Re: Robert Giffin from Ireland
-
In reply to:
Re: Robert Giffin from Ireland
Judy McKinley 9/30/00
Hugh Giffen & Agnew
There seems to be a large misunderstanding with several separate families claiming immediate descent from Hugh Giffen & ___ Agnew. The following hopefully proves the rightfull descendants.
Hugh Giffen came to Ireland about 1730 from Giffen in Ayrshire. Family sources (McKinney Family of Sentry Hill, Carnmoney Co. Antrim) say he was a Montgomery of Giffen, and had adopted the name Giffen from his birthplace probably because of political unrest. According to B G de Montgomery in his book 'The Origin and History of the Montgomerys' (Blackwood and Sons Ltd 1948) the Montgomerys of Giffen descend from Sir John Montgomery (1360-1429). He had three sons: Alexander, his heir, Robert first Laird of Giffen and Hugh. Hugh Montgomery of Giffen was the ninth Laird; another Hugh Montgomery of Giffen was the tenth Laird; he and his sons are mentioned in a document relating to King James VI of Scotland in 1590. Giffen Castle in Ayrshire (between Beith & Dunlop) was the property of the Montgomery family till 1722. ('Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland' - Vol III page 191)
Martin and Strange in "Simon Giffin & His Descendants" (New York, 1971) say that the Giffins came from Ayrshire, Scotland, where they resided as early as 1625. Due to religious persecution they were driven from their Ayrshire homes, one branch going to Northern Ireland, another settling in the Province of Kintyre, Scotland, and still another emigrating to North America.
"A Topographical Description of Ayrshire" - In 1209, or shortly thereafter, land granted by Alexander de Nenham to the Monks of Dryburg was described as a part of the Territory of GIFFIN.Giffin land subsequently fell into the hands of the Crown through forfeiture, and by 1371 Hugh de Eglinton obtained a Charter from Robert II. John Montgomery of Eagleshame married into the de Eglinton family, and thus Giffin land was acquired by the Montgomerys.
It is likely that Hugh Montgomery (or an ancestor?) changed his name to Giffen, the name of the area in Ayrshire where he came from, when he came to Ireland in c1730. His many descendants lived in the Carnmoney area of Co. Antrim, just a few miles north of Belfast. Hugh Giffen married a Miss Agnew of Donegore (near Templepatrick Co. Antrim), whose family were kinsmen of the Agnews of Kilwaughter Castle (near Larne Co. Antrim). He was a land surveyor by profession, and rented a small farm in Ballyduff, Carnmoney on which he eventually settled in 1738. He had 7 children, 6 of whom were baptised in Carnmoney Presbyterian Church by the Rev John Thompson.
Children of Hugh Giffen & Miss Agnew:
William Giffen born 20 June 1734
Agnes Giffen bap 3 Sep 1738
Mary Giffen bap 5 Oct 1740
Elizabeth Giffen bap 2 Jan 1743/4 (Julian/Gregorian calenders)
Hugh Giffen bap 25 Mar 1744
Thomas Giffen bap 20 May 1747
Charles Giffen bap 14 Oct 1751
Records of Carnmoney Presbyterian Church give the following which can be assumed to be 2 brothers of Hugh Giffen:
James Giffen married Elizabeth Lynn on 8 Sep 1732. James had children:
Janet Giffen bap 16 Jan 1732/3
Andrew Giffen bap 14 Apr 1734
He is almost certainly the same James Giffen who married Frances Campbell
on 27 Jan 1735/6 and had children:
Alexander Giffen bap 24 Nov 1736
Martha Giffen bap 11 Jan 1739/40
Alexander Giffen bap 4 May 1740
John Giffen married Martha McCracken on 19 Oct 1749
Since there is no further record of the families of James and John in Ireland I would postulate that they and Hugh were brothers of Simon Giffen (c1711-1774) who left Ireland prior to 1738/9 for Boston or Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The other conflicting family:
William Giffin b.4 Jan 1725 Farlough Londonderry d.Pennsylvania
married Hannah Wilson b.c1730 Barberies Londonderry
LDS ancestral file claim William's parents to be
Hugh Giffin b.pre1699 Farlough Londonderry
and ____ Agnew b.pre1703 Farlough Londonderry
I find this very doubtful and would like to see some source material to back it up.
Alistair Giffin McCartney
Belfast, Northern Ireland
More Replies:
-
Re: Robert Giffin from Ireland
Judy McKinley 10/19/01
-
Re: Robert Giffin from Ireland
Judy McKinley 10/01/00
-
Re: Robert Giffin from Ireland
Amanda neal 10/08/01
-
Re: Robert Giffin from Ireland
Judy McKinley 10/11/01
-
Re: Robert Giffin from Ireland
Amanda neal 10/12/01
-
Re: Robert Giffin from Ireland
Judy McKinley 10/19/01
-
Re: Robert Giffin from Ireland
-
Re: Robert Giffin from Ireland
-
Re: Robert Giffin from Ireland
-
Re: Robert Giffin from Ireland