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John Griffin (1782-1849): Dromore, Co Down

My 4G-Grandfather Private John Griffin, a soldier, was born in the Parish of Dromore, Town of Dromore, Co Down in 1782 according to his discharge papers from the British Army in 1826. https://www.ancestry.com.au/family-tree/person/tree/5329504/person/24218548021/facts

He married Martha around 1802 and had my 3G-Grandfather James Griffin in 1803 in Co Down. Soon after James was born, John enlisted in the 56th Regiment of Foot at Belfast in 1804. The 1st battalion of the 56th regiment moved from Ireland to the Isle of Wright in 1805. He most likely spent several years serving in India under the auspices of the East India Company.

James subsequently moved to Glasgow where he married (his second marriage) my 3G-Grandmother Rose Ann Fitzsimmons in 1840. He and his family emigrated to Australia in 1860.

I have many DNA matches to all three living children of James Griffin and Rose Ann Fitzsimmons.

Have I exhausted all avenues for research in Co Down?

I am coming to Ireland this Friday but in Co Down 21-27 May 2026.

Many thanks

Kathryn Barrett

Kathryn Barrett

4 replies

What denomination were your Griffin ancestors?

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Elwyn

They were Catholics.

Kathryn

Kathryn Barrett

Kathryn,

John Griffin’s marriage and James baptism are long before the start of civil registration in Ireland (1864). So you won’t find birth and marriage certificates for these events. Prior to that we rely a lot on church records but sadly in the case of Dromore, Co Down the RC baptism records don’t start till 1823 and marriages and death 1821. (No RC records prior to the 1820s is fairly common).

There are quite a few Griffins in Dromore on this Co Down website but I have no obvious way of saying whether they might be related to your family.

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~rosdavies/genealogy/SURNAMES/G/GriGy.htm 

Few other useful sources exist for that period, especially for a labourer. They often moved around a lot (to follow the available work) and can be especially difficult to trace.

Possibly DNA testing may be a way of matching with others who have additional information about where the family originate. Family Tree DNA reportedly has more people with Ulster roots than any other company. That obviously increases the chances of finding a match. You might want to try them or, if you have already tested, you can transfer your results for no fee.

The North of Ireland Family History Society is running an Ulster DNA project and can offer FTDNA testing kits at a reduced price.  http://www.nifhs.org (Go to DNA project on the website).

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks so much for your help Elwyn.

I'll keep hoping for that elusive DNA match to take the search back another generation.

And thanks for the other suggestions which I will investigate.

Kind regards

Kathryn Barrett

Kathryn Barrett

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