GRONOUS of Kington, Presteigne or somewhere else

[Koromo]

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 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

[Keziahemm]

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 

[Koromo]

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

[gronous]

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

[gronous]

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

[Koromo]

Hello Peter

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

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:

I give my Sister Martha Dale ten pounds

I give to my Sister Ann Powell, widow of Howell Powell, sixteen pounds every year during her Life by Quarterly payments


I give to Howell Thomas, Grandchild to my Sister Ann Powell, Fourteen pounds a year for his maintenance untill he arrives at the age of Fifteen, and Thirty pounds to put him apprentice

I give to my Sister Powells three daughters Twenty pounds each to be paid Six months after my Decease

I give to my Sister Frances Probart eight pounds a year during her Life, the first payment being four pounds to be paid Six months after my decease

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

[gronous]

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

[Koromo]

Hi Peter

Email sent. 

K.

[Meryan46]

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