Ernest Ghinn (1865-1927)

Ernest Ghinn (1865-1927) BWE 23 Jan 2009

Ernest Ghinn was born 13 Jul 1865 at 104 Devon's Lane (believed to be the same as Devons Road) Bromley, Middlesex

the fifth child of Thomas and Julia

In the 1871 census he was at home with his family at Devons Rd

In 1881, aged only 15 he was living with a draper Mr Evans and family in High Street, Hampstead,

Ernest was serving as an Apprentice Draper

It has been said that some of the these Ghinn boys, attended school in France, but it is thought that Ernest was not one of them

He then worked in a draper’s shop in Stratford, London, where he met his future wife Emily Downing

In 1889 aged only 24 he started his own draper's business at 79 Peckham Rye, and the same year he and Emily were married

They then between 1892 and 1911 had nine children, Grace was born over the shop and presumably all the others were too

Two died as babies, the remaining ones were:-

Elsie b.1892, married Harry D Thomas and had two children

Ernest b. 1893 married Kathleen Thomas (Harry's sister) and had three children

Grace b.1896 married Frederick Francis Evershed and had five children

Frank b.1897 married Hyldred Doreen Cupit and had three children

Ruth b.1902 married Percy Flowerdew Guy and had two children

Horace b.1905 married Vera Gertrude Critchley and had seven children

Joseph b.1911 married Hilda Alice Bacon and had five children

Ernest, Frank and Joseph carried on their father's business under the name Ghinns Ltd, and opened several more shops

around South London

Horace set up his own business as H.Ghinn with shops in Redhill, Coulsdon and Croydon

(by this time Harry Ghinn's business of H.Ghinn had closed)

After the deaths of Ernest, Frank and Horace, Joseph re-established the business as Ghinns Wools

which later his son Andrew built up to a chain of 17 shops in London and the S.E.