Francis William Greengrass

Francis 'Frank' William Greengrass (1852-1911)

1852 May 11th. Born in Dover the son of Charles Greengrass and his wife Lydia Laws

He was a 'whitesmith' - a person who finishes and polishes metals, particularly tin plate and galvanized iron. He lived in Folkestone during 1880 but appears to have arrived in Epsom after the 1881 Census, when the family were enumerated in Charlton, Kent.

1883 Birth of a daughter, Lydia Elizabeth Greengrass, was registered in Epsom

1884 The body of his first wife, Helen Grainger Greengrass, was brought from the High Street to be interred at Epsom Cemetery on 24 September 1884.

1888 Married (2) at Kensington to Elizabeth Anne Coombs

1891 Living at 39 Adelphi Road, Epsom: Francis W. Greengrass (age 39 born Dover), Engineering Plumbing - Employer. With his wife Elizabeth A., one son and four daughters.

1893 F. W. Greengrass was a plumber and gas-fitter trading from Cromwell Lodge, Church Street, Epsom.

1896 He had also entered into a business relationship with Stanley Reynolds Docking of Croydon. They patented 'Improvements in Electric Accumulators on 20 July 1896. S. R. Docking, and H. R. Docking (trading as S. R. Docking and Co), 62 Dingwall Road , Croydon, Surrey, were established in business manufacturing farming equipment including milk churns. They are named patentees of the Easipore milk can and a combination nosebag with water bucket.

Patent No. 26,302 of 1896 was granted to to Francis William Greengrass for improvements in, and relating to, self-propelled road vehicles.

1897 Greengrass and Docking, Motor-car Builders of 62 Dingwall Road Croydon entered 'The Engineer' Horseless Carriage Competition in CLASS B (For the best mechanically-propelled vehicle constructed to carry either one or two or three persons, the total weight, when fully loaded, not exceeding one ton, a prize of 250 guineas was to be be given).

1897 Francis William Greengrass, 'a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Epsom, in the county of Surrey, England, ... invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Appliances for Steam-Boilers, Steam Engines, &c.,' patented 14 September 1897. This invention related to safety appliances for steam-boilers, steam-engines, and other steam apparatus, and particularly to that class thereof wherein a metallic diaphragm or similar device is used to close a pipe which is in communication with the steam-supply and is adapted to withstand a given pressure and to rupture when that pressure is exceeded. Patent assigned to Messrs. S Reynolds and H R(eynolds) Docking, Croydon.

On 9 December 1897, Greengrass was granted a patent in respect of 'Saucepans for porridge &c. in which the materials are agitated by the steam produced in a steam jacket'.

By 1899 Francis had become an 'Electric Apparatus Maker' still on Church Street, Epsom.

Reportedly, during a factory visit, “A machine drive belt broke, the arm of the machine swung free and hit him on the head with great force. For some time afterwards he seemed to be dying but gradually recovered. This severe brain injury was thought to be responsible for changes in behaviour and personality. He began to experience violent rages and second wife eventually had him committed to a mental hospital.” She, Elizabeth Anne Greengrass, was living in Sutton during 1901 and Francis ended up in Netherne Asylum, Merstham

1911 Died from tuberculosis alleged to have been contracted there. He joined his first wife in Plot F 256 of Epsom Cemetery on 6 September 1911.

Greengrass & Docking. Motor-car Builders of 62 Dingwall Road, Croydon, have not been found listed after 1900. Major Stanley Reynolds Docking survived until 3 April 1959.

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