Recently aquired certificates:

MARRIAGES

Samuel Gronow March Qtr. 1885 Pontypridd Vol.11a page 411.
Daniel Gronow September Qtr. 1919 Neath Vol.8b page 107.
Thomas D. Gronow September Qtr. 1947 Pontypridd Vol.8b page 1487.
William Gronow September Qtr. 1956 Bridgend Vol.8b page 107.

Gronow Windsor Phillips

In remembrance:

Gronow Windsor Phillips

1936-2013

Peacefully on April 10 2013 at the Princess of Wales Hospital, Gronow of Austin Avenue, Porthcawl; beloved husband of Phyllis, beloved uncle to Beverly, Helen and Maureen. Sadly missed by all his family and friends. Resting at David Wilde Chapel of Rest, Mawdlam, North Cornelly until the funeral on Thursday April 18, service at Gilgal Baptist Church, Porthcawl at 10am followed by service and cremation at Coychurch Crematorium at 11am.

(First published in the Media Wales Group on 15th April 2013)

NIL DESPERANDUM.

 An interesting article published in the "Cardigan Observer, and General Advertiser For the Counties of Cardigan, Carmarthen and Pembroke" dated 30th June 1888.

"Some excitement was caused in the town on Saturday last by a marriage somewhat out of the ordinary rut. The bride, Mary Gronnow, of Quarrel, Brynberian, was only eighty-four, and rather dressy for her age, while the foud bride- groom was some twenty-eight years her junior, and the trials, troubles and other amusements of this mundane existence had passed him lightly by. The bride appeared at the Registrar's Office, where the imposing ceremony was performed, in ancient Welsh costume, including a spotted handkerchief round her head, and clogs on her feet; but, in honor of the occasion, she went direct from the office to the tradesmen, and was rigged out in a fashionable hat, a gaudy-coloured shawl, and a pair of little high-heeled boots. Arrayed in her new habiliments she presented quiite a frisky appearance, and she would doubtless look well in the dusk with the light behind her. I do not know how many times previously the bride had gone through a similar ceremony, but under the most favorable circumstances she cannot expect to repeat it more than half-a-dozen times at the outside, and it would therefore be unkind to blame her for investing in a bit of finery to celebrate the event. But little interest seemed to centre in the bridegroom, poor man and the general opinion was that he was wise in marrying someone old enough to take care of him; but, like most young fellows of fifty-six who marry women old enough to be their mothers, he will have to play second fiddle I am afraid.."

Mary Williams was her name, and she had been previously married to Stephen Gronow a Mason of Pantywdyn, Nevern, Pembrokeshire. The widow Mary would it seem, have married one John Bowen, sadly he does not seem to have enjoyed a long marrage. Mary is again a widow in 1891. Her age may have been slightly exaggerated for the story, she was more likely to be about 74 years of age.

Death in Calcutta

Taken from he Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser, dated 16^th December 1853.

“The Death at Calcutta, of liver complaint, aged 27, Mr Joseph Gronnow, of H.C.S.F. Moozuffer, and late of St. David’s Parish, deeply regretted.

Joseph is possibly the son of Joseph & Martha Gronow of  Cylch Mawr, St. Davids. Pembrokeshire.

A bit of background information about the “Moozuffer” can be found from an Auction lot in Christies, London dated 18-19^th June 1996 Lot 5641.

(29 July) 1852 Second Burmese War  letter headed "From Bombr B. Rodgers...On Board the H.C.S.F. Moozuffer", addressed to Sussex and countersigned by the Commanding Officer and showing transit marks including handstruck "2". Rather stained and reinforced internally, interesting contents include.

 "Immediately I reached Bombay from Calcutta, I was sent on Board the Company's Steam Frigate 'Moozuffer', fitting out for the Burmese Empire or the Rangoon War. The fleet left Bombay on 24th February, sailed to Madras, and joining some more shipping continued sailing to Rangoon, which we reached on the 11th April, which was Easter Sunday. As we passed by at the hour of half past nine, the ship I belong to opened fire with her first pivot Sixty-Eight pound gun, and was continued by the Fleet. We fired for better than 2 hours and a half when the word "Cease Fire" was given. There was afterwards a steady firing kept up from the guns of each ship till the next morning, when the troops landed and stormed the fortifications. It lasted then three days, four days from the time we first commenced. There were several small places taken afterwards till we proceeded to a place called Bassein, where we sailed in about three, and the Action commenced, soldiers on one side and sailors on the other. They took the place about eight. There are but two places more to take, Prome and Ava, the principle places."

In Remembrance

Katherine Mary Gronow (nee Knight)

1955-2013

Suddenly on February 16th 2013 at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Katherine Mary, of Varteg Road, Varteg. Dearly devoted wife and life long friend of David, cherished, loving mam of Simon, beloved sister of John and Colin, sister in law of Sue, Eileen, John, Sandra, Michael and Pat and daughter of Jack and the late Mary and stepmother of Rose and daughter-in-law of Peggy and the late George. Funeral will take place on Tuesday March 12th, family prayers at her home at 11.20am, leaving her home she adored so much for a service and cremation at the Gwent Crematorium where friends are asked to meet at 12 noon. Family flowers only by request, donations if desired for the Heart Foundation. Further enquiries to B.M.Watkins, the funeral home, Varteg, Talywain 772725 / 773883.

Published today in the South Wales Argus.

Recently aquired certificates:

BIRTHS

Islwyn C. Gronow June Qtr. 1923 Pontypridd Vol.11a page 1078

Bronwen Gronow September Qtr.1923 Gloucester Vol.6a page 509.
 
Maldwyn D. Gronow June Qtr. 1929 Poole Vol.5a page 388.


MARRIAGES

William Gronow June Qtr. 1922 Bridgend Vol.11a page 1794

DEATHS

William Gronow December Qtr. 1980 Manchester Vol.38 page 1688 


 

David Lawrence Gronow

Tree 30

In Remembrance:

David Lawrence Gronow

Who died suddenly on Wednesday the 9th of January 2013 in Western Australia. David was the son of Victor David Gronow & Vlada Winifred Herriman. David's Grt. Grandfather emigrated to Williamstown, Victoria Australia in the 1860's.

(First Published in The West Australian on January 11, 2013)

Family Surname Varients

When researching your family history, you might have to look a little bit further for that elusive ancestor. In broad terms a lot of these variants have come about because of the quality of the writers ability to record what they have heard. If the speaker had a regional dialect, or if the scribe was English & the speaker Welsh, then the potential for 'mistakes' became even greater. Fashion also plays it part. Towards the end of the 19th Century some Gronow families changed their surname to Goronwy in a statement of Welsh Nationalism, looking back to the old Welsh spelling.

Over the years the way in which the parish clerk and clergy have recorded the surnames of the parishioners has varied substantially. It was not until the advent of universal literacy that the spelling of surnames became standardised. When the bride and groom could not read, they were not able to insist on a standard spelling of their surnames.

When my Grt.Grt.Grt.Grandfather married the clerk thinking he had misspelled his name crossed it out and re-wrote what he thought it should be.

 However James went on to sign the document in the style he had be brought up to do it & indeed the same way two generations previously had.
Today descendants of those generations still spell their name with 'nn' with virtually all the modern instances belonging to the same family group.

Below you will find a selection of spellings I've come across, during my research, look out for them next time your having trouble locating your ancestor.

Gronnow    Gronowe   Grono Gronew Gronoe Gronou Gronoue Gronos Gronoway Gronnoue Gronous Gronw Groneu Goronow Groan Grohn Grone Gronon Gronus Grounow Grownow Groenow Gronowe Gronons Gronoy Gronwy Gronne Gronnon Gronaw Grona Grony Gronrow Gorono Granow Grenow Gromowa Gronway Grunow Groney Gronna Goronowy Grunnow

DEATH FROM INHALLING SEWER GAS.- William Gronow [sic], an expert drainer, with two other men, commenced to open an old drain, which was supposed to have not been opened for the last forty years, on the premises of Mr George Parker, in the occupation of Messrs. Oaks and Griffiths at Farndon. Starting at the mouth on the 13th of March, where it was shallow, and deepened as they crossed the road to the end of it to twelve feet, W. Gronow [sic] was the principal, and worked at the bottom until the work was finished. He was taken ill on Saturday, March 22nd, and attended by Dr. Parker who pronounced it to be blood poison from sewer gas, until his death which took place on the 26th ult., and he was buried on Sunday.

William Gronnow was born in 1838 in Farndon and buried in St. Chads Church, Farndon Cheshire on the 30th March 1884. William is my 3rd cousin 3x removed.

 It is well known that gases such as ammonia, carbonic oxide, carbonic acid, and sulphuretted hydrogen — which are frequently found in sewer air — are highly poisonous, and have, in consequence, when inhaled, an injurious influence upon health, the degree of which seems to depend on the amount so taken into the system. If the dose is small, then the poisoning is of a mild form ; but if the dose is large, then the poisoning is frequently very acute, and instantaneous death may be the result. It is greatly to be regretted that the statistical information concerning the health of sewermen is generally very incomplete. No proper continuous records appear to have been kept anywhere, and, when required, facts and figures have had to be collected probably years after the dates to which they refer, and that, too, in a somewhat haphazard manner. The results of such enquiries are therefore in most cases- not based upon a proper system of notification, and must be received with a certain amount of caution.

In cases of this kind the death of the workman is frequently instantaneous. He enters the sewer or cesspit and collapses there all at once as if he had been hit by a bullet. Sometimes it has also been observed that the workman has uttered a cry and then had severe convulsive fits, with vomiting and spontaneous secretion of faeces and urine ; foam covered the mouth, and the patient either died at once or remained unconscious for a long time.