I am trying to find information on a relative who lived on Marlborough Road in the Broomhill area of Sheffield.
Winifred was born in 1885 and became an author and lecturer on the folklore of plants.
She was a fellow of the RHS and may have been responsible for creating a garden within the city.
If anyone remembers Winifred or her name rings a bell with regard to publications or gardens please contact me.
Thanks

I was interested to see that in 1891 she was listed (as GRANVILLE) as the adopted daughter of no less a person than Daniel DONCASTER. By 1911 she was living with her (birth) father at 21 Victoria Road, a house I used to live in (as a student, in the attic flat).

Do you know which house in Marlborough road she lived in? (my mother lives in that street, there is also a house there which was the headquarters of the Sheffield suffragettes.)

Hugh

Thank you for your message.
I have two addresses for Winifred. An early one is 66 Ringinglowe Road (1930's) and a later one (1950's) as 45 Marlborough Road.
I would be interested to know how you think that the Winifred Granville of 1891 is the same person as Winifred Graville born in1885. We have no knowledge of her early life but it seems highly unlikely that she would have been adopted by Daniel Doncaster.
Who is he by the way?
Many thanks.

Hi

66 Ringinglow Rd was the home of a Walter Graville, according to the 1923 directory. It doesn't say what his profession was though.

Heather

Walter Graville was married in 1884 to Elizabeth Foulston, mother of Winifred. Elizabeth died in 1887 and Walter subsequently Ann Martha Hall in 1893.  It would appear that in the interim, Daniel Doncaster and his wife adopted Winifred. Daniel was very wealthy and an iron and steel merchant, so it seems Walter wanted to give Winifred a better life.  In 1901 Winifred was at Sidcot School in Somerset. This was originally founded by Quakers and one of the first co-educational schools in the country and very forward thinking (as it still is). I suspect the Doncasters were Quakers. They also adopted Eliza Isabella Hall who was a teacher and governess to the Doncasters originally and she subsequently took their name.

I can't answer your original question about Winifred being a member of the RHS but it looks very likely as she was very well educated.

Kate

The reasons for thinking Winifred GRANVILLE in 1891 was Winifred GRAVILLE include -

Right age, right middle initial.

Lack of a suitable Winifred M GRANVILLE in the GRO index. Only 2 GRANVILLE births in Sheffield in the whole of FreeBMD (quite surprising considering Granville Road and Granville Street - but those are due to one of the names of the Dukes of Norfolk).

Location - Daniel DONCASTER was at 1 Victoria Road in 1901, just up the road from where Walter and Winifred were in 1911.

Walter was a 'managing director of a limited company' in 1911 - I thought it possible he was working for Doncasters.

Hugh

45 Marlborough Road is indeed the former headquarters of the suffragettes in Sheffield and the home, for a time (c1911), of Adela PANKHURST. The house has been empty for a while and is in poor condition. Local residents have been campaigning for something to be done about the state of it.

The book Sheffield Troublemakers relates that some 'likely lads'  decided one night to 'tar and feather' the house to show what they thought of the suffragettes. But they weren't clever enough to find the right house, and tarred-and-feathered number 43 by mistake.

Hugh

Thanks to Hugh, Kate and Heather for thier posts regarding Winifred Graville.
If anyone has any more information on Winifred Margaret Graville please pass it on.
I have quite a lot of her manusripts and newspapaer cuttings about her but no information about her life. She seems to have been well educated  and to have strong links to Sheffield.
Thanks for your help so far.
Best wishes
J.