Frederick Daniel Grimson

From The Orange Wiki

GRIMSON, Frederick Daniel

Service no: 6055 [1]

Place of birth: Cumnock, 1890

Address: Yullundry, Cumnock

Occupation: Farmer

Next of kin: Edmund Grimson (father), Yullundry, Cumnock

Date of enlistment: 13 April 1916

Place of enlistment: Cumnock

Age at enlistment: 25

Fate: Proceeded to Dubbo camp 23 June 1916. Transferred to 18th Battalion Liverpool camp 25 August 1916. Embarked HMAT A8 Argyllshire, Sydney, 31 October 1916. Disembarked Plymouth 10 January 1917. Proceeded to France 29 March 1917. Marched out to join unit 31 March 1917 Taken on strength with 23rd Battalion 1 April 1917. Died of disease 5 April 1917.

Date of death: 5 April 1917, aged 26 years and 8 months

Buried: Becourt Military Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt, France, Plot I, Row Z, Grave 23

Frederick Daniel Grimson was born near Cumnock in 1890, the son of Edmund and Mary Ann Grimson. Their children were Charles (born 1876), Lydia (born 1878), Stephen (dorn 1880), Edmond (born 1884), Robert (born 1887), and Frederick.

The Grimson family in Cumnock originated from Stephen and Lydia (nee Brown) Grimson, from Norfolk, England. They had eight children – Stephen (born 1827), Robert (born 1828), Charles (born 1830), Samuel (born 1832), James (born 1833), Rachel (born 1835), Lydia (born 1838) and John (born 1840).

Stephen Grimson and his 24 year old son, Stephen, worked as agricultural labourers when the 1851 England Census for Norfolk/Toft Monks was recorded. In 1852 Stephen Grimson (Jnr) married Sarah Simmons in the county of Norfolk. They had one child, Edmond Grimson, born in 1853, in Norfolk. Sarah Grimson died in 1855.

Stephen Grimson, aged 29 years, along with his 3 year old old son, Edmund, were Assisted Immigrant Passengers on the ship Lloyds, arriving at Sydney on 4 September 1856. He stated on the ship’s papers that his brother Samuel was living at Newtown. Samuel, aged 21 years, had arrived in Australia on 21 October 1854, on the Anglo Saxon. Another brother, Robert, also came to Australia, around the same time as Samuel and Stephen. The three Grimson brothers started the St Peter’s (Sydney) brickworks. Stephen later purchased horse teams and in about 1872, started carrying trade between Sydney and Bourke. His son Edmund accompanied him with a second team. Leaving the road, father and son settled on land on Yullundry Creek, near Cumnock. Robert eventually settled in Wellington, and Samuel at Crookwell, – both married with children.

Stephen Grimson married Mary Ann Townsend at Molong in 1876, and they had five children. An unnamed son (born and died 1877), a daughter (born 1879), Mary (born and died 1881), Robert (born 1883 died 1887), and Samuel (born and died 1886).

In 1893 Stephen Grimson bought 320 acres of land along Yullundry Creek which they called Norfolk Farm, in the parish of Buckinbah, county of Gordon, and a further 40 acres in 1896. They grazed sheep and farmed wheat, and won several competitions at local shows. Mary Ann Grimson died, aged 54 years, on 17 September 1898, at Yullundry Creek. Stephen Grimson sold his Yullundry farm in 1904 and died, aged 85 years, on 3 September 1912. The couple are buried in the Anglican portion of the Cumnock Cemetery.

Edmund (variously spelt as Edmond or Edward) took up a selection adjoining his father’s, at Yullundry. In 1918 Edmund Grimson was reported in local newspapers as having built new sale yards, held a license to run billiards in Cumnock, and was the local news agent – stocking pipes, tobacco, fancy goods, phonographs and other articles. He was a member of the Cumnock Club and took an active part in community activities. Edmund Grimson died aged 67 years at his Yullundry farm, on 8 February 1921, having lived there for 47 years. The farm was managed by his son, Robert, in later years. Mary Ann Grimson moved to Orange to live in 1922. She died aged 95 years, in 1949, at Kiama.

Frederick or ‘Ned’ Grimson would have attended Yullundry School and enjoyed playing tennis and playing the violin. He played the violin for many social occasions in Cumnock and Yeoval and was a member of the Cumnock Brass Band. He worked for a time a time for Mr Arthur Job but also had his own farm at Bellview, Yullundry Creek.

Frederick enlisted in the AIF at Cumnock on 13 April 1916, aged 25 years and 8 months, and was examined by the town GP, Dr Ivie Aird. He was 5 feet 10 inches tall, had fair complexion hair, blue eyes, and was of the Church of England religious denomination.

The Molong Express and Western District Advertiser, 4 November 1916, p. 4, reported on a Yullundry Soldier Farewelled: