BIOGRAPHY: Charles E. Grimley; Newburgh, Orange co., New York

transcribed by W. David Samuelsen for USGenWeb Archives

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Portrait and Biographical Record of Rockland and Orange Counties New York
Containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens of the Counties.
Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the Presidents of the United
States.
New York and Chicago; Chapman Publishing Co., 1895

RROF. CHARLES E. GRIMLEY, who is well known in Newburgh as a dealer in pianos
and organs, as well as an efficient instructor in music, was born in
Ellenville, Ulster County, N. Y., on Christmas Day of 1855. The first
representative of the family in America was his great-grandfather, Thomas, who
owned a factory in the city of Nottingham, England, and en-gaged in the
manufacture of laces and hosiery. Late in life he emigrated to America and
settled in Ulster County, where his death occurred.

Our subject's grandfather, John Grimley, was born in Nottingham, England,
where he worked in his father's factory. Accompanied by his family, he
emigrated to the United States and settled near Ellenville, Ulster County,
where he owned a large farm. For some years he also owned and operated a
chair-turning factory. In religious belief he was a Methodist. The father of
our subject, John Grimley, Jr., was born in Nottingham, but came to the United
States in early life and grew to manhood on a farm near Ellenville. His entire
active life was devoted to agricultural pursuits, but upon attaining old age
he retired from active work, and his last days were spent in Ellenville.
Politically he was a Republican, and in religious views advocated the
doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His wife, whose maiden name was
Deborah Budd, was born in Ulster County, and was a member of an old New York
family that traced its lineage to England.

The parental family consisted of six children, of whom four are living,
Charles E. being the youngest of the number. His brother Alfred B. enlisted in
the Union army at the age of sixteen, becoming a member of the One Hundred and
Fifty-sixth New York Infantry, in which he served until he was severely
wounded in front of Winchester. Since the close of the war he has been a
contractor and builder at Ellenville. Our subject had such advantages as the
high school of Ellenvile afforded, and from boyhood has had a fondness for
music. His studies for a time were conducted under Professor Munson, an able
and skillful musician of New York, and he also studied under Prof. Louis J.
Diemer, of Newburgh.

At the age of nineteen Mr. Grimley began traveling in the West, and finally
located at Columbus, Neb., where he remained about one year, representing a
number of companies. On his re-turn to New York he became a music teacher in
Pine Bush, where he remained for two years. In 1880 he went to Matteawan,
where he was similarly occupied for seven years. The five following years were
spent as an instructor of music in Cornwall. In 1892 he came to Newburgh,
al-though prior to that time he had been teaching in this city. Here he has
since made his headquarters, and in addition to his work as an instructor he
has also conducted a large trade as a dealer in musical instruments. In fact,
his attention of late years has been almost entirely engrossed by the latter
business, and he is gradually retiring from the active practice of his
profession as teacher. He has a commodious wareroom in the building erected by
himself at No. 55 Overlook Place, and here he keeps a full line of musical
instruments. In pianos he makes a specialty of Decker Bros.', Behr Bros.' ,
Krakauer Bros.' , and Weser Bros.' , of New York, while the organs that he
handles are manufactured mainly in Bridgeport, Conn.

The marriage of Professor Grimley occurred in Ellenville, his wife being Miss
Jennie Parker, a native of New York, who was educated in the schools of that
city. She is a daughter of Thomas Parker, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland,
emigrated thence to America and settled in Ellen-vine, where he died. The
marriage of our subject and his wife has been blessed by the birth of three
children, William R., Emma P. and Elmer B. While not taking an active part in
politics, Professor Grimley is a stanch adherent of Republican principles, and
always casts his vote for the candidates of his chosen party.