Capt. Stephen Gronow 1872-19441 of 4 children, Stephen was born at Llandeloy near Solva, Pembrokeshire, the son of John & Frances (nee Nicholas) Gronow. When both his parents died young the orphaned boy was cared for by Capt. Thomas Evans of the Black Horse, Dinas Cross. Thomas was Master of the Mispah. Stephen’s brother John died whilst on his 1st voyage as 2nd mate aboard the Mispah. Stephen became Master of the following vessels: Ascania, Volodia, Saxonia, Valacia, Vardulia, he was also an officer on the Aquitania.
During WW1 he was mentioned in despatches for good services whilst employed on transport duties in the Dardanelles(Times 1st June 1916 & London Gazette 31st May 1916) He was awarded a Silver vase by Cunard Co. and Lloyd’s silver medal in connection with the loss of the “Vinovia” of which he was the Master. (Anglo-Bolivian was purchased by Cunard in 1916 and renamed Vinovia, she was sunk when on passage from New York to London on the 19th December 1917 8 miles south of Wolf Rock by U-105. Torpedoed at 3:30pm without warning and sunk by submarine, with 9 lives lost) Stephen was awarded Lloyd’s Medal for meritorious service on the 13th Feb 1918 for his extraordinary exertions with his encounter with U-105.
He also invented & patented (No.20,753) Improvements in and connected with the Storage and Lowering of Ships Boats.
Stephen married his wife Jennie Sharpe in West Derby Registry Office in 1903. And both now lie together in St.Michael’s church, Nannerch Flintshire. Wales.
10 comments:
hi. this captain stephen gronow is my great grandmother's half brother. He died not far from where I live now and i have recently visited his and Jennie's grave to pay my repects. Could you tell me where you gathered your information about him and if the medals and ships seen in the picture above are stephen's ships and medals? I would really appreciate any feedback.
Kind Regards
Laura Thomas
Laura,
I have no knowledge of Stephen's parents marring twice to produce half siblings.
If you would like to exchange information, as always contact me at my email address
gronow(at)one-name.org
Colin
Hi Colin,
Laura again. Just wondering the picture with the ship and the two medals. are these stephens medals? or just similar ones he may of received?
Laura
Laura
The pictures are of the ships on which he was Capt. The Silver Medal is his, the Lloyd’s Medal for meritorious service is a copy.
Hi Colin,
It is his actual medal? How did you come by it? I have been trying to trace people who may have inherited it. He was my great great grand uncle.
Laura
The medal in question was photographed at a exhibition in The National Maritime Museum, in Greenwich, in 1985 it was on display with other LLoyds awards. It was only by chance that I saw it.I did enquire after the exhibition, but the medal was not in the keeping of the NMM.
How fascinating. Did they say who owned the medal when you asked them about it? Whether it was a family member or an association?
Now you are asking, it was 26 years ago, and I was not as interested as I am now, it was just chance that I came across it, but at least it did encourage me to trace his family history & visit his grave.
ok, thankyou. Do you have any idea, how I would trace this medal again. Do you think the National Maritime museum would have a record of this medal being there in 1985? I am so eager to find it. I can't think where it would be as he had no children.
Laura
I would imagine its in the hands of a private collector and probably changed hands a few times. I've had luck finding medals by keeping an eye on the major medal sales each year, or try Spinks,
http://www.spink.com/home_page/index.asp
For the most part finding these things involves a lot of luck.
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