Chas Jeffs Jr, fish merchant, advertising poster 1905

An original print from a 1905 fish trade publication measuring approximately 12.5 inches x 9 inches. Charles Jeffs Junior was born in Grimsby on 25th June 1862. His father, Charles Jeffs Senior was a fishing smack owner from Margate in Kent. His mother, Martha Jeffs (née Mogg) was from Brixham in Devon. Charles Junior’s parents married in Grimsby in 1860. Charles Jeffs Junior had four siblings; Ada (1864-1883), Oliver (1866-1939), Samuel George Arthur (1869-1929) and Phoebe (1871-1945). Other members of the Jeffs and Mogg families moved up to Grimsby to live with them at 46 Cleethorpe Road. Charles Jeffs Jr married Isabella Curwen, from Morecombe, Lancashire, in Brigg in 1880. They had twins Ada Mary Jeffs in 1885 and Annie Curwen Jeffs (1885 – died in 1885 at the age of 11 weeks). The family home was at 5 Stanley Street in 1881, 267 Hainton Street in 1891, “Torvisholme”, Welholme Road in 1901 and in the Fleetwood area from before 1921 until after 1931. Charles’ local place of work was at 78 Cleethorpe Road, Grimsby. Isabella died in Grimsby in 1937. She was a caterer at the Lowther Hotel in Cleethorpe Road at the time. Charles Jeffs Jr, retired fish curer, was living at 110a (the infirmary) Scartho Road in 1939. He died at the same address in 1945. Charles and Isabella are buried in Scartho Road Cemetery. Business for the extended Jeffs family from Kent must have been good in the boom times. Jeffs Bros. (Charles Sr and brother Thomas? and George?) were fish merchants and steam trawler owners. They were also marine and general engineers, boilermakers and shipsmiths. Oliver Jeffs became a fish salesman and ice and oyster merchant. Note: Samuel George Arthur Jeffs became a medical practitioner. His surgery was at 356 Cleethorpe Road. He died in Cornwall. Note: Ada Mary Jeffs married William Henry Jarvis, grocer, in Derbyshire in 1907. The couple lived in Lancashire. William died in 1933. Ada was still living. Research by Grimsby & Cleethorpes Museum.