months in prison and during his sentence he managed to get a job in the prison bakehouse, with the result that he had put on some weight by the time he was released. This was an asset as far as wrestling was concerned and he also developed a technique of driving his peg leg hard into the ground and sort of pivoting on it. He gained quite a reputation for being hard to throw. One day at nearby Broughton, during a contest, he drove his wooden peg down hard as was his wont, but alas, he mired himself in a soft patch. Caught off balance, he went over sideways, though the leg stayed where it was. He suffered serious internal injuries in that fall from which, it is said, he died.
4 Ted Gregg family tree
5 Entry in index to Cumberland Pacquet
William Gregg of Coniston 1845 July 15 P3e (m)
6 William is listed as living with his parents in the 1841 census, with no mention of a wife or children.
7 There are 4 lodgers listed in the 1851 census, and several in the 1861 census. In 1861 he describes himself as 'Lodging House Keeper' - this could have been after his accidents.
8 William Henry, Joseph and George are not listed in the 1851 census. George is known to have died in 1850. Did William Henry and Joseph also die young?