THE JOHN- MARGARET GROVES FAMILY of Upper Aghold

One of the many remaining mysteries, and a good exercise for "forensic genealogy" is the John and Margaret Groves family. Margaret Groves, by this time a widow, came to Canada as part of the Peter Robinson settlements in 1825, following two daughters who had previously settled in Lanark County.

An Irish professional genealogist, Mr. O'Neill, has traced the family to two side-by-side farms listed in the Tithe Allotments of 1814-1825, in Aghowle Upper,  about 5 km. by road south of the village of Coolkenna. The listing is "John Groves or Widow Groves 11 acres, 3 rod, 34 perch, and John Groves, 12 acres  2 rod.

JOHN and MARGARET's family list as:

ELIZABETH GROVES b.c. 1792 (m. Thomas James)

ABRAHAM GROVES b.c. 1794 ( died young ? as another Abraham appears below)

JANE GROVES bapt. Nov. 11 1798
(perhaps the same person as)
ANN GROVES b.c. 1798-9 (m. Daniel Hunt)

JOHN GROVES b.c. 1801 (? m. Ellen Astleford 1820)

THOMAS GROVES b.c. 1806 m. Jane Chamney bapt. 19 Feb. 1804 St. Michael's, daughter of Edward (1769-1860) and Rebecca Chamney, granddaughter of Edward Chamney b.c. 1740 and Jane Twamley b. 1744. Daughter Rebecca Groves b. 8 nov. 1842. bapt. St. George's, Ramsay Twp.

MARY GROVES b.c. 1805-07 married John Smith in Ramsay Twp. in 1825. (children William, Jane and John )

ABRAHAM GROVES b.c. 1808

JAMES GROVES (no known record)

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ANN (NANCY) GROVES married Daniel Hunt in Aghold in 1820. They moved to Kitley Twp. Con. 5 Lot 18, next to George Codd Coad) who had located there from Aghold in1832.

ELIZABETH GROVES b.c. 1792 m. Thomas James b. 1787 of Munahullen - who emigrated to Canada c. 1820 - who daughter Mary James (1815-1884) m. Richard Codd (Coad) b. 1813 of Aghold (probably grew up at Munahullen, where his parents lived. Children:

THOMAS CODD, b. January 1842, Kitley Twp., Lanark Co., Ontario, Canada; d. 10 February 1890.
 JOHN CODD, (COAD), b. 01 November 1843; d. 04 November 1925, Neepawa, Manitoba, Canada.
 ELIZABETH CODD, b. 1845; d. 1943.
 RACHEL CODD, b. 17 May 1847; d. 20 February 1931, Detroit, Wayne, MI..
 MARY E. COAD, b. 1850, Kitley Twp., Lanark Co., Ontario, Canada; d. 17 April 1879, E. Wawanosh, Huron Co., Ontario, Canada.
 JANE ANN(IE) CODD115,116, b. September 1851; d. 02 December 1891117,118.
RICHARD COAD, b. 1853, Kitley Twp., Ontario, Canada.

WILLIAM GROVES

William, who was in the next generation (son of ________ Groves, married ELIZABETH ANN JAMES, daughter of JOHN JAMES (b. 1806 Munahullen) and (later) MARY HILL. Her grandparents were WILLIAM JAMES (b. 1786 Munahullen) and ELIZABETH CHAMNEY (b. 1786 Munahullen). WILLIAM JAMES was a brother of the above-named THOMAS JAMES. ELIZABETH CHAMNEY was the daugher of John Chamney and his wife Jane _______, and a granddaughter of Edward Chamney b.c. 1740 and Jane Twamley b.c. 1744.

I'm not at all sure what this notation refers to but it does make a connection between John Groves and one George Codd. John Groves was age 20 in 1821 - while George Codd who m. Mary Blackburn, is variously said to have been born in 1783 or as late as 1794. Their first verified child was Catherine Codd b. 1811-12. The age of George Codd in 1821 was 27-38 - probably the latter.






"Lot 12 of the 3rd concession was granted...to Ruth Closson...In 1826 the whole lot was sold to John Flinn, who sold the south half of the lot that same year to Joseph Codd, and the north half of the lot to Michael Shanks for 75 pounds in 1828. Joseph Codd sold the south half of the lot to William Mara in 1837..."


CODD. Ledger. erected/by/George Codd/in memory of his belowed brother/ Edward Codd/ of Downings/who departed this life 14th. July 1849/ aged 26 years/also his aunt/ Mrs Anne Groves/ who departed this life 21st. June 1834/aged 55 years/ also his father Edward Codd who died June the 22nd 1827 aged 65 years also his son/ Edward who died January 14th. 1854 aged 3 years/ also the above George Codd/........1891 aged 62.
(Downings is 12 miles (19 km.) due north of Coolkenna) George Codd (1829-1891)



Added From Annette Code

January 11, 1794 Samuel Coe married Mary Groves

Aghold Registry book surname  Groves
 
1811 July 11 Richard baptism of Philip & Bridget
 
1798  Nov. 11 Jane of John & Margaret
 
Jan 6, 1765 baptism John of Philip and Mary Groves
 
Feb 30, 1761 Baptism of Elizabeth of Phillip and Mary Groves
________________________________

1851 Canada Census:
 
Daniel Hunt 56 R.C.  born about 1796 in Ireland
Anne  56  "               "                    "
John 21    RC                                 "
Margaret 25 RC                              "
James 11  RC      born in Canada
__________________________________________________

Register Book Aghold, looks like a handwritten copy, perhaps of a previous register ? lots of info missing as the pages are in bits.
 
1700-1812
 
1711 Married Nicholas Groves and Mary Drinkmilk. April-------
 
1712  buried Phillip of Phillip and Mary Groves April--------
 
1714 baptism Thomas of Nicholas & Mary Groves March------
 
Baptism (yr. unreadable) Abraham of Nicholas and Mary Groves, April------
 
Next date is 1720
 
1729 Buried Nicholas Groves of Cookennoe,we know as Coolkenno, could just be the writing or a misspelling in the Church Yard of Aghold September 20th.
 
Baptism 1738 Nicholas of John and Margaret Groves Jan. 30th.
 
1754 Mary of Philip and Mary Groves, Feb 11th.
........................................................................................................
Tullophelim Parish 1696-1826
Marriage of Richard Groves and Anne Dack, March, 1821 (8th?)
........................................................................................................
Fitzwilliam Estate Records, Aghold, Upper and Lower 1827:
 
Number of residents:
 
Name                  Age     Acres R.P.   Age of Wife   Males    Females
 
Groves, John        26      27-2-34        27                 5           3
 
Groves, W (?)      --        27-2-34
Coe, John           39                                               2           6              Farmer
(noted 3 of these daughters by former husband, Jn. Groves resides in cabin)
 
.............................................................................................................
 
Rentals, Fitzwilliam Estates, Aghold Upper & Lower 1831-1832
 
#18 Susan Groves part of upper Aghold, not in lease
.........................................................................................................
Abstracts of Leases:
 
Indentures:
Killibegg, Killiague(?) and Lumcloon
 
Suzanna Dowling, John Dowling & Nicholas Groves 29 Aug,. 1808 for the life of John Groves son of Nicholas age 8.

Aghold Registry book
 
1811 July 11 Richard baptism of Philip & Bridget
 
1798  Nov. 11 Jane of John & Margaret
 
Jan 6, 1765 baptism John of Philip and Mary Groves
 
Feb 30, 1761 Baptism of Elizabeth of Phillip and Mary Groves

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A Jane Groves c. 1784 who married a George Blackburn c. 1785 in Wicklow and supposedly married about 1804, and who migrated first to Ramsay Township Lanark County Ontario and then to Manitoba    Ann Burgess

Progress to Date (March 16 2008)



Possibilities which make MARGARET GROVES a "cousin" to JOSEPH CODD

1.) Margaret a daughter of one of Joseph's Codd uncles/aunts
2.) Margaret a daughter of one of Joseph's Twamley uncles/aunts
3.) Margaret a cousin of Joseph's wife - Mary (thought to be a Codd as well)
4.) Margaret a "cousin" more informally because of a Codd or a Twamley ancestor.
5.) Margaret "referred to" as a cousin because her granddaughter m. Richard Codd*

* Richard Codd, chr. 1 Oct 1812 at St. Michael's - son of Thomas Codd/Coad (1773-1852) and Lady Elizabeth Twamley (1774 or 1778 - ). Richard moved from the homestead (Lanark Twp.) on marrying MARY JAMES, daughter of Thomas James and Elizabeth Groves in 1841. Richard purchased part of Con. 4/Lot. 17 in Kitley from Wiliam Code m. Ann Wilton), and later (1853) led several others to settle East Wawanosh (near Lake Huron). Joseph Codd and his wife Mary lived nearby in Kitley Twp., as did Daniel and Ann Hunt (Con. 5 Lot 18) (Ann  is thought to be the Jane Groves b. 1798-9 -  i.e. Jane Ann or Ann Jane Groves) and, it has been conjectured, was another daughter of  John and Margaret  Groves. Ann lived with either George Codd (1783-1853) /Mary Blackburn or their son, George Coad (1818-1904) and his wife Esther Johnston,  after Daniel's death.

On leaving Upper Aghold Townland, John Groves, conveyed his land (1821) to an unidentified George Codd, who later conveyed it to W. Groves. George Codd/Coad arrived in Kitley in 1832. A William Codd, as yet unidentified, was resident in Kitley in 1824, with1 male child and 2 female children, the same time as Joseph Codd arrived.

Conjecture About George Codd m. Mary Blackburn (Brian)

While biographers of GEORGE CODD (Mary Blackburn) suggest that he was b.c. 1783, IGI suggests a date as late as 1795 and a marriage in 1811 (he would have been 16). We have a date for the birth of a first son, George Sept. 6th 1812 in the Codd records from Aghold - then, second son,  Abraham b. Aug. 10 1818, and third son,  William b. July 29 1821. Daughters were first daughter, Catherine (c. 1811) and Jane (? birth date). While it remainds unclear who George's parents were, the following are candiates:
1) William b. 1765 (son of John Codd and Mary Singleton) and Catherine ________ married 1794, daughter Mary 1795 and no other recorded children. (George's daughter Catherine married William Singleton). Mary Codd of this marriage could have been the wife of Joseph Codd.
2.) George Codd b. 1767, son of George (James-Ann) and Rachel (John-Mary) Codd
3.) Abraham Codd b. 1770 (family unkonwn)


Candidates for Wm. Codd with 3 children in 1824 :
William Codd of Aghold who m. Catherine________ in 1794 - Child Mary in 1795
William Codd of Carnew b.1796 m. Mary Watchhorn 1821 (still in Carnew after 1824)
Wiliam Codd of Aghold m. to Bridget _________ son. Joseph 1824.
William Codd m. Martha Lammas in 1809 (location unknown).

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David Murdock, a desendant of JOHN and MARGARET GROVES has sent me along a 94 page pdf file which follows the GROVES family to the present day. It's marvelous - and it concludes that MARGARET GROVES was indeed MARGARET CODD. What evidence he has will be exciting to learn. In addition to a complete listing of JOHN and MARGARET's family, David has included a remarable biography of JOHN and MARGARET's grandson, Dr. Abraham Groves, son of Abraham, who we have listed above as being born  in Aghold in 1808.  I am including  David's Family Tree HERE and the article which has been printed separately HERE. Dr. Groves performed the first appendectomy in North America and perhaps the first hysterectomy. Enjoy the read.


Thus UNDER CONSTRUCTION page is only one unfinished page of a much larger web site. To peruse the entire web site CLICK HERE.

To contact the author, Brian Bailey,  CLICK HERE.