John Percy Groves

John Percy Groves was a British author, librarian, and soldier. He wrote stirring adventure stories and information books for boys, all with a military theme, as well as military history, mostly about the Scottish regiments.

Early life

Groves was born in Bath on 26 October 1850 to John Richard Groves and Elizabeth Louisa Groves . His father was a former major in the Rifle Brigade, and his mother was sister to Osmond de Beauvoir Priaulx who donated the Priaulx Library to the people of Guernsey. Groves was baptised at Bathwick St Mary, Somerset, on 27 November 1850.
In 1861 the census found Groves as a pupil at Wing Rectory in Rutland. This was close to Uppingham School which he may have later attended. He certainly did attend the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, from where in 1867 he purchased a commission as an Ensign.

Military career

Groves purchased a commission as an ensign in the 67th Regiment of Foot on 10 February 1869. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 November 1871. This promotion was later backdated to 28 October 1871, with the proviso that the commission be non-saleable. This was part of the reform of the purchase system in the British Army under the Cardwell Reforms.
Grove exchanged into the 27th Regiment of Foot on 27 March 1872. He resigned his commission on 25 March 1873, just a fortnight after he got married. He was appointed to the reserve of officers on 11 March 1881. After moving to Guernsey he joined the Royal Guernsey Militia, being appointed major on 11 May 1889. By July 1892 he was promoted to he rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Royal Guernsey Artillery.

Marriage and family

Groves married Harriet Augusta Raines at Christ Church, Marylebone, Westminster, on 11 March 1873. Raines was the daughter of Joseph Robert Raines, a retired colonel and the sister of General Sir Julius Augustus Raines, K.C.B., Colonel of the Buffs. One of the couple's sons assumed the name Groves-Raines, and the other eventually dropped his Groves surname to leave Raines in place. A fortnight after the marriage, Groves resigned from the military.
The couple had eight children, seven of whom survived to adulthood:

George Percy Raines Groves became an actor known as George Percy Raines
John Henry Osborne Groves
Ralph Gore Devereux Groves adopted the surname Groves-Raines.
William Frederick Priaulx Groves
Grace Elizabeth Marjorie Groves died in infancy.
Katherine Frances Groves
Osmond de Beauvoir Groves
Stephen Percy Groves

Grove was appointed bursar of Bradfield College in April 1883, but left the post by the end of the summer term. However, in the meantime, he had reinvigorated the College's Rifle Corps. In the 1881 census Grove recorded his occupation as: Owner Of House Property in Middlesex.

Writing and librarianship

Groves wrote three types of books. The first two were intended for the juvenile market, and the last was for those interested in particular regiments. As a rule all were illustrated.

Adventure stories with a military theme for boys.
Annuals or informative books for boys.
Military history, usually focusing on the history of a particular regiment.

Groves began to publish juvenile fiction in 1883 with From Cadet to Captain of which the Reading Observer said: This is a wholesome and well-written tale put into autobiographical form and detailing in an interesting way the varied incidents of a young aspirant for military honours. A large part of the story is occupied with Mr. Warrington's experiences as a student at the Sandhurst Military College.... His next book was Charmouth Grange in 1886, of which The Graphic said: This tale of the seventeenth century is a will written story, full of the doings of Roundhead and Cavaliers, in which the Cavaliers get very much the best of it.

Until his appointment as Librarian at the Priaulx Library, only one of the first ten books written by Groves was a military history, the history of the 66th Regiment of Foot in 1887. Groves was appointed as Secretary and Librarian to the Priaulx Library in Guernsey and the cultured librarian was there for the official opening on 1 May 1889. The library had been donated by Grove's wife's uncle, Osmond de Beauvoir Priaulx, and this no doubt played a part in the selection of Groves for the role.
de Beauvoir died on 15 January 1891, leaving a personal estate valued at £53,000. Groves got a bequest of 100 shares of Pennsylvania Railroad Company stock. This was probably worth over $10,000 at the time, as the average value of the shares for 18901899 was $109.30.
Once installed at Candie House, the home of the Library, Groves continued his literary career. He and his family had a large apartment at Candie House, but given the size of his family it was not surprising that he was criticised for spilling outside his apartment and appropriating some of the rooms intended for the library. In the 1891 census, Groves describes himself as major of the Royal Guernsey Artillery Brigade, and an author and journalist.
Grove was still writing, in 1891 alone, he published two juvenile novels, a juvenile history book. In 1893 he began to publish a series of volumes about the Scottish regiments. He intended to produce 17 in all. Advertisements These were high quality, limited editions, with nine high-class chromo-lithographed illustrations. They sold for 7s 6d.
Apart from one final work, on the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, published in Guernsey in 1904, Groves had effectively stopped writing books by 1896. By 1901, only three teen-aged children were now living at home. In that year he described himself as Secretary and Curator, Priaulx Library, Author, and Journalist.
Harriet Groves died on 24 September 1908 leaving effects valued at only £22 8s 9d. All of the children were adult. Groves resigned his librarianship in 1910 and left Guernsey. By the time of the 1911 census, Groves was living in Whitefield, Christchurch, near Bournemouth with his son John Henry, who had left the army to become a poultry farmer. Groves gave his profession at Lt.Col and Literature.
Groves remarried on 16 February 1912 at Hanwell Middlesex. His second bride was Mary Louisa Ridley, the eldest daughter of the late Rev. Oliver Matthew Ridley and Louisa Pole Ridley. Although Mary's mother had dies when she was around three, her father remarried before she was eight. Groves and Mary were respectively 65 and 61 when they married.

Death

Groves died in Southend-on-Sea on 13 February 1916. While some sources place his death on Guernsey in 1917 or 1918, three contemporary newspapers place the death at Southend in February 1916. Groves was survived by his second wife Mary.

Works

The majority of what Groves wrote was juvenile fiction when measured by both the number of works or the number of pages.

Juvenile market

No.	Year	Title	Illustrated by	Publisher	BL Cat.
1	1883	From Cadet to Captain, etc.	Stanley Berkley 8 full page illustrations	London Edinburgh: Griffith & Farran.
2	1884	Charmouth Grange. A tale of the seventeenth century	8 full page illustrations and some smaller illustrations	London: Sampson Low & Co.
3	1885	Sketches of Adventure and Sport. A book for boys.	24 Chromo lithographic illustrations	London: B. Ollendorff
4	1886	A soldier born, or the adventures of a Subaltern of the 95th in the Crimea and Indian Mutiny.	W. Pearce	London, Edinburgh : Griffith, Farran & Co
5	1888	Reefer and Rifleman: a tale of the two services	John Schönberg-6 full page illustrations	London: Blackie & Sons
6	1887	The Duke's Own, or the adventures of Peter Daly, etc.	Lieut.-Col. Marshman: 12 Illustrations	London, Edinburgh : Griffith, Farran & Co
7	1887	The War of the Axe: or, adventures in South Africa, etc.	John Schönberg	London: Blackie & Son
8	1887	The Major's Campaign: Or My First Battle and My Last	"A large number of illustrations" - bookseller	London: Frederick Warne and Co
9	1888	Anchor and Laurel: a tale of the Royal Marines	Lieut.-Col. Marshman: 12 Illustrations	London, Edinburgh : Griffith, Farran & Co
10	1890	“On Service” at home and abroad	Harry Payne and Arthur Payne	London Saxony : R. Tuck & Sons
11	1890	On an Off Duty	Harry Payne and Arthur Payne	London, Paris, New York: Raphael Tuck & Sons.
12	1891	Tar-bucket and Pipe-clay, or, the life and adventures of Nicholas Brodribb, Middy and Marine		London: Griffith & Farran
13	1891	With the Green Jackets: or, the life and adventures of a rifleman, etc.	Lieut.-Col. Marshman	London: Griffith & Farran
14	1891	Ready Aye Ready: Annals of Military Heroes	Harry Payne and Arthur Payne	London, Paris, New York: Raphael Tuck & Sons.
15	1895	In the Days of King George.	Harry Payne	London: Cassell & Co.
16	1895	With Claymore and Bayonet, or the “Ross-shire Buffs,” etc.	Harry Payne, 8 full page illus.	London: Cassell & Co.
17	1896	Scotland for Ever! or, The Adventures of Alexander McDonell, etc. Also called The Gallant Gordons		London: Routledge & Sons

The Tar-bucket and Pipe-clay first appeared as a serial in Young England, starting in January 1890. Little Folks ran a serial starting in 1895 called "True to his Colours" by Groves.