One of the most identifiable names in this family tree is the Griffiths family. Apart from being a very Welsh name, its significance comes from the fact that most of them have the middle name of Lampen. Therefore following their progress becomes relatively easy. But the most asked question is: where does the name Lampen originate for this family?

My first notice comes from my great grandmother's, Ada Byles, siblings. Three of those have the Lampen name as a middle name. Their mother was Ellen Lampen Byles nee Griffiths. The more that was searched, the more Lampen Griffiths and variations appeared, e.g. Lampain, Lamper, Lampin, Lanper, Lampel and Lampon. The use of the Lampen name is found in quite a few families in the Portsmouth area. Mary Lampen Griffiths, born c1802, married William Adams and they had a daughter named Ellen Lampen Adams. And so this tradition continues from one family to the next, very few not doing so.

The tradition of giving surnames as middle names seems to stem from a need to carry on a maternal name which is deemed important. Hence this happens in many families seen in the census returns and parish records. So I needed to go back as far as possible to see if I could find this source. In the 1851 census I found Thomas Lampen Griffiths living with his son George Griffiths. It took a little while to prove that Thomas was indeed connected as he didn't have the Lampen name in the census. But since he was born in Devon and I am descended through John Lampen Griffiths who was also born in Devon, I knew there was a connection to prove. So by going through Thomas' children I came across the Lampen name. The only problem was that the wife of Thomas, Mary, also comes as Polly. But research tells me that Polly is a pet name for Mary. So it seems that she married as Polly, in the 1851 census is Mary and the 1861 census I find her as Polly again living with her married daughter Eleanor. Phew! So the marriage between Thomas and Mary (as Polly) is correct. But their eldest son John was born in Devon and they were married in Portsea, Hampshire. Not an unusual circumstance. William Byles, who married Ellen Lampen Griffiths, had their two eldest children born in Portsea (where they lived) but baptised in Powerstock, Dorset where he was from.

So all was needed now was to find Thomas' birth. There is a Thomas Lampen Griffiths baptised in Stoke Damerel (as also his son John) in 1777. His parents are John Griffiths and Mary. I believe Mary to be Mary Lampen, and there are a fair few Lampen's baptised in Stoke Damerel. So this seems to be the source of the Lampen Griffiths family. But not the end. A lady in Canada tells me that Thomas Lampen Griffiths, born c1804, emigrated with his wife and children in 1856 to Ontario then to British Columbia. I found a website on Malta Family History containing marriages of British Patriots. Amongst these are two daughters of James Paul Griffiths. James spent about 25 years in Malta. It is unknown whether there are any Griffiths still out there. Out of interest I Googled "Lampen Griffiths" and came across this Hawaiian marriage licence announcement in Starbulletin.com for 2002 - Noel Robert Lampen Griffiths and Susan Denise Seewerker. Could they have travelled any further, I wonder!

Update:

I visited a Genealogy Fair earlier this year (2007) and was told by a lady on the Devon FHS stall that Lampen is a very Cornish name.