Henry H. Grooms, as he is recorded in the census, appears in 1850 at age 23 residing with mother Elizabeth and stepfather Martin Cunningham in the 21st District of Harrison County. Also recorded in this family are his half-sisters, Matilda, age 16, and Sarah, age 14, who were born after the 1832 marriage of Elizabeth and Martin.

18-year old M#53 Sarah Ann Shaw is recorded as living with her parents in the same district, some 70-odd family enumerations [houses?] away.

In 1860, Henry is again found residing with the Cunningham family, this time including blind half-brother Benjamin F. Cunningham. They are recorded in Clarksburg 'P.O.', Harrison County, where the Cunningham family works an 1860-valued $250 farm.

Recorded at age 31, Sarah Ann still resided in her parents' home in Clarksburg, Harrison County -- still the same distance from the Grooms-Cunningham residence.

Henry Grooms and Sarah Ann Shaw are recorded as marrying on 23 March 1851, in Harrison County.

In 1870, Sarah Ann shares a household and a family with a Benjamin F. McDaniels, son of Aaron and Maria McDaniels, in Eagle Township, Harrison County, where he farmed $600 worth of land. Sarah and Benjamin, who were married on 4 August, 1866, raised at least seven children, of whom George W. and Aaron would have been half-brothers to James Lewis Grooms: Sarah J. McDaniels- b 1857; Mary C. McDaniels- b 1858; William F. McDaniels- b 1859; Maria McDaniels- b 1864; Ida F. McDaniels- b 1865; M#53.1 George W. McDaniels- b 1867, m 25 February, 1892 to Estella Shields; M#53.2 Aaron McDaniels- b1869.

In 1870, the household of widowed 78-year old Elizabeth Cunningham, in which her son Benjamin F. Cunningham at age 33 is listed as a blind merchant, is noticeably absent the name of her son, Henry H. Grooms.

Sarah Ann Shaw and Henry H. Grooms had only one child, to this author's knowledge.

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It is this author's opinion that M#52 William Henry Harrison Grooms' parents were M#104 Zachariah Grooms and M#105 Elizabeth Rogers.

The case for them is meager, although adequate. In 1860, Henry H., at age 33, was residing with Elizabeth and Martin Cunningham and their family. On 4 July 1832 Elizabeth Grooms had married Martin Cunningham.

On 12 October 1820, Zacharias Grooms had married Elizabeth Rogers. These marriages took place in Harrison County, Virginia. Henry H. Grooms was born about 1827.

The Virginia state tax returns for 1782 and 1785 show a Zachariah -- the only Zachariah -- taxed in Pittsylvania County, located in the central southern part of the state. In 1790, about five counties and a mountain range away. Whether this Zachariah was Henry H.'s father, or grandfather -- or any distant relative, is undocumented by this author at this writing. Although in 1860 there were a number of Grooms' families in nearby Augusta County, there were only three Grooms in Harrison County -- M#56 Lewis James; M#112 Henry H., and a pauper named Richard Grooms, age 95.

M#105 Elizabeth Rogers was born about 1796. She bore only Henry H. to Zachariah Grooms, to this author's knowledge. She gave Martin Cunningham, who already had several children when they married, at least three more:

M#105.1 Matilda Cunningham- b 1834;

M#105.2 Sarah Cunningham- b 1836;

M#105.3 Benjamin F. Cunningham- b 1837, m to Rachel McAntire, with at least one daughter: M#105.3.1 Matilda J. Cunningham- b 1858.

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Possible collateral Rogers families include (in 1870) Malon S. Rogers and family, and Lemuel Rogers and family.

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