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Thanks very much for the links... I have had a quick look through the search indexes and no luck so far....  I see it says the navy didn't keep records for ordinary sailors at this time so that is a disappointment. I will keep looking. Thanks again.

These might help
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-soldiers-up-to-1913/
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/royal-navy-ratings-before-1853/

Hello everyone. I am not sure if this question is in the right section here so apologies if it is not.

I have come across a bit of a puzzle in my family history research; my ancestors were all very ordinary, very poor folk so apart from parish, census and BMD records there is very little information available on them. Most of my ancestors had children every year or every few years but in the case of my 5x great grandparents there are some strange gaps in the births of their children. Here are the details:

My 5 x great grandfather was Michael GRIFFITHS... as best I can tell he was probably born about 1741 in Mitchel Troy, near Monmouth, Wales. He married Elizabeth BROWN in Gloucester in 1768 and the family continued living in Gloucester from that point on, although I have been unable to identify a burial for Michael (bn 1741.. died ?). Their parish marriage record shows them as 'full age' and 'of this parish'.

In 1769 they had a daughter, Elizabeth, who became my 4 x great grandmother. In 1781 they had a son, Michael, who died in infancy, and in 1786 they had a daughter, Susannah, who also died in infancy.

That's a 12 year gap between their first child and their second, and a further 5 year gap between their second and third child.

I have trawled through all the various parish records and neighbouring parishes and can find no other children at all.

I was wondering whether Michael Griffiths (bn 1741) may have been serving in the army or navy during this period, which may account for the strange gaps in between the birth of his children?

Unfortunately I can't find any military records online or locally that answers my question.

Do any of you have any suggestions as to how I can further my research?

Thanks,

Bryan Griffiths.

Hello All......  I have had a couple of thoughts this afternoon regarding Michael Griffiths; firstly MY Michael Griffiths had three children in Gloucester, Elizabeth (named after his wife), Michael (named after himself), and Susannah (named after? There are no Susannahs in the family unless she is named after Michael's mother, Hannah?)   so, point number 1 is this; was Hannah Coley known as Susannah at some point?     

My second thought is this; my main reason for thinking that Michael was away from Gloucester a lot is the unusual gaps in the birth dates of the children born in Gloucester but I suddenly realised I may have been wrong to make that assumption, because this is the late 1700's there are no census records to confirm the numbers of children it is entirely possible that Michael AND his wife Elizabeth AND their children were all away together and they could have had other children - I only ever checked the Gloucester parish records, I never checked Monmouth records to see if they had children together there in the 'missing' years away from Gloucester.....   this could explain Michaels burial in Monmouth after which perhaps Elizabeth and the children moved back to Gloucester.....   so point number 2 is this: are there any children in the Monmouth parish records born to Michael Griffiths and Elizabeth between 1768 and 1801?   

Any thoughts anyone?

You ask 'why Monmouth if he had a wife and child in Gloucester?'....  I have asked myself the same question, and I don't have an answer....  all I can speculate is that the marriage between Michael and Elizabeth in Gloucester was an 'unusual' one in so much as there are very distinctive gaps between the children, most unusual for families of that time...  it would seem to make sense that 'Michael' was not spending all his time in Gloucester, whether he was in the army, navy, or prison I don't know.... I have searched prison records, and all the parish records for Gloucester, and I can find no trace of Michael at all other than his marriage in Gloucester in 1768....  so, why Monmouth, why not is all I can say. The marriage may have broken down in some way and he returned to family in Monmouth...   unfortunately I don't have the answers and probably never will...   

I have spent 20 years on and off trawling through Gloucester Parish Records for the elusive Michael Griffiths but all to no avail; I can only find his marriage to Elizabeth Brown. Interestingly perhaps is what can NOT be found; I haven't found any other Michael Griffiths who could fit the bill except for the Mitchel Troy one.... I have made a decision! Although I can't prove it conclusively I feel that, on the balance of probabilities and in the absence of evidence one way of the other, the Mitchel Troy Michael and the Gloucester Michael are almost certainly the same person...  I am happy to amend that train of thought if new evidence comes to light of course...