We know that there were several families of Grummitts living in the village of Clophill, Bedfordshire, all of them descended from James, who was born in Houghton Conquest, a nearby village, in 1798. This James, with his wife Ann, spent most of their lives living in Jakes/Jacques Lane, Clophill. James was an agricultural labourer.

However, for a short period round about the year 1840, the family seemed to have moved to the St. James area of central London. Two of their children were born there. Because the birth of neither of these children was registered, we've not been able to find the family on the 1841 census - this would have been helpful because we could have found out what James was doing for work there. He was hardly likely to have been an agricultural labourer in central London!

One of their children, Elizabeth, was born in 1829. By 1851, she was a pauper and a cripple. She was living with her parents at that time. We don't know how long she had had this disability, and we don't know what happened to her. Ten years later, she was no longer living with her parents. There are no records in the Clophill parish register that she either was married or buried there.

Another of their daughters, Ann, born in 1826, who married William Bottoms, lived in the house next door to them for most of her married life. One of Ann's children, Abel, born in 1855 in Clophill, moved to Pennsylvania, United States. He has descendants living there today.

Many more of James and Ann Grummitt's children and grandchildren also lived in Clophill.

James Grummitt carried on working until his 80s. When they were both in their early 70s, Ann had had to give up work because of infirmity. Their 19-year-old granddaughter, Mary Ann Grummitt, lived with them. She nursed her grandmother and the 1871 census says "she waits on them".

Anne Grummitt died in 1881 and was buried in the graveyard of Clophill Parish Church. James died in 1883 of senile decay.

We have been in touch with descendants of James and Ann Grummitt, both in the UK and in Australia and New Zealand. These people are Louise's third and fourth cousins.

One family in South Australia are descended from James and Ann Grummitt's daughter Sarah, who was born in 1821 in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. Sarah married William King, a labourer and they lived in Marylebone, London. They had five children (George, William, James, Sophia - born 1859, and Sarah - born 1861). Sarah, the mother, died in 1861 while giving birth to the youngest child. She was only 40. The two youngest children, Sophia and baby Sarah, were packed off to live with their grandparents, James and Ann Grummitt, in Clophill. Ann was known as their Grandma Grummitt. In later life, Sophia was able to clearly recall to her Australian family about life in Clophill. She remembers working on the farm in Clophill, picking strawberries, which was back-breaking work even for a child.

(Clophill was well known for its market gardens. In later times, the fruit and veg was boxed up and taken to London by lorry. Perhaps these market gardens are where the men of the family worked - they were always described as agricultural labourers.)

As soon as she was able, she emigrated to South Australia with her intended husband. They arrived in Port Adelaide, South Australia in 1876, and married three years later. Shortly after, they sponsored her sister Sarah, and she came to Australia as well.

Two of James and Ann Grummitt's grandchildren also went out to Australia in the late 19th century. See the page for James Grummitt, born 1820, for details.

Another of James and Ann's daughters, Susan, b.1842, married Jesse Peacock in Clophill, and they moved to Warrington in Lancashire (Cheshire as it is now) with their large family. I have been in touch with a descendant of this family, who lives in New Zealand, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and we also know of another large family group in Canada.