Michael Griffin (.1750......1833.)

Back to . . . The New South Wales Corps. ( Rum Corps. ) "Renamed 102nd Regiment

Descendants

Some information was kindly supplied by. Susan Green ,Email address.......... greens@nss.aunz.net

 

Area Settled :

 

Children :

1 . Ann, Griffin (bapt 4/8/1784 in Gloucestershire. ....d)m 12. May 1800 Tomas Bates (b.1772.......d.17/12/ 1836 )

2 . Nathaniel Griffin (b 1788. ......d 2/6/1814)

3 . Thomas. Griffin (b.1789.at sea.... d.1811.) m 22/3/1810 St Phillips Sophie Grandue (b......d)

4 . Lydia Griffin (bapt 4/3/1794......d.)m John Benn (b.....d.)

History & Achievements :

 

Michael Griffin was born on 27th December 1750 in the County Galway in Ireland. He had very little

schooling and was apprenticed to a Corwainer (the old name for shoemaker). On 8th August, 1762 at the age of 11years & 8 mths he was taken into the British Army in the 42 Corps of foot as a drummer boy. Michael travelled to England with the regiment and served in many places. By the time he was full grown, Michael Griffin was described as being tall, 5ft 8in high, with sandy hair, a thin face, fair complexion and gray eyes. In 1780, Michael was posted in Gloucestershire in the Cotswold County, and there he met and wed Mary Amos. Whilst still in Gloucestershire Mary gave birth to their first child, Ann, she was baptised on the 4th August 1784 in Gloucestershire. After almost 23 years with the 42 Corps of foot, Michael was recruited as a private to the 2nd Guards of the 17th Corps of foot on the 21st July, 1785. They were posted in Dartford in Kent when their son Nathaniel was born in 1788. He was not to stay long with this Corps and on the 28th September, 1789 Michael joined the 102nd regiment of foot, who were to travel to the penal settlement of Port Jackson, to take over garrison duties from the Marines.

 

Mary was pregnant with there third child when they set sail from England with the third fleet on board the

ship "Britannia". During this voyage she gave birth to another son which they named Thomas. They arrived in New South Wales on 14th October, 1791. The "Britannia" also carried the long promised provisions that the colony were desperate for. Mary and Michael took to the task of raising their young family. Mary was to give birth to her last child on the 4th March, 1794. She was baptised Lydia. Mary never recovered fully from the birth and died on the 1st September, 1794 when Lydia was 6 months old.Michael was now left to raise four young children by himself. He applied for a grant of land which was granted to him by the acting Governor William Paterson. We find that Michael sold his land 1 yr later to a Mr James Bloodworth a First Fleet convict whose sentence had expired, for 3 English Pounds. At the time Michael's pay would have been 1 found 10 shillings per month. By 1796 Michael encouraged his eldest boy to enlist in the corps to become a Drummer Boy. Nathaniel was 7yrs and 9mths old. This sounds young to us today but we must remember that Michael himself was out working at a young age. Michael's other son had acquired himself a job as a labourer before he enlisted into the Corps in 1799. He was 8yrs and 8mths old. The following year Ann married Tomas Bates a solider of the Corps at St. Phillips church in Sydney Town. In 1807 the regiment gave the boys descriptions as: Nathaniel Griffin, 18 years, height 5ft 4 1/2 ins, long face, dark complexion, grey eyes, light brown hair. Thomas Griffin, 16 years, height 5ft 8in, round face, fair complexion, hazel eyes, light brown hair. Michael spent his last years in the Veteran's Corps, at Sydney, Parramatta and finally in 1809 at Windsor. Young Thomas was to wed in 1810 a Sophie Grandue at St Phillips in the 22 March. His father witnessed the union along with a Thomas Tabeer. But young Thomas did not live very long after that and died the following year in February 1811. Leaving no children. Nathaniel lived only another 3 years and died unwed on 2nd June, 1814. Lydia met and wed a prominent convict settler who made good. His name was John Benn and they wed in Pitt Town. Michael left the army in 1823 after serving a record term of 61 yrs. he went to live with his daughter Lydia and died on 20 the February, 1833 at Windsor.

References

Military records  ,Pay rolls, Pay Musters, Cemetery Records, Church Records & General Muster Records, Mitchell Library ,Sydney Australia

The information is intended for short Historical value only,

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