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Thomas Grover (bef. 1615 - 1661)

Thomas Grover
Born before in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, Englandmap [uncertain]
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married about 1640 (to 28 Oct 1661) in Malden, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Bay Colonymap
Descendants descendants
Father of , , , , , , , and
Died after age 45 in Malden, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Bay Colonymap
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The Puritan Great Migration.
Thomas Grover migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).
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Contents

Biography

This profile is part of the Grover Name Study.

Birth and Parentage

Thomas Grover was mostly likely born in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England and baptized on 26 Nov 1615, the son of Lazarus Grover and Godsgrace King.[1] What little direct evidence there is and all secondary, acceptable derivative works and circumstantial evidence comes to this conclusion (See Research Notes for discussion of disputed origins). Therefore, they should be listed as his parents BUT tagged as "uncertain" until further evidence is obtained.

Immigrating to America

Thomas, from Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England, is recorded as arriving in Charlestown between 1620 and 1650.[2] Unfortunately, the ship and arrival date are not known. It has been written that Thomas was part of John Winthrop's fleet of 11 ships that sailed from England and landed in Salem, Massachusetts on 12 Jun 1630 and that Thomas took part in the founding of the first church in Charlestown in 1632.[3][4] This may be true but no corroborating source for this arrival has been found and could just be political puffery for the biography of his 5x grandson, LaFayette Grover, the 4th governor of Oregon. Regardless, by 1630, Salem could not feed or shelter an additional 700 to 800 colonists so on 17 Jun 1630 they left for Charlestown. On the opposite side of the Charles River, they would lay the foundation of Boston.[5][6]

The first available record of Thomas in Charlestown was in 1638, when he is mentioned in a land transaction with William Frothingale for 1 cow common and a quarter. He would have been about 23 years of age.[7] (Note: John Greene became Town Clerk in 1645-6 and made numerous interlineations for 1638 land records to clarify the specific points of the legal contracts. There had been a hiatus of about 11 years of recording the town proceedings before the time John Greene became the town clerk.) Thomas was a "planter" (farmer) and early land holdings in Boston and Charlestown show he was a property owner in 1640.[8]

Marriage and Children

Thomas married Elizabeth (some say maiden name is Smith) about 1640. They had nine children, three of whom died in the epidemic of 1674:[8]

  1. Lazarus, b. 5 Apr 1642,[9] d. 1715,[10][11] m. (1) Ruth Adams, (2) Elizabeth, (3) Mercy
  2. Thomas, b. 1 Apr 1643,[8][12] d. bef. 17 Sep 1711,[13] m. Sarah Chadwick
  3. Grace, b. abt. 1645,[8] d. 3 Oct 1658[10][14]
  4. Andrew, b. abt 1649-50,[8] d.14 Apr 1674,[10] m Hannah Hills (d. May 1674)
  5. Elizabeth, b. 27 Dec 1652,[15] d. Mar 1674[8]
  6. Simon, b. abt 1654,[8] d. 28 Nov 1717 “ae 63”, [10][11] m. Sarah Barrett
  7. Mathew, b. abt 1655,[8] d. 1679-80,[8] m. Mary Davis
  8. John, b. abt 1656-57,[8][12] d. 19 Feb 1674 “ae 17 yrs”[10]
  9. Stephen, b. abt 1658,[8][16] d. 22 Oct 1694,[13][17] m. Sarah Barlow[18]

Grace died before Thomas wrote his Will. Andrew, Elizabeth and John died during the epidemic of 1674. Simon, Mathew and Stephen were not named in their father's Will but did receive their portion of the farm land as they came of age and had other dealings with their brothers (See discussion under Will and Research Notes).

In August 1675 the Constable of Malden (unknown if at this time it was Philip Atwood, the second husband of Elizabeth, who was a Constable) was ordered to impress “ten able horses, well shod, with bridles and saddles ... fit for the Country’s service.” Those who furnished horses include Thomas' sons Thomas, Simon and Stephen Grover.[19]

Land owned by Thomas mentioned

By 1649, Malden (also known as the "Mystic side" of the Malden river) incorporates as a separate town from Charlestown and land owned, where Thomas settled, is mentioned on 10 Dec 1649 (10 day 10 month 1649) bounding, to the southwest, the sale of 5 acres from Ralph Hall to William Luddingtonin. On 12 Jun 1652 (12 day 4 month 1652) land owned by Thomas is mentioned bounding, to the east, land being sold by William Harris to a carpenter, John Greenland and in 1657 land owned by Thomas is bounding, to the north, 10 acres sold by Edward Carrinton to Job Land.[7]

Early records of Charlestown show Thomas Grover's home was located where the present streets of Bow, Main, and Prescott adjoin, in the "old" Charlestown section (near the Navy Yard) and by the time of his death an inventory of his estate showed he owned 45 acres of land.[8]

Death

Thomas died 8 Oct 1661 at Malden, Massachusetts.[10][16] Where he was buried is unknown. On 17 Dec 1661 the inventory of his estate was filed by his widow Elizabeth and eldest son Lazarus who were appointed administrators.[8][16]

"Decemr. 1661: "Elizabeth, the relict of Thomas Grover, Deced.(deceased), and Lazarus his sonne, appearing in Court were granted administration on the estate of the said Thomas Grover, and do sweare that this is a true inventory. ......Enterd and Recorded. 17.10.1661" (17 Dec.1661, modern calendar)[8][20]

The filing shows a value of 157 Pounds after 34 Pounds of debt were paid.[8][20]

Wife's Remarriage

On 7 Apr 1675, Thomas' widow Elizabeth married Philip Atwood, a "planter" and Constable of Malden.[21] Upon her remarriage, Lazarus was named sole administrator of his father's estate which was still open after 14 years. He was also made the "guardian of his minor brothers" to assure their receiving their full shares.[8] The very month of her second marriage, Elizabeth and her son Lazarus' family along with new husband Philip and other families moved west to a new settlement now known as Worcester County. Within three months the families returned to Malden due to skirmishes with the Native Americans and there Elizabeth died in October 1676.[22]

Will and Estate

While the location of the will of Thomas Grover is uncertain, the most recent information, based on his Will, states that sons Lazarus, Thomas, Andrew, and John and daughter Elizabeth are named in the document. Simon, Matthew and Stephen are not named. Why Thomas did not name these three additional children is unknown. They were minors (roughly aged 7, 6 and 3, respectively) but so was John (about 5), who was named on the Will. English civil law had no requirement to endow all of the children in the Will. Regardless, through the administration of the Will by Lazarus, these three sons, Simon, Matthew and Stephen received a share of the 45 acre farm land. It appears that Thomas' estate was divided into nine, 5 acre shares and distributed to each child, except Lazarus, who received a double portion as the eldest child. Elizabeth, the widow, received the dwelling house with all furnishings and household goods. Grace had died in 1658, before her father. Andrew, Elizabeth, and John died in the epidemic of 1674 and the inventories of their estates each showed a 5 acre parcel of property, probably from their father's estate.[8]

Research Notes

It is claimed by almost all books (public and private), genealogist, family trees and websites that Thomas Grover the immigrant to Charlestown/Malden, Massachusetts is the Thomas Grover who was baptized 26 Nov 1615 at Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England and a son of Lazarus Grover and Godsgrace King.

It is nearly impossible to find many primary, first hand records for Thomas Grover. During the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775 nearly all the Charlestown records were lost to antiquity when almost half the town burnt down, ignited by British cannon fire (flaming hot shot).

What little direct evidence that is available is as follows:

1) Thomas Grover, of Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England was baptized on 26 Nov 1615.[1]

2) Thomas Grover, of Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England, arrived in Charlestown between 1620 and 1650.[2]

3) Thomas Grover was recorded in Charlestown by 1638.[7]

While thin, this is the first piece of evidence that shows a direct line of Thomas Grover of Chesham to Charlestown.

This then leads to the use of acceptable secondary evidence. This includes well referenced books such as the 1967 seminal work by Joel Grover, “Ancestry and genealogy of our Thomas Grover family : descendants of Thomas Grover and Elizabeth of Chesham, Bucks., Eng., 1514-1580” (1967) in 2 volumes,[8][23] and Mary Ferris’ “Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines" (1943).[12] Of these two, Grover is the most reliable and should be considered the Gold Standard for Grover family history. It not only builds upon his previous work in 1960[24] and that of Ferris but also includes an extensive list of pertinent Deeds, Wills, Probates and a Bibliography of 185 sources including paid research by professional genealogist and Genealogical Societies. Of course, no work is without error and all should be cross referenced and verified when possible. There are a few cases where work done by professional genealogists for Grover, whether looking at microfilm in England or America, has to be taken at face value. The evidence from Grover (1967) displays a direct line from Thomas Grover of Chesham to Charlestown. Additional well researched books include "Topographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants to New England, 1620-1650"[2] by Charles Edward Banks and "The Great Migration",[25] by Robert Anderson.

Most other acceptable works and indexes from Genealogical Societies, such as The Genealogist, professional genealogist and respected authorities such as Torrey's Marriage Index, Sanborn’s Third Supplement are derivative from Grover, Ferris or direct evidence. For example, Sanborn's Third Supplement not only has marriages but birth and death dates that reference The Great Migration or an article from The Genealogist[26] but The Genealogist article will then reference back to Grover, Ferris or Chesham parish registers. The Genealogist article also concludes a direct line from Thomas Grover of Chesham to Charlestown.

Finally, there is circumstantial evidence that ties Thomas of Chesham with Thomas of Charlestown/Malden, Massachusetts by the use of family names. All the names of his children are names used by his ancestors in Chesham and Aldenham, England. Lazarus was the name of the father of Thomas of Chesham, and is the name of Thomas of Charlestown's firstborn son. The other names of his children are the same as the brothers and sisters of Thomas of Chesham and frequently used by aunts, uncles and grandparents.

When all available evidence, direct, secondary, derivative and circumstantial is taken together as a whole, this Thomas Grover is most likely the Thomas Grover, of Chesham, son of Lazarus and Godsgrace. Below is additional research dealing with loose ends and other areas of concern.

Thomas Grover, from Aldenham, Hertsfordshire, England

According to Banks, a Thomas Grover from Aldenham, Hertsfordshire, England also came to Charlestown.[2] Who is this Thomas? It is known that Lazarus and Godsgrace, the parents of Thomas born in Chesham, moved to Aldenham (which is located about 9 or 10 miles east southeast of Chesham) between Feb 1619[27] and Feb 1620.[28] Thomas would have been about 4 or 5 years old at the time. The only recorded birth of a Thomas Grover around this time period in Aldenham wasn't until 1635 and much too young to be the Thomas that immigrated to Charlestown and married Elizabeth about 1640. Finally, the only other Thomas Grover known to have lived, married or died in Charlestown/Malden was his second son. The most logical explanation is a double accounting of the same Thomas Grover that moved with his parents from Chesham to Aldenham.

Wives named Elizabeth

One of the biggest area of confusion and error for researches over the past century are the different wives named Elizabeth. This causes their birth and death dates to be confused with the wrong spouse. What makes matters worse is that most, if not all, of their maiden names are not know and one person, Philip Atwood, had 3 wives two of which were named Elizabeth. The first Elizabeth being the widow of Thomas Grover. For example, this caused respected Indexes like Torrey's and Sanborn to have the death date of the wife of Thomas as 1688 on page 121 and as 1676 on page 10 when she remarried Philip Atwood all within the same index based on two different sources. Here is a list of the pertinent names with the best-known information.

1) Elizabeth (some say Smith), b. abt. 1618 in England, d. Oct 1676, Malden, Mass[22] married (1) Thomas Grover abt 1640, (2) Philip Atwood on 7 Apr 1675

2) Elizabeth (maiden unknown), d. 3 Apr 1688[22] married as 3rd wife of Philip Atwood. aft 1676 (possible 1678?)

3) Elizabeth (maiden unknown), b. abt. 1606 in England, d. Nov 1688 “80 yrs”,[23] Boston (Rumney-Marsh), Mass married John Grover (b. abt 1606, d. Dec 1686) abt 1634-35 in England

4) Elizabeth (maiden unknown), d. 22 Feb 1688,[10] married (abt 1676/bef 1678) as 2nd wife of Lazarus Grover, son of this Thomas Grover

Oulde Goodwife Grover

The most recent research shows that Ferris was mistaken in implying that "Oulde Goodwife Grover" was "highly probably" the mother of Thomas. There was zero evidence of Thomas' mother coming to America for Ferris to make this claim. To the contrary, documentation shows the identity of "Oulde Goodwife Grover" as the wife of Thomas Grover. The confusion occurs with the Charlestown church records and the wives named Elizabeth as discussed earlier. The Elizabeth admitted to the church on 10 Sep 1644 was the wife of "a" John Grover, who was an inhabitant of Charlestown since 1640,[13][29] not the wife of Thomas Grover. In "The Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown" Elizabeth, the wife of Thomas, is listed as marrying (1) Thomas and (2) Philip Atwood, then called "Oulde Goodwife Grover" admitted to the church on 30 Nov 1643.[13][29] Who the John Grover and his wife Elizabeth (maiden name unknown) are, listed in "The Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown", requires further research.

Mathew

On 29 May 1675, Mathew Grover sold a small piece of property to John Greenland Jr.[8] This property was most likely the land his father, Thomas, owned that bounded, to the east, land originally purchased on 12 Jun 1652 by John Greenland.[7] The deed for this land bears the signature of Mathew and his older brother Lazarus (by mark).[8] As the eldest son, Lazarus was then the sole administrator of his father's estate, and "guardian of his minor brothers." It appears that Mathew was still a minor at the date of the sale of this small piece of property and it was necessary to have Lazarus approve the transaction and sign the document with him to make it legal, though the deed does not plainly show this. Lazarus evidently signed it as administrator of his father's estate and this is accepted as adequate proof that Mathew was one of the "minor brothers" (along with Simon and Stephen) of Lazarus and thus a son of Thomas Grover and Elizabeth. The description of the property bounds shows that this piece of property adjoined other lands of "Thomas Grover, deceased", and thus indicates it may possibly have come to Mathew directly from his father, or from his father's estate, or possibly from the estates of the two brothers (John and Andrew), and/or sister Elizabeth, who had died just the preceding year of 1674.

Simon and Stephen

Simon and Stephen were minors, as was Matthew, at the time Thomas wrote his Will. Thomas is the only possible (known) father of these two young boys, according to their apparent ages (from approximated birth dates, as judged from marriage and death records). The only other possible Grover of age at that time living in the area was a John Grover (mentioned earlier) and his wife Elizabeth. However, their children were named John, Elizabeth and Lydia.[8][13]

Simon and Stephen were frequently in league with their brothers Lazarus and Thomas. In 1674, the Quansigamond Plantation, which later became the city of Worcester, was purchased from the local Nipmuc Indians. On 27 May 1674 a group of men from Maiden, Charlestown, Boston and Watertown, petitioned the General Court at Boston, for additional farm lands. Simon and Stephen, with their brothers Lazarus and Thomas where among those, including their mother's second husband Philip Atwood, whose petition was granted. In Apr 1675 the land was surveyed into lots ranging in size from 25 to 100 acres.[8][12][30] They were driven out during the King Philip's War of 1675-76 which comprised of numerous Indian tribes including the Wampanoag, Nipmuc, and Naragansett.

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Garrett-Pegge, J.W. A transcript of the first volume, 1538-1636, of the parish register of Chesham, in the county of Buckingham. London: Elliot Stock 1904. Pg 119 (See also: Parish Register of Chesham available for download on “The Internet Archive”)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Banks, Charles Edward, 1854-1931. Topographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants to New England, 1620-1650. Edited, indexed and published by Elijah Ellsworth Brownell. Third Edition. Baltimore :Genealogical Pub. Co.,1963. Pg 8, 66. (See also: Topographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants to New England, 1620-1650 image 54, 112 of 344 available for download on HathiTrust.org)
  3. ↑ The National cyclopedia of American biography, vol 8. New York: James T. White & Company, 1924. Pg 5. (See also: The National cyclopedia of American biography image 19 of 584 available for download at HathiTrust.org)
  4. ↑ | Massachusetts Historical Society timeline for First Church in Charlestown Website (accessed March 20, 2022)
  5. ↑ Hutchinson, Thomas, 1711-1780. The history of Massachusetts : from the first settlement there of in 1628, until the year 1750. Salem [Mass.] :Printed by Thomas C. Cushing. 3rd Edition. Pg 25-26. (See also: The history of Massachusetts 1628 - 1750 images 31, 32 of 500 available for download at HathiTrust.org)
  6. ↑ Carpenter, W. H. (William Henry), 1813-1899. The history of Massachusetts : from its earliest settlement to the present time. Philadelphia :Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger,1872. Pg 85. (See also: The history of Massachusetts: from its earliest settlement image 91 of 342 available for download at HathiTrust.org)
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Records Relating to the Early History of Boston, 3rd (1878). Boston,Rockwell and Churchill, city printers, [etc.]. pgs 26-27, 101, 127, 147. (See also: Early History of Boston images 46-47, 121, 147, 167 of 300 available for download at HathiTrust.org)
  8. ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 Grover, Joel P, et al. Ancestry and genealogy of our Thomas Grover family : descendants of Thomas Grover and Elizabeth of Chesham, Bucks., Eng., 1514-1580. Limited Family Edition in two volumes. Vol 1. Inglewood, California : J.P. Grover, 1966-1967. Pgs 28, 48, 54-57, 358. (See also: Ancestry and genealogy of our Thomas Grover family V1 available for download at “familysearch.org” NOTE: Bibliography is in Volume 2.)
  9. ↑ Waters, Henry F. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston: The New England Historic Genealogical Society. Vol IV. Pg 267. (See also: Genealogical Register Vol IV available for download at “The Internet Archive”)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook). Malden Vital Record Transcripts. Pg 348 (See also: Shared Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records Image 361 from “Ancestry.com”)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Waters, Henry F. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston: The New England Historic Genealogical Society. Vol IX. Pg 322. (See also: Genealogical Register Vol IX available for download at “The Internet Archive”)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Ferris, Mary Walton. Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines. Milwaukee: privately printed, Wisconsin Cuneo Press, 1943. Pgs 337-342. (See also: Ancestral Lines available for download on “The Internet Archive”)
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Wyman, Thomas Bellows. The genealogies and estates of Charlestown: in the county of Middlesex and commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1629-1818. Vol 1. Boston: David Clapp and Son, 1879. pg 448. (See also: The genealogies and estates of Charlestown available for download at “The Internet Archive”)
  14. ↑ Waters, Henry F. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston: The New England Historic Genealogical Society. Vol X. Pg 162. (See also: Genealogical Register Vol X available for download at “The Internet Archive”)
  15. ↑ Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook). Malden Vital Record Transcripts. Pg 35 (See also: Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records Image 48 available on “Ancestry.com”)
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Savage, James. A genealogical dictionary of the first settlers of New England showing three generations of those who came before May, 1692, on the basis of Farmer's Register. Vol 2. Boston, Little, Brown and company. Pg 320-321. (See also: A genealogical dictionary of the first settlers of New England available for download at “The Internet Archive”)
  17. ↑ Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook). Charlestown Births Marriages Deaths, 1629-1800; Vol· 3:568
  18. ↑ In the Will of her brother, Edmund Barlow, he names his sisters by their married names (See probate of Edmund Barlow available for download at “familysearch.org”
  19. ↑ Corey, Deloraine Pendre , The History of Malden, Massachusetts, 1633-1785. Malden: Deloraine Pendre Corey, 1899. Pg 318. (See also: The History of Malden available for download at InternetArchive.org)
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Middlesex Co., Mass., (South District) Probates, Docket No 9989 (Vol 2, pg 51). Research by Dr. Claude W. Barlow, PhD and Eva Moffiatt
  21. ↑ Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook). Malden Vital Record Transcripts. Pg 241 (See also: Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records Image 254 available on “Ancestry.com”)
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook). Malden Vital Record Transcripts. Pg 328 (See also: Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records Image 341 available on “Ancestry.com”)
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Grover, Joel P, et al. Ancestry and genealogy of our Thomas Grover family : descendants of Thomas Grover and Elizabeth of Chesham, Bucks., Eng., 1514-1580. Limited Family Edition in two volumes. Vol 2. Inglewood, California : J.P. Grover, 1966-1967. Pg 28. (See also: Ancestry and genealogy of our Thomas Grover family V2 available for download at “familysearch.org”)
  24. ↑ Grover, Joel P. The ancestry and genealogy of Thomas Grover, Utah pioneer : born July 1807, Whitehall, N.Y., died Feb. 1886, Farmington, Utah. Los Angeles, Calif.:J.P. Grover,1959. Rev. 1960. Pg 14. (See also: The ancestry and genealogy of Thomas Grover available for download on “The Internet Archive”)
  25. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles, et al. The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England 1634-1635, Vol 1. New England Historic Genealogical Society. Boston, 1999.
  26. ↑ Delorey, Janet Ireland. The Ancestry of Grace (Shaw) Davis of Haverhill, Mass. The Genealogist, Vol 10, No. 1, Spring 1989. Pgs 112-120
  27. ↑ Garrett-Pegge, J.W. A transcript of the first volume, 1538-1636, of the parish register of Chesham, in the county of Buckingham. London: Elliot Stock. 1904. Pg 311 (See also: Parish Register of Chesham available for download on “The Internet Archive”)
  28. ↑ Brigg, William. The parish registers of Aldenham, Hertfordshire, 1559-1659. St. Albans Priv. print. by Gibbs and Bamforth. 1902. Pg 45. (See also: Parish Register of Aldenham available for download on “The Internet Archive”)
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Budington, William Ives. The history of the First church, Charlestown, in nine lectures, with notes. Boston, C. Tappan, 1845. pg 248. (See also: The history of the First church, Charlestown available for download at “The Internet Archive”)
  30. ↑ Web page This Old Neighborhood: Quinsigamond Plantation and King Philip’s War

See also:

  • Grover, Joel P. Addition to the Book "Ancestry and Genealogy of Thomas Grover, Utah Pioneer 1847. (See also: Addition to the Book available for download at “familysearch.org” NOTE: This is a supplement written in 1963 for his previous 1960 book.)
  • Middlesex Co., Mass., (South District) Probates, Docket No 9990 (Vol 12, pg 396) Research by Eva Moffiatt
  • Probate records 1648--1924 (Middlesex County, Massachusetts); Author: Massachusetts. Probate Court (Middlesex County); Probate Place: Middlesex, Massachusetts. Note these are probate records which do not include the Will. See Will and Estate for discussion.
  • The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston: The New England Historic Genealogical Society. Vol XII. Pg 243.
  • Thomas Grover Find A Grave: Memorial #126410563
  • Henry Fritz-Gilbert Waters, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 23(1869):280, (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1869); image 300 of 554, p. 280 available HathiTrust.org.
  • Descendants of Thomas Grover, (link via the Wayback Machine, capture date 20 Aug 2018) Unknown Author. The document is Family Tree Maker output and does contain known errors in some generations.
  • "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NB4B-J8Z : 30 December 2014), Thomas Grover, Thomas Grover; citing CHESHAM,BUCKINGHAM,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 0924812 IT 2.




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Comments: 55

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Sigh-1 John Sigh Jr.
Due to the extensive research and rewrite I did for this profile I would like to request that Lazarus Grover and Godsgrace King be added as parents WITH the "uncertain" button checked. I believe there is enough evidence to warrant that at the very least.
posted by John Sigh Jr.
M Cole
Hi John,

I'm uncertain about the 2nd point in the research notes: "Thomas Grover, of Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England, arrived in Charlestown between 1620 and 1650" citing Topographical Dictionary. I believe the Topographical Dictionary is the publication that was done posthumously from Banks' manuscript. and what were often just notes of names he found in England that matched what was known about New England immigrants and not necessarily intended by him to be conclusively connected (although that's not at all apparent in the publication). Let me look that up.

posted by M Cole
M Cole
Here's a recent thread regarding the Topographical Dictionary https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Crane-267#comment_7180016

I think it's worth reviewing the comments in the profile related to what's presented in the Topographical Dictionary. I think what appears in the Dictionary are just notes of English records of interest, and not actual proof of connection between a location in England and a specific New England immigrant.

I do think that the naming evidence shouldn't be ignored. Son Lazarus is potentially named after his paternal grandfather, and it's a very unusual name. That certainly suggests that this is likely the right family line. If we're "following Anderson," my guess is that he would say something like: "it's likely, but more evidence would be welcome." It could be the correct family of Grovers, but not the right branch (or twig). (The recent issue of NEHGR includes a case study that addresses using naming patterns, and unusual names: "The English Origins and Family of Brothers William1 French and John1 French of Cambridge, Massachusetts). As part of their evidence they included the frequency and locations of the name "Jacob" occurring in record searches for "French" in the time period).

One question I also didn't see specifically addressed is if there was a search for later records in England for Thomas Grover, and whether Lazarus his father left a will.

It would be interesting to get some feedback from some members of the England Project on this.

Edited to add: You've done excellent job reworking this profile. And I'm not really taking a position one way or the other. Just making sure that if we attach parents that we are being thorough in making the case.

Also adding there is an open g2g on the question of parents: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1389044/the-parents-of-thomas-grover-1615-1661

posted by M Cole
edited by M Cole
GeneJ X
Hi John,

Thank you for supporting WikiTree and for your work on this profile.

FYI -- Noting that I am thrown by Banks claim, as I understand the research notes, that there is/is another man of the name early of Charlestown. Banks' work is appreciated by all of us, but in my experience, he could be liberal in his interpretation of probabilities and was often followed by others.

Have any records been discovered about Thomas at New England that would provide his age?

Narrative includes statement, "Additional well researched books include ...and "The Great Migration", by Robert Anderson." Might you have a publication date and page number for the Anderson article where we might find relevant information?

I agree presumably you and with M. Cole that the name Lazarus is a great lead. I'm just not familiar enough with the work that was done to survey English records about, in her words, the branches and twigs.

Thank you again for supporting WikiTree. --Gene

posted by GeneJ X
M Cole
Grover-834 and Grover-93 appear to represent the same person because: same birth and death info
posted by M Cole
Sigh-1 John Sigh Jr.
I have completed my deep dive into Thomas Grover and have totally rewritten his biography. 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. As a compromise to the diehards I have used the term “most likely” within the biography but personally I do not think it is necessary. Might I suggest adding his parents with the “uncertain” checkbox checked but the checkbox could also just be left blank. I hope you enjoy the biography and the detailed Research Notes.
posted by John Sigh Jr.
M Cole
Hi John,

Thanks for the deep dive and all the excellent sourcing.

One thing that comes to mind is that Thomas Grover is not in Great Migration Directory, which suggests that there isn't a record of him in New England through May 1641. Just glancing at the land transaction in the Charlestown records [currently citation # 6], it looks like the reference to Thomas Grover isn't part of the original record from 1638, but a note added later by John Greene who was town clerk starting in 1645-6. See introduction.

I'm not sure whether that changes the meaning, but Just something to look at.

If you're confident that his arrival was during the Great Migration, you should consider submitting the documentation to the GM Study Project. From the Introduction to the Directory: "If, however, you believe you have reliable documentation for a Great Migration immigrant not included in this volume, please let us know by emailing [email address removed] as we will be collecting additions and corrections for future publication."

I've seen this done before. The Project did not accept the suggested new immigrant but did provide an enlightening answer that helped us better interpret the document in question.

posted by M Cole
Sigh-1 John Sigh Jr.
Thanks. I will be reaching out to the GM Study Project to get their opinion.

There was a hiatus of about 11 years of recording the town proceedings before the time John Greene became the town clerk in 1645-6. So not all of the records made in 1638 may have been entered. It may be possible that the entries by Greene were to back fill some of the transactions that occurred during the 11 year hiatus that may not have been recorded. If not, why would Greene make an entry for 1638 when he was the clerk in 1645? Could he had made that entries in 1638 just not in his capacity as clerk? It is interesting.

posted by John Sigh Jr.
edited by John Sigh Jr.
Sigh-1 John Sigh Jr.
I have written the biography of Simon Grover-2798 and would like him added as a son to Thomas Grover-93 . His other brothers, even Stephen Grover-955 are linked and Simon shouldn't be the only one left hanging. ;-)
posted by John Sigh Jr.
Stevens-17832 Jen (Stevens) Hutton
John, I am unable to add son Simon because you have an unsaved draft of one or both profile(s).

Jen

posted by Jen (Stevens) Hutton
Sigh-1 John Sigh Jr.
Sorry, I've been adding new info as I find it. Try now.
posted by John Sigh Jr.
Stevens-17832 Jen (Stevens) Hutton
Done :) Simon is no longer lonely. Thanks for all your work on this family.
posted by Jen (Stevens) Hutton
Sigh-1 John Sigh Jr.
I will be rewriting, updating and improving the biography of this profile over the next month as part of the Profile Improvement Project and Puritan Great Migration Project.
posted by John Sigh Jr.
Silva-1055 Mindy Silva
I don't believe that the 'new' evidence that Lazarus & Gods-grace Grover were the parents of 'a' Thomas Grover changes anything. As it says in the narrative, nothing definitive links this Thomas Grover with the Thomas Grover baptized in November of 1615 in Chesham Parish.
posted by Mindy Silva
Brad Stauf
Mindy (and anyone else who sees this), the "Grover" WT user who was posting inflammatory messages about parentage of this profile has been previously banned from WT and is not interested in genealogy, just in trolling people and getting us to waste our time so please disregard anything further that you see from them anywhere on WT. Thanks!
posted by Brad Stauf
Smith-32867 Jillaine Smith
What's the proof that Elizabeth, daughter of Matthew and Jane Smith, was his wife? A "TAG" article makes the case that their daughter Elizabeth married someone else. (See profile of Matthew Smith Sr for that info.)
posted by Jillaine Smith
Smith-32867 Jillaine Smith
Five years later, we still haven't resolved who his wife was...
posted by Jillaine Smith
Stevens-17832 Jen (Stevens) Hutton
This is where the profile comment system fails us. If everyone is too busy at the moment to drop everything and do some research, eventually the comment just gets lost in a blizzard of other comments on other profiles. We're working on solutions to this, but right now the best thing is to just make sure a maintenance category (in this case 'needs relationship check') is added to the profile. That way, at some point, the profile will come up on one of the team spreadsheets and someone will start working on it. Going through all these profiles one-by-one on the spreadsheets and bringing them up to a higher standard will eventually get us farther than trying to react to hundreds of comments on random profiles. We hope.
posted by Jen (Stevens) Hutton
Smith-32867 Jillaine Smith
That sounds like a great plan. Jen, is there a project page that lists the different PGM maintenance categories?
posted by Jillaine Smith
Madison-125 Bobbie (Madison) Hall
Jillaine, there may be a page with more explanation, but the categories themselves are here: PGM Project Maintenance Categories

(Not answering for Jen, just pointing to the cats)

posted by Bobbie (Madison) Hall
Stevens-17832 Jen (Stevens) Hutton
Bobbie beat me to it! Sharon and I both think we may need to add a few more categories to this list, so if anyone has some ideas just shout.
posted by Jen (Stevens) Hutton

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Categories: Puritan Great Migration Project Needs Relationship Check | Puritan Great Migration Other Head of Household | Puritan Great Migration | Grover Name Study