Mary (Griffen) West (abt. 1817 - 1890)

Born about 1817 in County Kerry, Ireland

Wife of William West — married 21 Feb 1841 in County Kerry, Ireland

Descendants

Died 13 Dec 1890 at about age 73 in Wellington, Ontario, Canada

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Biography

Mary Griffen was born in County Kerry, Ireland although it was said her family had come from Wales. ^[1] Her birth year was about 1817, an estimate supported by the Canadian census of 1851 and 1871. There is no known record of her birth or her parents names but the family appeared to be of the Roman Catholic faith, attending the congregation at Castlemaine, County Kerry.

Mary married William West in the Church of Ireland at Tralee on February 21, 1841. ^[2] In 1843 William and Mary emigrated to Canada, arriving in Quebec but quickly locating to Ontario. They arrived with their first son John, born in Ireland and whose parentage is discussed in more detail in the profile of her husband William.

Mary and William had eight children born in Canada; William, Joseph, Frances, Michael, James, Julia, Jeremiah and Robert.^[3]

The family spent 3 years in Wentworth County after arriving in Canada, followed by about 3 years in Guelph and then spent the majority of their working life on a farm in Garafraxa Township, Wellington County.^[4]. The growing family was captured in the census of 1851, 1861 and 1871, all in Ontario.

Later in life Mary may have become estranged from her husband and family. In the census of 1881 she is living with her daughter Julia in Elora, Ontario. ^[5] Husband William does not seem to have been enumerated in the census of 1881. He had sold his farm in 1877 to his sons and reputably moved to Paris, Brant County.

Mary died on December 13, 1890 as a resident of Guelph just after her husband's passing in Brant on November 3, 1890. She left a simple will that did not mention any of her family but named as her executor and heir a local businessman from Guelph named John Harris. Her estate was valued at $188.97 (cash in bank plus $10 worth of household goods and possessions.)^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Essex Ontario (Toronto, Ontario: J. H. Beers & Co., 1905), Page 631; digital images, Internet Archive (www.archive.org : accessed ; Biography of John West.
2. ↑ , "Church Records," database, Irish Genealogy, Irish Genealogy.ie (www.irishgenealogy.ie : accessed ), William West & Mary Griffen; m. 21Feb1841; Tralee, Kerry, Ireland.
3. ↑ Library and Archives Canada, "Library and Archives Canada, Census of 1861,", , Library and Archives Canada (: accessed ), William West and Garafraxa Wellington Canada West.
4. ↑ Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Essex Ontario (Toronto, Ontario: J. H. Beers & Co., 1905), Page 631; digital images, Internet Archive (www.archive.org : accessed ; Biography of John West.
5. ↑ Library and Archives Canada, "Library and Archives Canada, Census of 1881,", , Library and Archives Canada (: accessed ), Mary West and Elora Wellington Centre, Ontario.
6. ↑ Upper Canada Genealogy (Suite 2807, 33 Isabella Street, Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2P7), "West Family Research Report #1," Copy held by Donald A. Gibson Genealogical Collection; report prepared for Jenny Davin, [address for private use], Winnipeg, MB, 25 June 2013; copy privately held by Donald A. Gibson Genealogical Collection, address for private use], .

• Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Essex Ontario (Toronto, Ontario: J. H. Beers & Co., 1905), Page 631; digital images, Internet Archive (www.archive.org : accessed ; Biography of John West.