Take a look at the new social networking site for genealogists "GenealogyWise" at www.genealogywise.com
A group page has been added for Gronow & it's variants. A good looking site with plenty of stories & videos of a family history nature, I find it much easier than Facebook or Twitter.

Above shows a graph, for the Census years 1841-1911 giving a guide to the numbers of male and female occupants for England & Wales. The females seem to out number the males in most of the census, nothing changed there then.

A wealthy landowner has just completed the largest folly to be built in Britain for at least a century. The 65ft-tall structure on the 7,500-acre Rushmore Estate, Dorset, has been built in the style of an Indian mogul gateway, topped by five large copper domes.

It was originally designed to conceal five mobile telephone masts. When the phone company, O2, pulled out of the project, the estate’s owner, William Gronow-Davis, decided to go ahead and build it at his own expense. By definition a folly is a structure with no practical purpose usually built to enhance a view or create a feature in the landscape.

In the case of Mr Gronow-Davis’s folly it is a focal point at the end of a mile long avenue of trees. The vista can be seen from window of his drawing room.

Mr Gronow-Davis says it finishes off his garden and adds to the spectacular vista from his mansion. Mr Gronow-Davis chose an Indian theme for the folly because he was born on the sub-continent. He is a descendent of General Augustus Pitt Rivers who inherited the estate in the 19th century, He said: “It is unusual and looks so beautiful from my house.

“From my drawing room you look out onto the gardens along an avenue of trees and fountains and about a mile away is the folly. It is wonderful and just finishes the garden off.

The folly is made of concrete that has been rendered in lime and sections of the four pillars have been washed in red ochre lime. The base is made out of Turkish limestone and has the family’s crest coated on it along with the four points of the compass.

From The Times July 9, 2009 Simon de Bruxelles

In memory of
Aubrey George Gronow
born 29th January 1911
Seymour, Victoria Australia.
son of Samuel & Catherine Jane Gronow of Oakleigh, Victoria.
Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer 418104.
Flying a Mitchell Liberator
No.45 Atlantic Transport Group
1943-1945 No.160 Squadron Bhopal, India.

Awards:
Burma Star,1939-1945 Star, Defence Medal.

Recently acquired certificates

Marriage:
John Gronow & Eliza Wright, 1869. Wesleyan Methodist Church Creswick. Victoria. Australia.

This is an important gateway ancestor for a lot of Australian Gronow's in Victoria. Thanks go to Judith Evans for her help on obtaining this information.

Reported on this Day in 1893.

District News, Cardiff.

DEATH FROM SCALDING, Mr E. B. Reece (coroner) held an inquest at the Town Hall, Cardiff on Friday evening, on the body of Annie Mary Gronow aged 3 years of 56 Letty Street, Cathays. The evidence showed that about six weeks ago the deceased was scalded by the upsetting of a bucket of boiling water, and the child died on Wednesday from injuries received. After the evidence of Dr. Shepard the jury returned a verdict of 'Accidental Death'.

(Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales), Saturday, June 17, 1893; Issue 7512)

All index entries for Wales from the 1911 Census have now been added to the English counties previously extracted. Approx 690 entries, including variants Gronnow & Goronwy. The vast majority of families have been grouped into their households. With the all important information from 1901-1912 I can at last sort out the remaining births for this period into their respective families. I expect this to take a month or so.

Congratulations to Brightsolid for their performance so far.
http://www.1911census.co.uk

Using the General Register Office indexes for the period 1984-2005 the graph above shows the percentage of ages of people who died in England & Wales. Click map to enlarge.

Using the General Register Office indexes for the period 1866-1920 the graph above shows the percentage of ages of people who died in England & Wales. Click map to enlarge.

Recently acquired certificates:
Births.
John Gronow Dec. Qtr. 1853 Bridgend Vol.11a page 304.
Marriages.
David Gronow Dec Qtr. 1863 Bridgend Vol.11a page 672.
Mary Gronnow Sept Qtr. 1870 Chester Vol.8a page 527.
Ann Gronnow June Qtr. 1888 Chester Vol.8a page 542.

Recently acquired certificates:
Births.
John Gronow Dec. Qtr. 1852 Bridgend Vol.11a page 301.
Marriages.
David Gronon June Qtr. 1857 Scarbro. Vol.9d page 465.
David Goronwy March Qtr. 1874 Merthyr T. Vol.11a page 692.

In rememberance:
Mathew "Aussie" Gronow.
September 21, 1929 - October 28, 2008

Aussie ""a true-blue military man"", suffered a stroke and has lost his battle
with Alzheimer's disease. He is predeceased by his daughter Gaye Tara
and is survived by his wife of 51 years Margaret ""Peggy"", daughter
Joye Andrea, granddaughter Amber Sage, twin brother John (Sue) and
many nieces and nephews. Matthew served with the Royal Australian
Regiment in the Korean War, RCAF (NATO) in Europe and with the
Canadian Armed Forces (UN Peacekeeping) in Cyprus and Egypt. Well
respected by his peers, Aussie was a member of the Royal Canadian
Legion serving as past President of Branch 37. He was proud to have
served as past President of the Canadian Korean Veteran's Association.
(First published in the Victoria Times-Colonist on 10/30/2008)

Recently acquired certificates:
Births.
Grenville James Gronow Dec. Qtr. 1902 Neath Vol.11a page 966
William Gronow March Qtr. 1905 Pontypridd Vol.11a page 734.
Marriages.
John Grennow March Qtr. 1873 Newport M. Vol.11a page 196.

I'm always on the look out for story's that involve our surname, growing up I was always being asked if I were German or Polish, because for some reason people always associated it with this variant rather than it's Welsh one. While searching the 1911 Census I came across a daughter whom I was previously not able to fit into a definite tree, looking forward I noticed that she appeared to marry twice. Upon investigation I came across this information which shows what extremes can happen especially in times of heightened security.
The names have been changed to protect the families from any embarrassment, and even the book does not name the Gronow concerned.
The following is taken from the book "In the Highest Degree Odious" by A.W.Brian Simpson.
"One case of error which is documentable received considerable publicity: it involved ********* who was British by birth and the Borough Surveyor of Guildford. He was detained on the 28th May as 'of hostile associations'; he was held in Brixton until 28th October spending up to twenty-three hours a day in solitary. The background was that 'his colleagues have informed against him and the local populace are demanding his internment.
"His wife is said to be of German extraction, and his intimate relations with a German girl have aroused the suspicions of the police" MI5 found that his wife was Welsh not German & that his association with aliens and visits to Germany were entirely innocent. Sadly his wife did indeed divorce him. In March 1941 he joined the RAF and became a Squadron Leader.

I remember a similar thing my father told me regarding his parents during WW1. The day after anti-German riots broke out in Birkenhead police tried to protect the first victim who had a butcher's shop at Watson Street but it was wrecked after police were overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Riots lasted for a couple of days and pubs were closed. Some luckless victims were not German related. Fried fish dealer Thomas Lincoln, of Price Street, had his shop smashed up by a mob made up mostly of women and young boys. They looted everything after someone said he had sold a fish to a German!

Monumental Inscriptions added for the following parishes. All entries fitted neatly into existing trees.

Bettws, St.David
Bridgend, Newcastle Hill Unitarian
Bridgend, Ruhamah Welsh Baptist
Bridgend, Tabernacle Congregational
Caerphilly, St. Martin
Church Village, Salem Welsh Baptist
Coity, St. Mary
Coychurch, St. Crallo
Gower (Old Walls) Ebenezer Calvinistic Methodist Chapel
Laleston, St. David
Llandeilo Talybont, St. Teilo on the Marsh
Llangynwyd, St.Cynwyd
Llanharan, Bethlehem Congregational
Nolton, Bridgend St. Mary
Pennard, St.Mary
Rhymney, St. David
St. Brides Minor, St. Bride
St.George-super-Ely, St. George
Treoes, Saran Chapel
Wenvoe, St. Mary.

All entries added for the current available counties from the 1911 Census. Looking forward to the release of the Welsh districts which should clear up a few families for the period 1901-1912. Most of the transcriptions have been correct, the only thing I have found so far (with what little is available) is the much more use of second names used to describe children in the family.

On this day in 1878

At Bridgend Petty Sessions on Saturday (before the Rev. C.R. Knight and Col. Turbervill), Enoch Gronow, farmer, Drehir Farm was charged by another farmer named William Butler, Caegarw, near Brynmenin, with stealing five turnips from his field. Mr Thomas Stockwood Jnr. appeared for the defendant, who was dismissed, the bench considering the evidence against him rather contradictory. (Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales.) Monday November 18th 1878 Issue 2974)

Enoch Gronow was the son of Thomas & Mary Gronow of Drehir Farm, Llangeinor. According to the 1871 Census Enoch is living with his parents on the farm,(described as a Blacksmith) living next door is a Thomas Buttler of Caegarw a Bailiff. (RG10/5414 Folio 117 page 8.)

"Lest we Forget"

Let us remember not only the fallen on this, the ninetieth anniversary of the Armistice, which brought the First World War to an end, but all those that entered into that conflict.
The list below is a combination of names taken from the Medal Roll, Service & Pension Records of men who served in the Army during 1914-1918.
If you can add information to those on the list, please leave a comment in the space provided.

Capt. Stephen Gronow 1872-1944

1 of 4 children, Stephen was born at Llandeloy near Solva, Pembrokeshire, the son of John & Frances (nee Nicholas) Gronow. When both his parents died young the orphaned boy was cared for by Capt. Thomas Evans of the Black Horse, Dinas Cross. Thomas was Master of the Mispah. Stephen’s brother John died whilst on his 1st voyage as 2nd mate aboard the Mispah. Stephen became Master of the following vessels: Ascania, Volodia, Saxonia, Valacia, Vardulia, he was also an officer on the Aquitania.
During WW1 he was mentioned in despatches for good services whilst employed on transport duties in the Dardanelles(Times 1st June 1916 & London Gazette 31st May 1916) He was awarded a Silver vase by Cunard Co. and Lloyd’s silver medal in connection with the loss of the “Vinovia” of which he was the Master. (Anglo-Bolivian was purchased by Cunard in 1916 and renamed Vinovia, she was sunk when on passage from New York to London on the 19th December 1917 8 miles south of Wolf Rock by U-105. Torpedoed at 3:30pm without warning and sunk by submarine, with 9 lives lost) Stephen was awarded Lloyd’s Medal for meritorious service on the 13th Feb 1918 for his extraordinary exertions with his encounter with U-105.
He also invented & patented (No.20,753) Improvements in and connected with the Storage and Lowering of Ships Boats.
Stephen married his wife Jennie Sharpe in West Derby Registry Office in 1903. And both now lie together in St.Michael’s church, Nannerch Flintshire. Wales.

On this day in 1898

At Pontypridd Police Court on Wednesday Nicholas Gronow a commercial traveller, Llanbradach Street Cardiff was charged with forging a cheque for £20 and embezzling the sums of £20 & £2 18s moneys belonging to his employers messrs Corfield Son & Co Cardiff. Evidence was given which alleged that the defendant obtained a cheque for £20 from John Williams Builder of Aberdare. Gronow was committed to the assizes on these charges bail being allowed himself in £100 and two sureties of £50.

Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales), Wednesday, November 2, 1898; Issue 9187

Nicholas it would seem stayed in the shadows, no Birth, Death or Census entry can be found for him (unless you know different?)