The Greetham Family's Connections with the Sea.

These research notes relating to the Greetham family – one of whom was at the trial of Capt Bligh and that of his crew - have been assembled by NHCRA secretary Richard Taylor with help from the Association’s editor, Allan Hall, and family historian Doug Greetham, of Falmouth, Minnesota. The starting point was

Engineer Captain Charles Tyldesley Downey Greetham (1867-1924)
 who was the senior engineering officer to survive the explosion which destroyed the cruiser HMS Natal at Cromarty Firth in December 1915. He was ashore at the time, watching his stokers play football.

Click Here for Charles T D Greetham’s personal chronology

Commander Greetham’s paternal-line ancestors & earlier members of the Greetham family were:

  • Robert Grittam (ca 1620-1667). Died at Fareham

  • Charles Grittam (1666-1707). Born at Fareham; married Margaret Dowes

  • James Greetham (1699-1785). Appears to have been a successful businessman in Portsea

  • Isaac Greetham (1734-1814). Born at Portsea; married Mary Willington in 1762 at Portsea. From about 1767 was in business as a cooper in Liverpool, where he died

  • *Moses Greetham (1762 - 1831). Died at Wymering, Portsmouth

  • Rev John Knight Greetham Son of Moses and his second wife Mary. Became curate to Lord Hood of the Admiralty.

  • *Benjamin Greetham  (1766-1825). Married Margaret Tyldesley (1774-1850). Born at Portsea but became a ships’ chandler in Liverpool

  • *Charles Greetham (1767 - 1829) Son of Moses Greetham Snr & brother of Moses the Younger.

  • *Edwin Greetham (1800 - 1846) Son of Moses Greetham Snr.

  • *Louisa Greetham (1801 - 18??) Daughter of Moses Snr.

  • Benjamin Greetham (1801-49). Married Elizabeth Evans; died in Liverpool

  • *Benjamin Greetham  (1828 - 1864) Uncle to CTD Greetham.

  • *Peter Greetham (1830-83), Royal Naval Engineer, who married Rosina Ann Nibbs at Malta. His brother, Benjamin (b 1828) was also an RN engineering officer

*See separate notes for the Greetham family’s naval and maritime connections

 James Greetham :  Shown in the 1881 Census as a 45-year-old mariner living at 13 Newsham Terrace, West Derby, Liverpool. Born at Liverpool and married to 43-year-old Anne.

Joseph Greetham :  Listed as a master mariner, aged 41, in the 1881 Census for 17 Yew Tree Road, Walton on the Hill, Lancashire. Born at Knotty Ash and married to 40-year-old Elizabeth

William Greetham : Brother of Lieut-Cdr Eric Woodall Greetham’s grandfather. William was a time serving sailor who finished up as a Master at Arms, later living in retirement at Weymouth. He was photographed in Ceylon some time before 1900 with his brother, Sam, who was killed at Paardeberg in February 1900 while serving with the Green Howards.

 

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