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."