The story of emigration from the Wychwoods in the later 19th Century was recently brought to life with a visitor from New Zealand. We were contacted via the website by Shiree Sahayam from Tauranga, New Zealand, who is a descendant of the Groves family of the Wychwoods.
Shiree told us she was planning a visit to the UK and hoped to visit Milton-under-Wychwood to see the birthplace of her ancestors. I was pleased to host Shiree and her husband, Mike, in Milton and arranged to meet – very fittingly – at Groves Yard.
A Family Connection Across 150 Years
Shiree is the great-great-granddaughter of Alfred Groves who had emigrated to New Zealand with his wife, Leah Cox and five of their children on the SS Ballochmyle in 1874. This is a different Alfred Groves to the one who gives his name to the Groves’ business in Milton.
I was able to show Shiree some historic Groves related photographs in the WLHS archives and other Groves related material, including a copy of the marriage certificate of Alfred Groves and Leah Cox, who married in 1852. We puzzled over the connection between her line of the family and that of the Alfred Groves who gives his name to the Groves business. I think we established that they were cousins, but more research is needed to confirm this!
Meeting Today’s Groves Descendants
We met with Puk Parsons the current managing director of Groves, who is married to Sam Parsons, another Groves descendant. Puk gave a warm welcome to her distant relative — a particularly rewarding moment for us all.
Walking Through the Village of Her Ancestor
We then did a tour through the village up to the far most cottage on the High Street which was once the home of her ancestor, taking in the Baptist chapel and graveyard and some other Groves related sights on the way.
I pointed out features of the village that would have been familiar to her great‑great‑grandfather in the mid‑nineteenth century. This was a time when Milton was still very much a working agricultural community of farms, barns, workers’ cottages and trades such as blacksmiths.
Shiree was moved to see her ancestor’s cottage, noting especially its small size. It was once occupied by two families, William and Ann Groves with their six children and William and Catherine Groves and their seven children. William , married to Ann, being the father of the Alfred Groves who emigrated to New Zealand
A Memorable Visit
From Milton Shiree and her husband were travelling on to Liverpool to attend the Liverpool v Crystal Palace match on Saturday 25th April (a 60th birthday celebration for Mike), also intending to “do” the Beatles experience they said!
It was a genuine pleasure to meet a charming Groves descendant; I think she will be taking home some positive memories of her ancestor’s homeland to share with her relatives.
John Bennett
