Tracing the Groves Genealogy

Last updated 20th May, 2023

 

 
 
My father, Edward Archibald Groves, the youngest of the eight children of Edward Groves and Janet Lawson Groves (maiden name Wyllie), was born on the 24th March 1917 in the village of Lesbury, about 4 miles from Alnwick, Northumberland, United Kingdom.  His siblings 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).

My grandfather, Edward Groves, born 1875, began documenting his life story in 1957, the year I was born, which formed the basis of his memoirs. Extracts of these memoirs in terms of tracking his movement, to aid genealogy research into the Groves family and provide clues to identify siblings, offspring and other family members. In 1988, during a 4-month European tour, I successfully traced the birthplace of my father, Edward Archibald, to the tiny village of Lesbury. At the time, with the assistance of local folk and archival information and documents, I was also able to verify and enhance my understanding of important detail contained within the memoirs and in some cases, put dates to events in the life of Edward Groves. An example of this was the discovery of a newspaper article reporting on the visit of Harry Lauder to the Alnwick Convalescent Camp in 1917, which allowed me to date photographs taken by my grandfather of the event.

This process has continued, with the discovery of further documents from Ancestry, FamilySearch and other sources, where the memoirs have in turn provided invaluable information in terms of narrowing down the search criteria.

The Family Tree below (based on current information at the time of writing) begins with Thomas John Groves, the father of Edward Groves and spans 3 generations, so as to include my father, Edward Archibald Groves.

 
 

- The Groves Family Tree (4 generations) -

 

 

- The Groves Family Records -

 
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.
 

The Birth Certificate of Edward Groves (entry 218).

 
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.
 

The Birth Certificate of Janet Lawson Wyllie. (entry 475).

 

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).

     

The only known photograph of "ma" Groves, possibly taken outside the greengrocer owned by her in London, in the vicinity of Cornwall Street, near Waterloo Station. Here she is flanked by Louie (Louisa King) (*), future wife of Andrew Groves (*) and one of her sons, Tom Groves, the eldest brother of Ed Groves, my grandfather. Also in the photograph is Sue, believed to be Susan Margaret Groves, the only daughter of Margaret Joan Groves (*). It is she who, after marrying a one Arthur Bottomley, goes missing during WWII, presumably during a bombing raid.

Edward's sister Margaret Joan Groves, who later settled in Hendon, North London and became a dresser to English stage actress, Margaret Yarde.

The eldest offspring of Edward and Janet Lawson Groves, in India - Tom, Margaret Joan and George Hugh.

Janet Lawson Wyllie, Ayr, Scotland, 1901, probably in her wedding dress.

* Revised 2023

     

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.

     

The 1901 marriage certificate of Edward Groves and Janet Lawson Wyllie (entry 164).

     
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.
     
  Andrew Groves Son Single 26 Hotel Keeper
  Margaret Groves Head/mother Widowed 61 -
  Margaret Groves Daughter Single 30 Assistant in bar
  Susan Groves Niece Single 10 At school
  Louisa King Boarder Single 22 Assistant in bar
 

The 1911 census record for Goudhurst, Kent, with the address given as the Vine Hotel.

 
     
A 1911 census record exists for Edward Groves whilst he is in the military.
     

(EdwardGroves-CensusRecord1911-rg14_34977_0210_35)

     
     

The 1911 census record for Edward Groves, at the time he is in the military. The entry #17 marking his name is extracted from the list, as shown.

     
     
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:
   
  Margaret Groves Head Married 48 Artificial Florist
  William Groves Son Single 25 Masons Labourer
  Margaret Groves Daughter Single 21 Theatrical dresser
  Andrew Groves Son Single 18 Errand Boy
  Mary Groves Daughter Single 15 Errand Girl
 

The 1901 census record for 39 Neal Street, St. Giles -in-the-Field, London (entry 159).

     
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.
     
  Thomas Groves Head Married 31 Artificial Florist
  Alice Groves Wife Married 26  
  Alice Groves Daughter Single 5  
  Margaret Groves Daughter Single 3  
  Thomas Groves Son Single 1  
 
 
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
Margaret Groves abt 1853 St Giles, London, England Wife  38
William Groves abt 1875 St Giles, London, England Son (Flower maker-artificial) 16
Edward Groves abt 1877 St Giles, London, England Son (Flower maker-artificial) 14
Alfred Groves abt 1878 St Giles, London, England Son (scholar) 13
Margaret Groves abt 1879 St Giles, London, England Daughter (scholar) 12
Andrew Groves abt 1884 St Giles, London, England Son (scholar) 7
Mary Groves abt 1886 St Giles, London, England Daughter   (scholar) 5

 
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.
 

The 1891 census record for 62 Neal Street, St. Giles -in-the-Field, London (entry 911).

     
 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
Magt. Graves abt 1853  St Giles Wife 28
Thos. Graves abt 1870  St Giles Son (scholar) 11
John Graves abt 1871  St Giles Son (scholar) 10
Hugh Graves abt 1873  St Giles Son (scholar) 8
Wm. Graves abt 1874  St Giles Son (scholar) 7
Ed. Graves abt 1876  Kent, England Son (scholar) 5
Alfred Groves abt 1878  St Giles Son   3
Magt. Groves abt 1879  St Giles Daughter 2
Anna Groves abt 1880  St Giles Daughter  6 months

 

The 1881 census record for Wild Court, St. Giles -in-the-Field, London (entry 176).

 
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
Emma Groves abt 1852  London, England Daughter  St Giles  Middlesex
Jno Groves abt 1860  London, England Son  St Giles  Middlesex
Mary Groves abt 1855  London, England Daughter  St Giles  Middlesex
Susan Groves abt 1829  London, England Wife  St Giles  Middlesex
Thos Groves abt 1816  London, England Head  St Giles  Middlesex
Thos Groves abt 1846  London, England Son  St Giles  Middlesex
William Groves abt 1857  London, England Son  St Giles  Middlesex

 

The 1861 census record for 6 Little Whitesand Street, St. Giles -in-the-Field, London (entry 388).

 
  • Is Thomas Groves, chimney sweep, born about 1816 and husband of Susan Groves,
  • the father of Thomas Groves, artificial florist,
  • grandfather of Edward Groves and
  • therefore possibly my great, great grandfather?
  • Where is Whitchurch Mansion, the institute of the Theatrical Guild where Thomas Groves, born 1870, is buried according to the memoirs of Edward Groves, who travelled to the United Kingdom in July, 1946 and went to visit him, before he died at the institution in December of that year?
  • It is alleged (as passed down through the family) that one of the brothers of Edward Groves emigrated to the United States. Could that have been John Groves or Hugh Groves, as nothing of them is mentioned in the memoirs of Edward Groves?
 
The marriage record for 1868 hopefully sheds more light on the 1861 census record:
 

THOMAS GROVES
  Male   Family

Marriages:
  Spouse:  MARGARET CURLEY  Family
  Marriage:  27 OCT 1868   Saint Martin In The Fields, Westminster, London,
England

 

The Marriage Certificate of Thomas Groves and Margaret Curley at the Parish Church of St. Martins in the Fields in the County of Middlesex, 1868.

 
I wish to express my gratitude to Gill Joye and Karen Nichols for  their assistance in tracing some of the above records.
 

 

 

 [Genealogy - index]

[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]

 

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