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James GRIGGS
1837 - 1912 (~ 75 years)
Has 9 ancestors and 14 descendants in this family tree.
Set As Default Person 
-
Name James GRIGGS Relationship 
with Teresa Ann GOATHAM Born Dec Q 1837 Mutrix, Margate, Kent, England 
- Abt 1840 from the 1881 census where shown as aged 40, but about 1837 from age on marriage PR entry, shown as 25.
In the 1871 census he is shown as Mutrix rather than Margate - he or whoever was the informant gave precise information for other members of the household too, and Mutrix is the name of a farm and small hamlet that was just north of Garlinge, in 1837 part of St. John's in Thanet parish. The location of Mutrix can be seen on this old map.
GRO ref: Griggs, James q4 1837 I of Thanet RD 5 341; GRO online index shows mother's maiden name as Adams
Baptised 24 Dec 1837 St. John the Baptist Church, Margate, Kent, England - From PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 16 Jul 2019)
Shows James, son of William and Martha, father a labourer(though there was a burial of a James Griggs shown as an index as aged 0 - the very next day this was in Stourmouth, and a James Griggs had been baptised there in June 1837, so it was probably that James; there is no reason to think the burial was the one baptised as shown here for this James)
Gender Male Education 1851 Scholar - According to the census
Residence 1861 Bridge No. 12, Masbrough, Kimberworth, Yorkshire, England - With grocer and tea dealer (and widow) Mary Hickmott, her partner and family, as a servant in the 1861 census. Interestingly the Partner and another servant, both of whom shared Mary's surname and so were probably relatives of her husband were, like James, born in Kent (in Marden in their case), so I guess it was through knowing them or a relation of theirs that James got a job in Yorkshire.
Occupation 1861 Grocer's Traveller - At the time of the census
Occupation 1862 Margate, Kent, England Baker - Described as a baker in the PR entry for his marriage
Occupation 1871 Margate, Kent, England Carriage Proprietor Residence 1881 4, Albert Place, Ramsgate, Kent, England Occupation 1881 St. Lawrence in Thanet, Kent, England Photographer Occupation 1901 Sandwich, Kent, England Confectioner - Shown as an employer in the census. Present in the house and presumably working for him were his daughter Maude, shown as a shop assistant, another shop assistant, 22 year old Alice Maud Dillon and baker 20 year old Jack Hancock, the last two both being shows as servants (in the 'relation to head of family' column)
Died 9 Aug 1912 Holly Lodge, Lower Whitfield, Dover, Kent, England - Found in the 1901 census so after that.
Not with his wife in the 1911 census, but she is shown as 'married' rather than a widow, also as 'wife' not 'head' in the 'relation to head of family' column, even leaving line 1 of the form blank, and the address page shows Mr Griggs as head of the household.It all says he was still alive and still lived with his wife, though absent on census night.
The best fit on age in Kent after 1911 was a James who died in Dover RD in 1912, but this is quite a distance from Snodland, where his wife and household are to be found in 1911.
GRO ref: GRIGGS, James q3 1912 aged 75 Dover RD 2a 1070
And this death seems likely as there was only one James Griggs died in the Dover area in 1912 and a probate index entry indicates that administration was granted to one William James Griggs; this was the name of James' oldest son.
Actual date and place from probate calendar entry.
Grant of Administration 16 Sep 1912 London, England Calendar entry - "Griggs James of Holly Lodge Lower Whitfield near Dover died 9 August 1912 Administration London 16 September to William James Griggs small holder.
Effects £992 15s. 5d. Resworn £812 15s. 5d."
Siblings3 brothers and 5 sisters Patriarch & Matriarch 
George GRIGGS, b. Abt 1744, d. 1784 (Age ~ 40 years) (Great Grandfather)
Martha HARLOW, d. Yes, date unknown (Grandmother)Person ID I28970 All | England: Kent Group (in Go(a)tham One-Name Study), All in the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study Last Modified 2 Aug 2019
Father William GRIGGS, b. 4 Oct 1812, St. Lawrence in Thanet, Kent, England , d. Jun Q 1851, Thanet Reg Dist, Kent, England (Age 38 years) Mother Martha ADAMS, b. Abt 1816, Margate, Kent, England , d. Mar Q 1854, Thanet Reg Dist, Kent, England (Age ~ 38 years) Married 12 Oct 1836 St. John the Baptist Church, Margate, Kent, England - From PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 17 Jul 2019)
Family ID F11175 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family 1 Mary Ann SOLLY, b. Abt 1836, Yorkshire, Northdown, St. Peters, Broadstairs, Kent, England , d. Jun Q 1892, Eastry Reg Dist, Kent, England (Age ~ 56 years)
Other Partners: Stephen EPPS m. 28 Jan 1855Married 11 Apr 1862 St. John the Baptist Church, Margate, Kent, England - GRO ref: Griggs, James to Epps, Mary Elizabeth q2 1862 Thanet RD 2a 993
Details from PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 16 July 2019)
With a mother's maiden name of Solly recorded in the birth registration for their children, I searched for the marriage of a James Griggs to a Mary Ann Solly, and similar. I found none, suggesting Mary had married under a different surname. Fortunately the 1881 census shows a daughter not found by searching for Griggs with a mother's maiden name of Solly. In her case the mother's maiden name was recorded as Epps. It is not uncommon for a woman's previous married name to be recorded instead of her maiden name, or if she was known by two names before marrying for both to be used on the registrations of birth of different children. With Mary most likely having married James as a widow I looked for a Mary Ann SOLLY to an EPPS and found the one shown here. This not only fits what I was looking for, but Stephen and Mary Ann are not found in the 1861 or subsequent censuses, suggesting the marriage was not a coincidence involving a different Mary Ann SOLLY. Also, looking for EPPS birth registrations with a mother's maiden name of SOLLY found just the one, so nothing to rule out Mary Ann as the one who married James. At the time of the 1861 census Mary Ann and her daughter were with her parents, in 1871 her daughter was still (or again) with them; again nothing to rule out Mary Ann wife of Stephen as the one who married James. The death of a suitably aged Stephen EPPS between 1855 and 1862 would add weight to my theory that the two Mary Anns are one and the same. However, there is none in the death registration index. At first I thought he was probably a marineror fisherman or similar and had died at sea - no body, no death registration (or burial). However, when he married Mary Ann he was recorded as a thatcher. So had he died? - that is, was Mary Ann free to remarry?
I returned to looking for the marriage of James Griggs, this time to a widow Mary Epps rather than a spinster Mary Solly. I found one which half fits: it records spinster Mary Elizabeth EPPS, daughter of Michael EPPS. Was this coincidence, the marriage of a different James Griggs (there were quite a few in the area). I don't think it was.
If the priest had mistakenly thought she was a spinster and recorded her as such and therefore assumed her father's surname this would not explain the middle name. Was she marrying bigamously and changing small details to hide this? I think she was.
My reasons for thinking Mary Ann who
1. Father's Christian name of Michael for both brides; not the commonest of names (both also record him as a labourer but this is so common it adds little weight to the argument)
2. A witness at both marriages was a Sarah Elizabeth Solly - Mary Ann Solly had a sister with this name, and most often witnesses were siblings.
3. In the 1861 census Mary Ann EPPS née SOLLY is living in Northdown Road; when she married 'Mary Elizabeth EPPS' place of residence is shown as Northdown.
3. I can find no other marriage of a James Griggs to a Mary Ann to fit.
4. I can find no baptism of an Mary Elizabeth Epps to fit.
5. If this marriage is the right one but spinster Mary Elizabeth EPPS is not really widow Mary Ann EPPS née SOLLY then why does she appear as Mary A in the 1871, 1881 and 1891 censuses?
Children5 children Last Modified 17 Jul 2019 Family ID F11166 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family 2 Louisa, b. Abt 1850, Sissinghurst, Kent, England , d. Jun Q 1912, Malling Reg Dist, Kent, England (Age ~ 62 years) Married Mar Q 1893 Eastry Reg Dist, Kent, England - GRO ref: Griggs, James to Smith, Louisa q1 1893 Eastry RD 2a 1193
Last Modified 17 Jul 2019 Family ID F11184 Family Group Page | Family Chart
- Abt 1840 from the 1881 census where shown as aged 40, but about 1837 from age on marriage PR entry, shown as 25.