Re: Gross Families in Calvert County, MD
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In reply to:
Re: Gross Families in Calvert County, MD
Wm. L. Kauffman 3/21/07
I am not related to any of these people mentioned, but I hope this information that I have researched will help some of you who are to head in the right direction.
Note: For many reasons, there are inaccuracies in ages and spellings in the census records.Sometimes there are transcription and indexing errors due to the difficulty of reading the original images.Sometimes there are variations in spellings and ages because the census taker misheard information or because people couldn’t read and write making it impossible to know their age or to have a standard spelling of their name.And people just weren’t as concerned about spelling accuracy in earlier times as we are today.They simply made entries, as they sounded to them at the time. For example Julia might be written as Guila, or her name might really be Guila.If you trace John D. Gross’s age back from the 1920 census, you’ll notice that, although the census enumerations are roughly ten years apart, his age is not equally so: 55 in 1920, 40 in 1910 and 38 in 1900, putting his birth year between about 1860 and 1870.
1930; Census Place: Washington, Washington, District of Columbia; Roll: 300; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 288; Image: 200.0.
Name: Wayne Gross
Home in 1930: Washington, Washington, District of Columbia
Age: 29
Estimated birth year: abt 1901
Birthplace: Maryland
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's name: Lilly
Race: Negro (Black)
Household Members: Name Age
Wayne Gross 29
Lilly Gross 30
Williams Gross 27
Frances Gross 24
Calvin Gross 24
Maltoln Johnson 8
Guila Gross 15
Parren Holley 34
1920; Census Place: Prince Frederick, Calvert, Maryland; Roll: T625_654; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 34; Image: 436.
Name: Calvin W Gross
Home in 1920: Prince Frederick, Calvert, Maryland
Age: 13 years
Estimated birth year: abt 1907
Birthplace: Maryland
Relation to Head of House: Son
Father's name: John D
Father's Birth Place: Maryland
Mother's name: Rosa E
Mother's Birth Place: Maryland
Marital Status: Single
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 436
Household Members: Name Age
John D Gross 55
Rosa E Gross 48
Wayne C Gross 19
Edith L Gross 19
William W Gross 17
Calvin W Gross 13
Myrtle J Gross 11
Guila E Gross 5
1910; Census Place: Election District 2, Calvert, Maryland; Roll: T624_562; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 30; Image: 144.
Name: Calvin Gross
Age in 1910: 3
Estimated birth year: abt 1907
Birthplace: Maryland
Relation to Head of House: Son
Father's name: John D
Father's Birth Place: Maryland
Mother's name: Rosie
Mother's Birth Place: Maryland
Home in 1910: Election District 2, Calvert, Maryland
Marital Status: Single
Race: Mulatto
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
John D Gross 40
Rosie Gross 37
Edward Gross 20
Mary A Gross 16
Ida E Gross 14
Wend C Gross 10(sic: Wayne?)
William W Gross 7
Calvin Gross 3
Myrtle I Gross 11/12
1900; Census Place: Election District 2, Calvert, Maryland; Roll: T623 619; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 66.
Name: Ida Gross
Home in 1900: Election District 2, Calvert, Maryland
Age: 3
Estimated birth year: July 1896
Birthplace: Maryland
Relationship to head-of-house: Daughter
Father's name: John D
Mother's name: Lizzie
Race: Black
Household Members: Name Age
John D Gross 38Jan 1862
Lizzie Gross 26Oct 1873
Eddie Gross 11Apr 1889
Mary Gross 5Mar 1895
Ida Gross 3Jul 1896
Wayne Gross 2.12Apr 1900
Since the Maryland portion of the 1890 census did not survive a fire, it makes it very difficult to trace John Gross further back in the census records.It would be so much easier to look for John with a Lizzie and an Edward in 1890, than to determine which John Gross in Calvert County is 1880 is the right one.There are many to consider.
My suggestion is to obtain the death certificate for John D. Gross who probably died between 1920 and 1930 in Calvert County, and hope it includes his parents’ names.You might also see if you can locate his two marriage records that may include information about this parents.It appears that he married Lizzie around 1889 and Rosie probably between 1900 and 1907.
1880 Possibilities:
Name Parent or spouse names Home in 1880: (City,County,State) Birth Year Birthplace Relation
John GrossBasil, SarahDistrict 1, Calvert, MD abt 1862 MarylandSon of Basil
John B GrossJohn W, Pli AnnaDistrict 1, Calvert, MD abt 1862 MarylandSonof John W.
John Gross District 1, Calvert, MD abt 1869 MarylandNephew
John GrossJohn, JaneDistrict 1, Calvert, MD abt 1868 MarylandSon
John GrossWilliam, RebeccaDistrict 2, Calvert, MD abt 1870 MarylandSon
John GrossDistrict 2, Calvert, MD abt 1870 Maryland(Possibly Cornelia Gross’ son)
John GrossDistrict 2, Calvert, MD abt 1867 MarylandNephew of Richard, grandson of Betsey
John GrossDistrict 2, Calvert, MD abt 1864 Maryland Working in the home of
Samule (sic) Gibson – There is also a Rebecca Gross, age 16, possibly a sister? See 1870 household of Richard and Lallia Gross.
John GrossDistrict 3, Calvert, MD abt 1861 Maryland(Boarder in the home of John Ray)
John Gross District 3, Calvert, MD abt 1851 Maryland Stepson of Jacob Broom, son of Cornelia Broom
1880 Census Place District 2, Calvert, Maryland, Page Number57C
NameRelation MarriageSex Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
Richard GROSSSelfWidowedMaleB25MDLaborerMDMD
Betsy GROSSMotherWidowedFemaleB50MDHousekeeperMDMD
Jacob GROSSBrotherSMaleB23MDLaborerMDMD
Clarisa GROSSSisterSFemaleB21MDServantMDMD
Maria GROSSSisterSFemaleB18MDServantMDMD
Jese GROSSNephewSMaleMU16MDLaborerMDMD
Nancy GROSSCousinSFemaleMU14MDServantMDMD
Nellie GROSSCousinSFemaleMU12MDServantMDMD
William GROSSCousinSMaleMU10MDLaborerMDMD
Mary A GROSSCousinSFemaleB8MDMDMD
Francis R GROSSCousinSFemaleMU4MDMDMD
John GROSSNephewSMaleB13MDLaborerMDMD
Alice E GROSSNieceSFemaleM4MDMDMD
Benj. Thos. GROSSNephewSMaleB2MDMDMD
Caroline GROSSNieceSFemaleB3MMDMDMD
George RUFUSNephewSMaleB4MMDMDMD
Mary E ROBERTSNieceSFemaleMU15MDServantMDMD
The following John has the right initial…but, alone, that’s not much to go on.
1870; Census Place: District 2, Calvert, Maryland; Roll: M593_581; Page: 77; Image: 154.
Name: Richard Gross
Estimated birth year: abt 1842
Age in 1870: 28
Birthplace: Maryland
Home in 1870: District 2, Calvert, Maryland
Household:
Richard Gross, 28, Male, Black, Born in MD, Cannot read, Cannot write
Lallia Gross, 28, Female, Black, Born in MD, Cannot read, Cannot write
John D. Gross, 7, Male, Black, Born in MD
Rebecca Gross, 5, Female, Black, Born in MD
Henson Gross, 3, Male, Black, Born in MD
William Gross, 1, Male, Black, Born in MD
William Gross, 21, Male, Black, Born in MD, Cannot read, Cannot write
Charlotte Gross, 14, Female, Black, Born in MD, Cannot write
George Gross, 17, Male, Black, Born in MD, Cannot read, Cannot write
Post Office: Prince Frederick
1870; Census Place: District 2, Calvert, Maryland; Roll: M593_581; Page: 66; Image: 132.
Name: Gilbert Fowler
Estimated birth year: abt 1806
Age in 1870: 64
Birthplace: Maryland
Home in 1870: District 2, Calvert, Maryland
Race: White
Gender: Male
Value of real estate: $1700
Post Office: Prince Frederick
In this household is a John Gross, Age 17 (born abt 1853), Male, Black, Born in Maryland, Cannot read and write.(See 1868 court document summaryregarding John and Julia Ann Gross below.)
I did not find a black or mulatto Julia Ann Gross in this area in 1870 that fit the sister of the above described John Gross, but I did find a 20 year old Julia Harwood who lived in the same District. Coincidentally (?), on the following page is a Black Gross household and another white Fowler household.
1870; Census Place: District 2, Calvert, Maryland; Roll: M593_581; Page: 49; Image: 98.
Name: Julia Harwood
Estimated birth year: abt 1850
Age in 1870: 20
Birthplace: Maryland
Home in 1870: District 2, Calvert, Maryland
Race: Black
Gender: Female
Post Office: Prince Frederick
The Julia A. MacKall is also the right age and living the the right area to possibly be the sister of the John Gross in the 1868 court document summary below.
1870; Census Place: District 3, Calvert, Maryland; Roll: M593_581; Page: 100; Image: 201.
Name: Juliet A MacKall
Estimated birth year: abt 1851
Age in 1870: 19
Birthplace: Maryland
Home in 1870: District 3, Calvert, Maryland
Race: Black
Gender: Female
Post Office: Prince Frederick
Date: 01 April 1868
Description: On behalf of Julia Ann Gross + John Gross by Wm. L. Van Derliss their next friend vs. Gilbert Fowler, Request for Writ of Habeus Corpus by the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.Julia Ann Gross, age 16, and John Gross, age 15, children of Fannie Gross, who died 09 Feb 1868.Julia Ann and John Gross are being restrained of their liberty and held in custody by Gilbert Fowler, residing in Prince Fredericktown, Calvert County, Maryland by virtue of an alleged Indenture of Apprenticeship, made not in accordance with law.
Year: 1860, Record Type: Slave schedule, State: MD, County: Calvert County, Township: 2 Elect.Dist., Page: 116
Gilbert Fowler is shown to have three slaves, one hired off C. S. Parran.They are a 21 year old black female, hired of C. S. Parran, an eight year old black female and a seven year old black male, possibly Fannie, Julia Ann and John.
There is a free, black, 30 year old, Fannie Gross in the 1860 census, but no John and Julia (or Julia Ann) in the household.You will need to do more research as there are a large number of Gross surnames in Calvert County and many first names repeat making it easy to track the wrong family lines.:
1860; Census Place: District 2, Calvert, Maryland; Roll: M653_470; Page: 0; Image: 67.
Name: Fannie Gross
Age in 1860: 30
Birth Year: abt 1830
Birthplace: Maryland
Home in 1860: District 2, Calvert, Maryland
Race: Black
Gender: Female
Post Office: Huntingtown
Fannie Gross 30
Alfred Gross 4
Francis Gross 2
Herman Galloway 21