119214: John King Groom

John King (1823-1892) was a son of John Turner Groom and Lydia King. He was the eldest of eleven children and was born at home in Claydon (and was baptised in Harwich). The family moved to Harwich in 1828, where John Turner Groom was engaged in cod fishing as far away as the Faroe Islands and in the lobster trade in Stavanger.

John King joined the customs service in 1845. His first post was at Mistley on the River Stour, where he was promoted to the rank of Superintendent. Between 1849 and 1851 he acted as Superintendent at Fleetwood, Lancashire.

In approximately 1851 in Ramsgate, John King met Sarah Bax (1826-1922) of Chapel Place, Ramsgate. The couple became engaged in July 1854 and were married at St George the Martyr church on 21st December 1854. During this period John King was promoted to the rank of Comptroller of Customs.

The following year he was promoted to the rank of Collector and returned to Fleetwood for three years as the senior customs official.

John King and Sarah had five children:

• Helen Fleetwood Groom (24/03/1856 – 1896) born at the Custom House, Fleetwood.
• Florence Groom
• Emily Groom (1859-1875)
• John Bax Groom (born 4th November 1861)
• Sarah Augusta Groom (12/12/1863 – 17/05/1880)

The youngest four children were born at Tower Lane in Rye.

Between 1866 and 1871 or 1872 the family lived in Stornoway where John King held the post of Collector of Customs. Whilst in Stornoway John King became friends with the novelist Willie Mackenzie and the ship broker John M Morison.

Thereafter, positions and locations included:

• 1871-1879 John King was the Collector of Customs at Goole; the family lived in Balcony House, Boothferry Road.
• 16th March 1873: the family purchased Chediston Grange farm near Halesworth; Sarah supervised the running of the farm.
• 1880-1883 Collector of Customs at Tynemouth; the family lived at 23 Northumberland Square, North Shields.
• 1884 Helen Fleetwood Groom, her husband Eugene Leguen de Lacroix and their five children move to Chediston Grange to manage the farm.
• 1884-1887 Collector of Customs at Cork; the family lived in a terrace of three in Washington Street.
• 1887-1890 Collector of Customs at Leith; the family lived at Rait Lodge, Trinity Road. This was John King’s final appointment prior to retiring, with Sarah and Florence, to Chediston Grange.
• 1891 Appointed Chairman of the Committee for the parishes of Chediston Rumburgh, Wissett and Spexhall.

John King died on 8th January 1892 at Chediston Grange.