Leni Grosset and her contribution to Farnham History
Although she had no connection to Farnham until she became a resident in 1971, Leni embraced Farnham’s history. She became a Farnham Castle guide soon after arrival in Farnham. Leni then joined the Farnham and District Museum Society, eventually becoming Secretary and then Vice-President. She wrote at least 17 articles for the Society’s Newsletter including:
- Marquis of Lothian Walk in Farnham (1973)
- An Angel from Hale: Emily, wife of Lord Tennyson (1974)
- A Walk in Surrey 1860 (1980)
- Memories of George Sturt (1980)
- Houses with Blind Spots: The Window Tax (1982)
- These Blessed Candles of the Knight: Candle Making in Farnham (1982)
- Farnham Memories as cherished by Edna Lyall (1984)
- ‘By Worth’: The Motto of our town of Farnham (1992)
- A Closer Look At ‘The Last Supper’, Painted by Stephen Elmer of Farnham (1998)
- The History of Hatch Mill (1998)
As well as writing for the Museum Society, Leni gave history talks in Farnham. She also wrote articles for The Elizabethan magazine.
Tap the button below to explore the Farnham and District Museum Society:
Leni’s family tree should grab our attention!
The Wight Family
At one time, the Wight family owned a cloth mill in Painswick, Gloucestershire and were noted cloth manufacturers in the early 1800’s. Leni’s grandfather, William Byam Wight was a Cheltenham baker, with a side-line in corn dealing.
The Turley Family
Leni’s grandmother, Deborah Turley, grew up in Eardington, Shropshire which produced charcoal-made wrought iron. Deborah’s father, Thomas Turley, was a charcoal iron refiner.
The Grosset Family
The Grosset family were what is described as ‘Baltic Germans’ by Wikipedia; this was a German speaking enclave of the Russian Empire. “Until the late 19th century, most of the professional and learned classes in the region, the literati, were Germans” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Germans]. Leni’s grandfather was Alphons Harald Victoire Grosset, referred to as ‘His Excellency’ as he was a school principal. Leni’s grandmother, Marie Adele Forster Grosset came from a family of lawyers.
Leni’s Parents
In 1905, Leni’s mother, Winifred Wight made an interesting career choice ~ teaching English in present day Estonia! This led to a romance with another teacher (of French), Alexandre Alphonse Conrad Eugene Grosset, and the couple married in Libau, a port city in Latvia, on 31 May 1908. We have an excellent account of the marriage from The Gloucestershire Echo:
Here is a map of the western part of the vast Russian Empire showing the three places named in the news article. Today, Dorpat is Tartu, Estonia, Libau is Liepaja, Latvia, and Ekaterinburg is Yekaterinburg, Russia.
The record of Alexandre and Winifred’s marriage in a German Lutheran church in Libau, Latvia with a translation:
Winifred Helene Grosset ‘Leni’
Unlike her two sisters, Leni was born in England at Cheltenham on 16 October 1911; she was baptized at St Paul’s Church on December 10. Leni was probably born at the home of her grandfather, William Wight, 197 High Street, Cheltenham.
Time Chart of Leni’s Life
| 1911: Born in Cheltenham, the youngest of 3 Grosset daughters. |
| 1911: Returned to Russia with her mother. Leni wrote that ‘we had an idyllically happy childhood until the First World War’. |
| 1914: First World War and the loyalty of Baltic Germans to the Tsar was questioned by Russian government. Leni’s father, Alexandre, joined or was conscripted into the Russian army. The Grosset family’s life began to disintegrate. |
| 1917: Russian Revolution and death of the Emperor and his family. Russian society was in chaos. |
| 1918: As the effects of the Revolution became more terrible, Leni, with her English nurse and sisters, was helped by the British Consul to escape from Estonia on a cargo boat. The Consul had previously helped her mother to leave disguised as a Red Cross Nurse. |
| 1919: Alexandre listed on the Dorpat, Estonia ‘Tax and House Lists’. |
| 1920: The Grosset family were reunited in England but Alexandre had to leave all his money in Russia. Family settled in Cirencester. Leni’s mother died shortly after. |
| 1921 Census: Leni and her 2 sisters were living in a boarding home for pupils at Cirencester Grammar School. Leni wrote: “the three poor little Russians’ were welcomed into a school in Cirencester then at the Grammar School”. |
| 1930-33: Leni attended Bristol University. Graduated with a B.A. in English. |
| 1931: Leni’s sister, Mary (born in Estonia) and father, Alexandre, granted British Naturalisation. |
| 1934: Qualified as a school teacher. |
| 1935: Grosset family were living in Willesden, Greater London and Leni was teaching at St Paul’s School in Hammersmith. |
| 1935: Leni’s sister, Margarethe (born in Estonia) granted British Naturalisation. |
| 1936: Margarethe, working as a private nurse, was found guilty of stealing from her employer and lost her nursing certificate. (See newspaper article below) |
| 1939: Leni listed as a school teacher living in Maldon, Essex. |
| 1940: Margarethe served 6 months in prison for obtaining goods by false pretenses. |
| 1943: Margarethe was reinstated on the British Nursing Register and resumed her nursing career in Sidlesham, Sussex. |
| 1946: Mary Grosset married Ashton Cromwell Warner in Cape Town, South Africa and the couple settled in New Zealand. |
| 1947: Alexandre Grosset died (aged 71) in Bedford where he and Leni were living. |
| Abt. 1950: Leni went overseas to teach in Sweden and then to New Zealand (where her sister Mary lived). |
| 1959: Employed as an instructor at Bingley Ladies Teacher Training College in Yorkshire. |
| 1962: Instructor at Shipley Training College in Yorkshire. |
| Abt. 1965-71: Lecturer in English at St Osyth’s College of Education in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. |
| 1971: Leni retired (aged 60) and moved to Farnham where her sister Margarethe had moved following her retirement. |
Leni’s Life in Farnham
An article in the Farnham and District Museum Society Newsletter written following Leni’s death, gives us a glimpse into the woman behind the name (kindly provided to me by the current Society Chairman, Roy Waight). Here is an excerpt:
I have a recollection of Leni in the Museum Library where she was researching her article on deer leaps, a subject about which most of us know nothing, but which were important for the functioning of the ancient parks of Farnham.
Leni was a kind, helpful and gifted person who always took great care to welcome and put strangers at ease. Leni often telephoned and congratulated the Journal’s authors. She was an inspirational and valued member of the Society whom we will all miss.
(This note has been helped considerably by information from Monica Jones, Peggy Harding, and Peggy Parks. Please also see page two of the Farnham Herald of 12 July 2002 and ‘Memories 2000, A Collection of childhood and teenage memories from Parishioners of the Bourne’ edited by Wendy Whitmore).
John Price
Although she died in Wrecclesham, Leni’s registered address was 48 Ridgway Court in Farnham according to the 2002 Electoral Roll:
Leni Grosset’s Will
Leni wrote her Will in 1999:
Leni divided her estate into 30 equal parts and left a certain number of parts to organizations which gives us a little more insight into her life and her values:
Other shares were left to a fellow teacher who travelled abroad with Leni, Eva Grant of Laversham, Suffolk, a friend, Pamela Hussein of Wimbledon, and a close Farnham friend, May Marion Bell of Shortheath. May was a similar age to Leni, remained unmarried, and died in 2004. The primary beneficiary was Stuart H. Laurence of Shawford, Hampshire (connection to Leni unknown).
Mary Isabelle Byam Alexander Grosset (Warner)
As previously mentioned, Mary moved to New Zealand with her husband. The couple had a daughter, Margaret Nina Warner, in 1948 while living in what was then Rhodesia. Margaret appears to be the only grandchild of Winifred and Alexandre Grosset. She was a librarian in Wellington, New Zealand and predeceased Leni, dying in 1990, having never married.
Select Sources
- Correspondence with Roy Waight of Farnham and District Museum Society
- Correspondence with Grosset family descendant in Estonia via Geni.com
- Wikipedia of Estonia
- Find Your Past (by subscription)
- Probate Records Gov.UK (small fee)
- Google Books, Images, and Translate