Kenneth Grahame (1859 - 1932)

Born 8 Mar 1859 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Elspeth S. W. (Thomson) Grahame — married 1899 in St Austell, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Died 6 Jul 1932 at age 73 in Bradfield, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Kenneth Grahame is Notable.

Kenneth Grahame was born in Edinburgh, Midlothian on 8 March 1859^[1]He is the son of James Grahame and Bessie Ingles. His mother died of scarlet fever when he was just a young boy and he was raised by older relatives.

In 1871, the 12-year-old Kenneth was a boarder in a boys' school at new Inn Hall, Oxford under the headship of A B Simeon.^[2]

Ten years later, in 1881, Kenneth was living in a boarding house run by a Maria Cox at 5 Caroline Street, St Giles in the Fields in London and was working as a clerk in the Bank of England.^[3]

In 1891 Kenneth was living on his own at 65 Chelsea Gardens in the parish of St George Hanover Square, London and was still working as a bank clerk.^[4]

He married Elspeth Thomson in the September quarter of 1899 in St Austell, Cornwall^[5] "Elizabeth would gain one blessing at least from her failed marriage. Within weeks of her honeymoon, she found herself pregnant. Alistair was born on 12May 1900"^[6]

Residence on 31 March 1901 England and Wales Census Kenneth is listed as Head of household at Kensington, London, England and his wife is listed as born in Java, resident, and his son age 0 years birthplace listed as Kensington. They had five servants at this address in London.^[7]

He was Secretary of the Bank of England in 1908.

Shown in the 1911 England and Wales Census aged 52 Kenneth is living at St Catherine's Hotel, Fowey in Cornwall as a Boarder with occupation given as Author with his wife aged 44 and son Alastair aged 10 ^[8]

His son predeceased him. "They had one child, a boy named Alastair (nicknamed "Mouse"), who was born blind in one eye and plagued by health problems throughout a short life. ... Alastair took his own life on a railway track while an undergraduate at Oxford University on 7 May 1920, five days before his 20th birthday. His demise was recorded as an accidental death out of respect for his father."^[9]

He was an author, of adult and children's fiction, but most famously of the beloved children's classic 'Wind in the Willows. He is a first cousin of 'The Prisoner of Zenda' author Anthony Hope Hawkins (1863-1933).

Kenneth Grahame died aged 73 yrs at Pangbourne, registered in Bradfield, Berkshire, England^[10]

"Funeral was held at Pangbourne's Church of St James the Less, three days after his death. Kenneth was temporarily buried in the Churchyard - later he was transferred to a plot beside Mouse - and quantities of sweet peas heaped the lid of his coffin."^[11]

There is a nice short biography posted on the Find a Grave site.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQBL-ZD6 : 10 February 2018), Kenneth Grahame, 08 Mar 1859; citing EDINBURGH PARISH,EDINBURGH,MIDLOTHIAN,SCOTLAND, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 6,035,516.
2. ↑ The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1871 England Census; Class: RG10; Piece: 1438; Folio: 78; Page: 32; GSU roll: 828782; Ancestry.com. 1871 England Census; shareable image
3. ↑ The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1881 England Census; Class: RG11; Piece: 325; Folio: 77; Page: 12; GSU roll: 1341070; Ancestry.com 1881 England Census; shareable image
4. ↑ The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 74; Folio: 61; Page: 4; GSU roll: 6095184; Ancestry.com. 1891 England Census; shareable image
5. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index; Registration Year: 1899 Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep Registration District: St Austell; Volume: 5c Page: 169
6. ↑ The Man in the Willows p136 by Matthew Dennison
7. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X941-2C2 : 20 May 2019), Kenneth Graham, Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Kensington Town subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
8. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7LP-PHM : 18 July 2019), Kenneth Grahame, Fowey, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
9. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Kenneth Grahame," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenneth_Grahame&oldid=1134629628 (accessed January 23, 2023).
10. ↑ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVH6-GGKR : 4 September 2014), Kenneth Grahame, 1932; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Bradfield, Berkshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
11. ↑ The Man in the Willows p192 by Matthew Dennison
12. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7697/kenneth-grahame: accessed 23 January 2023), memorial page for Kenneth Grahame (8 Mar 1859–6 Jul 1932), Find a Grave Memorial ID 7697, citing St. Cross Churchyard, Holywell, City of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England; Maintained by Find a Grave.