Chailey Parish Magazine first mentions George Grounds In October 1914 noting that he is serving his King and Country. In October 1915 it notes, Grounds, Sergt G,
RE, England and he then appears in the magazine every month up to and including September 1917 after
which he disappears.
He was born at Brighton
in 1877, his birth recorded at Brighton
in the March quarter of that year. His name is recorded in volume 2b, page 236
as George Thomas B Grounds.
He was the second son of David and Mary Eleanor Grounds (nee Brandreth) whose marriage was registered at Wandsworth,
Surrey in the December quarter of 1872. In 1881, the census records the family living at 83 Ditchling Rise, Preston, Brighton. His mother and father are noted
as having been born in Standish, Lancashire
and Wigan, Lancashire respectively. His older brother
David was born in Clapham while George and his sister Marina were born in Brighton. A domestic servant, Hannah Johnson,
is also recorded living at the address.
The 1891 census records George living at the same Preston address. The household comprised David Grounds (head,
married, aged 40, working as a clerk in a School Board office), his wife Mary Eleanor Grounds (aged 49) and their four children:
David Reginald Brandreth Grounds (aged 17 and working as a fitter’s apprentice at the railway works), Marina Edith Boune Grounds (a 16 year old scholar), George Thomas Boune Grounds (a fourteen year old scholar) and Unis Rita [sic] Boune Grounds (an eight year old scholar).
The writing on the 1891 census is not easy to interpret and the spelling of some of the name seems, at best, approximate. David Reginald (who probably went by the name of Reginald rather than David) definitely
has his mother’s maiden name as his third name. His siblings however, have
“Boune” as their third name.
To confuse matters further, the 1901 census gives different spellings again. The
family is still living at 83 Ditchling Rise but initials replace the middle names. Marina is recorded as, what looks like, Marion and Unis is recorded simply as “Bownce”. The head of the household is still recorded as a “Clerk in School Board”
and Reginald (recorded as David R B Grounds) is noted as a “Mechanical Engineer Fitter”.
George had moved away from Brighton
by this time. He is noted on the census as boarding at 34, London Road, Grays, Essex; the home of John Simmons, a 43 year old engine driver. George is noted as one of two boarders at the house, his aged noted as 24 and occupation recorded as bank
cashier.
It seems likely that the Grounds family moved north towards Chailey at some point after the 1901 census was taken. George, as previously mentioned, is included in Reverend Jellicoe’s roll call
of Chailey connected men who served their King and Country while Marina and Unis Grounds played an active role as nurses with
Sussex 54 VAD. They are both noted in a June 1914 newspaper article (source unknown)
which reported on Chailey’s showing at the Stanmer Park Field Day at Falmer, Sussex and they also appear in photos taken of the Chailey detachment at the time.
On Friday March 24th 1916, the East Sussex News published details of Sergeant
Grounds' mother's funeral, noting that the chief mourners were "Mr Grounds (husband), Miss M Grounds and Miss U Grounds (daughters),
Sergt G Grounds and Mr R Grounds (sons)." Others present included "Mrs Jellicoe,
Mrs Beresford, Miss Blencowe, Mrs Allen, Mr Orton and the Rector, the Rev T H L Jellicoe. Miss Sandford presided at the organ."
To view George's service record on-line via the Ancestry website, enter his name in the boxes below:
Sources and Acknowledgements
- England and Wales Civil Registration Index 1837-1983
- 1881 Census of England and Wales
- 1891 Census of England and Wales
- 1901 Census of England and Wales
- Chailey Parish Magazine
- The East Sussex News
