My Great Grandfather Was Born In Newtown Linford 1879

A Memory of Newtown Linford.

Daniel Gretton : Born: abt 1854
Newtown Linford, Leicestershire, England  
Died: 1913
Resided in Village Street, Newtown Linford, Leicestershire, England  

Daniel was dis - owned by his family, and his very name expunged from the family records, for either or both sins. Of having no ambition or having married a Jewess.
Eliza Cook
Born: 1854
Leire, Leicestershire, England  
Died: 1931



Having blotted the heretofore pristine family escutcheon, he sank lower and lower, and took most of his family with him.

His marriage certificate had his profession as a 'Highway worker', and his death certificate read 'Treefeller'.

His sole claim to immortality was that he felled the largest oak at Bradgate Park.

He was also an alcoholic, which was of no real value in helping to raise nine children.

His two brothers, however had real ambition.

One brewed beer and became Lord Gretton, later of Stapleford Park, and the other made pots of money in building and ironmongery.

It was said by the family that the former brewed the beer to kill Daniel, and the latter supplied the timber and nails for the coffin.

It must have been an awful existence for the entire family.

My cousin Mona told me when we visited the family in 1973, that she remembered her Grandfather as a tall old man, with a long white beard and he had his hands covered with bandages to prevent his damaging himself in one of his frequent alcohol related fits.

It seems so many of my paternal forebears, both male and female fell to the evils of alcohol, that possibly, my aversion to same is inherited.

The Three Gretton girls married three Capewell brothers,and a Capewell girl was to have married William Gretton, but he died of of war wounds.

William Gretton had been wounded once and discharged from the army, but joined up again under an assumed name. When he died his mother received no credit for his second service under an assumed name.  God Bless you William.

I have been trying to work on the family tree but cant find any thing about poor old Grandad before he married.

If anyone can help me further with the family tree please contact me.

Leigh Gretton
tgretton@bigpond.net.au

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