Greenwood was born on 19 September 1881 to James Magnall (GM021/149) and Alice (nee Greenwood) (GM022). Details of his birth certificate are shown below:

Registration District Burnley
1881 Birth in the Sub-District of Burnley in the County of Lancaster
No. When and where
born
Name, if any Sex Name and Surname
of Father
Name and Maiden Sur-
name of Mother
Rank or Profession
of Father
Signature, Description and
Residence of Informant
When
registered
Signature of
registrar
Baptismal Name
if added after
Registration of Birth
432 Nineteenth
September
1881
Gretna
Green
Habergham
Eaves
U.S.D.
Greenwood Boy James
Magnall
Alice
Magnall
formerly
Greenwood
Coal
Miner
X The mark
of James
Magnall
Father
Gretna Green
Habergham
Eaves
Thirteenth
October
1881
Robert
Munn
Registrar

Greenwood was christened on the 3 November 1881 at Holy Trinity Church in Habergham Eaves. The register shows that the family were living at Four Lane Ends and that James was a “Licensed Victualler”.

The 1891 Census shows that Greenwood was 9 years old and a scholar. The family were living at 151 Cog Lane.

At the time of the 1901 Census Greenwood was 19 years old and is described as a solicitors clerk living at 276 Cog Lane with his parents and two of his sisters.

Greenwood married Ellen Maud Hollinrake (EM187) on 7 November 1907 in Burnley and they sailed from Liverpool on the ship Saxonia arriving in Boston, Massachusetts on 22 November 1907.

Greenwood’s father died on 6 September 1908. Greenwood returned to Britain at some point and there is a record of him arriving back in Boston on 13 May 1909 on the Saxonia. There is another record of him arriving back in Boston on 7 August 1913 on the Cymric. Both ships sailed from Liverpool.

Greenwood and Ellen had two children, both of who appear to have been born in California:

  • DM054 James Greenwood (4 December 1916 – 5 December 1993)
  • DM053 Grace Alice (11 September 1921 – 11 December 1999).

The Ellis Island web site has records of immigration. These records show that Ellen, James and Grace arrived in New York on board the Berengaria on 10 October 1924 from Southampton in the UK. Presumably they had been “back home” to visit relatives but Greenwood had stayed in their home in San Francisco. The manifest also shows that they had been living in the US since about 1911 but I have yet to find immigration records to show this.

The records also show Greenwood and his son, James, arriving on the ship Adriatic in 1928.

On 14 August 1932, Greenwood and James arrived in Southampton on the Red Star Line ship Minnetonna. They were going to 79 Promenade in Cheltenham. Greenwood was working as a chiropactor and was 51 years old. James was recorded as 11 years old but 15 years old.

A 1933 electoral register for Gloucester shows that Greenwood and Ellen were living at Mill Lane, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire in England.

Greenwood died on 21 October 1934 aged 53 and was buried on 24 October at St Philip and St James Church, Leckhampton in Gloucestershire. The burial record shows that Greenwood had been living at 71 The Promenade, Keynsham Road.

Probate reads:

MAGNALL Greenwood of Devoran Keynsham-road Cheltenham died 21 October 1934 Administration London 14 January to Ellen Maud Magnall widow. Effects £681 5s. 10d.


[Last updated 02 Jan 2024]