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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: Diesel2017 on Tuesday 08 August 17 06:10 BST (UK)

Title: ROBERT GRIFFITHS who are you?
Post by: Diesel2017 on Tuesday 08 August 17 06:10 BST (UK)
I am looking for details on my grandfather "Bob Griffiths" (probably ROBERT GRIFFITHS). He was a dancer with the J.C. Williamson Theatre Group that visited Australia in 1930. He had a brief relationship with my grandmother when she was about 35 and then returned to the US. We have no other information about him. My guess is that he would have been born roughly around the late 1800s. Not much to go on, but thanks in advance for any help.
Title: Re: ROBERT GRIFFITHS who are you?
Post by: Erato on Tuesday 08 August 17 06:54 BST (UK)
This is a tough one.  Presumably the theater group traveled to and from Australia by ship.  Maybe you can find a newspaper account of their arrival or departure and then search the passenger list to get some details on 'Bob.'
Title: Re: ROBERT GRIFFITHS who are you?
Post by: Sandgrounder1 on Tuesday 08 August 17 23:44 BST (UK)
A complete shot in the dark but there is a tree on ancestry with a Bobby Griffiths who appears to produce musicals. 

He was born 20 Sept 1906 in Methune, Massachussets and died in New York on 17 June 1961.  There are lots of photos on there.
Title: Re: ROBERT GRIFFITHS who are you?
Post by: Erato on Tuesday 08 August 17 23:58 BST (UK)
This could be the Bobby Griffiths mentioned by Sandgrounder1 in 1930.  [The town where he was born would be Methuen, Massachusetts].

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRCX-9WX?i=40&cc=1810731
Title: Re: ROBERT GRIFFITHS who are you?
Post by: Sandgrounder1 on Wednesday 09 August 17 00:06 BST (UK)
I have sent a message to the tree owner.
Title: Re: ROBERT GRIFFITHS who are you?
Post by: Erato on Wednesday 09 August 17 00:16 BST (UK)
Co-producer of 'West Side Story,' among other things.

Bobby Griffith [no 's'].
Title: Re: ROBERT GRIFFITHS who are you?
Post by: Diesel2017 on Monday 21 August 17 07:11 BST (UK)
Colleagues thanks for your help. The passenger lists were a good idea, but they are incomplete and didn't yield anything useful. The Bobby Griffith (later to be co-producer of West Side Story) suggestion looks to line up pretty well, but I can't get any confirmation. On a very positive note I have now found out that I am a close DNA match (3rd cousin) to a Craig Griffiths. Unfortunately he is not on Ancestry any more so I am unable to contact him, and because he is living he is not listed on any of the ancestry sites. But at least it provides confirmation of a Griffiths link and a good clue to finding my answers.
Title: Re: ROBERT GRIFFITHS who are you?
Post by: shellyesq on Monday 21 August 17 13:56 BST (UK)
There are ways to find living people.  If he may be in the US, try switchboard.com or whitepages.com.  Ancestry and familysearch.org have US Public Record indexes, which have living people.  Also, looking on Facebook may show him.
Title: Re: ROBERT GRIFFITHS who are you?
Post by: Sandgrounder1 on Monday 21 August 17 22:55 BST (UK)
Still no reply from the Ancestry tree owner unfortunately.