Groves, John

Submitted by edpope on

John Groves of Crown Court, Russel Street, Covent Garden gent was a witness at the trial of Thomas Hardy for treason in November 1794. He said he had been a conveyancer for 22 years and that he first attended the LCS in order to spy on it on 20.1.1794. His first preserved letter as a spy was dated 13.2.1794; in it he said he had introduced himself to Daniel Jones, whitesmith, who was Clerk to a presbyterian meeting in Crown Court and a member of the LCS, in order to be invited to Div 2. Groves had voted from Crown Court 1788 Townshend and 1790 Fox and stood bail for one Richard Jackson prosecuted by one Hayne for an assault in 1789. He was insured with Sun Fire at 21 Crown Court in 1789 and witnessed signatures at Middlesex Sessions with his Crown Court address up till 1.9.1798, and in 1799 and 1800 a John Groves Esq was one of the magistrates of the Middlesex sessions. In September 1799 a John Grove of Villiers Street Strand swore at Middlesex Sessions that he had served a notice on a prosecutor, and John Grove attorney of Villiers Street voted 1806 Sheridan and Paull. The Morning Post of 21.9.1814 advertised the furniture of John Grove Esq of 49, South West corner of Lincolns Inn Fields, retiring to Scotland. As for his earlier career, a John Groves appeared in Law Lists as tipstaff of the Lord Chancellor's Office from 1778 to 1789, a John Grove was articled 31.12.1784 to Anthony Grove late of Spring Gardens, St Martin in the Fields, and the articles of David Grove to Anthony Grove on 3.5.1785 were witnessed by John Grove of Villiers Street. The Oxford Journal of 23.6.1798 announced the death of Mr Anthony Grove attorney at law of Villiers Street, Strand.

He was probably not the John Groves of Stafford Row Pimlico whose will proved PCC 19.7.1805 mentioned his leasehold house in Sloane Street occupied by Sir Richard Ford, as well as his wife Susanna, dau Elizabeth, sons John Thomas, George and Percy, and Mary Ann dau of his son Frederick. This John Groves was buried in a family vault at Whitefield's Chapel on 8.7.1805 aged 64 years, and had voted in 1802 for Gardner from Stafford Row. He was more likely the John Groves bricklayer of Smith Street Westminster who voted Hood in 1790 and was insured by Sun Fire at 125 Sloane Street in 1790, the same address where Richard Ford was insured in 1800.