Family stories

We all have family stories to tell, don't we? My family is all imported from Europe, so I'm a mix of second and third generation American.  There have been several generations of Americans living in this house.  Most recently, a few years before I bought her, families of immigrant workers from Mexico survived HU's then leaking roof, lack of plumbing, and no heat here I've been told.  I've been searching local libraries, courthouses, and memories of town inhabitants to collect tales of this house and have learned some really amazing things about folks who claimed HU as their own at some point.

Here's some history of the family said to have built at least the main structure of the house, the Groome family.  Charles Groome is the name associated with the man who built the house, but as you will soon see, first names repeated themselves thoroughly in colonial times.  Part of the mystery here was: which Charles Groome was it really?

The following information was found in:  Adolphus, George and Hanson, MA. (1876). Old Kent: The Eastern Shore of Maryland: notes illustrative of the most ancient record of Kent County maryland and of the parishes of St Pauls, Shrewsbury and IU genealogoical histories of old and distinguished families of Maryland and their connections by marriage, Ac. an Introduction. pages 180-184, John P DesForges.

"Charles Groome, son of Samuel Groome, a church warden of St Paul's Parish in the year 1726 married twice.  By his first wife he had eight children of whome the following survived him, viz, James (who married Sarah Perkins, daughter of Col Isaac Perkins and had child, viz. Isaac, Charles, and James  Groome), John Groom (in 1799 married Elizabeth Black Wallace), Daniel Groome, Charles Groome, and Sarah Groome, who died in 1798.  By his second wife, Sarh Kennard, he also had eight children, viz, Mileah, born 2nd Sep 1773, died 2nd Sep 1792; Ann born 23rd Jul 1775; Samuel born 7th May 1777; Henrietta born 23 Mar 1779 ((who later married Wiliam Pearce)), Elizabeth born 10th Apr 1781; Mary born 2nd Mar 1785; Wiliam Hynson Groome born 12 Jun 1778, and Joseph Groome, born 3rd Oct 1791.  Charles Groome died of smallpox 20 Mar 1791 that year being memorable in Kent for the general inocculation of the inhabitant to prevent the ravages if that loathsome disease.  He was the Register of the Chester Parish, Kent from 4th Feb 1766 until his death."

(His son) "Dr John Groome married Elizabeth Black Wallace in 1799.  He had son Dr Samuel William Groome and son General John Charles Groome."

(His grandson) "General John Charles Groome married 6 Dec 1836 Elizabeth Riddle Black, daughter of Judge James Rice and Maria E. Stoes Black.  He died in Elkton 30 Nov 1846, and had child vis James Black Groome, Maria Stokes Groome (who later married Honorable William M Knight Maryland senator), Elizabeth Black Groome (married Honorable Albert Constable), and Jane Sarah Groome."

(His great grandson) "Governor James Black Groome, son of General John Charles and Elizabeth Black Groome, was Governor of Maryland in 1874 and 1875."

Based on other information you will read here eventually, it's probably the first Charles Groome listed here who actually lived at HU. 

Kate