Griffin/Saunders Family of Knocknaboley Wicklow

It is likely that Jane is the daughter of James Saunders of Knocknaboley, County Wicklow. The Tithe Applotment for Knocknaboley of 1824 lists a Andrew Saunders as living there. The Coolatin Estate records in the National Library of Ireland establish that, in 1805, Andrew had received a lease whose longevity was based on the life of his son James, who was 14 in 1805. James was the only Saunders in Knocknaboley listed in the estate census of 1827. He was living on his father's original lease and this was also true in the 1839 tenant census. Jane was born about 1821 and married Thomas Griffin of Knocknaboley in 1844 (probably) in Kilcommon Parish whereupon she and Thomas immigrated to Cartwright Township, Durham County, Ontario in 1851.

In the 1851 and subsequent censuses we find that James Saunders, born in 1791, and his wife have also moved to Cartwright in 1847 and his death record confirms he was from Wicklow. (His death was witnessed by a Mr. Thomas Darcy. The estate records for Knocknaboley show that the Darcy and Griffin families were neighbors in Ireland.)

Thus it appears that Thomas and Jane followed her folks to Durham Co Ontario from Knocknaboley.