Calling all Gribbins, Gribbens and Gribbons to Ballinascreen

While the popularity of family history as a hobby seems to grow continually, those studying their genealogy often like to explore the wider story of their particular surname.

At Ballinascreen Historical Society’s next meeting John Gribbin, from Belfast, will be explaining how he set about compiling a most comprehensive account of the Gribbin (Gribben/Gribbon) family.

He can trace his own family back to the early nineteenth century but has managed to set it within the wider Gribbin family.

He has trawled all the available sources, compiling the data in order to establish where all the Gribbins of the world were living during the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, what they were doing and their socio-economic status.

This becomes a rich tapestry which includes Catholic farmers, Protestant industrialists, reforming doctors, learned scribes, soldiers and rebels, reformers and priests – all caught up in the turbulent whirlwind of Irish history.

The Gribbin name is widespread throughout Mid-Ulster with a high concentration around the Castledawson/Toomebridge area.

A casual glance at a recent Mid-Ulster telephone directory reveals 45 families, having variations of the name, living everywhere from Bellaghy to Ballygawley.

In 2023 John Gribbin produced a stylishly written, well-illustrated book on his family name research.

In the book he draws evidence from DNA analysis, place-names, medieval manuscripts, census records and his own recollections.

It is a most attractive, hard-backed book of 330 pages and copies will be available for purchase at the meeting.

It is anticipated that there will be a large attendance at the meeting on Tuesday, November 4 at 8pm.

The venue, as usual, will be the Workspace Community Hub at 50 High Street, Draperstown and everyone will be welcome.

You don’t have to be a Gribbin, or a Gribben, or a Gribbon to attend; but, of course, John’s presentation will be of particular interest to those of that name, or those having Gribbin ancestry.