John Groom was the son of Thomas Groom and Lydia Goforth of Southampton, Bucks County.  Born about 1755, John came of age around 1775. Thomas and Lydia lost their 112 acres and mill in a sheriff’s sale in 1788, due to many debts. Their son Thomas, John’s brother, bought 50 acres of the 112-acre tract and settled there. John was taxed in Southampton in 1778 as a single man, probably living with his brother Thomas.1 Is he the John Groom who served in the militia, First Battalion, 6^th Company in Southampton Township in 1775, under the command of John Folwell?2 He was still in Southampton in 1781, taxed for no land, but two horses and two cows, still probably living with his brother. He served as constable and in 1782 was indicted for failing to execute a writ properly.

By 1784 John owned 30 acres and a house. He had married about four years earlier, to his cousin Phebe Cooper, daughter of Thomas Cooper and Phebe Groom. Phebe was a member of Buckingham Monthly Meeting along with her parents.3 But John was not a Quaker; his grandfather William had been disowned in 1716, probably for marrying out of unity. In 2^nd month 1780 the women’s meeting of Buckingham sent a committee to meet with her, and in 6^th month she came to the meeting with a paper of acknowledgment. This was not accepted, and in 8^th month they drew up a testimony against her.4

By 1800 John and Phebe had moved to Upper Makefield with their five children. Phebe died before 1803, when her father wrote his will and described her as deceased.5 John died in May 1810, when the inventory of his estate was taken.6 He owned the usual household goods and tools, but no luxuries such as a teapot or multiple feather beds. His estate was valued at about $244. Coupled with the two small pieces of land that he owned, four acres in Southampton, and five acres in Upper Makefield, John was a man of few means, and his estate was not sufficient to pay his debts. His administrator Edmund Smith had to sell the land to support the children who were underage, and in the end most of the creditors had to be content with repayment of half what they were owed.7 Two of the children were still under 21 and unmarried at this time; they were probably taken in by their three older siblings.8

Children of John and Phebe:9

Thomas, b. ab. 1781, married before 1808. Lived in Upper Makefield.10 His wife’s name is not known. Had a son Jonathan who married Rebecca Pidcock. (Davis, History of Bucks County, vol. 3,  biography of Ezekiel A. Groom)

Phebe, b. ab. 1783, m. ab. 1803 John Hagerman, son of Adrian Hagerman and Mary Dyer; children: Mary, Letitia.11 The daughter Mary married Thomas Atkinson, moved to Auglaize County, Ohio, and had sons named Evan Groom Atkinson and Amos Bennett Atkinson.

Mary, b. ab. 1790, d. 1851, m. 1810 Amos Bennett, moved to Auglaize County, Ohio, where Amos died in 1856 and Mary died in 1851.12 Probable children: Sarah, Henry, John, George.13

John. b. after 1790, alive in 1810, no further information.

Evan, b. ab. 1795, d. 1872, m. ab. 1818 Rachel Randall, daughter of George Randall and Rachel Ridge. Evan lived in Southampton, where he was a successful farmer and stone mason.14 He served in the militia and was sometimes called Captain Groom. He represented Bucks County in the State Representative Assembly in 1853 as a Democrat. He died in 1872 and left a will; Rachel died a year before him. Children: Lydia Ann, Warren, Owen, Emaline, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Evan Jerome, Franklin, Ellen.

? Elizabeth, b. 1799, married James Worthington as his second wife.15 They lived in Southampton and were there as late as 1850. In the 1850 census they lived next to Warren Groom (son of Evan Groom). Known children: John, Warren. The son John named his oldest son Evan. In 1860 Evan Worthington, age 10, was an apprentice for Evan Groom, living in Evan’s household.16 There are no records of Elizabeth as a daughter of John and Phebe, but her close association with Evan Groom suggests a relationship. Perhaps she was an adopted daughter, or illegitimate.