Surname Tuffy in Stourbridge & Kidderminster

[Tuffy]

Hi

I am tracing my Mothers maiden name Tuffy. My Great Great Great Grandfather Thomas Tuffy came from Mayo, Ireland in the mid 1800's (almost certainly because of the famine). He married a Margaret Histon (also from Ireland) at the Roman Catholic Church in Stourbridge in 1855. Whilst living in Stourbridge they had four children: John b.1861; Margaret b.1864; Thomas b.1866 & William b.1869. I am descended from Thomas Tuffy Jnr (b.1866).  All four children of Margaret & Thomas Tuffy were registered in Stourbridge.
I have not managed so far to find the family on the 1861 census although I have found them on the 1871 census in Stourbridge. The family seems to have moved from Stourbridge to Kidderminster between 1871 & 1881. I have located them on the 1881 census in Kidderminster. I know that John Tuffy married Amelia Glazzard in 1889 at St Marys Church in Kidderminster & Margaret Tuffy became Margaret Cassidy when she married Martin Cassidy (b.circa 1861) at the Roman Catholic Church in Kidderminster in 1888. William Tuffy appears on the 1891 census as does my Great Great Grandfather Thomas Tuffy still living with their parents but I have had little success in finding out what happened to John, Margaret or William after 1891. I have often wondered whether the fact that John Tuffy married at St Marys Church which is Church of England caused a bit of a rift, because all of the rest of my family were Catholics.
I have found that the surname Tuffy was spelled in at least three different ways. On the 1855 marriage certificate for Thomas & Margaret the name is spelled Tuffy. My Great Great Grandfather was registered Thomas Tuffy (b.1866). His brothers and sister were all registered with the name spelt with an 'E' added giving them the spelling 'Tuffey'. John and Margaret both used the Tuffey spelling on their respective marriage certificates. On the 1871 census the name is spelt Tuffy; on the 1881 census it is spelt Tuffey & on the 1891 census it is spelt Toughey. By the 1901 census my Great Great Grandfather Thomas Tuffy (b.1866) spelt the name Tuffy and that's how my Mothers family has spelt it ever since.
On the 1881 census in Kidderminster my Great Great Great Grandparents Thomas and Margaret Tuffy have living with them two of Thomas's cousins with the Surname Joice (or Joyce). Having researched a little bit in Ireland I have found a John Tuffy married to a Margaret Joyce in County Mayo. If this is the same family which I suspect it is this would make them my Great Great Great Great Grandparents.
If anybody has any further information about the Tuffy or Joyce families I would be most eager to receive it. 

[Gardener]

Welcome to Rootschat
I found your Thomas Tuffy in 1851 though it doesn't give you much information at least you know where he was.

1851 Worcs census
Oldswinford/Stourbridge
Piece 2035 Fol 069

Sch no 99; George Walk

Tommy Tuffy,lodger,u,20,ag labourer,IRL

He is in  a household headed by a Peter Bourk and there are lots of other Irish ag lab lodging there. He is the only Tuffy in the index.

Only 3 with the name Histon in Worcs then, none Margaret.

[Gardener]

"On the 1881 census in Kidderminster my Great Great Great Grandparents Thomas and Margaret Tuffy have living with them two of Thomas's cousins with the Surname Joice (or Joyce). "

YouŽll find these two are living nextdoor but one in the 1871 census.

Patrick Joice,head,66,ag lab,Ireland
Mary Joice,wife,m,46,ag lab,Ireland
Michael Joice,son,u,18,Worcs,Stourbridge
William Joice,son,u,15,chain maker,Worcs,Stourbridge
John Joice,son,11,scholar,Worcs,Stourbridge
Margaret Joice,dau,9,scholar,Worcs,Stourbridge
Patrick Joice,son,6,scholar,Worcs,Stourbridge


I can find this Joice family in the 1861 census too but the Tuffys are not there ( from http://www.griffs4bears.co.uk )

Superintendant
Registrar's District Registrar's
Sub-District Piece E.D. Ecclesiastical
District
Stourbridge Stourbridge RG 09-2065 5 St. Marys, Oldswinford
 
Residence Detail
185 SEVEN HOUSES
Given Name Family Name Age Grouping
PATRICK JOICE 60 yrs 14738
MAIGRET JOICE 48 ?yrs 14738
THOMAS JOICE 20 yrs 14738
MARY JOICE 14 yrs 14738
MICHAEL JOICE 6 yrs 14738
WILLIAM JOICE 5 yrs 14738
JOHN JOICE 3 yrs 14738

Mary is born Ireland (and those older) but Michael  born in Stourbridge. And I don't see tham in the 1851 index for Worcs.

Hope this is some small help.

[Tuffy]

Hi Gardener
I just wanted to express my sincere gratitude for all of your advice. Thank you so much for all of the information you have provided me with.
I have seen the entry for Tommy Tuffy on the 1851 census but it was at the end of a very long day looking at microfilm and my long suffering partner was beginning to get impatient as she waited for me in the Worcester Family History centre. I wasn't sure if it was my Great Great Great Grandfather or not but I felt that it probably was.
Is genealogy something you do professionally? I would love to put the skills I have learn't over the last couple of years into use. Is it a difficult area to break in to?
I feel a little cheeky asking this as you have already been so helpful; but how would I go about searching the 1861 census to locate Thomas Tuffy? I have looked blindly around the area where the Joice family lived but so far have come up with nothing. I have tried sending for the birth certificate of John Tuffy b.1861 (Thomas eldest son) who according to later census returns was born in Stourbridge. Unfortunately there was a fire at the Dudley registry office earlier this year and they are unable to search their archives at the moment.
Thanks again
Merry Christmas
Kevin

[Gardener]

Hi. You must be a whole lot better than me at typing
I'm afraid I don't know anything about doing genealogy professionally - you could try posting a letter on the general board (but make it clear that you aren't proposing charging anyone on Rootsweb for anything else you will get lots of rude replies!)
Meanwhile, I may have found your missing 1861 Thomas. I suggest you look at the entry for yourself. I decided to look through the Stourbridge bit and see if it was in there and I found the following:

RG9-2065/46

Sch No 51B,Birmingham St

Thomas ?Tuffie,m,lodger,26,bricklayers lab,Ireland
Margret ?Tuffie,wife,m,28,Ireland
Catherine ?Tuffie,dau,u,?1,Stourbridge,Worcs

The entry on Griff's page for this is below (no wonder searching for them didn't work!)

Superintendant
Registrar's District Registrar's
Sub-District Piece E.D. Ecclesiastical
District
Stourbridge Stourbridge RG 09-2065 3 St. Marys, Oldswinford
 
Residence Detail
51 BIRMINGHAM STREET


Given Name Family Name Age Grouping
JEREMIAH ? SKERMER 47 yrs 13743
PHILLIS ? SKERMER 45 yrs 13743
JOSEPH ? SKERMER 6 yrs 13743
THOMAS WHITE 26 yrs 13744
MARGRET WHITE 22 yrs 13744
ANN WHITE 2 yrs 13744
THOMAS DUFFERI 26 yrs 13745
MARGRET DUFFERI 28 yrs 13745
CATHERINE DUFFERI 7 yrs 13745

I'm fairly sure that this is your family but it is up to you to decide They are at least not far from the Joice family.

[Tuffy]

Hi
Again, I can't thank you enough for helping me to locate my family on the census.  I've broke up from work now for over two weeks, so I can't wait to get to the Worcester Family History centre on Monday to obtain printouts of this information. Hope you have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year
Warmest Regards
Kevin :D

[roryconway]

Hi there, My great great great grandfather was a John Tuffy born in 1837 in Belcara, Mayo Ireland. he had a brother Thomas baptised in July 1840. Their parents were William Tuffy and Catherine Mugan. I do not know any further info about this thomas but given that it is a rare name wondered if this may be your relation who emigrated around the time of the famine to England.

[Tuffy]

Hi

Thanks for your message. My Great Great Great Grandfather Thomas Tuffy was born about 1834. According to his wedding certificate dated 24th January 1855 he was 21 and his wife Margaret Histon was 20. They were married in Stourbridge, England having both originally come from Ireland.  Thomas's father was called John Tuffy and I'm pretty sure that his mother was called Margaret (Peggy) Joyce.

When I visited the national library in Dublin last year the librarian did a search on the database for the Griffiths valuation (mid 19th century registration) and found that the name Tuffy only appeared in three Counties across the whole of Ireland. These were Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo. All of these three Counties share borders with each other. It's possible and probable that there is a connection somwhere but I think it must go back at least another generation.

Best of luck with your research
hope to hear from you soon
Kevin