Henry Griggs (1834 - 1907)

Born 17 Jul 1834 in Soho, Middlesex, England

Ancestors

Husband of Frances (Gillham) Griggs — married 22 Jun 1858 in Margate, Kent. England

Descendants

Died 10 Aug 1907 at age 73 in Torbanlea, Queensland, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Dennis Steley [send private message]

Biography

Henry was born in 1834.

England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975

Name: Henry Griggs

Event Type: Christening

Event Date: 14 Apr 1837

Event Place (Original): Saint Johns Hawley Square-Wesleyan, Margate, Kent, England

Gender: Male

Birth Date: 17 Jul 1834

Father's Name: Stephen Griggs

Mother's Name: Ann Hewitt ^[1]

England and Wales Census, 1851

Name: Henry Griggs

Event Place: St John The Baptist, Kent, England

Registration District: Isle Of Thanet

Gender: Male

Age: 16

Occupation: Journeyman Baker

Birth Year (Estimated): 1835

Birthplace: Port Pool Lane, Middlesex

Relationship to Head of Household: Son ^[2]

England and Wales Census, 1861

Name: Henry Griggs

Event Place: England, United Kingdom

Event Place (Original): , Shipping At Sea And In Ports Abroad,

Gender: Male

Age: 26 Marital Status: Married

Occupation: Cook

Birth Year (Estimated): 1835

Birthplace: London, Middlesex ^[3]

1881 Census^[4]

Name Henry Griggs

Age 46

Estimated Birth Year 1835

Relationship to Head Head

Spouse Frances Griggs

Gender Male

Where born Soho, Middlesex, England

Civil parish Newnham

County/Island Kent

Country England

Street Address Newnham Street

Marital Status Married

Occupation Baker

Registration district Faversham

ED, institution, or vessel 4

Neighbors View others on page

Piece 971

Folio 46

Page number 10

Household members

Name Age

Frances Griggs 50

Henry Griggs 46

William Marsh 26

Frances Emma Griggs 21

Henry Thos. Griggs 20

Sarah Jane Griggs 14

Rhoda Annie Griggs 10

Frederick Stephen Griggs 8

Eliza Sebinah Griggs 6

The Griggs Family^[5] The Griggs Family came to Australia} from Kent in England in three stages. Firstly in 1887 two of the older daughters, Frances (Fanny) and Rhoda (Rho) arrived in Maryborough, Queensland on 21 March 1887 on the ship Eastminster.

Then a couple of months later the elder son, Henry Thomas (Tom) (aged 26), who was listed as single and a Baker by profession, arrived on the ship Downda.

The rest of the family came over on the ship Caroba in 1889. These were Henry'‘' (54), Frances (58), Sarah (22) Sebina (15), Clara (4) and Fred (16). Henry Griggs was a Baker in Kent born on 17 July 1834 and baptised at Margate in Kent on 14 April 1837, Son of Stephen Griggs and Ann Hewitt. He married Frances Gilham (b 3 Sep 1830 at Hernehill, Kent) on 22 June 1858 at Margate, Kent.

After Arriving in Australia they moved to the small mining town of Torbanlea north of Maryborough and about 3 miles south of Howard. The house they lived in was later owned by their granddaughter Stella and her and husband Ernie Wilson lived there all their married life.

Henry and Frances Griggs died in 1907 within a week of each other after contracting Influenza. They were buried in the Maryborough Cemetery in the same grave as their son Fred and son-in-law Amos Gambie (victims of the Torbanlea mining disaster in 1900).

Griggs Grave at the Maryborough Cemetery. Henry and Frances Griggs, Frederick Stephen Griggs and Amos Gambie.

Unfortunately, we have no photos of Henry and Frances. No doubt there would have been some taken in the 18 years they were in Australia but none seem to have survived. My brother Stephan and I visited Stella Wilson's daughter Lorna and her husband Milton Bowd in the mid 1980's to see if they had any but apparently the box containing all the photos they had inherited got wet and all the photos were thrown out the previous year. As Stella and Ernie, her parents, lived their lives in the old Griggs house, it's possible there were more Griggs photos there.

Death and Burial

He passed away in 1907.

QLD Death Certificate #59305 - 1907 ^[6]

Burial^[7]

Name: Henry Griggs

Event Type: Burial

Event Date: 12 Aug 1907

Event Place: Maryborough, Queensland, Australia

Age: 74

Birth Year (Estimated): 1833

Sources

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NPZ8-V19 : 21 March 2020), Stephen Griggs in entry for Henry Griggs, 1837.
2. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGLG-WRC : 9 November 2019), Henry Griggs in household of Stephen Griggs, St John The Baptist, Kent, England; citing St John The Baptist, Kent, England, p. 23, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
3. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7YX-N36 : 24 October 2019), Henry Griggs, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
4. ↑ 1881 England Census
5. ↑ "A History of The Steley Family in Australia" by Stephan and Dennis Steley
6. ↑ https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/
7. ↑ "Australia, Queensland, Maryborough Public Records, 1847-1989," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WN-37M2 : accessed 21 June 2020), Henry Griggs, 12 Aug 1907; citing Burial, Maryborough, Queensland, Australia, Maryborough City Hall; FHL microfilm 1,560,091.