Jaffray/stacey - Birmingham 1850's

[Jo from Aus]

Hi Folks, First time here, if I commit any faux pas please forgive. I started life as a Jaffray, and we can trace Dad's family back to the Great King St Chapel where they left (George Jaffray, we think) for Australia, alongside the Stacey clan from the same church, c1853. The Staceys then intermarried with "the Jaffs" for 5 more generations and the families were close, ending with my Dad starting work in Sydney with Stacey Engineering (world leaders in their field at the time) in 1964. Fast forward to 2002, when after nearly 40 years a chance meeting at our new church between my organ playing husband and the warden Geoff Stacey re-established the relationship and we have been comparing family histories even since. Geoff is now 94 and we are trying to find any info on the Jaffray/Staceys prior to emigration in early 1850's together. If we can find any connections, happy to provide the Australian "post emigration" history....

 

[Astoness]

hello jo and welcome to the forum...hopefully someone can help you with info prior to the 1850s fingers crossed

all the best

lyn

 

[Lady Penelope]

Hi Jo, don't worry about faux pas - I've committed a few of those and nobody minds! It's all a learning curve isn't it? I'm actually posting to see if you are related to the Jaffray of Jaffray Hospital, road and school all in Erdington, Birmingham? His name was John and was a newspaper man and philanthropist. Don't know much about him at the moment but he might be worth considering. Or perhaps you already have?

 

[Jo from Aus]

Hi Lyn, thanks, yes, pics would be awesome. I spoke to Geoff and he sent me the 200yr old family recipe for Xmas pudding - "with brandy for preservative purposes", which made me LOL because my research suggests Great King St Chapel was a temperance chapel! As to being one of THOSE Jaffrays, that's actually part of what I'm trying to find out, Lady P. I suspect so, but I'm missing the linking bits at the Birmingham end (yeh, and clearly on the poor side of the family if it was, John's son (William?) went to Canada and started the Piper Jaffray merchant bank, which is huge wordwide). I was told that the Jaffs came to Birmingham from Aberdeen, and while there are plenty of Jaffs up there I can't find those linking bits either. Geoff also suggested I mention the Sansomes - it seems that was also a strongly intermarried family with the Jaff/Staceys including prior to emigration and also on arrival in Aus. Seems that families at Great King St were VERY close!
In the meantime, I'm trying to find a way to get to Birmingham and stand on Jaffray Rd, outside Jaffray playing fields and get a picture. There are almost no Jaffs in Aus (only one other line) and my line dies out with me....

 

[MWS]

The only Jaffray in the Birmingham area around 1850/60 is probably the John Jaffray you mention, who was a newspaper editor/owner and magistrate living in Edgbaston and who married Hannah Munton in 1850 Manchester.

His father is listed as John Jaffray as well and there are a couple of John Jaffrays son of John baptised in Aberdeen about the right time. Both appear to have a brother named George, one baptised 1816 and the other 1828.

And incidentally I played football on Jaffray playing fields a number of times at school.

 

[Jo from Aus]

There is more to the Jaff story, I suspect. Two Johns and two Georges might explain it. We had the history box out last weekend (Happy Mothers Day to those who observe the Aus date!) and we have the farewell book (hand illuminated) given to Edward Sansome on the occasion of his leaving the People's church for Aus circa 1859. We know the Jaffs left early 1850's and Staceys only slightly later. Our George was reputedly the first jeweller in Sydney, with offices in the CBD, handmaking neckchains according to "the English style". If there are any records or archives re "the John Jaffrays" then I'm happy to go look, I just don't know where. Thanks to all who are helping, it's fun to meet you all! Will go hunting in the BRM phone book for Jaffs, Staceys or Sansomes, methinks. If anyone wants to track down rellies in Aus, happy to help where I can...