Griffith Owen Daniel (Gitto)

[welsh_angel]

Can anyone please help me find out what happened to Griffith Owen Daniel (known as Gitto to his family)?
My mum often talked about Gitto. Gitto was the son of my mum's father's sister, Mary Daniel, nee Humphreys. However, the information that my mum had was very sparse. She never ever met Gitto, as he emigrated before my mum was born,  but mum can remember her Aunty Mary talking about her son who "went to Australia". That was ALL she knew. I have, in the last few months, done some research on Gitto, and this is what I have discovered: Gitto was born in 1903 in Dery Street, in the Rhondda Valley. At the age of 23, Gitto sailed to Canada NOT Australia,  to live permanently with his aunt. A "Mrs Jones".  From the sailing details, I know that Gitto was a butcher when living in the Rhondda, and this is what he said he was going to do when he got to Canada. The address he was going to in Canada is given as 1458 Barton Street, Hamilton, Ontario. In 1924, Gitto married a Kathleen or Katherine Louise Barr. And that's the last I know of Gitto. If anyone can shed some light on what happened to Gitto and his wife, I would be extremely grateful.

[cosmac]

http://ocfa.islandnet.com/ocfa-search.php
There is a Griffith O. Daniel on the OCFA database for Hamilton.  Details on how to obtain the information from the headstone is found on the home page.  Privacy laws in Canada protect information that is publically available in other countries.

Debbie

[Jacquie in Canada]

The marriage registration for Griffith indicates he married Louisa Catharine Barr. At the website Debbie provided there is also an entry for Louise K. Daniel in the same cemetery so it would seem the information you found had reversed her given names.

Privacy laws in Ontario protect births from less than 100 years ago and deaths from less than 70 years ago so newspaper announcements may be the only way to know whether they had children. Perhaps the cemetery where Griffith and Louise are buried can provide dates of death so you can then attempt to find obituaries for them. Here's a link to the cemetery's website:
http://whitechapelmemorial.com/default.asp?mn=1.3

After you have the dates perhaps the Hamilton Public Library could help find obituaries. Here's a link to their website:
http://www.myhamilton.ca/public-library

There are others buried at the same cemetery with the Daniel surname however searches at Ancestry show they were much older than Griffith.

Jacquie

[welsh_angel]

Dear Jacquie, Debbie,

THANK YOU both. You don't know how much I appreciate what you have provided. I will certainly follow up what you've provided. Gitto was from a typical mining family. Times were extremely hard, especially in Wales, during the 1920s and 30s. Many left the Welsh Valleys to seek a better life in such countries as Australia, Canada and America. Gitto's mum was heartbroken that her son had gone to "Australia" and she spoke about him until her death. So, from what you have told me, Gitto and his wife appeared to have settled down in Canada, and died there, so if Louisa and Gitto had children, there could be relations of mine still there in Canada.

This is the song that reminds me so much of Gitto. It says so much about the Welsh Valleys during the years of great depression here in Wales.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LVRQE_4RVo&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL699236B247F4EC0A

[Brittney89]

The man you are talking about is my great grandpa. He had three
Sons and one daughter, my grandpa William Daniel was his youngest. He had his own butcher shop here on hamilton

[welsh_angel]

How fascinating. It said on "Gitto's" shipping record that he was going to Canada to live with his Aunt, a Mrs Jones. It also said he was going to work as a buther there. I would love to know more about Gitto's life in Canada, so any information you can provide, or if there's anything you want to know about your ancestors, just ask, and I will do my best to answer. Once again, thank you for replying to my request

[Brittney89]

So as you know he did come here to hamilton ontario, and he married louisa. His butcher shop was on kenilworth, it was opened from 1924-1929 because the depression started he lost everything and became a milk man from 1929-1939. He then went to work for joe nailer as a butcher from 39-1949. 1953-1956 worked brick laying then went back to nailers after joe nailer passed away and ran the company. He then had a few more jobs and retired at age 68 and he died when he was 70. His children are Hilda shes the oldest at 86 and has one daughter, gale who has 1 son and is a widow. Richard (known as earl) is 85 and doesn't have any kids and never was married, Owen (known as Danny) 83 is also a widower and has one son paul, who has 2 children and my grandpa William is 72, married to my grandma Carolyn Daniel, 5 children bettylou and susan are from a previous marriage and then Byron (my dad) he has 6 kids , mike who has 7 kids as well and lisa who has 3. He also has 2 great grandchildren.    There are many of us Daniels here that's for sure! any information you have of gitto or the family there would be great! My grandpa is amazed!

[valeriec]

Brittney89
If you make one more post, you will be able to use the Personal Message system to trade info on living family members. The PM system is accessed using the little green scroll under the user name of the person you want to contact. If you have trouble using it, someone on this site will help you.

Welcome to Rootschat.
Val

[welsh_angel]

Gitto's mum was Mary Daniel, nee Humphreys. Mary's brother Ellis, is my g.g grandfather. Mary was one of at least 6 children. Mary was born in Cardiganshire around 1875, and she was from a family of leadminers. Sometime in the 1880s, Mary's family moved to the Rhondda Valley, to seek work in the coalmines there. Mary married Griffith Daniel, and had at least 4 children, Margaret, David, Catherine, Grifith Owen (Gitto). My mum, who is 84, remembers her Aunty Mary, and mum remembers her saying that her son, Gitto had gone to Australia. Gitto's family remained in the Rhondda all their lives. Do you know if he ever returned to Wales?