The Grimditches

caution !! this is an initial draft ... these notes are on my server for safe keeping !!

 

 

 

 

The Grimditches

James Evans Grimditch (1872-1961) was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire in 1872. His father William James Grimditch was born in Downham, Cambridge, England in 1847 and at the time of the 1881 census was a Chemist & Farmer (78 acres, 2 men, 2 boys)  running a 'market place druggist shop'.  His mum was Sarah born in Ely in 1848.

In 1900 his partnership with his Dad in butchers shops at Hersham, Chertsey, Cobham and Sunninghill under the style of W J & J E Grimditch, was dissolved ... to prepare for his investments in Liverpool? or his Dad's retirement? or a new business arrangement? ... whatever the reason, the J E Grimditch chain of shops continued to trade.

On March 28th 1906 the anglo american cattle products co ltd was incorporated to acquire and take over the business at 81 Dale Street, Liverpool to buy, sell, import, export & deal in animals alive or dead and all kinds of meat. An international meat merchant business with 10,000 £1 shares and seven subscribers of 1 share each -

Henry Thomas Srer, 61 Southport Road, Ormskirk - Cigar Merchant

James Alexander Duncan, 36 Dunluce Street, Walton - Accountant

Thomas James Poole Masters, 8 Abercromby Terrace, Liverpool - Solicitor

Cornelius Joseph Merriman, 62 New Ferry Road, New Ferry - Estate Agent

Frank Willmott Knibb, 74 Claudia Street, Anfield - Cashier & General Merchant

William James Glass, 5 Cook Street, Liverpool - Chartered Accountant

Robert Edward Edwards, 32 Green Lane, Seaforth - Chatered Accountant

The directors of the firm were James Evans Grimditch, his wife Emma Elizabeth, both resident in Rosemont Philadelphia, USA and Mr Alexander Joseph Antoine of 40 Fazakerley Road, Liverpool as Manager.

The Memorandum of Association makes it clear that the strategy of the business was inexorably tied up with the exploitation of the carcase by-products. Mentioned particularly are serum albumin, pepsin extract & pemmican . These were sophisticated high value products and clearly Grimditch was operating an ambitious import/export company focused on trade with North America. In 1906 princes buildings, 81 Dale Street, Liverpool, L2 2HT was a majestic five storey red brick office block in the port of Liverpool with retail use on the ground floor and offices above. It was built in 1882 by Henry Shelmerdine as shops, offices and leather works.

Shareholder allottees were -

James Evans Grimditch, Rosemont Philadelphia - merchant - £2,343

Emma Elizabeth Grimditch, Rosemont Philadelphia - married woman - £450

Alexander Joseph Antoine, 40 Fazakerley Road, Liverpool - manager - £100

Clara Norton, 1 Morningside Road, Bootle - married woman - £400 

John Morton Norton, 1 Morningside Road, Bootle - manager & salesman - £150 

Emma Ianfield Norton, 1 Morningside Road, Bootle - spinster - £50 

Two of the subscribers acted for the company - F W Knibb as Secretary and W J Glass as Auditor.

On the 12th of October 1908 a special resolution was passed changing the Articles of Association to enable Grimditch to take out a £5,000 debenture prior to liquidation. Anglo American Cattle Products Co Ltd was wound up voluntarily following an Extraordinary General Meeting on November 6th 1909 and finalised on July 28th 1910.  (National Archives BT31/11456/88/27)

It appears James Evans Grimditch had secured a more profitable investment in The Weaver Refining Co Ltd. Interestingly Grimditch also invested in a Nottinghamshire company, Samuel Meggitt & Son, later Meggits (1917) Ltd, who were also involved in the cattle products business, and also involved in a future merger with The Weaver Refining Co Ltd in 1920.

In 1908 when The Weaver Refining Co Ltd was incorporated Grimditch had returned to England from The Anglo American business in Philadelphia and was living at Hersham Green, Walton on Thames where his wife Emma Elizabeth was born in 1874. Emma died in 1939.

The 1911 census reveals James Evans at 39 was living was living with Emma at Hersham Road, Walton on Thames. He was still in the butchery business with a chain of shops that now included one at Headley Road, Grayshott in Hampshire. It seems his shops ran a fleet of at least 26 austin chummy delivery vans. These vehicles were first registered in 1926.

Records of litigation include two interesting cases involving Anglo-American -

In 1912 The Solicitors' Journal and Weekly Reporter: Volume 57 Great Britain noted - Anglo-American Cattle Products Co v Grove Chemical Co Ltd. And on the 8th of May 1913 the Kings Bench Division Court III heard the case before Mr Justice Channel and Mr Justice Coleridge.

In 1919 The Chemical Trade Journal and Chemical Engineer: Volume 64, G Kelville Davis reported -'Bone Prices - Before Mr Justice Roche at Liverpool Assizes, on Thursday the Anglo-American Cattle Products Company, Liverpool, sued Messrs Samuel Meggitt Ltd, Sheffield for damages for conversion of goods.
The parties have had trade relations for some years and are extensive buyers of bones and similar products. In February last the plaintiffs made purchases at Pontefract and owing to a mistake on the part of the railway company over 81/2 tons of bones were delivered by mistake to the defendants at Sheffield. The mistake was not discovered for three weeks and when the plaintiffs, who had bought at £22 per ton were asked by the defendants what the sale price would be, they quoted £10 a ton and offered either to accept the return of the goods or a similar quantity. The defendants declined to buy at the figure named and did not supply an equivalent quantity. They paid into court a sum representing a purchase price of £25 a ton.
Mr Justice Roche said there was no doubt that the prices advanced considerably after the defendants obtained possession of the goods. He found for the plaintiffs on the basis of £35 per ton. Judgment was given for the plaintiffs for £275, with costs'. 

What was happening here? Anglo American was wound up in 1910? Later in 1920 both Grove, Meggitts and James Evans Grimditch ended up immersed in British Glues & Chemicals?!

In 1932 'The Meat Trades' Journal & Cattle Saleman's Gazette' ran an advert for a shop manager - 'Manager Required - young man for a good class trade in butchery, state age, experience and full particulars, wages required ... etc ... how long last situation and reason of leaving - J E Grimditch, Hersham, Walton on Thames'.

The J E Grimditch shops eventually became part of the William Hill chain of butchers shops.

James Evans Grimditch died at Putney Heath in 1958 at the ripe old age of 86. In 1961 The Times of London reported he left an estate of £314,058 some £16 million in today's money as a share of GDP. His investments in cows had proved to be propitious!

 

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