John Griffin of Tuam

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Hi Maureen,

The Milltown Heritage Society covers the history of Liskeevy Parish. They are an award-winning heritage society. On their website, it says that the O Donovan Field names have a Mr J Griffin as the landowner in 1838.

I attach a link to that article.https://milltown.galwaycommunityheritage.org/content/townlands/townlands-townlands/civil-parishes/parish-of-liskeevy/kilaphrasogue-2  

I looked in the wills and found a John Griffin Gentleman Tuam leaving his estate to a John Griffin Gentleman Dublin. I attach what I found. I do not know if it is the same person.

 

Kind regards

Anne McCarthy

Kilbeacanty Volunteer.

Hi, Anne.  I thank you sincerely for this very helpful information.  You have proven the value of two researchers, as I had missed the 1863 Wills Administrations when searching several years ago.   And the Milltown HS does an excellent job too.

• It’s highly likely that J. Griffin, Ballytranney/Ballytrasna/Ballintrasna (located in Tuam Parish) in the 1838 Kilphrasogue O’Donovan Field Names is the same as John Griffin the landowner in the 1825 Kilphrasogue TAB. 
• It’s rather likely to be the same John Griffin as held land in Ballymoat, Corloonroe, and West of Tuam  townlands in 1831 Tuam Parish TAB.
• It’s possible that this is the same John Griffin who died in Tuam in 1861, whose will administration was granted in 1863 to son John.

All this info ties together and gives me a more solid foundation on which to build.  Count me as very grateful.

Do you know if the O’Donovan Field Names 1838 is searchable online?  Or where it might be accessed?

Maureen

Hi Maureen,

Are you researching the family of John Griffin and Bridget Burke? At least some of their children were Patrick, John, Catherine, Louisa and Bridget. Two of the daughters became nuns. The family held land at Ballytrasna and also the Mitre Inn/Hotel in Tuam.

Their son Patrick became a wine merchant based in Cork, he married a Mary Waldon, father Thomas, mother Elinor Joyce. John became a stock broker in Dublin but I know nothing of the daughters.

If they are yours, I have a little more on Patrick but mainly have explored the Joyces.

Regards

Pete

A little more information on the family has surfaced. My attempts to attach documents to this have failed. Maureen, you mentioned that John Griffin held the townland of Corloonroe. That property was part of the marriage settlement between John Griffin and Bridget Bourke/Burke in 1814. If you can access Familysearch the Registry of Deeds version is here:  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSJW-H47K?i=267&cat=185720 It gives John Griffin and Elenor his mother, also Bridget Burke, widow of James Burke of Castleburke and their daughter Bridget, spinster. Various properties are also mentioned, including the Mitre Inn, Tuam. The Bourke ancestors were the Viscounts Mayo. James’ father Theobald was the eldest son but he forfeited the title as he was a Catholic. The viscountcy passed to his brother John who had no male heir, the title became dormant. There is a pedigree here: https://archive.org/details/irishpedigreesor02inohar/page/62/mode/2up?q=%22lords+viscount+mayo%22 James Bourke died in 1797, Bridget was a Kirwan, possibly from the Gardenfield family (Ballytrasna was formerly part of the Gardenfield estate). Marriage License date 1779. Admin. granted to Bridget Bourke, otherwise Kirwan, 26th February 1799. Aylmer Lambert Bourke was their son, a brother to Bridget the younger: http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/search/cwa/details.jsp?id=1639393036 A Mrs. Burke, relict of the late James Burke of Castleburke died in Galway town 1829.

As you know, John Griffin died in 1861 and his wife Bridget Bourke in 1847. Their son John of Dublin purchased Castlebourke in 1862: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSJ4-D919-G?cat=185720 Elenor Griffin died 13th September 1852 in Tuam, age given as both 110 and 114. Her husband Patrick of Tuam, Innholder; admin granted to Ellinor the widow, 7^th February 1787.

Another land transaction between Aylmer Bourke and John Griffin of Ballytrasna https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSJS-S9WS-G?cat=185720

Hope this may help.

Pete, this is tremendous information that you have discovered and shared.  I'm deeply indebted for your care and diligence.  The info here deserves a thorough review on my part, and I'm eager to leave not a stone unturned.  More later.  With thanks, 

Maureen

Hi Maureen, you may have this already. There is an article titled ‘The Kirwans of Galway City and County and of the County of Mayo’ which includes the Gardenfield family, p.401 at https://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/c/c7/Kirwan-221.pdf The family vault at Kilbannon cemetery has an inscription ‘Lord have mercy on the soul of Honoria Kirwan and family who departed this life, 27th August 1798 aged 80’. Through the fog I’ve been unable to pin Honoria to a husband but he may have been Richard, the father of Bridget (married James Bourke) and Robert Kirwan (d.1820). A Honora Bermingham married a Richard Kirwan of Gardenfield, date unknown. Others in the Kilbannon vault are listed at https://www.irishgraveyards.ie/search.php?area_id=12&yardid=128&lastname=kirwan&firstname=&address=&month=&year=  The ‘tree’ becomes clearer from James d. 3 Mar 1853 and his wife Rosalie Flanagan d. 2 Apr 1866.

BTW, the baptism of Pat Griffin shows his mother as Eliza; his brother John later confirmed Patrick Joseph’s parents as John and Bridget Griffin formerly Bourke. https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000632078#page/134/mode/1up The lineage of the Bourkes seems clear as mud. Martin J Blake’s version has Theobald, 7^th Viscount (married to Ellis Agar), death January 1741/2, succeeded by his only surviving brother John who ‘died without issue male surviving on the 12^th January 1768 since which time the Viscount Mayo Peerage has been dormant and is now deemed extinct’. Elsewhere, this Theobald’s two sons are stated to have ‘died young’. The only version I have seen which makes sense regarding the Bourke/Griffin connection is John O’Hart’s ‘Irish Pedigrees’. James Bourke was leasing Castlebourke from his first cousin once? removed Aylmer Bourke Lambert in 1794. Bridget, only surviving child of John Bourke married Edmund Lambert in 1758.  https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Lambert,_Aylmer_Bourke

Good luck with these families.

In addition. I should have read the Kirwan article more carefully and noticed on page 402 the succeeding owners. It appears that Honoria d.1898 was a Bermingham from Rosshill. https://landedestates.ie/property/544  Married to Richard who ‘granted the estate to a younger son, Robert’. Robert being the brother of Bridget (James Bourke). Honoria’s father is given as Thomas, third son of Edmond, 15^th Lord Athenry.

Hi, Pete. As you indicated, it is not easy to piece these Bourke-Griffin relationships together. I’m still struggling for accuracy. John and Bridget (Bourke) Griffin are of the greatest interest to me. In an earlier post you said you had more info on their son Patrick, who became a wine merchant in Cork. Yes, I would be keenly interested to see what you had learned about Patrick. If you would prefer to correspond by email, you may contact me at reed0113@umn.edu. Thank you sincerely for all your careful information. Maureen