Effingham Grant facts for kids

Effingham Grant (1820–1892) was an important British diplomat and businessman. He moved to Romania and made a big impact there. He was also known for his kindness and giving to others.

Effingham Grant's Life and Work

Early Life and Family

Effingham Grant was born in 1820 on the island of Guernsey. He was the only son of Edward Effingham Grant and Marie Grant. He had four younger sisters: Maria Rosetti, Sophia, Ann Mayer, and Eliza Marian.

In 1837, when he was about 17, Effingham found a job at the British Consulate in Wallachia. This area is now part of Romania. Sir Robert Gilmour Colquhoun was in charge and helped train him.

A year later, his sister Marie visited him in Bucharest. She liked it so much that she decided to stay. There, she met C. A. Rosetti, who was a close friend of Effingham. Marie and C. A. Rosetti fell in love and later got married.

On October 28, 1850, Effingham Grant married Zoe Racoviță. Her family owned a large estate called Belvedere Palace. This property was inherited by Zoe after their marriage. The area where they lived in Bucharest is still called Cartierul Grant (the Grant Quarter) today.

A Young Diplomat

Effingham Grant was a very skilled diplomat. In 1849, he was sent to Transylvania to gather information. He met with Józef Bem to report on the Russian army's actions during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.

His boss, Colquhoun, praised Effingham's work. He noted that Effingham learned many languages, including French, German, Italian, Greek, and Romanian. He was especially good at his job during the Wallachian Revolution of 1848.

When the Crimean War started, Effingham was left in charge of the British Consulate in Bucharest. He reported on the Russian army's movements in Wallachia. Later, he was allowed to leave his post when Western consuls were asked to leave Bucharest.

Becoming a Businessman

After his time as a diplomat, Effingham Grant decided to start his own businesses. In 1863, he opened the first foundry in Bucharest, called E. Grant & Co. Belvedere. A foundry is a place where metal is melted and shaped.

He also built a large workshop there to fix and put together farming machines. In 1865, he won a silver medal at an exhibition. He was recognized for setting up the first foundry in the country and for bringing in many foreign farming machines. Today, only a water tower remains from this old factory.

In 1864, Grant started Romania's first tobacco processing workshop. It was called Manufactura de Tutun de la Belvedere. He also created the Regia Monopolurilor Statului in 1879. This was a state-run company for certain goods.

Grant sold parts of the land around his factory to his workers. This led to the creation of the Regie neighborhood in Bucharest. He also built a bread factory, bringing equipment from the United Kingdom in 1863. The building was finished in 1868.

In 1865, Grant started a new business growing orchids. This business was so well-known that a street in the area was named Strada Orhideelor (Orchid Street). Another local name, Groapa lui Ouatu (Ouatu's Pit), came from his business partner, Mr. Watt.

Effingham Grant was also involved in politics. He was the editor of a political newspaper called Concordia. This newspaper supported the National Liberal Party.

His Legacy

Effingham Grant had three sons. One son, Constantin Grant, became a soldier. He fought in the Romanian War of Independence and later with the French Foreign Legion in Algeria.

Another son, Nicolae Grant [ro] (1868–1950), became a famous painter. His third son, Robert Effingham Grant, was a civil engineer. He helped build Podul Grant, a bridge in Bucharest. This bridge, built in 1910, was named after his father, Effingham Grant.

Images for kids

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  Announcement of the establishment of the Belvedere Foundry, 1864

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  Remains of Podul Grant in Bucharest