{"id":207,"date":"2026-03-11T21:20:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T21:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timpson.nz\/?page_id=207"},"modified":"2026-05-06T08:03:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T08:03:29","slug":"chapter-six","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/timpson.nz\/index.php\/chapter-six\/","title":{"rendered":"W H C Groome \u00b7 The Early Years \u00b7 1854"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

William Henry Charles Groome (GT1) – The Early Years<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1854 \u2013 1881<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

William Henry Charles Groome was born on 17 November 1854 at the family home 10 Ann\u2019s Place, St Margaret, Westminster, Middlesex, England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was baptised on 10 December 1854 at St Stephen\u2019s Church, Westminster, Middlesex, England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"St
St Stephen\u2019s Church, Westminster today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We next find him in the 1861 Census held on 7 April 1861 aged 6 years living with his family at 5 Harveys Buildings, St Martin in the Fields, Westminster. (Buildings are untraceable.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Actual
Actual census record showing the Groome family in 1861.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

William next appears in the 1871 Census held on 2 April 1871 aged 16 years living with his father at 40 Maiden Lane, St Paul Covent Garden, Westminster, London. At the time it was the Bedford Head Hotel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current building was re-built in 1873 and is still a hotel.  His mother had passed away and his sister Ann Elizabeth was living away in service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Actual
Actual 1871 census record showing William H C Groome<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Family Life – W H C Groome<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even as a young boy he loved drawing and as he grew up apart from study he would spend his time drawing, illustrating or painting, buying materials with whatever meagre funds he could earn. It became his passion and ambition to be a professional artist. In the meantime he had to earn a living and we find him in the 1871 census working as a Barristers Clerk. So what did this entail?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Role of a Junior Barristers’ Clerk<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Generally a junior barristers’ clerk acts as an assistant to other senior and more experienced staff, increasingly assuming more responsibility over a period of time including the allocation of briefs and negotiation of fees. One of the most significant duties that a junior barristers’ clerk will need to undertake is to arrange the diary and general work programme of the Barrister to the best of their ability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The junior barrister clerk is usually the first point of contact between a solicitor seeking the services of a barrister, and the barrister. Junior barristers’ clerks will need to ensure that they are consistently professional in their approach and that they possess positive attitudes and behaviours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The barristers’ clerk therefore needs to ensure that whichever barrister they put forward has the ability, competence and time to perform the particular piece of work. Consequently the barristers’ clerk needs to be up to date with the diary for that particular barrister, and aware of any other commitments the barrister may have, such as other cases in progress as well as scheduled leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a newly appointed barristers\u2019 clerk, relationships with barristers in chambers, instructing solicitors, the court service and many other outside agencies is paramount. Depending on the size of chambers and the available staff resources the typical responsibilities of a junior barristers’ clerk will include some or all of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n