J.C. Plimpton, Inventor's Father

John Calvin Plimpton was the [undoubtedly proud] father of Charles Bird Plimpton, inventor of BAYKO, the world's first and finest plastic construction toy. His business acumen led him to live at least once in London, before finally settling, for the second time, in Wallasey, Cheshire - on the posh bank of the River Mersey! Thanks to Paul Mountford for help with much of this Census-related information, etc., and to the Walpole Historical Society for their local photos and data.

J.C. was an American citizen, born May 10th, 1850, who moved to the U.K., probably in the 1880s.  Also an American citizen, his wife's maiden name was Caroline Augusta Bird, though there is some evidence to suggest that she subsequently referred to herself as Caroline Bird Plimpton.

Both hail from the small town of Walpole, Massachusetts [named 'for' Sir Robert Walpole, Britain's first Prime Minister] some 25 miles south of Boston, MA, almost half way to Providence, Rhode Island. The town luxuriates in a sizeable Plimpton family representation - a strong entrepreneurial thread running through it. There was also, up to 2020, a Walpole railway station called Plimptonville; Plimpton Street and Plimpton Block still survive; the Plimpton Homestead is also pretty impressive, at one stage, reputedly the largest in the county!

Despite spending most of his working life in the U.K., J.C. was always an American. He visited the U.S. every year, almost certainly to include the family's traditional annual reunion.

J.C. died aboard his brother Herbert's yacht, off St. Petersburg, Florida and is included on the family memorial [left], located in Maple Cemetery, Walpole, MA., which quotes his death date as March 5th, 1937. However, to me at least, there remains a question as to whether or not his mortal remains are actually included there.

You can get a sense of the man when, during the first world war, as an 'alien', despite his long term U.K. residency, he was both proud and amused at being required to report regularly to his local police station!!!

Click on any of the three images [above] to reveal a larger version.

Taking a step back for a moment, the family's exact movements within the U.K. are a little unclear, as can be seen from the birth information of J.C.'s three children : -

► John Calvin Plimpton Junior

Born 1886 - Egremont, Wallasey, Cheshire

► Ethel Bird Plimpton

Born 1889 - Egremont, Wallasey, Cheshire

► Charles Bird Plimpton

Born 1893 - Catford, London

The 1891 census shows the family living in Del Boy Trotter territory, i.e. Peckham, London, tying in with C.B.'s birth. The family obviously left Merseyside for several years before returning, as shown in the 1901, 1911 and 1921 censuses. At this stage the family was living at : -

If you can help with any further information on J.C. Plimpton, then I would love to hear from you…

If you would like to find out a little more about J.C. Plimpton's U.K. business interests…

There is a little more information, about J.C. Plimpton himself, available from an article in the 'Liverpool Post and Echo', celebrating his eightieth birthday…