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Tracing the Groves Genealogy Last updated 20th May, 2023 |
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- The Groves Family Tree (4 generations) - |
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- The Groves Family Records - |
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My grandfather, Edward Groves, was born in Wateringbury, near Maidstone, Kent, England, on the 8th September 1875, the birth registered in East Peckham, Kent. The birth certificate entry confirms the parents of of Edward Groves as Thomas and Margaret Groves, formerly Curley, as confirmed by the marriage certificate for Edward Groves and Janet Lawson Wyllie. The address of 9 Wild Court, Great Queen's Street, St. Giles in the Fields, is also referred to in the 1881 census record. | ||||
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The birth certificate of my grandmother Janet Lawson Wyllie confirms her date of birth as 16th August, 1881, in the Scottish County of Ayr. Her parents were George and Joan Wyllie (formerly Gebbie), residing at 36 Green Street Lane, Newton, Ayr. In fact, it is in his memoirs that Edward Groves mentions that he had only been three months at the regimental depot in Ayr when he was invited to the wedding of lance-corporal Hugh Rennie, the wedding being held at the house of one Mr. George Wyllie of Green Street Lane. | ||||
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My father, Edward Archibald Groves, the youngest of the eight children of Edward and Janet Lawson Groves (M.S. Wyllie), was born in the village of Lesbury, about 4 miles from Alnwick on the 24th March 1917. The others were Thomas (born 20th June 1902, Ayr), George Hugh (born 21st July 1903, Ayr), Margaret (1904), Jessie (1906), Joan (1911), Sheila (1912) and Mary (1915). |
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Details of my grandfather's travels and anecdotes are contained in a set of memoirs written after his retirement. In 1988, during a 4-month European sojourn, I made an attempt to trace the birthplace of my father in Lesbury. At the time, with the assistance of local folk and archival information, I was also able to verify and embroider on important detail contained within the memoirs. Discovery of the marriage certificate of Edward Groves and Janet Lawson Wyllie from Scottish records reveals that the marriage was registered in the County of Ayr, Scotland, dated 11th September, 1901. This document yields the names of the parents of Edward Groves as Thomas Groves, artificial florist, deceased and Margaret Groves (maiden surname not decipherable). The parents of Janet Lawson Wyllie are stated as George and Joan Wyllie (maiden surname Gebbie). One of the marriage witnesses is Andrew Groves, brother of Edward Groves. According to the memoirs, sister Margaret was also present at the wedding. |
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A 1911 census record for Goudhurst, Kent, with the address given as the Vine Hotel. This initially confirms Margaret Groves (maiden name Curley) as head of the family but then the roles are subsequently changed as viewed from the perspective of the son Andrew as the Head.. From ongoing research, it is deduced that Susan is the daughter of Margaret Joan Groves. Ten years old at the time, it is she who, after marrying a one Arthur Bottomley, is later missing and presumed to have dead in London's WWII bombing raids, according an anecdote by Edward Groves, who visits the family from South Africa in 1946. Louisa King (also referred to as "Louie") becomes the spouse of Andrew Groves in 1911, according to his military records. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A 1911 census record exists for Edward Groves whilst he is in the military. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(EdwardGroves-CensusRecord1911-rg14_34977_0210_35) |
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Discovery of a 1901 census record for the London civil parish of St. Giles in the Fields reveals the family resident at 39 Neal Street, St. Giles in the Fields: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This sets Margaret Groves's year of birth at 1853. All of those listed appear to have been born in St. Giles in the Fields, London. It is assumed that at the time of the census (conducted in April, 1901), Margaret is listed as "married" but presumed widowed at this time, as is recorded on the marriage certificate of Edward's wedding to Janet Lawson Wyllie in Ayr, Scotland (in September, 1901). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A second 1901 census record for the London civil parish of Lambeth provides a census record for Thomas Groves (son of Thomas Groves and Margaret Groves, maiden name Curley), wife Alice and family. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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An 1891 census record for the London civil parish of St. Giles in the Fields reveals the family resident at 62 Neal Street, St. Giles in the Fields: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thomas
Groves abt 1842 St Giles, London, England Head (Flower maker-artificial) 45
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Absentees from the 1891 census present in the 1881 census include Thomas Groves (son), John Groves (son), Hugh Groves (son), all of whom may have left the home at that stage. Also missing is Anna Groves, born 1880, who may have died. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The eldest son, Thomas, present in earlier records, is absent in the above 1891 census. Instead, from a FamilySearch record, he appears as a lodger at Goodwins Court, London, at the residence of what is presumed to be the Veal family. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A badly transcribed 1881 census record for the London civil parish of St. Giles in the Fields reveals the family resident at 9 Wild Court, St. Giles in the Fields: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thos.
Graves abt 1849 St Giles Head (Florist) 32 |
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The inclusion of John, Hugh and Anna Groves are somewhat of a mystery, as they are not referred to in the 1891 census record nor in the memoirs of Edward Groves. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
One generation back, an 1861 census record for the London civil parish of St. Giles in the Fields reveals a Groves family resident at 6 Little Whitesand Street, St. Giles in the Fields: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deborah
Groves abt 1850 London, England Daughter St Giles Middlesex
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The marriage record for 1868 hopefully sheds more light on the 1861 census record: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
THOMAS
GROVES
Marriages: |
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[Historical:] [Groves Genealogy researched] [Birthplace of Edward Archibald Groves (father)] [Lesbury - a Groves connection] [The memoirs of Ed Groves (grandfather) - The first chapter] [The memoirs of Ed Groves - A chronology of events] [The memoirs of Ed Groves - First World War & The Retreat from Mons] [Ed Groves - related Alnwick Newspaper extracts of 1916] [Ed Groves - related Alnwick Camp photographs] [Ed Groves - Military Records]
Links to other websites:
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