GRIFFIN / GRIFFINS – Thomas 50th and 95th Regiment

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Name	GRIFFIN Thomas
Regiment (s)	50th and 95th Regiment
Regiment Number (s)	899 / 861
Date/Age/Place/Trade or Profession at Attestation	17th January 1831 / 18 years / Templemore Tipperary Ireland Labourer
Description – Height Complexion/Eyes/Hair/Scars	5 Ft 9¾ in Fair / Hazel / Grey / None
Overseas Service/Duration	Ceylon – 8 years Hong Kong – 3 years 5 months
Length of Service	21 years 244 days
Rank/Date/Place of Discharge	Private / 14th September 1852 / Chatham Kent England
Campaign Medals	None
Intended Residence at Discharge	Newbridge Kildare Ireland
Pension Districts	1852 Carlow 1853 Western Australia 1856 Van Dieman’s Land 1856 – 1879 New South Wales
Pension Paid	1/0 per diem
Date of Departure and Place England or Ireland	26th April 1853 London England via Cork and Rio de Janeiro
Ship and Date of Arrival Western Australia	ROBERT SMALL 19th August 1853
Date/Place of Birth	c1813 Evera Neddeen Kerry Ireland
Date/Place of Baptism	Not yet known
Father Date/Place of Birth	Not yet known
Mother Date/Place of Birth Marriage	Not yet known
Siblings	Not yet known
1^st Wife Date of Birth or Baptism	UNKNOWN Mary (Bridget) b1812 Cork, Ireland
Date/Place of Marriage	Not yet known
Children by 1^st Wife	Mary (Bridget) b 1835, Newbridge, Kildare, Ireland M McKAY Robert 28th November 1854 Fremantle Western Australia
Father of 1st wife Date/Place of Birth	Not yet known
Mother of 1st wife Date/Place of Birth Marriage	Not yet known
Land Grants Western Australia	None
Occupation after Arrival	Warder 1854-1856
Newspaper Articles	The South Australian register Tuesday 25th March 1856 page 2 Thane of Fife Passenger list
Departure from Western Australia	1856 to South Australia departed Fremantle 6 March 1856 per The Thane of Fife arriving South Australia 18th March 1856 1856 to Van Diemen’s Land via South Australia 1865 to Van Diemen’s Land 1871-1879 New South Wales
Date/Place of Death/Burial	Not yet known
Date/Place of Death/Burial Wife	1853 Both Mary Griffin and daughter Mary Griffin signed testimonial for the surgeon on the Robert Small An Anna Maria Griffin died 6 July 1854 and was buried at St. Patricks Cemetery Skinner Street Fremantle WA. If it was Thomas’s wife it would account for him sailing on the Thane of Fife with his daughter and son-in-law. There was also a J. McKay on the same ship and may have been another child John Edward who the Bi-Centennial Dictionary said died 1858-no place given.
Will or Probate	None known
Further Information	British Army worldwide Index 1841 861 95th regiment location Colombo, Ceylon 1851 861 95th regiment location Winchester and Portsmouth, England Discharge: Worn out from length of service In the 1851 census Thomas Griffin is a soldier at the Anglesey Barracks Portsea Island, Hampshire. He is aged 39, married, a soldier of the 95th regiment, born Neddeen, Kerry Ireland. Amongst the families is a Bridget Griffin age 39, born Cork and a daughter also Bridget age 16 born Newbridge Kildare, Ireland. As no other Griffin was recorded as being a married man with the 95th either the Christian name was recorded incorrectly or they decided to change their name before coming to Western Australia. 1853 Both Mary Griffin and daughter Mary Griffin signed testimonial for the surgeon on the Robert Small Thomas was one of the pensioners employed by the Convict Establishment without the sanction of Captain Bruce His son-in-law Robert McKay was also a warder and resigned about the same time as Thomas The passenger list of the Thane of Fife has a T. Griffiths, and R and M McKay.