Who Do You Think You Are - Dev Griffin 13th July - Genealogists' Forum

kiterunner · #1 12-07-23, 21:40

On BBC1 at 9 p.m. and repeated next Wednesday at 11:10 p.m.

Ann from Sussex · #2 13-07-23, 11:27

Another one who I have never heard of so don't know what his claim to fame is. I see he has Irish roots, something which always interests me because I do too.

kiterunner · #3 13-07-23, 11:52

I just realised that I actually do know who Dev Griffin is because he used to be on a CBBC show called "Smile" that my daughter used to watch. But he was called DJ Devstar then.

Margaret in Burton · #4 13-07-23, 11:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ann from Sussex

Another one who I have never heard of so don't know what his claim to fame is. I see he has Irish roots, something which always interests me because I do too.

He did Strictly a year or so ago

Ann from Sussex · #5 13-07-23, 15:35

I don't remember him in Strictly but I haven't watched it for the last couple of years.

kiterunner · #6 13-07-23, 22:17

Episode summary:

Dev Griffin (short for Devin) is the youngest of four siblings. His mother Maggie Griffin raised them as a single mother in North London. He didn't see much of his father, Rodney Riley, when he was growing up.

Maggie went to see Dev at his home in Enfield and showed him some old photos of herself, her siblings Sheila, Mickey, Simon and Cathy and her parents Michael Griffin and Jeanne Griffin nee Weafer. They all moved to England from Ireland in the early 1950's. Michael, who came from Kilkee, County Clare, died when Dev was a baby. Maggie showed him Jeanne's birth certificate which said that she was born in County Dublin in 1926. Her parents were Francis (Frank) and Margaret Weafer. Francis had a brother called Patrick Weafer.

Dev went to Dublin and met a genealogist who had been researching the Weafer family. The 1911 Irish census showed the family living in Maynooth, with Thomas Weafer (Dev's 2xg-grandfather) aged 55, his wife Julia, and several children including Patrick aged 21 and Francis aged 13. A witness statement from 1916 about the Easter Rising said that Patrick offered to serve in the Irish Volunteers who were marching from Maynooth to the GPO in Dublin. Dev went to the GPO and met an historian who told him that it was one of the key buildings occupied by the rebels in the Easter Rising, and showed him more of the witness statement, which said that Patrick and the other men from Maynooth volunteered to go to rescue some rebels who were cut off at City Hall. Dev went to City Hall and met another historian who showed him Patrick's military pension record which included his memories of the Easter Rising, saying that he ended up at the Royal Exchange Hotel and was ordered to go up on the roof, where he was fired upon and went down to get help for a wounded man named Walshe who died from his wounds. A prison record showed that Patrick was sentenced to 2 years with hard labour in Mountjoy Prison for his part in the rebellion, but only served 6 months. Dev then went to Collins Barracks and met an historian who showed him a list of members of the 1st Battalion, Dublin Brigade of the IRA in 1921, which included Francis. Dev was shown another witness statement which said that Francis / Frank was in the Cyclist Corps which was used to deliver intelligence messages during Ireland's war of independence.

Dev then went to Kilkee and met an historian in a pub which was once run by his (Dev's) great-grandfather's brother-in-law. The historian showed him a book written in Gaelic by a local writer about his experiences in the early 20th century, including his meeting with Seamus Mor O'Griofa, i.e. James Griffin, Michael's father, who didn't speak much Gaelic when they met but was trying to learn it and joined the Gaelic League. Another document showed that Seamus was a central figure in the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), a forerunner of the IRA. Dev then went to O'Curry College in nearby Carrigaholt and met the principal, who told him that the college was set up to teach young people the Irish language and showed him that James Griffin was one of the trustees who signed the deed of sale when they bought the building in 1913.

Dev then returned to London to meet up with his Dad Rodney, who showed him some old photos. Rodney said that he came to England from Jamaica at the age of 18, some of his close relatives having arrived before him. He showed Dev photos of his father Martel Riley, a tailor, and his mother Linda Brown, and said that he was brought up by his uncle and aunt, Nehemiah and Rose Brown, and that most of his family were now in Florida, including his sister Vevine, who was about to fly to Jamaica to meet Dev there. Dev went to Mount Moriah, a small village in St Ann Parish in Jamaica, where Rodney grew up. He met Vevine at the village school and she showed him Rodney's school admission record, which said that he was born in 1941, admitted in 1949, and left when he was 15. Rose was down as his guardian. Vevine said that Nehemiah and Rose adopted Rodney as they had no children of their own, and that he was called Rodney Brown when he lived with them. She told Dev that Martel's parents were worshippers at the local Baptist church, so he went there and met the pastor who showed him Martel's birth certificate, dated 1922 and naming his parents as Joshua Riley and Anneatha (Annie) Riley nee Thompson. The Minutes of the Church Meetings from 1900 showed that Annie Thompson was suspended from membership for 2 months for attending a dance, at the age of 20, and the minutes from 14th Jan 1901 showed that Joshua and Annie were excluded from the church for fornication. The pastor said that this was very common in those days if couples couldn't afford to get married, and showed him the birth certificate of their son Alpheus, who was born on the 12th Feb 1902. Annie Thompson was shown as mother and Joshua Riley as the informant. The minutes showed that Annie's church membership was restored on the 8th May 1907, Joshua's on the 10th Jul 1907, and that they got married at the church on the 9th Oct 1907. Their fathers' names were William Riley and William Thompson. A history of the church showed that Joshua became a deacon. Dev went to visit Joshua's grave, and saw on the gravestone that he was born in 1884 and died in 1968. Annie's grave was next to Joshua's. He met a second cousin named Carl.

kiterunner · #7 13-07-23, 22:18

Strangely enough, my OH and I had just been watching part of a film called "The Ghost of Richard Harris", the part about how he used to visit Kilkee for three months every year and used to swim across the bay there.

I wonder what all Dev's ancestors who fought for Irish independence thought (or would have thought) of their descendants emigrating to England?