Directories and records list, John James and John James Grohe as watchmakers.
It does seem fairly clear form the research that Grohé was not a Clock, or watchmaker in Bolton, and he can join the list of others wrongly attributable to the town.
John James Grohé was an established London Clockmaker, who died in 1872, in the years following his death he is listed as working in various places.
Around 1910, his entry has changed in trade directories to ‘James Grohé, watchmaker, late 3A Wimpole St. & 24 Wigmore St. removed to Smith (Bolton), 26 Duke St. Manchester Sq. TN755 Paddington.’ This entry continues to be recorded through 1920.
1914 Trades Directory
The Smith above has been related to Smithills, Bolton, or more probably the clockmaker Bolton Smith, who was at the Duke St. address in the early 20th Century and is quoted by the British Museum as Grohé’s successor .
A watchmaker called Typke who died in 1909 had moved into Grohé’s London premises and also used the Grohé name. It is unclear who continued to list James Grohé’s details in the trade directories for the next 11 years, or why.