Richard Gransden

   Cause of his death was Old age.

  General Notes:

Until Richard sent for his birth certificate in 1925 to claim his old age pension he thought he had been born in 1860.

Kathleen does not know what Richard did until the war but on his marriage certificate it says 'Smith'. When his Australian nephews came to see him during the First World War he was living at Pett Farm, near Stockbury. He was working as a Waggoner- this was a man working with farm horses. He earned 18 shillings a week (twenty shillings to the pound) an ordianary farm worker would have earned 15 shillings at that time.
Later on Richard had his own farm, quite near to Pett Farm it was called Magpie Hall. Kathleen suspects that it was his son Albert who invested in this, but she has no proof.
In September 1939 the farm was sold and they moved to a new bungalow with Kathleens parents.

1881 Census shows Richard Gransden and Phillis Goodwin. The couple are noted as living at Church Lane, Chatham, Kent.
Richard is noted as Ag lab, married 55yo, born at Stockbury
Phillis Gransden wife, married 50yo, born at Hollingsbury
Richard, son 24yo, ag lab, born at Stockbury
Wesley, son, 19yo, lab dockyard, born at Stockbury
Lewis, son, 12yo, scholar, born at Hartlip
Edward, son, 11yo, scholar, born at Hartlip
Luther, grandson, 9yo, scholar, born at Luton

There are two different 1901 census records for Richard and Julia Gransden
1901 Census
Occupation- Mill House, Borden, Kent.
Richard Gransden, Head, male, 39yo, Agricultural Labourer, worker, born Kent N.K.?
Julia Gransden, wife, married, 36yo, born Kent N.K.
Albert, son, 16, Bakers (bread) assistant, worker, born Chatham Kent
Mabel, daughter, 11yo, born Bredgar Kent

1901 Census- crossed out- Down's Hill, Bredgar Kent
Richard Gransden, Head, male, 40yo, Agricultural Labourer, worker, born Kent Stockbury
Julia Gransden, wife, married, 36yo, born Kent, Halden
Albert, son, 16, Bakers boy, worker, born Chatham Kent
Mabel, daughter, 11yo, born Bredgar Kent
Charles, son, 8yo, born Bredgar Kent
Ella, daughter, 6yo born Bredgar Kent
Ethel, daughter, 10mo born Rochester, Kent

Richard married Julia Terry in Dec 1884 in Medway, Kent, England.⁵³⁹ (Julia Terry died about 1942.). The cause of her death was Liver cancer.