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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Herefordshire => Topic started by: Koromo on Saturday 05 July 08 08:53 BST (UK)

Title: GRONOUS of Kington, Presteigne or somewhere else
Post by: Koromo on Saturday 05 July 08 08:53 BST (UK)

Hi

I have very recently discovered a 6xGr-grandmother with the unusual surname of GRONOUS, probably from Herefordshire/Radnorshire, whose baptism, marriage or burial I'm trying to locate.

I've found some info about her brother James Gronous who was an upholder/upholsterer in London living in Wych St, St Clement Danes. He was the High Sheriff for Radnorshire for the year 1733, and Master of the London Guild of Upholders for 1739. In his will of 1742 he mentions his sisters Ann, Martha and Frances with no sign of any (surviving?) brothers. Most of his estate is left to his spinster daughter, Elizabeth, who in her will of 1750 bequeaths a farm at Norton, Radnorshire to her father's first cousin Edward (if he could prove a legal claim to it).

The IGI and this site (http://www.britishfarthings.com/Tokens/17th-Century/Herefordshire/Kington.html) have some late 17th century entries for GRONOUS in Kington which look possible, but the IGI does not have anything for Norton or Presteigne to check for other likely families.

GRONOUS can be spelled Gronnos, Gronouse, Gronhous, Groanhouse, and every variation in between. I don't think they are connected to the many Gronow families which seem to be mainly in Glamorganshire, well not in this time period. The Gronous name is rare; there are only 16 births on FreeBMD from 1837 to 1924.

In summary ...
   Siblings
   James Gronous, d. 1742, London, first wife = Ann
   Martha Dale née Gronous
   Ann Powell née Gronous     <---- my ancestor, married a Howell Powell
   Frances Probart née Gronous

   First cousin
   Edward Gronous

If anyone has access to the relevant parish registers, I would love to know if there are any Gronouses.

Many thanks
Koromo
:)
Title: Re: GRONOUS of Kington, Presteigne or somewhere else
Post by: Keziahemm on Saturday 05 July 08 20:32 BST (UK)
Found the following in transcript of Presteigne marriages

Hugh Gronous + Elizabeth Symonds 28th May 1586
Hugh Gronouse + Margaret Gittins 29th December 1622
John Gronouse + Julia Wancklen 16th August 1626
Edward Gronouse + Margaret Warberton 2nd June 1680

Anne Gronouse +Walter Bathoes 18th May 1628
Margery Gronouse + William Knight 3rd February 1664
Joan Gronouse + Richard Beddoes 8th October 1667
Jane Gronouse + Richard Whetnall 9th December 1673
Jane Gronouse + John Bent 4th January 1681
Eleanor Gronouse + Jeremiah Kinsey 17th April 1687
Judith Gronouse + Richard Brace 6th February 1706
Anna Marie Gronous + Robert Russell 22nd October 1803


May be of help  :-\

Regards
Susan  :)

Title: Re: GRONOUS of Kington, Presteigne or somewhere else
Post by: Koromo on Saturday 05 July 08 21:08 BST (UK)

Hi Susan

Yes it does help, and thank you very much for the information. It shows that there were not that many Gronouses in Presteigne, so the Kington lot are looking even more likely, but surely there were all related.

Presteigne, Kington (and Norton?) seem to have swapped back and forth between Herefordshire and Radnorshire. It's hard to decide which board to ask questions!

Muchly appreciated
Koromo
:)
Title: Re: GRONOUS of Kington, Presteigne or somewhere else
Post by: gronous on Saturday 09 August 08 02:15 BST (UK)
I am a Gronous with the very unusual name. There are only 11 of us left living in the world as far as I have ascertained, 3 by marriage. If you want any information at all please just ask.

Regards

Peter Gronous
Title: Re: GRONOUS of Kington, Presteigne or somewhere else
Post by: gronous on Saturday 09 August 08 04:46 BST (UK)
My previous message was from work where I was testing internet connectivity by googling my surname... more info from my research,

Ann was baptised in Kington 30th Dec 1672... Here parents were James Gronous and Mary Bull who were married 5 March 1669 in Kington. I only know that Mary Bull was born about 1649. James died before 6 Nov 1674. He was baptised in Presteigne 19 Apr 1648. His parents were Richard and Ann (I know nothing of Ann except she died 18 Apr 1687 or thereabouts in Norton), Richard died about 4 Sep 1676 in Norton. Richards parents were Hugh and Margaret... I know nothing of Margaret, they were married on 29 Dec 1622 in Presteigne. Hugh was baptised 3 Jul 1596 in Presteigne his Parents were Hugh and Elizabeth... all I know about these two was that Elizabeth was buried 1 Aug 1635 in Presteigne and she was born in Stepleton. If you want more let me know.

Regards

Peter Gronous
Title: Re: GRONOUS of Kington, Presteigne or somewhere else
Post by: Koromo on Saturday 09 August 08 08:37 BST (UK)

Hello Peter

I am very glad you've found RootsChat and this post in particular!  :D

Thank you for Ann Gronous' lineage. I had found a few names but didn't know how they were connected.

James Gronous the upholder/upholsterer who died in London, 1742, mentions the following sisters in his will:


The three daughters of Ann, wife of Howell Powell above:
Ann, m. Richard Purnell, cordwainer of Abergavenny. Monmouthshire
Margaret, m. 1st Mr Thomas, m. 2nd William Gregory, farmer of Llanfair Kilgeddin, Monmouthshire
Mary, m. Francis Tett, plumber of Hinton St George, Somerset

Mary Tett lived in Abergavenny as a widow. In her will of 1778 she asked to be buried in the upper chancel at Llangattock juxta/nigh Usk, Monmouthshire, and I wondered why. The parish registers at Llangattock juxta Usk show that a Howell Powell, rector of the parish, was buried there in 1736. His widow Ann was buried in 1742. It seems likely that Mary Tett wanted to be buried with her parents. I have ordered the fiche of the Llangattock juxta Usk memorial inscriptions in the hope that it might have some clues — that's once I work out how to read the fiche!!

Do you have the 1742 will of James Gronous?
There was a Joseph Gronous, innkeeper and vintner, living in London in the early 1700s. Do you know if/how he was related to James?

How extraordinary that there are only 11 people named Gronous in the world!  Do they all descend from just one Herefordshire/Radnorshire family?

Best regards
Koromo
:)
Title: Re: GRONOUS of Kington, Presteigne or somewhere else
Post by: gronous on Saturday 09 August 08 21:40 BST (UK)
Hi Koromo

I do have the will and a few other documents of interest. I have one document where James is making a claim for land he owned by inheritance in Norton which is refered to in the will. This document lays out the lineage back to Hugh and is quite specific in he, James, being the only son of his father. This document is quite obscure, being located in the National Library of Wales. Please reply to my email address peter_gronous(at)xtra.co.nz and I will transcribe it and send you a copy. Joseph came from Radnorshire also but I have only a short part if his lineage and have not been able to directly attach him to James.


Regards

Peter
Title: Re: GRONOUS of Kington, Presteigne or somewhere else
Post by: Koromo on Sunday 10 August 08 09:50 BST (UK)

Hi Peter

Email sent.  :)

K.
Title: Re: GRONOUS of Kington, Presteigne or somewhere else
Post by: Meryan46 on Wednesday 17 September 08 03:41 BST (UK)
Dear Koromo

I came across this posting by chance and was intrigued by the reference to Mary TETT nee POWELL of Abergavenny Widow of Francis TETT of Hinton St George.

I was wondering if you had managed to obtain the fiche yet and been able to read it.

Whilst the TETT family cannot said to be as rare as the GRONOUS' most were originally from Crewkerne and Hinton St George, Somerset. Mary, by marriage, is part of this lineage and any extra snippets of information would be gratefully received.

A group of us have been trying for some time to prove the link between the two places but have so far failed.... so near and yet so far even though we are back to the late1600s
Title: Re: GRONOUS of Kington, Presteigne or somewhere else
Post by: Koromo on Wednesday 17 September 08 11:35 BST (UK)

Hi Meryan, and welcome to RootsChat!  :)

I did receive the fiche for the Llangattock MIs, but Mary TETT did not appear on it, although she does appear on the burials for Llangattock juxta Usk  (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~monfamilies/ljusk/Picture%20216-1.jpg):

26 December 1778, Mrs Mary Tett of Abergavenny

Rev Howell POWELL, who I still think could be her father, does have an inscription from inside the church, but it didn't include his age — very frustrating

In Mary TETT's will, she does not mention any children, and leaves various legacies to her Abergavenny relatives, all of whose names I recognise and know about.

Other legacies were left to various TETTs:

Susannah TETT of Hinton St George, spinster
Sarah and Ann TETT, daughters of the said Susannah Tett
Mary WILMAN, sister to the said Susannah Tett
Phillippa GRINTER, wife of Isaac Grinter
Isaac GRINTER, son of the said Isaac Grinter by the said Phillippa
Fanny TETT of Hinton St George, god daughter

Comparing the above with the IGI, it would appear that Phillipa/Phillis GRINTER, Susannah TETT and Mary WILMAN are all daughters of John & Mary TETT ... and is Francis TETT their uncle, ie. the brother of John TETT?

Quite how Mary POWELL of Abergavenny/Llangattock met Francis TETT, plumber of Hinton St George, Somerset and married him in Beaminster, Devon in 1747 ... well, who knows!  :D

Would you by any chance know Francis TETT's birth date?

Regards
Koromo
:)
Title: Re: GRONOUS of Kington, Presteigne or somewhere else
Post by: Meryan46 on Friday 19 September 08 01:43 BST (UK)
Wow.. what a matrnal line that is!! Many thanks.

Francis TETT was Baptised Hinton St George, Somerset 2 Jun 1689.
Buried 11 May 1772 at Hinton St George.

He was married (1) to Elizabeth and the had the following children all baptized at HStG:
William Tett (1719-1726),
Sarah Tett (1720-1720),
Elizabeth Tett (1721-1722),
Francis Tett (1725-1807),
William Tett (1727-1732) and
Thomas Tett (1731-1731).
Francis’ wife Elizabeth is listed on his tombstone at HSG; the date of her death is only partly legible, but it appears to be 1746 (the parish register lists Elizabeth Tett as buried December 29 1746). Francis was buried at HSG May 11 1772

Dorset: - Registers of Marriages, 1558-1812
Marriages at Beaminster, 1686 to 1812. 
Volume 1.  County: Dorset 
Francis Tett, of Hinton St. George, & Mary Poell 25 Jul 1747

This we believe is the Mary whose Will and burial is in Abergavenny as they had no children and those mentioned in the Will are all very closely related.

I believe that John & Francis TETT were 1st cousins but can get someone from that line to connect directly with you if it will help.

Now to find the proof ( of which we are fairly certain) that a link is only a generation away for the H St G and Crewkerne TETTs.

We are a little more numerous than GRONOUS' but have had many Welsh connections to South Wales over the years so a Plumber in Abergavenny is not beyond the bounds of possibilities!!

Many thanks
Title: Re: GRONOUS of Kington, Presteigne or somewhere else
Post by: Koromo on Friday 19 September 08 14:52 BST (UK)

Hi Meryan

Thank you so much for Francis' birth and death dates.  I didn't know he had been married before, and my first reaction was to wonder why Mary TETT had not left anything to her only surviving step-son Francis. However, I guess that his father would have left property or whatever to him so he was already taken care of.

While you search for the Crewkerne connection, I just have to find Mary and her two sisters' birth dates/places and tie them to Rev Howell Powell — could keep me going for years!

Thanks again
Koromo
:)