How do you choose to fill your life? What things surround you, what colors, objects, or environments have you created for yourself? Who is woven into the fabric of your life? These wallpaper fragments captured from the walls of HU reveal something of the tastes of the decorator and the times. But not the whole story, as there were many who lived and died there, and many more we'll never know of.
Here you'll read about Charles Groome's penchant for many things, some mundane, some surprising. Charles lived at least part of his life at HU. Charles' father, the man who built at least part of HU, was said to be a founding vestryman at the local IU Church. The original IU church structure is no longer standing, but an old church that replaced the original one is there instead. Apparently, Kate Hepburn's grandfather used to worship at IU church, and she spent many a summer in this area. The original churchyard down the road about a mile from HU. I tried to find Charles Groome in the church early documents, and came up empty. Other records indicate Charles Groome was a Register of the Chester Parish, Kent from 4th Feb 1766 until his death.
Previously, historians locally have thought his father constructed the entire house, but no one had actually researched the history when that conclusion was reached. After many hours of painful searching, I found other evidence that when Groome purchased the property there were buildings referred to already standing at HU, mentioned in the document of the transaction (JS 29-185, Kent County; JS 29-354- pg 354). He purchased the land and buildings for "three hundred and forty one pounds current money of Maryland" from Thomas Perkins in 1761. Perhaps, the kitchen wing was there at the time Groome added the main wing. Still a mystery as to who constructed the kitchen wing. The brick pattern of the walls constructed on the kitchen wing dates somewhat earlier than the pattern of the walls on the main wing.
"1824 Charles Groome Inventory Recorded PC Hall Regr
Inventory of the Personal Estate of Charles Groome late of Kent County, deceased; appraised in dooars and cents by us the subscribers (being thereto lawfully authorized and sworn) this thirty first day of July anno domini eighteen hundred and twenty four.
Wearing appaerel 10.00
shaving apparatus .25
Watch & spectacles 3.00
Store goods 25.00
Lot carpenters tool 7.00
Silver spoons 10.00
Cupboard furniture &
crockery wares 4.00
Bed No 1 67 lbs @ 20cents 13.40
Bed No 2 64 lbs @20cents 12.80
Ditto No 3 84 lbs @ 20 cents 16.80
3 pr sheets 6.00
6 table clothes 5.00
5 pillow cases 1.25
5 coverlids 15.00
6 p blankets 10.00
4 bedsteads 4.00
10 chairs 5.00
1 walnut table 4.50
1 ditto 1.25
1 pine writing desk 1.50
1 ditto cupboard 2.00
2 p And Irons .75
1 Bible 2.00
1 large Books 1.50
2 Looking Glasses 1.50
Large flax unxxx .50
64 lbs unwashed wool 12 7.20
33 lbs washed wool 4.95
Bbl flour 2.50
24 bags 6.00
Pine chest .50
2 Spinning wheels 2.00
2 Peels 1.00
1 Hackle 1.00
Large saal Leather 1.25
Large trunk .50
12 Empty boxes 1.34
11 Empty bx .75
1 old blanket .50
Violin 5.00
1 Bbl & 5 Gallons Mollyxxx 1.50
1 Bbl with 15 GGallons whiskey 4.00
44 Whisky bbls 10.00
5 Iron Potts 10.00
1 Kettle and Spiner and frying pan 1.50
Old Dutch oven .50
3p pot racks and 3 p hooks 2.00
2 old kitchen tables .25
lot Pewter 5.00
lot Tin ware 2.00
flesh fork and ladle .25
1 p sad Irons .50
lot wood ware 1.50
Seale and Weights .50
Corn Bbl .50
Flaxseed sive .50
6 bbl beens 1.50
3 Drop Cut sawz 2.00
wheat fan 16.00
lot Flax 33 lbs @ 25 cents 8.25
Corn cradle 3.00
ditto do .25
lot Corn Blades supposed to be 40 bbls 20.00
Old Flax Basket 5.00
Waggon Gears 30.00
Old Horse Cart 8.00
Old Waggon bed .50
Old Horse Cart 10.00
Ditto do do and gears 12.00
Old Ox Cart 15.00
1 pr old wheels 1.50
Hay Spread & 2 piece 1.00
1 Scythe & 3 cradle 2.50
lot Ploegh 2 Gears 3.50
Old Cutting Box .25
2 p Chair traes 1.50
6 Swing trees 1.00
lot Old frames .25
3 Old Spade & 2 Old Shovels 2.00
4 Dung forks 1.50
4 old weeding xxx& 3 rakes .50
1 p wedges .25
4 old Scythes .25
2 wood axes 1.00
4 old ditto .12 1/2
1 old work bench .6 1/2
lot stone and earthnware 1.00
9 Bee hives 9.00
Grind stone .50
Blacksmith tools 2.00
lot Old Irons 2.50
5 old ploughs .75
8 ditto do 12.00
2 old Harrows 3.00
1 Roller .25
1 New Saddle 8.00
1 Old Saddle 4.00
1 ditto do 2.00
Race do 2.00
4 Riding bridles 3.00
Duck Gun 10.00
Bixx Ditto 6.00
Gig & Harness 200.00
1/2 dozen knives and forks .75
1/2 steel yards 1.00
2 Soap tubs .50
5 Meat xxxx 2.50
1 tub 10 lbs Lard @ 9 6.30
2 p Neco traces 1.00
Lot Beacon xxxxx 134.37 1/2
Small ox chain .50
Renard Horse 125.00
Sorrel Fox 75.00
Moreau 100.00
Italian 20.00
Pallifax Grey Mare 50.00
Large Grey Horse 65.00
Blond Horse 8.00
Blaze face Sorrel Mare 35.00
Nowland Mare 40.00
Rutter Mare 50.00
Rutter Horse 40.00
Grey Horse 40.00
Young Pallifax grey Mare 40.00
8 bushels of barley 2.40
Pompxxx 35.00
Young Moreau 35.00
Pallifax Iron Grey Mare 30.00
Ridglin Grey 40.00
Yoke oxen 35.00
1 Bull 12.00
Rose brown Cow 8.00
Red Cow 8.00
Bindle 8.00
Red buffalo 12.00
Buffalo with white back 10.00
Red ditto do flank 12.00
Nell buffalo 12.00
Bloxx 10.00
Brindle buffalo 10.00
Saake 5.00
11 bushel of oats 1.65
Red buffalo 9.00
8 suckling calves 12.00
34 hogs @ 5 170.00
12 small pigs 4.00
600 bushell corn supposed 150.00
13 old sheep 19.00
9 lambs 10.25
Corn growing 325.00
wheat in the stack supposed to be
700 bushels 560.00
Potatoes growing 10.00
Stack clover hay 5.00
Negroe Joe 52 yrs old 25.00
Jim boy 18 months to serve 35.00
Isaac 12 yrs to serve 150.00
Jim 16yrs to serve from last June 150.00
(the following four entries were lined through on the original document:
Spencer, 18 yrs left to serve from
the 1st of May last 150.00
Ann 16 yrs to serve from next October 75.00
Mary 23 ditto do 65.00
Perry 29 ditto do 10.00)
Tina 60 yrs old 1.00
Bill for life 250.00
Spencer 18 yrs to serve from the
5th of May last 150.00
Ann 20 years to serve from next octover 75.00
Mary 23 years to serve from May last 65.00
Perry 29 years to serve fromlast May 10.00
(totalled approximately $3,935.24)
We the subscribers do certify that the forgoing is a true and just inventory and valuation of the goods chattels and personal estate of Charles Groome, late of Ket County, deceased, as far as they have come to our sight, and knowledge. Witness our hands and seals ammounting to thirty nine hundred and thirty five dollars and twenty four cents. William Welch and Samuel Kerr.
Maryland Kent County: To With On this 24 day of August 1824 there came John Groome Extr of Charles Groome late of Kent County MD and made oath on the holy evangels of Almighty God that the within and aforegoing is a just and true Inventory and of the Personal Estate of the deceased you as heir come to this light and knowledge should there be in future any more he will return in an additional Inventory. JC Hall of Reg of Wills"
So now you know some of the rest of the story.
Oxen? Bee hives? And most sadly, slaves, who were everpresent at that time in this county and in this country.
Enjoy the warming trends and hopefully we'll be back to work next week once we can navigate the driveway....still too snow bound for the subs to get easily in and out of the drive.
Kate
