William GRIFFITH(S)

[garlands]

William GRIFFITH(S) was bap in Withycombe ca 1790. He served in the Royal Marines and, later, the Army. He married Bridget BOULDGER in 1819 in Jersey C.I., but, who was he? There are 2 possible baptisms in Withycombe:-

03 Oct 1790   William to William & Grace GRIFFITH
21 Aug 1791   William to Giles & Joan GRIFFITH

I cannot determine which of these married Bridget. Can anyone help, please? I know there is a Tree on Ancestry, but I'm not sure of their attribution.

[Pennines]

Have you checked the names of William and Bridget's children? Might they have named their first son after William's father?

[garlands]

Yes, indirectly. Children are listed as:-

Jane - 1824
William - 1826
Thomas - 1836
Henry - 1840

Based on this, I favour William & Joan, but I'm hesitant and would like further proof.

[Pennines]

Is he the same William Griffiths who enlisted in the Marines on 1st Oct 1812 please? The Military papers say he was born near, what looks like, Withigan, near Dunster. Might that be the correct birthplace mis-spelt?

If so he stated himself to be 19 years old.

Further on in these Military papers he is shown as 23 in 1816.

Both these ages and dates (if correct) imply a birth year of 1792/3. However I may be on the wrong military papers!

[garlands]

Yes, this is the same man. He served in the R.M. from 01 Oct 1812 to 29 Dec 1815.

He enlisted in the 55th Regiment of Foot on 01 Apr 1816 in Bristol.

He married Bridget BOULDGER on 21 Mar 1819 in St Helier.

Their first child was Jane. It just occurs to me that maybe this should have been 'Joan' but a strong Somerset accent was mis-heard by the officiating clergyman?

[Pennines]

In 1841 there is a 15 year old Jane living with William and Bridget (age rounded down to nearest 5 years. Hence that child must have been Jane.

You can't rely on people knowing their actual ages way back then - but in 1851 William is showing 58 - so again we are back to an approx birth year of 1792/3.

You would think then - it would be the later baptised William, ie the one born to Giles and Joan - but strange that he didn't name a son Giles, after his father. It's such a pity that when he enlisted there is no next of kin shown.

Maybe check Bridget's baptism and check her parents' names. The 2 youngest children of William and Bridget aren't present with the family in 1841. I wonder if they died young?

This isn't really helping you I'm afraid to come up with a definitive ancestry for William -- there is a family tree on Ancestry actually, showing Giles Griffith and Joanna Pless as his parents -- but definitive evidence doesn't seem to be available.

So sorry not to be able to help you with certainty.

[garlands]

Yes, my abstract from the '41 lists Jane as a 15-year old, but does not include any of the 3 boys. Like you, I assumed they had died. I'll see if I can find their burials.

I've been unable to find Bridget's baptism. This might be because in '41 her birth place is given as Somerset, which is where I've been looking. I now notice that in '51 it's given as Kent, so I'll shift my focus.

[garlands]

The father of William GRIFFITH was also named William, and he was baptized on 05.06.1763 in Withycombe, son of Edward & Jane, who had at least 3 other children (Jane, Joan and Edward) all of whom were baptized in Carhampton.

I have been unable to find the marriage of Edward GRIFFITH to Jane XXXXX. Can anyone help, please?

[garlands]

It now appears that the children of Edward & Jane were:-

21.06.1761   Mary         Withycombe
05.06.1763   William            do
09.06.1765   Jane          Carhampton
10.07.1768   Joan                do
02.02.1773   Edward            do

From this, I assume Edward and Jane married ca 1760, but I am still unable to find any record.