Dr Edward Mills Grace

of Thornbury

Edward Mills Grace was a very important person in Thornbury and his name was well-known throughout the region because of his work and involvement in local affairs.  He was even more well-known as a cricketer and his fame in this context spread throughout the country and the other cricket-playing nations.  It was said of 'E.M.' (as he was called) that 'But for the accident that his own brother proved greater than himself, E. M. Grace would have lived in cricket history as perhaps the most remarkable player the game has produced.  Barring W.G., it would be hard indeed to name a man who was a stronger force on a side or a more remarkable match winner'.

We do not intend to write about his achievements on the cricket field as these have been well documented elsewhere on the internet.  Click here to read one profile

Here we will write briefly about his family, the houses where he lived and the various other activities which kept him busy when not playing cricket.  We have attached a separate page giving a biography of EM written by his son, Dr Edgar Mervyn Grace, which does include some references to cricket as well as other more personal matters.  Click here to read this biography

Edward Mills was born in Downend on 28th November 1841, the third son of Dr Henry Mills Grace and his wife, Martha (nee Pocock).  He started school at Long Ashton, but moved to Goodenough House School in Ealing which is where he was at the time of the 1851 census.  After school, like his brothers, Edward gained an apprenticeship with his father in Downend 1857 and then he attended lectures at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and in London.  On qualifying as a doctor in 1866 he started a practice in Marshfield before moving to Olveston and then on to Thornbury in 1867.  Edward moved in to live at 20 Castle Street.

Whilst at Olveston he met his first wife, Annie White Stutchbury.  They were married at Almondsbury Church on 5th February 1868.  Annie was the youngest daughter of the late Mr Joseph Sidney Stutchbury of Georgetown, Demerara which is where Annie was born about 1844.  By 1871 he and Annie had moved to a rented house at 13 The Plain which he rented at £55 per annum.  The 1871 census shows Edward Mills Grace as a physician and surgeon aged 29 living with his wife, Annie White aged 27 born in Demara West Indies and their two daughters, Annie Ethel aged 1 and Edith Mabel aged 8 months.  They lived here until 1879 when the house was being put up for sale.

Edward was quickly moving up in the world.  In 1873 he was appointed as Secretary to Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.  In 1874 he was made Mayor of the Borough and in 1875 Edward was appointed as Coroner for the Southern District of Gloucester.  He was also the Registrar for Births and Deaths, Chairman of the Thornbury School board and Parish Councillor.

The 1880 Rate Book shows that Edward had bought Park House, a large house in its own grounds just off the High Street, and he made it his family home.  He certainly needed a large house.  We have read that Edward fathered 18 children, but we have only found records of 17.  Edward and Annie had: Annie Ethel baptised on 15th December 1869 who was dumb and an imbecile from birth, Ethel Mabel born in September quarter 1870, Florie Beatrice born in September quarter 1872, Mina Gertrude born in June quarter 1873, Edward Sidney Henry baptised on 2nd February 1876, Maud Tiny baptised on 2nd February 1876, Sarah Martha Annie baptised early in 1877 and Alice Rose born later in same year, both baptised on 28th November 1877, Francis Henry baptised on 5th February 1879, Ada Hellings baptised on 29th October 1879, Sybil Elizabeth born in March quarter 1881, George Frederick baptised on 1st April 1882 and John baptised on 17th March 1883.

On 29th March 1884 Edward's first wife, Annie White, died.  In June 1885 Edward married Annie Louise Robinson, the eldest daughter of Mr Alfred Robinson of Beechwood, Fishponds and Kemerton Castle near Malvern.  Annie had been engaged to Edward's brother,  George Frederick another outstanding cricketer, who had died suddenly in 1880, two weeks after playing with his two more famous brothers for England against Australia .  

Edward and his second wife had more children: Edgar Mervyn born on 6th October 1886, Mervyn Bruce born on 15th August 1889, Doris Marguerite born in September quarter 1893 (she died after only 5 months) and Norman Vere born on 31st July 1894.

Annie Louise died in September quarter 1901 aged 43.  Edward married for a third time in the Keynsham area on 15th March 1902.  His new wife was married Blanche Adelaide who had also been married twice before.  Her maiden name was Hall, and she had previously been married to Thomas Abraham and John Rapsey Guy who had died in 1901.

Blanche died in March quarter 1907 aged 67 and in the December quarter of the same year, Edward married for the fourth time.  His new wife was Sarah Elizabeth Brain who he married in the Walsall area.  Sarah Elizabeth was born in 1844, the daughter of George Brain and his wife, Mary (nee McGowan) of St George in Bristol.  George who had become a wealthy man based on his interest in coal mines, brickworks, farming, shipping, and property and following his death much of his wealth was left to Sarah Elizabeth.  She also had close family connections with the Brains Brewery Company founded in Cardiff.

Edward died on 20th May 1911 aged 69.  Large crowds took to the streets to watch the funeral cortege pass along from his house in the High Street to Downend where the funeral service took place.  It took the cortege two hours to travel the twelve mile route.  His remains were buried in the churchyard next to the Downed Cricket Club ground and near to the house where he was born and where he learned to play cricket.    Sarah Elizabeth died in Thornbury on 13th October 1932 aged 88.

Of his many children:

Edgar Mervyn - followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a general medical practitioner in Thornbury and an outstanding cricketer in his own right.  We will be writing more about this E.M. later.  From other houses we have researched we know that on 23rd April 1917 Edgar Mervyn Grace applied for exemption from military service giving his address as 'Porlock Weir' Thornbury.  'Porlock Weir' was the name of the house now called 3 Pullins Green.  We also know from the audio tape of an interview with Edgar's niece, Sally Gordon, that Edgar lived in Pullins Green after he got married in 1914 to Hilda Henrietta Heathcote.  Edgar failed in his application for exemption from military service and joined the R.A.M.C.  On his return he took up his medical practice again.  Edgar and Hilda were listed as living in Porlock Weir in the 1918 electoral register.  About 1919 or 1920 he bought Park House, the house which had been his parent's home up to his father's death in 1911 when it was sold to H. P. Thurston.

Francis Henry - became an electrical engineer and played a major role in bringing electricity to Thornbury and in the opening of the Town's cinema called 'The Picture House'.  Click here to read more

Mervyn Bruce - educated at Wellington College he became an engineer and worked at the GWR railway works in Swindon.  In 1911 he went to South Africa for 2 years and on his return he married and took a partnership with a motor agent in London.  At the outbreak of War he was given a commission in the North Staffs Regiment.  He served briefly in Ireland during the Easter Rebellion and was then sent to France.  On 8th May 1917 Mervyn was reported missing on the Somme when he and the greater part of his party fell within minutes of going 'over the top' to attack the German lines.  He left a wife, Dorothy (nee Dale) and two daughters.

Norman Vere - joined the Royal Navy in the First World War.  In 1916 he was appointed Lieutenant and was serving then on the HMS Lawford, a destroyer having previously served on the HMS Implacable and HMS Foyle.

This page was last updated: 03/06/2011