My researched started in 1972 when I went to see my grandmother in Southwold Suffolk, she was in  her 80’s and I thought we would settle a family dispute. She said to me ‘Did you know that your  2nd great grand father a James Norris Pimm, was on an inscription  on Tower Bridge in the city of  London’ ‘Why’ I replied, ‘He was at the opening in 1894’. ‘He must have been important,’ ‘Yes, he  was a freeman of the City of London, and Common Councillor to Queenhythe ward’. I was working in  the city at the time, I checked the monumental inscription, and called to London Guildhall for  further information and I got a few leads, such as other children address in London and Staines in  Middlesex. She also added, ‘Did you know that James Norris Pimm was the nephew of James Pimm who  invented the Pimms Drink, he used to sell oyster in the city’ Another addition to the tree. After  several months I developed a small tree, and by chance I found a c1950 telephone book of the  Staines area, and I looked up Pimm, and there was one there. I wrote to that address and found 2  elderly cousins, who supplied me with more family information, which also expanded the tree  outwards, but they said that most of the family emigrated to Canada c1900, some came during World  War 2, but they gave me 3 clues, a name, a place, a book. The book was called Chocolate Making by  Ella Pimm, I wrote for an address through the publishers, and got that contact in Canada. I had a  reply with a more expanded family tree, my cousin was stuck for around 30 years, and this was a  kick start for more research.

With this new information, I could now add to the tree which expanded from left to right to a  landscape, and by then we had three members of the family researching the Pimm Family tree, my  cousin Leo Pimm in Canada, decided to opt for research in Chilham Kent which went back to 1508,  then the name was Pym, another cousin from Brentwood in Essex decided to investigate my 2nd great  fathers wife Martha Farrer, the reason being that my family are gifted with a paint brush! My  great grandfather William Edwin Pimm 1864-1952 was a well known portrait and landscape painter in  oils and water colours, he had yearly commissions to paint the portraits of the incoming Lord  Mayors of London, not only that, he belonged to the Southwood Rifle Club, near Wimbledon and was  selected for the 1908 & 1912 Olympic Games. He won Gold, then Silver the following year. He was  piped at the post by my Grandfather William Kensett Styles, William Edwin daughter Annie Pimm, my  grandmother was also a good shot she won the Daily Mirror Trophy at the age of 14 in 1904 at  Bisley, Surrey. Later married William Kensett, in 1911

Harry Pimm was on 10th of February 1895 at Vale of Health Studios, Hampstead Heath, London NW, he  was an artist, he was in Antwerp Belgium, during the Great War, he convinced the Germans that he  was an American, until 1916 when the American declared war on Germany and was interned at   Ruhleben Camp, he was also a commercial artist, and he prepared action pictures to Daily Mirror;  there was a story that he was dismissed for drawing a portrait of a famous Military General with  his medals drawn back to front. He died in 1957

Victor Lionel was born on 22nd of June 1893 also at the Vale of Health Studios, Hampstead, London  NW he was also a talented artist, he went to Essex Ontario in Canada to grow tobacco in 1914 he  joined up into the army for WWI, he was an officer in the West Yorkshire Regiment he is mentioned  the history of the West Yorkshire Regiment. He was missing presumed died at Ypers, Belguim 1916.  There is an entry in the History book of the West Yorkshire Regiment. I am on a possible lead that  he was married in Portsmouth in 1914, before he went to Belgium.

Back to Martha Farrer, going back her tree, her ancestors Thomas & Henry Farrer were painters born  in London but emigrated to the United States, and they produced many American scenes of life in  Landscapes and ships in dock, they are very collectable items today, and going back further a  Thomas Farrer married a Mary Elizabeth Banks, going further back the name was a Marjorbanks, who  may be a descendant of Robert the Bruce, this I am looking into.

Going further through the Farrer side of the family, my 2nd great Grandfather Thomas Charles  Farrer 1838 – 1891 , through the marriages through McLane’s & the Huntingdon’s is related to G W  Bush 8th cousin 4 times removed, that line goes to The Revd John Lapthrop 1583 – 1633, also has  links to the Mitford’s as well

This is some my research on one side of my family tree, we have produced a family 200 booklet  called Pimms Family History, this is not in general publication, I have a copy, also The Guildhall  Reference Library in the city of London.

Now I will finish briefly on other researches of my family. I have through my grandmother Annie  Pimm side whose mother was Louise Van Tongelen family the Belgium side of the family, I can traced  them back to c1650. My mother’s side her maiden name was Carpenter. Family legends say they were  related to Sir Walter Scott’s wife Charlotte Charpentier, later changed to Carpenter, also links  to The Hon John Carpenter, link to the Earls of Shrewsbury, more detailed researched needed here.  Finally Styles, they migrated from Thrandeston Suffolk c1792 to Islington, London, from there 4  descendants became non conformist ministers and 3 Styles’s married into the Dunhill family, and  most of their descendants today are from 2 Styles’s daughters.