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The Giffens you mention which are really Giffin and were Presbyterian. William Giffin & Jane Kenny married in High Kirk Ballymena 1853. They had 11 children with only 3 surviving to marry. They all emmigrated to USA on the State of Indiana arriving in New York on 17 Dec 1888 but all seem to have returned to Ireland except daughter Jane Simpson who stayed in Tennessee. This is the last record we have of William. By 1901 census wife Jane is recorded as a widow living back in Ballymena and as there is no death recorded of William in Ireland we can only assume he died in the USA. Jane Giffin nee Kenny died at Kells in 1907.

In the Ballyclug interment records which are shortly to be published on the Braid site, there are records of 95 Carsons buried between 1875-1972. Four of them have Duffin as a first name.

29 Feb 1876 Duffin Carson 26 Drumadaragh Kilbride
30 Mar 1883 Duffin Carson 28 Ballee Kells
24 Jan 1888 Duffin Carson 67 Farmer Ballee Kells
17 Aug 1948 Duffin Carson 98 Joiner Queen St Ballymena

There are no records of where they were buried so you might be able to narrow it down in the list of plot owners from c1875 which have 3 plots listed under Carson:

Jas. Carson, Ballylesson, 3 graves, South of Kanes H St, Old No.2, New No.39-41
Duffin Carson, Balle, 2 graves, at S. Wall, Old No.11, New No.not recorded
James Carson, Ballynulto, 14 graves, In trust, for right of interment of 26 Families, Old No.163, New No.176-189

Also Carson graves are marked on the new map at 175, 207, 532-3, 588 so that is 6 stones in total should be there although only 4 are in the Braid inscriptions (which are not always accurate).

New No. 532-3 is near the south wall so that is likely to be the plot registered for Duffin Carson. According to the new map it is in the far opposite corner from the entrance and to the right of a Walker headstone.

James Giffen of Albert Place Ballymena in the advert in Bassett's 1888 County Antrim directory is the brother of Martha Allan nee Giffin. He died in 1894, his wife and middle daughter having been killed in a storm in 1875 when a chimney fell on them. Their headstones in Cullybackey Reformed Presbyterian have both Giffin and Giffen but the family name of all the Ballymena ones is Giffin.

The Carrickfergus Giffen family are definitely 'en' and almost certainly descend from the Carnmoney Giffens who came from Ayrshire around 1730. The Ballymena Giffins (and Givens) are originally from Cullybackey and came there from Scotland in the 1740s. They may be connected back in Scotland but while in Ireland I am sure they were separate families.

Faith,

I think I have found him in the GRO deaths:

William McGiffin
died 16 July 1929
Carnbrock R.D. Ballycarry
bachelor 84 years
School Master (Retired)
Apoplexy certified
reg by Annie E Johnston, Niece, present at death, Carnbrock

This will be him and 2 brothers mentioned in the gravestones in Ballycarry:

[pair sandstone on plinth - south of south transept of old church]
Erected
to
the memory of
FRANCIS McGIFFIN
who died 21st February 1878
aged 36 years
and his Brother
WILLIAM McGIFFIN
who died 16th July 1929
aged 84 years

Erected
By his Brothers in memory of the
Rev. Alexander McGiffin, Minister
of the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian
Congregation of Ballymena
who died on the 24th October 1867,
only a few weeks after his Ordination
aged 30 years

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I can send you some photos I took of these headstones earlier this year.

He seems to be one of the last McGiffins in Ballycarry and his sister may be Margaret McGiffin d.16 Mar 1925 at Ballycarry, spinster, 79 years, daughter of a farmer, senile decay certified, reg by A J McConnell, cousin, present at death, Ballycarry. I can tell you my ideas about how these all fit into the other McG families.

Alistair McCartney