Grantham Civic Society remembers William Clifton Lee and his shop

William Clifton Lee was born in Chesterfield in 1835, the son of Daniel.

He moved to Grantham in 1870 aged 35, with his wife Elizabeth aged 33, his aunt Sarah Greenwood aged 64 and his older sister Sarah aged 41. His children Walter aged five, Gertrude aged four, and Arthur aged two, had been born in Chesterfield, and then Anna was their first child to be born in Grantham in 1870. They lived and worked in their tobacconist’s shop at 22 High Street.

Other children followed, including Florence in 1873 and Ada in 1875.

William was the sole agent of Northern Star cigars, which sold for 2d each. He died in 1906, leaving £2892 12s 11d.

In 1928, the shop was managed by one of William’s daughters. The front of the shop started to bow outwards, so the architect Wilfred Bond was called in. He advised that shores and plates were inserted to support the building, to prevent any further movement.

In 1930 Lee’s advertised in the Grantham Journal, that they stocked everything for the smoker, pipes, pouches and petrol lighters.