My great grandfather Joseph Laffin was born in County Down in 1833. His parents were William Laffin and Jane Reid. He had at least one brother, William and they both migrated to Victoria, Australia in the 1850s gold rushes.
Joseph Laffin, farmer, is listed arriving in Melbourne on the vessel "Nabob" in 1854. He is next mentioned in 1861 as owning a dam at Break O'Day gully near Rokewood, Victoria that fed water via a race for miners to wash gold.
In 1864 he advertised in the Melbourne newspaper The Argus for his brother William Laffin to contact him.
Joseph lived at Corindhap near Ballarat, and married three times. His last wife Margaret Moroney of Bruff, Limerick was the mother of his seven children: Hugh (1868), John (1870), Joseph (1872), Isabella (1874), William (1876) and Andrew (1881). He also had a step-daughter Mary Ann Brunke (1864) from his wife's first marriage.
Joe died in 1906.
Monday 10th Dec 2012, 02:21AM
Message Board Replies
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Is 1933 supposed to be 1833 maybe ?
Mallow Cork
Friday 28th Dec 2012, 01:26PM -
Yes, 1833 is correct. Not sure how to amend the original statement but will try.
Do you have an interest in the LAffin family?
Saturday 5th Jan 2013, 06:26AM -
Hello -
My 6 x great grandfather was Joseph Laffins from Co Down. He went to Australia with his wife and children in 1839. He was a wheel wright.
Joseph had two sons who stayed in Ireland. The first, William, went on to Scotland and then USA with his wife, Mary. The second, Joseph, from whom I am descended, stayed in Co Down. He married Elizabeth Jane Hamilton from Derryneil.
I think the elder Joseph was a brother of William who married Jane Reid.
Heather
Friday 4th Aug 2023, 05:36PM