Not sure what possessed me other than I like a challenge but I decided to do a deep dive into the controversy surrounding Thomas Grover’s parents. It seems like this was a hot and passionate topic for some based on previous G2G discussions but after researching all available evidence I could find, from direct, secondary and derivative to circumstantial and, taking them together as a whole, I have concluded that this Thomas Grover is the Thomas Grover, of Chesham, England, son of Lazarus Grover and Godsgrace King. Those that know my work on the Magna Carta, Quakers and Profile Improvement projects know I do not make this claim lightly.
I have totally rewritten his biography on his profile page with a detailed list of all the sources I have found (with links online) and a Research Notes section to try and answer areas of concern and confusion. It is actually longer than his biography! I welcome any feedback but I am suggesting to the people in charge of Project Protection to add Lazarus and Godsgrace as his parents (As a compromise with the diehards might I suggest adding them with the “uncertain” checkbox checked but personally I do not think it is necessary. It could just be left blank).
One final note about compilers, there has been much discussion in the past and will probably continue to be in the future about the veracity of many such works. Some are exceptional and some are very poor. Your mileage may vary. Technically, Douglas Richardson’s scholarly works “Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families “, “Magna Carta Ancestry”, and “Plantagenet Ancestry” are all compiled and contain errors and while I am not comparing Joel Grover’s 1967 work to Douglas Richardson, it is well researched and just as Richardson is considered the Gold Standard for Royal medieval history here on Wikitree so should Joel Grover’s 1967 work when discussing the Thomas Grover lineage. It is one of the better ones. I have verified his sources when possible.
I will continue to do further research but the bulk of it is done for now. I truly enjoyed the deep dive and I hope those that are interested will enjoy the biography of Thomas Grover I created.
