Benjamin GRONOW 1887 – 1967.

Ben Gronow was one of the best rugby league forwards in the world during the mid 1920’s, and was the only player from an English club to move to Australia in the first 50 years of the game Down Under. In December 1909, at Newport, Ben Gronow played in his first international trial match and so impressed the Selection Committee that he was “capped” for the Wales v. France match, played at Swansea on the 1st January 1910. In this match he scored a try. Next he played against England at Twickenham, the match which celebrated the opening of the Twickenham ground. As he also played against Ireland and Scotland, Ben represented his country in all her international matches that season.
In 1915 Ben joined the War effort and was transferred to the Army Service Corps M2/103369 and was raised to the rank of Serjeant, in charge of a motor depot at Ypres. In 1920 Gronow was one of five Huddersfield players selected for the Australian Tours. When he retired he settled in Yorkshire and in the 1930s became the coach at Morley Rugby Union Club. Ben was survived by three sons (his other son like him a Serjeant in the Royal Army Service Corps died in Egypt in 1943 and is buried in Heliopolis War Cemetery.)

If your are reading this page you have probably come to it by way of my Guild Profile page. Recently I am getting lots of enquires from that site starting with something like “seen your profile page my name is (George) trying to trace my family history what can you tell me.” Not much I’m afraid from that information, I try to tell them how many (George)’s are alive today and that I need a little bit more to go on – at the very least their date of birth.
However 9 times out of 10 I do not hear from the enquirer again. Am I asking too much? Generally speaking if you give me a date of birth of someone alive 90% of the time I can trace their parentage back to 1912, 70% of those I can trace back to 1800. But I do advise people that there is what I call the Dark ages in Family History & that is the period 1902-1912 when other than BMD Registration it is a lot harder to trace people. This is a stumbling block for many people and if you have a birth in this period & do not know who the parents where, then the only other option is to see the actual certificate. As you will see from earlier posts I do regularly purchase certificates to get beyond this point. So if you are thinking of contacting me try to give me as much info about your Grandparents (Great Grandparents) as you know, and I will be only too happy to help you and your history.

Henry Lettsom Gronow
1831-1876
He died of a gunshot wound, believed to be self inflicted. At the time he was working as a warden at Young Gaol( New South Wales, Australia).

Latest certificates:
Birth:
Gronow Griffith, 22nd February 1847
Frederick Gronow, 21st November 1907

Marriages:
Griffith Gronow, 29th May 1869
Edward Gronow 16th March 1907

Deaths:
Ann Jane Gronow 2nd November 1900.

Trying to trace Griffith Gronow born about 1847, could be the same Gronow Griffith registered in the March Qtr. of 1847 in Bridgend. I have tracked him in the 1861 Census through to the 1901 Census, but where is he in 1851, spent all of his known life in Llanrhidian, Glamorganshire. Will probably have to obtain the above birth certificate if all else fails.

Take time to look at my profile page on the Guild website at
http://www.one-name.org/profiles/gronow.html