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Yorkshire Chess History |
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William Groux |
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Non-Chess Life
William Groux was born in 1847/48, in Switzerland. The 1891 census pinned down his birthplace more precisely as Morges, on the north side of Lac Léman, more familiar to many as Lake Geneva.
He came to England, and he himself recorded in the 1911 census that he became a naturalised British citizen in 1871.
He seems not to appear in the UK census until 1871, when he was recorded as a 23-year-old Swiss-born stuff merchant lodging at 73 Little Horton Lane, Bradford. As early as this he was stated to be a naturalised British subject.
In 1876, in Bradford, William Groux married Peterina Macdonald (born 1854/55, Glasgow). Peterina was more often than not known as Ina (presumably pronounced “eena”). The couple had two children:
The 1881 census found William, “Ina” and Ruth living with one servant at 24 Mannville Terrace, Bradford. William was a foreign correspondent in a yarn house, which presumably meant he translated business letters into foreign languages.
Within ten years the family had moved to Shipley.
The 1891 census found William, Peterina (explicitly given her full forename), Ruth, 1-month-old Marie, and three servants, living at 1 Ashfields, off the Bradford to Keighley Road, Shipley, near Bradford. William had now progressed to being a yarn merchant in his own right.
An 1895 poll book gave his address as 1 Ashfield, Bradford Road, Shipley.
The 1901 census found the Groux family had moved to Oxford, and the family of four was living at 26 Bardwell Road, in the St. Giles area of Oxford. William was now described as a retired yarn merchant.
The 1901 census found the Groux family had moved west of the centre of Oxford, to Botley, the address being given by William on the census form as Chawley, Botley, Oxford. (“Chawley” here is not the name of a house, but is an area to the SE of Botley, reached by going down Cumnor Hill. 63-year-old William was described as living on his own means. Marie was a student. They had one servant.
William moved home again, as his home address at the time of death was given in probate records as 26 Bardswell [sic, means Bardwell] Road, Oxford.
Death
William Groux died, aged 69, on 02/04/1917, at 6 Claire Terrace, Linden Road, Bognor, Sussex. His home address was still as above, so perhaps he’d been ill and had gone to the south coast to recuperate - without success. Probate was granted to Peterina Groux (name explicitly given thus), widow, and Otto Wolf, merchant. He left £196 13s 3d.
Chess
He played in the 1882 Leeds v Bradford match.
He played in the 1882 DY Mills Bradford blindfold simultaneous display.
He played in the 1883 Yorkshire v Lancashire match.
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Created 18/04/2014 |
Copyright © 2014 Stephen John Mann Census information is copyright of The National Archive, see UK Census Information |
Last Updated 18/04/2014 |