Thomas Grover, of Malden

Thomas was our emigrant ancestor of this Grover name, coming "from England 1637-38, and of Charlestown, Mass., 1639-40". (1)

Early records of New England show the above Thomas Grover as being "of Charlestown, Mass., 1638-39, and of Malden, Mass., 1640. "He may possibly have accompanied Governor Winthrop's Colony from England in 1630", as stated in "National Cycloped of American Biography", Vol. 8, P-5, But no direct proof or evidence of such has yet been found, nor any record showing exactly when and how he came to New England. He was, quite evidently, in the Boston-Charlestown area in 1637-1638, before settling at Charlestown and Malden.

"Boston (Mass.) Registry Dept. Records", Vol 3, pp-27 and 101) of early land holdings in Boston and Charlestown, show Thomas was a resident of Charlestown as early as 1638-39, and a property-owner in 1640; he either settled on the Mystic (north) side of the Charles River, at Charlestown, or very early removed thereto, for such mention as is made and found consistently calls him "of Charlestown and Malden". (The Northeast part of his large Charlestown area soon became Malden township, covering a considerable area). Records of early Charlestown show Thomas Grover's home was located where the present streets of Bow, Main, and Prescott adjoin, in the "old" Charlestown section (near the Navy Yard). His wife, Elizabeth, was a member of the Church in Charlestown, though there is evidently no record of his church membership (quite evidently the same church, however, as everyone was then compelled by law to attend church services at least each Sabbath day). He was a "planter", or farmer, in this large Charlestown-Malden area.

He died October 28, 1661, at Malden, and after 14 years as a widow, his wife Elizabeth re-married - April 7, 1675, to Philip Atwood, a "planter" and Constable of Malden.

At Thomas' death, his widow Elizabeth, and eldest son, Lazarus, were appointed joint administrators of the father's estate; later in April of 1675, when Elizabeth remarried, Lazarus was made the sole administrator, and also "guardian of his minor brothers", to assure their receiving their full and just shares of the father's estate, which had not yet been settled in that fourteen year period - evidently due to there being several minor children involved.

Sources 

1. "Births, Marriages and Deaths in Malden", in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society), Vol 10 p163. "Thomas Grover 28: 08: [16]61"
2. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society), Vol 131, p123. From table of English emigrants in, I think, Charlestown, MA. "Grover, Thomas, 1615-61, m. by 1642 Eliz. Literacy: no, M. will 9989. English Origin: Chesham, Bucks. Church member: wife: 1644 Residences: Chas. 1639, Mystic-side"
3. Descendants of Thomas Grover PDF document 

Links

• http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/r/a/Rebecca-A-Bratcher...
• http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Thomas_Grover_(8)_

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Malden, a hilly woodland area north of the Mystic River, was settled by Puritans in 1640 on land purchased in 1629 from the Pennacook tribe. The area was originally called the "Mistick Side"[3] and was a part of Charlestown. It was incorporated as a separate town in 1649.[4] The name Malden was selected by Joseph Hills, an early settler and landholder, and was named after Maldon, England.[5] The city originally included what are now the adjacent cities of Melrose (until 1850) and Everett (until 1870),which was incorporated as a city in 1882.

Note: Thomas Grover and Elizabeth smith were both from England and married in Malden in 1640, the year it was founded.

Information on descendants of Thomas Grover can be found at 4grovers.com

[http://www.4grovers.com]

[http://www.4grovers.com/genealogy/Grover.pdf]

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GEDCOM Source

@R3608768@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=160574282&pi...

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Notes for THOMAS GROVER: Early records of New England show the above Thomas Grover as being "of Charlestown, Mass., 1638-39, and of Malden, Mass., 1640. "He may possibly have accompanied Governor Winthrop's Colony from England in 1630", as stated in "National Cycloped of American Biography", Vol. 8, P-5, But no direct proof or evidence of such has yet been found, nor any record showing exactly when and how he came to New England. He was, quite evidently, in the Boston-Charlestown area in 1637-1638, before settling at Charlestown and Malden. "Boston (Mass.) Registry Dept. Records", Vol 3, pp-27 and 101) of early land holdings in Boston and Charlestown, show Thomas was a resident of Charlestown as early as 1638-39, and a property-owner in 1640; he either settled on the Mystic (north) side of the Charles River, at Charlestown, or very early removed thereto, for such mention as is made and found consistently calls him "of Charlestown and Malden". (The Northeast part of his large Charlestown area soon became Malden township, covering a considerable area). Records of early Charlestown show Thomas Grover's home was located where the present streets of Bow, Main, and Prescott adjoin, in the "old" Charlestown section (near the Navy Yard). His wife, Elizabeth, was a member of the Church in Charlestown, though there is evidently no record of his church membership (quite evidently the same church, however, as everyone was then compelled by law to attend church services at least each Sabbath day). He was a "planter", or farmer, in this large Charlestown-Malden area. He died October 28, 1661, at Malden, and after 14 years as a widow, his wife Elizabeth re-married - April 7, 1675, to Philip Atwood, a "planter" and Constable of Malden. At Thomas' death, his widow Elizabeth, and eldest son, Lazarus, were appointed joint administrators of the father's estate; later in April of 1675, when Elizabeth remarried, Lazarus was made the sole administrator, and also "guardian of his minor brothers", to assure their receiving their full and just shares of the father's estate, which had not yet been settled in that fourteen year period - evidently due to there being several minor children involved. Thomas Grover, Sr., named several of his children in his will: Lazarus, Thomas, Andrew, Elizabeth, and John, but did not name Simon, Mathew, or Stephen; these latter are, however, believed to be the children of Thomas Grover and wife Elizabeth, as noted below, together with the repetition of given names found in his own father's and grandfather's family in England. Also, evidently, to Thomas being the only possible (known) father of these three young boys, according to their apparent ages (from approximated birth dates, as judged from marriage and death records. Upon Thomas' death, the inventory of his estate showed a dwelling house and 45 acres of land then valued at about 157 pounds, after all debts were paid. This was (apparently) broken up or divided into shares of about 5 acres for each child (except Lazarus, who as eldest on received a double portion, as was common practice). Elizabeth, the widow, received the dwelling house with all furnishings and household goods, and each child evidently received a single portion - about 5 acres - of the lands. Grace had died in 1658, before her father's demise. Andrew, Elizabeth, and John died in 1674, and the inventories of their estates each showed a 5 acre parcel of property - evidently from their father's estate. Thus it appears that the father's estate was divided into nine shares and distributed to each child, except Lazarus, who received his double portion. Mathew was not named in Thomas' will, but research has turned up a deed, or bill-of-sale, in early probate records of Middlesex County, Mass., showing that Mathew Grover, of Charlestown and Malden, sold a small piece of land in late May 1675, and this deed bears the signature of Mathew, and also the signature (by mark) of Lazarus Grover, though Lazarus is not mentioned within the document himself. We know, from court and town records, that when Thomas, the father, died October 28, 1661, that Lazarus and his mother were then made joint administrators of the father's estate, and that fourteen years later the widow Elizabeth remarried - April 7, 1675 - to Philip Atwood of Malden. The courts then appointed Lazarus as sold administrator of the father's estate, which had not been fully settled in that long period of time (evidently due to minor children being involved). And, Lazarus was then made the "guardian of his minor brothers" to assure their receiving their full shares of the father's estate when their mother married again. The above document (bill of sale) is the only such record found of Mathew's signature, and the only bit of proof of his family connections. From all available evidence it appears that Mathew was still a minor - still under full legal age, at the date of the above sale of this small piece of property, and found it necessary to also have Lazarus approve the transaction, and sign the document with him, to make it fully legal, though the deed does not plainly show this; Lazarus evidently signed it as administrator of his father's estate, and also as guardian of his minor brother, and it thus appears that Mathew was one of the "minor brothers" of Lazarus, and thus a son of Thomas Grover and Elizabeth of Boston-Charlestown-Malden. The description of the property bounds shows that this piece of property adjoined other lands of "Thomas Grover, deceased", and thus indicates it may possibly have come to Mathew directly from his father, or from the father's estate, or possibly from the estates of the two brothers (John and Andrew), and/or sister Elizabeth, who had died just the preceding year (early 1674).