Ian Handford: The St Marychurch family in business for five generations

It had been William Henry Grant’s grandfather, Joseph Grant, who was  born in 1777, who had worked in the quarries of Petitor Hills when deposits of marble were found. 

Having joined Messrs D.J.Woodley (manufacturers) they would then supply marble and stone objects including pendants, crosses and personal seals (when pressed into wax created items of authentication) until in 1847, Joseph and his son Henry (Harry) established the "Watcombe Marble and Mosaic Works" on Teignmouth Road. 

Later they would welcome William Henry Grant (or WHG) who as the next generation had been born on April 23, 1836, at a thatched cottage near to the Palk Arms on Teignmouth Road. 

Having attended the Priory School St Marychurch he joined the family business at the age of 15 in 1851 and was fortunate to visit the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace in Hyde Park London where he saw thousands of products on display  including those of his family. 

Later the second Great Exhibition was held in Chelsea in 1862 and with a friend he attended again being  super grounding for a young man destined to inherit a now two-generation family business.

By 1870 the firm was trading as Harry Grant & Sons with Harry and his father

employing around  20 permanent staff producing a  wide range of ornaments including - inkstands, paperweights, vases, brooches, trays and small caskets which were then sold through an "Art and Marble Works plus Manufacturing Jeweller” wholesale or to export. 

Henry and William (WHG) would continually expand the marble and stonework stock when using a new material - malachite. This was so beautiful it ensured Torquay's main jeweller Messrs Edwin Bradford became Grant's main retailer for items of quality. 

Harry Grant and Sons opened their own retail shop at 29 Torwood Street by 1880 before moving to No 10 Torquay Strand. 

Inlaid table ornaments of marble, stone and jewellery - sometimes mounted in silver or gold – were now sold retail. 

The Strand shop survived for some 40 years until when closured only the factory remained to continue the family's name. 

WHG was a successful businessman and  volunteer in the local community. Elected a Councillor in 1866 he joined the Local Board after an Act of Parliament established this. The Board soon became a District Council with WHG the first Chairman of its Gasworks Committee responsible to extend the Temperance Street Gas supply to local residents in St Marychurch. Then in 1868 he lost his grandfather and then his father in 1871. Amazingly Joseph survived to the age of 90.

Councillor WH Grant supported a new sewerage scheme to his local district while  ensuring new footpaths and grass was laid on Babbacombe Downs and even witnessed a new Town Hall being built. 

Having then noted Devon's Agricultural show being hosted at Chelston in 1882 this he repeated in 1883 by bringing it to St Marychurch. Nearing age 60 WHG retired from his factory in 1896 by assigning it to his sons and saw the firm survive as they made it a Limited Company.

Finally he served his local Council and community for over 20 years until having been given a seat by right, on the County Magistrates Bench, when his District Council was split into two he lost the seat. 

He oversaw the Babbacombe & St Marychurch area host the Devon Agricultural Show in Cary Park in 1901 while his firm was enjoying international status by creating items with some of the world's rarest gem-precious including - opal, malachite, lapis- lazal, cornelian, tigereye and turquoise – often more valuable than gold .

Having lost his wife in April 1910, WHG went to live with his daughter until a "terrible accident" happened in 1920. 

Thereafter he lived with his eldest son and retained a housekeeper until 89. William Henry Grant – affectionately known later as the "Grand Old Man of St Marychurch" died in March 1924 when his factory would finally be owned by Joseph's great, great grandson Mr Godfrey Grant-Halliday until sold in 1975.