This family tree is the work of dozens of people from around the world.
Each has generously contributed the information they have gathered over
many years, often at great expense in terms of time and energy, and, of
course, money.
Whilst there may be some errors, and/or inaccuracies, the work we have
done provides you and others who are researching the many families
mentioned with a sound background from which to work.
Some of the people who have provided resources are Mary Beth Turack
from Texas, United States; Desmond Laverty, England, Moira Walker, from
New Zealand,, Irene J Groves from California, United States;
Margaret Moore from Belfast, Ireland and Linzi Meryl, originally from
South Africa but now from Canberra, Australia. That is only on the
Groves side.
On the Crofton side, there is Royston de Lord Crofton McCracken from
England, George McLean from Canberra, Australia; Bob Rogers, from
California, United States; JJ Heath Caldwell, from Sheffield, England.
There are many other families mentioned. However the ones mentioned
above are ones, that I have had a personal interest in. Crofton was my
mother's maiden name and Groves was my maiden name. There is still a
great deal of work to be done.
The reason, I started to take, a real interest in my family tree, was
twofold. One, I love stories and secondly, I was puzzled by my only
child's looks.
My grandfather, James Groves, came from Monaghan, Ireland. He was born
in 1879 and was married twice, once to an unknown named person and then
to my grandmother, Maria Aletta McComb in 1920. My grandmother came
from the Cradock area. I have both his birth certificate and the
wedding certificate relating to his marriage to my grandmother.
My great grandmother was Maria Petronella Martin (1864-1953) and her
mother was Maria Petronella van Heerden, who married George Andreas
Martin (1829-1906). George was the son of Georg Andreas Martin (born
1790) and Gerbrecht Levina Olivier. They all came from the Cradock area
of South Africa. Georg Andreas Martin was a missionary who came from
Ko(e)nigburg in the old Germany. They lived on a farm called Ryerspoort
in the Cradock district. He could also have been a minister of the
church. Olive Schreiner who wrote (Life on an) African Farm was
nursemaid to his children.
Just a bit of background. I am a South African Groves, living in
Canberra, Australia. I never knew my James Groves, grandfather. He died
before I was born. My grandmother, his wife, the most beloved of all my
grandparents, not only because she was the only grandparent I ever knew
but because she was so wonderfully strong and kind, and nursed until
she was nearly 80. It was only when she got hives that she had to admit
that she was getting old and went into a home.
I was a late aged mother and one night when I was talking to my mother,
who still lives in South Africa on the phone, I mentioned that I didn't
know where our only son got his colouring from. His father and I are
brown haired and I have brown eyes and Laurie blue and yet Nick is
green eyed with strawberry blonde hair. My mother immediately responded
that he had James Groves colouring. I said "oh so it is the Scottish
colouring", to which my mother responded "he was Irish". Wow, what an
eye-opener. From that day to this I have been trying to find James
Groves' family. Last year when Margaret contacted me I was so pleased
to break down this brick wall that had existed for over 50 years and at
least 6 or 7 years of searching. Now we find that Nick, who
didn't get on all that well at school - he is now 16 1/2 - had suddenly
found something he loved doing. Metal work, just like my father and his
father and yet had never known either of them."