#18 of 52...Samuel Groom SR...

Samuel Groom SR,
(1874-1942)
copy of photo sent to me by Marion Schaal

This is my husband's Great Great Grandfather.  My husband's grandma sent me this photo last month and I was very happy to receive it.  He looks quite dapper, doesn't he?

Samuel Groom SR was born 9 April 1874 in Belleville, Illinois to James Groom and Hannah Tate.  James and Hannah had the following known children.

1). William Groom (1865-1939)

2). John Groom (abt 1871-1935)

3). Richard Groom (1872-unknown)

4). Samuel Groom (1874-1942) **my husband's great great grandfather

5). Isaac Groom (abt 1876-1952)

6). Rachel Groom (abt 1877-1933)

7). Alexander Groom (1880-1946)

8). Thomas Groom (1883-1951)

9). Elizabeth Groom (abt 1886-1940)

10). Ann Groom (1887-1925)

Samuel Groom SR married Katherine "Katie" Haas 6 June 1896 in Belleville, St. Clair County, Illinois. They had the following known children.

1). Viola Groom (1899-1956) **my husbands great grandmother

2). Leona Groom (abt 1902-unknown)

3). Samuel Groom JR. (1903-1956)

4). May Groom (1909-2002)

Samuel Groom followed in his family's footsteps and was a coal miner.

#11 of 52...Robert Groom

Robert Groom is one of my husband's 4th great grandfathers and the father of my post last week.

The earliest record I found with Robert Groom is the 1841 England Census for Wolverhampton, Staffordshire.  Robert is listed as living with John Golding who is an Engineer.  Robert is age 15 and listed as being an Engineer Apprentice.  Along with Robert is another apprentice named John Mason.  Robert is shown to have been born in the same county, which is Staffordshire.  He would have been born about 1826 or thereabouts.  

Class: HO107; Piece: 1001; Book: 8; Civil Parish: Wolverhampton; County: Staffordshire; Enumeration District: 17; Folio: 14; Page: 20; Line: 16; GSU roll: 474628

I do not know Robert's parents nor have I been able to find his birth or baptismal record.  Without knowing for sure his parents it's difficult to ascertain if a record is his as Robert Groom is not exactly a unique name in England.

The next time we locate Robert is in 1851 England Census where he is with his wife Mary and sons James and Samuel.  Also living with Robert is a Robert Emery, Margaret and Mary Ann as well as Joseph Cotterell and Ellen.

Class: HO107; Piece: 2021; Folio: 130; Page: 13; GSU roll: 87425-87426

Robert and Mary have the following known children:

1). James Groom (1843-1915)

2). Samuel Groom (1849-   )

3). John Groom (1859-1933)

I can't seem to locate Robert and Mary Groom or their boys again until 1880.  We know that they immigrate to the United States, but I have not found exactly when. In this census they are in St. Clair County, Illinois living near their sons John and James. I do not see Samuel nearby.  Robert is a mining engineer.  He lists his birthplace as England, his father's as Wales and his mother's as England.

Here they are in the 1880 census. 

Year: 1880; Census Place: West Belleville, St Clair, Illinois; Roll: 247; Family History Film: 1254247; Page:304B; Enumeration District: 045; Image: 0279

By the 1900 Census both Robert and Mary are passed.  I've not located their death records or where they are buried yet.  I find it fascinating that Robert was an apprentice, which implies that the position of engineer at a mine is skilled labor and not manual labor as one usually thinks of all things mine related. (All of us that are ignorant of the facts, that is).

#10 of 52...James Groom

I've recently discovered this interesting ancestor of my husband.  His name is James Groom and he is a third great grandfather, from his paternal side.

James Groom was born 14 November 1843 in Bilston, Staffordshire, England to Robert and Mary Groom. He was baptized 26 Nov 1843 at St. Leonard's Bilston, Stafford, England.

The Groom Family listed in the 1851 England Census for Bilston.
Ancestry.com. 1851 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.HO107; Piece: 2021; Folio: 130; Page: 13; GSU roll: 87425-87426

Above you can locate James and his parents a well as a brother Samuel.  Of course it would be my luck that we cannot see what James's father Robert's occupation is.  Of the entire page, it is my luck that a big ole ink mark completely covers that information.

The Groom family immigrated from England to St. Clair County, Illinois sometime after the 1851 England Census and before 1863 when James was counted in the Civil War Draft Register. I've not located the family in the 1860 census as of yet.  I've searched both England and Illinois.  I will have to do a more thorough search in Illinois.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registration Records (Provost Marshal General's Bureau; Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865); Record Group: 110, Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau (Civil War); Collection Name: Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865 (Civil War Union Draft Records); ARC Identifier: 4213514; Archive Volume Number: 1 of 6

As we can see from the above register from St. Clair County, Illinois, he is listed as James Groom, age 20, white, occupation is Engineer, single and born in England.

James marries Hannah Tate 10 Dec 1864 in Belleville, St. Clair County, Illinois.  He is 21 years old and she is 19 years old.   Together they have the following known children:

1). William Groom (1865-1939)
2). John Groom (1871-1835)
3). Richard Groom (1872-    )
4). Samuel Groom (1874-1942) **my husband's 2nd Great Grandfather
5). Issac Groom (1876-1952)
6). Rachel Groom (1877-1933)
7). Alexander Groom (1880-1946)
8). Thomas Groom (1883-1951)
9). Elizabeth Groom (1886-1940)
10.) Ann Groom (1887-1925)

I am missing the census record for James and Hannah for 1870, but I have located them in 1880 still in St Clair County, IL.

Year: 1880; Census Place: West Belleville, St Clair, Illinois; Roll: 247; Family History Film: 1254247; Page:305C; Enumeration District: 045; Image: 0280

James and Hannah (often listed as just Anna) are enumerated.  Above James is Mary A...this is his mother and his father is on the page prior.  Next door, below James and Anna is a Robert Tate.  I'm surmising that this could possibly be Anna's father, but I have not delved into that research as of yet.  It is a great clue though that I can further investigate.  James is listed as being a Coal Miner.

I was unaware of coal mining in St. Clair County until I started doing the research into this side of my husband's family.  I discovered that the Groom family were all involved in Coal mining.  It is my understanding that the Groom family started out as miners and engineers operating the elevators into the mines and ended up in the early 20th century owning a mine! In fact James's brother John become president of the Groom Mine Company in the 1920's.

By 1910, James's wife Anna has passed away.  James is still working as a hoisting engineer at the coal mine.
James passes away 14 January 1915

Here is a transcription of his obituary from the Belleville News Democrat, January 14, 1915.
                         James Groom, 71 years old, a pioneer resident of St. Clair County, died at his 
                    home, 2021 West Main street, at 12:40 o'clock Thursday afternoon.  He was 
                    born in England, November 14, 1843, and came to St. Clair County and settled
                    in Belleville when 12 years of age. 
                         He leaves three daughters, Mrs. James White, Mrs Dominick Kempf and Mrs.
                    Sedley Phillips; seven sons, William, John, Isaac, Alexander, Thomas and Samuel, in
                    Belleville; Richard, in California; twenty seven grandchildren and three great-grand-
                    children.  He also leaves one brother, John Groom, in Belleville. 

According to this account, his family immigrated around 1855, I will need to investigate further.