Author Topic: Searching for James Griffin  (Read 1781 times)

Offline Molly M

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Searching for James Griffin
« on: Thursday 15 February 18 11:59 GMT (UK) »
Hi Everyone,
I'm new to RootsChat and hoping that someone can help me. I'm trying to track down my great grandfather. His name was James Griffin and he was born around 1865-1867. His parents were Mary Griffin (nee Kelly) and George Griffin. He moved to Scotland and first appeared on the Scotland census in 1891. He married my great grandmother Ellen McKillop in 1894 in Scotland and they had 4 children. I cannot find a James Griffin in Ireland at all with those parents. I found a James Griffin born to Ned Griffin and Mary Griffin (nee Kelly) but that's as close as I can get. On all the census forms it shows him as born in Ireland and my grandmother always said her father was Irish but never said whereabouts he was from. I also found a family tree (not mine) with a George Griffin and Mary Griffin (nee Kelly) in Cavan with a son John born in 1855. I've looked at Ancestry.com/Family Search/Findmypast & Irish Genealogy. Any help or suggestions would be very welcome. Thank you! 

Offline aghadowey

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Re: Searching for James Griffin
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 15 February 18 12:09 GMT (UK) »
Civil registration of births started in 1864 and for the first few years it is believed that many births weren't registered. So, it's possible that James was either born a little before 1864 or his birth wasn't registered.

What is listed as father George Griffin's occupation?
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Offline hallmark

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Re: Searching for James Griffin
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 15 February 18 12:13 GMT (UK) »
Religion?
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Offline Molly M

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Re: Searching for James Griffin
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 15 February 18 12:22 GMT (UK) »
Hi Aghadowey, his father's occupation was listed as Farm Labourer.


Offline Molly M

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Re: Searching for James Griffin
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 15 February 18 12:32 GMT (UK) »
Hi Hallmark, I am not absolutely certain. He married into a Roman Catholic family and lived in a Catholic area in Glasgow & I would have assumed was RC however my mother vaguely remembers her mother saying her father had been a convert, this is not definite though. I can't find him in any convert records in Scotland & they married in a Catholic church in Glasgow.

Offline hallmark

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Re: Searching for James Griffin
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 15 February 18 12:40 GMT (UK) »
The years covered by the release of the historic Indexes to the Civil Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths are:

Births: 1864 to 1916

Marriages: 1845* to 1941

Deaths: 1864 to 1966

*non-Roman Catholic Marriages are recorded from 1845, so have you searched for Parent's Marriage if non-Roman Catholic
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Offline Molly M

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Re: Searching for James Griffin
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 15 February 18 13:01 GMT (UK) »
Hi Hallmark,
I have searched for the parents' marriage on Ancestry but cannot find it. I've also looked on Irish genealogy with no joy.

Offline Sinann

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Re: Searching for James Griffin
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 15 February 18 13:25 GMT (UK) »
If his birth was registered it's possible it was without his name so a check of Unknown Griffin might get a result.

Offline Molly M

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Re: Searching for James Griffin
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 15 February 18 13:47 GMT (UK) »
Hi Sinann, thanks. Do you actually put Unknown into the search? I hadn't thought of that.