Groom family in South Africa

[pampoen]

Hi I wonder if anyone can help me trace the family of my grandmother. Constance Harriett Groom was born in 1879 (I suspect in the UK) and married my grandfather William Percival Austin in 1906 in Durban Natal South Africa.They had 5 boys and lived in Vryheid Natal until 1924 when William died of a heart attack. She moved with the 5 boys to Durban and she lived there until she died in 1943, she was buried at Stellawood cemetery Natal.

Thank you

[writer-ros]

Hi

There is a Constance Groom born in Downham in the GRO indexes:

Constance Groom
Year of Registration:    1879
Quarter of Registration:    Jul-Aug-Sep
District:    Downham
County:    Cambridgeshire, Norfolk
Volume:    4b
Page:    342

There is also a Harriet Groom here:

Harriet Groom
Year of Registration:    1879
Quarter of Registration:    Apr-May-Jun
District:    Hitchin
County:    Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire
Volume:    3a
Page:    387

However, there are other entries that could also be your grandmother.  These are the closest.

You really need further information before you can be certain of tracking her down.  Have you tried every possible document for South Africa?  I don't know what the records are like there, but a marriage certificate, death records or census records might help.  You really need to try and find out a more exact location, or at least the name of her father. 

Cheers
Ros

[t mo]

on FindMyPast emigration there is only one woman a  miss c groom but she was going to aus these records start in 1890 so would presume if she did go around then it would make sense she was with her family also  a birth or marriae cert would be best as hopefully you would get either mother or fathers name at least 
trevor

[pampoen]

Hi Ros thanks for the info.Unfortunately in South Africa cesus records are destroyed and never released to the public.I can try the master of the supreme court records for her estate notice, but the archive is under refurbishment until next year July.I was hoping to find some census info from 1881 to see who her parents were?From that I could look on the ancetorsonboard website to see when the parents and family sailed to SA.

Is there any way to find the names of the parents for Constance Groom born in Downham and Harriet Groom born Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire?

Thanks again for your help Cheers Derek

[writer-ros]

Hi Derek

You could try searching for the baptisms on the IGI - but otherwise, you would have to order the certificates.

The IGI is not complete, and can be inaccurate, but it's worth a try.  Here's the link http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true

Ros

[jorose]

Constance Groom b. Downham is on the 1881 census (www.familysearch.org ) with her family; she is still in London by the 1911 census though.
Harriet Groom b. Hitchen I think died in 1880.

There are other Harriets and Constances if you want to widen the age range but no "Constance Harriet" or "Harriet Constance".

However, something interesting at http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html is a christening in 1892 for "Constance Harriet Groom", parents Harry and Fanny, in Herne, Kent. She probably wasn't born 1892 - this is one of a set of baptisms presumably late baptisms for the whole family,  other children are:

Charles Lancelot Hesset Groom
Claud Albert Groom
Leon James Groom
Maud Marian Francis Groom

From 1901 it appears that Claud(e) might have been born in France, Claud and Leon in Kent.  Maud's birth I think is indexed as Marian Maud F Groom in Hampstead, 1881.

SA archives show an entry for Charles Lancelot Hessett Groom (wife Adeline Rose) (think this is his estate notice from 1958), so other members of this family did go to SA.

[pampoen]

I think I have found the right person. 1901 census  Constance Harriett Groom b 1879 at Somerset Winford, Admin County Staffordshire, Age 22 Occupation Tea Agent.

A group of Groom children from Stafford Street, Market Drayton sailed on the 680 tonne barque EDWARD, departed from Gravesend London on 9 January 1850 with 250 passengers and arrived at Port Natal (Durban), South Africa on 2 May 1850.
WESLEYANS who were on board.

Surname   First Name(s)   Occupation   Spouse   Sibling(s)   
 
Groom   Richard                   Farmer                  Elizabeth   Betsey, Ellen, Thomas, Mary, Edward.

Richard Groom, son of Thomas and Anne Groom, bapt 6 June 1824 at Norton in Hales, Shropshire. Before emigrating Richard had been a tea dealer in Liverpool.

Not being from the UK I checked on Wikipedia and Shropshire has Cheshire to the West and Staffordshire to the East.This makes me think Constance must be related to Richard a niece etc.Both involved in the Tea trade.

All I have to find now is if Constance sailed to South Africa and if her father was a cousin to the Groom family who sailed to South Africa.

[jorose]

The girl on the 1901 that seems to be listed as "Constance H" at www.1901censusonline.com, appears to have been Constance Annie C Groom (as shown on the 1881 census, b. Winford). Ancestry also has her as Constance A. C. in both 1891 and 1901 censuses-- you would need to check the original image to see if her middle initial is given as "H" or "A" but chances are she is not Constance Harriet.


I think the christening I found for a daughter of Harry and Fanny is more likely - that girl was definitely christened as Constance Harriet and had a brother Charles Lancelot Hesset Groom who turns up in SA.

If someone can look up full details from the 1891 census, I think at a "certain site" Constance and her sisters are indexed as "Uram" and her brothers living nearby indexed as Groom, in Kent. They may be living with relatives as the parents don't seem to be around. Several of the children are listed as b. France and it looks like they won't appear on the 1881 census for that reason.

http://www.findmypast.co.uk/passengerListPersonSearchStart.action shows a C. A. and a C. L. heading to SA in 1906 of the right age to be the boys Claud Albert and Charles Lancelot.  in 1892 there's also an H. E. (the father?) with an Elizabeth (possibly second wife), and two of the girls shown on the 1891-- "Gertd M" and "Mabel E".

I did check the consular indexes but couldn't see the births of the children born in France registered - registration wasn't required for overseas births though.

[toni*]

this is the 1891 Census that Jorose refers to

1 Hollow Street,Chislet  Blean
Charles J Heavens   32 head  boarding house keeper b. Swindon
Alice T Heavens   38 wife b. Oxford
Ethel A Ayre   12 visitor b. lewes
Kate E Woodard   36 widow boarder independent means b. St Lukes
Gertrude M Groom   16 scholar b. London
Mabel E Groom 14 do. b. do.
Maud M Groom   13 do. b. France Havre BS
Constance H Groom   11 do. b. do. BS
Charlotte E Newing   12 do. b. Whistable
Hubert Moore   11 do. b. Herne Bay
Claud A Groom   9 do. b. Brussels BS
Charles E Groom   8 do. b. Kent ? Broad.... or Borughton ?
Leon ? J Groom   7 do. b. do.
Florence A Ayre   18 governess b. Headington Oxford
Ellen Chapman   15 ..... servant domestic b. Whitstable Kent
Nathanael Newing   14 house b oy b. do.
: RG12;  710;  14;  1;

Boughton under Blean is a place so their po.b. could be this