| 22 Mar 1850 |
William Griffin is born in
Calton, Glasgow, Scotland to Irish immigrant parents.
|
| 1857 |
Charles Henry Stap is
born in London, England.
|
| 5 Dec 1871 |
Fifteen year old Charles Henry Stap is bound to a merchant seaman apprenticeship. He is assigned to the 438 ton barque Annie.
|
| 31 March 1873 |
The Annie is docked in Brisbane harbour after a 105 day sailing from London. Charles Henry Stap resigns his apprenticeship and
leaves the ship. (The Annie capsized in
Newcastle harbour a few weeks later with no loss of life.)
|
| 22 Sep 1873 |
Rachel Louisa Cooper
is born in New Hamburg (now Willyaroo), South Australia.
|
| 28 Sep 1877 |
William Griffin, able seaman, arrives in Port Melbourne on the Chimborazo and is promptly
brought before the Sandridge Police Court charged with
insubordination by the ship's captain, found guilty and sentenced to eight weeks hard labor in Pentridge.
|
| 20 Feb 1880 |
Rachel's mother dies in the
remote South Australian town of Gladstone. Rachel is 6 years old.
|
| 21 Dec 1884 |
Charles Henry Stap marries Catherine Alice Morrissey in Port Melbourne.
Charles's occupation is listed as mariner. Catherine is listed as a domestic servant. They were
residing at the same address in South Melbourne on their marriage certificate.
|
| 1885 |
Rachel, her father, his second wife, her teenage step-siblings, and infant
half-siblings move from Adelaide to Port Melbourne. Rachel is 12.
|
| 1888 |
Charles Stap and Catherine Morrissey's first suriving child is born, Henry Charles Stap. |
| 1889 |
Charles Stap and Catherine Morrissey's second child is born, Herbert William Stap. |
| Feb 1890 |
Charles Stap and Catherine Morrissey's third and last child is born in South Melbourne, George William Stap.
|
| 26 Jul 1890 |
Rachel marries William Griffin. Rachel is 16, William is 40. |
| 2 Nov 1891 |
Rachel's father dies in
Port Melbourne. Rachel Griffin is the informant on his death certificate.
|
| 4 Jun 1892 |
The entire Stap family — Charles, Catherine and the three boys — depart on the Bullarra
for Fremantle, Western Australia. |
| 22 Jun 1892 |
Charles returns alone to Melbourne on the Bullarra's return sailing, his wife and
children remain in Fremantle. |
| 1892 |
Rachel gives birth to her first child, Lillian May Griffin.
William Griffin is recorded as the father. Autosomal DNA evidence (seven individuals) collected in
the 21st century indicates this is correct. |
| 5 Sep 1894 |
Rachel gives birth to her second child, Daisy Violet Victoria Griffin. William Griffin is recorded as the father. Daisy has no known descendants. |
| 20 Dec 1895 |
Catherine Stap is brought before a Fremantle magistrate and fined because her two oldest sons refuse to attend school. She requests that they be sent to
the Industrial School but the magistrate refuses.
|
| 14 Jan 1896 |
Charles and Catherine Stap's two oldest sons return to Melbourne from Fremantle on the
Rockton. Catherine Stap remains in Fremantle. |
| 1896 |
Rachel gives birth to her third child, Florence Ada "Doll" Griffin. William Griffin is recorded as the father. |
| 1898 |
Charles Henry Stap, also known as Henry Charles Stap, is living at 141 Coventry Street, South
Melbourne. |
| 1898 |
William Griffin, Rachel and family are living at 141 Coventry
Street. |
| 26 Sep 1898 |
Rachel gives birth to her fourth child and first son, William Henry Charles "Will"
Griffin. |
| 1899 |
William Griffin and family are living at 124 Hanna Street, South Melbourne. Hanna Street was
renamed Kings Way and renumbered in the 20th century. 124 Hanna Street is two doors away from 141 Coventry Street where
Charles Henry Stap is living. |
| 2 Mar 1901 |
Rachel gives birth to her fifth child, my grandmother, Evelina Griffin. William Griffin is
recorded as the father. Autosomal DNA evidence indicates that Charles Henry Stap was Evelina's biological father (7 Stap/Plumley
descendants matching 4 descendants of Evelina).
|
| 1903 |
Rachel gives birth to her sixth child, James Griffin. William Griffin is recorded as the father. Autosomal DNA evidence also indicates that Charles Henry Stap was James's biological father (3 Stap/Plumley descendants matching 3 descendants of
James). |
| 20 Jul 1906 |
Catherine Stap (nee Morrissey), Charles Stap's wife, dies in Fremantle at age 38. |
| 24 Sep 1906 |
Following the death of his mother, 16 year old George William Stap departs Fremantle for
Melbourne on the Monaro. |
| 1908 |
Rachel gives birth to her seventh child, Valerie Amelia "Millie" Griffin. William Griffin is recorded as the father. Valerie has no known living descendants. |
| 1912 |
The Sands directory for Victoria, published in early 1913, lists George William Stap
(Charles Stap's youngest son) living at 36 Bower Street, Northcote. |
| 12 Jun 1912 |
Rachel gives birth to her eighth and final child, Ivy May Griffin, in Northcote. The father's
entry on Ivy's birth certificate is blank. Rachel is 38 years old. |
| 1914 |
Rachel Griffin and George Stap are living next door to each other
in Clifton Hill in the 1914 Electoral Roll. Neither William Griffin or Charles Henry Stap are living in Clifton Hill. |
| 20 Jan 1915 |
George William Stap enlists in the
Australian Imperial Force. His father Charles is recorded as his next of kin.
|
| 20 Feb 1915 |
Charles Henry Stap dies of pulmonary tuberculosis and renal failure in the Austin Hospital
following a lengthy illness. He is recorded as Henry Charles Stap on his death certificate and his
three sons with Catherine Morrissey are listed as his issue (children). |
| 30 Jun 1915 |
The Australian Army records that George Stap's next of kin is now Rachel
Griffin, foster mother. Rachel is living at 29 John Street, Clifton Hill. |
| 17 Jul 1915 |
Pvt George Stap, 8th Battalion, AIF, lands at ANZAC Cove
to join the disastrous Gallipoli campaign.
|
| 25 Aug 1917 |
Rachel's oldest son William Henry Charles "Will" Griffin, against the wishes of his mother,
enlists in the AIF. |
| 5 Oct 1918 |
Will Griffin, 20, dies of wounds in an Australian field hospital a few
kilometers from the Western Front in France.
|
| 9 Dec 1918 |
Sgt George Stap departs England for Melbourne on the Argyllshire |
| 1 Feb 1919 |
The Argyllshire docks in Port Melbourne and
returning soldiers are reunited with their families.
|
| 1919 |
Rachel Griffin and George William Stap are living at the same
address in Clifton Hill in the 1919 Electoral Roll. |
| 7 Jun 1919 |
William Griffin is living
in Warburton.
|
| 1 Feb 1932 |
William Griffin dies in Warburton, Victoria. His death certificate records all of Rachel's children except Ivy as his issue.
|
| 1945 |
George Stap and Rachel Griffin separate. |
| 1946 |
George, age 56, marries Olive Gray,
age 41.
|
| 24 May 1951 |
Rachel dies at home in Ormond at age 77. Family oral history says she reconciled with
George Stap on her death-bed. |
| 19 Feb 1953 |
George William Stap, age 63, dies at the home of his wife, Olive. His death certificate states no issue (no children).
|
