James Martin GRIFFIN [7279]

   Cause of his death was Bronchopneumonia 2 days/Cerebral Arteriosclerosis several days.

  General Notes:

NZ BDM Death online database
1967/33523 NZ Death Griffin James Martin 85y

Taita Old Monument, Lower Hutt, Burials Record Vols 2

Evening Post 10 Oct 1932
BOXING
GRIFFIN BEATS CROWLEY (By Telegraph. - Press Association.) TAKAKA, This Day, in the Golden Bay boxing tournament at Collingwood on Saturday night, Jack Crowley (Wellington) lost to Jim Griffin (Takaka) on points. There was a capacity house, and the bout was fast, and went to twelve rounds. The verdict met with a raised reception.

The Fighting Griffins
Jack, Charley, James and Frank
Uncle Jack fought with distinction in Australia and NZ. He fought the redoubtable Tim Tracy on more than one occasion (four, I think) for the NZ Lightweight title. He beat most of the prominent boxers in his weight and was still winning fights after he became a grandfather. He died in his 90's and was buried in Reefton on the West Coast.
Uncle Charley was a world class featherweight. He became the first New Zealander to win a British Empire title when he knocked out by Joe Bowker in the year 1908. He also met Jim Driscoll twice, one of the English all time greats. He campaigned successfully in America where he lived for many years and fought the best men the game could offer. He is one of very few NZ. fighters to be inducted into the American Boxing Hall of Fame. He also held the Australian Featherweight title. Charlie returned to N.Z. in 1955 and settled down in Invercargill where he passed away in 1969.
Our father, James Martin fought in 15 amateur fights and won all by knock outs. He won the N.Z. and Australian Middleweight Amateur titles in 1903 and in 1904. The following year retained the N.Z. Middle and Heavy titles, plus the Australasian Crown. He won one fight in 53 seconds. He turned professional in 1905 and defeated the best middles and heavies in Australia. Fought Bill Lang (Australian Heavyweight champion) the winner to fight Tommy Burns for Heavyweight title of the World. Not unlike the long count of the Dernpsey/Tunney era, Dad knocked Lang down for 14 seconds. The crowd mobbed the ring. The referee didn't start his count until the ring was cleared, thereby losing four seconds, so dad was robbed of his World title chance.
He created surely some sort of record by breaking his arm on two occasions against much bigger men and winning both fights. Fighting eight rounds with one hand behind his back to avoid further injury against a world class Australian heavyweight, one Sid Russell. Dad was recognised as one of the hardest punchers of his time and very few of his opponents lasted the distance, unless they shadow sparred outside the ring!
Dad was well known and respected as a thorough gentleman inside and outside the boxing ring and in fact was referred to during his career as "Gentleman Jim". Dad retired from the ring in 1912 at the age of 31.

  Research Notes:

This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Great N.Z. Boxer Dies At 86

Zealand's oldest surviving boxing champion, and probably one of the world's greatest punchers in the 1903-12 era, Mr Jim Griffin, has died at Naenae. He was 86.

Mr Griffin in 1903 was the first to hold the Australian and New Zealand middleweight amateur title. The next year he retained the title and won the New Zealand heavy-weight and middle-weight, and the joint Australian and New Zealand heavy-weight crown as well.

During his amateur career Mr Griffin had 17 contests. He turned professional in 1905.

He boxed most of his professional bouts in Australia, where he twice gave away two stone to the Australian heavy-weight champion, W. Lang (who fought T. Burns for the world title) and though stopped, was not knocked off his feet.

Of his first 15 professional fights, Griffin won 14, all on knock-outs.

He also fought the American "iron man," J. Grim, in Sydney. Under the agreements for the fight if both men were on their feet after 20 rounds the bout was to be declared a draw. Griffin drew the bout.

Mr Griffin's three brothers were all well-known professionals. Frank Griffin won the New Zealand middleweight title and died after winning a fight with Curly Parks in Woollongong (New South Wales). His brother Charles was a contestant in the first-ever Empire title fight in any weight class, boxing the Welsh wonder, "Peerless Jim" Driscoll at the National Sporting Club, London, in 1908, for the Empire feather-weight title, which he lost in 15 rounds.

Charles returned to New Zealand two years ago after spending 50 years in the United States.

Mr Griffin's other brother made a record four attempts on the New Zealand lightweight title but Tim Tracy, the champion, was his jinx and he lost all four bouts to the veteran champion.

Of Jim Griffin's sons, Jim (junior) won the New Zealand professional lightweight title in 1946, Brian gave the Empire champion, Bos Murphy, his hardest fight in the amateur ranks, and both,' along with his third son, John L., turned professional.

  Other Records

• School Records: Reg No. 19, 1886, Mabel Bush. Parent: John Griffin

• NZ Electoral Rolls 1853-1981: labourer, 1938, Takapau Rd, Waipukuau, New Zealand.

• Cemetery: Headstone, 1967, Taita Old Cemetery, Wellington, New Zealand.

• Obituary: Details Boxing career, 1967, New Zealand Press.
PRESS, VOLUME CVI, ISSUE 31310, 4 MARCH 1967, PAGE 11
(Courtesy of: This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.)

Jim married Ellen Elizabeth POULTNEY [7300] [MRIN: 2522], daughter of Mathew Buchanan POULTNEY [10704] and Ellen Elizabeth SMITH [10705], on 10 Sep 1904 in Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand. (Ellen Elizabeth POULTNEY [7300] was born on 19 Apr 1887 in Seaward Bush, Southland, New Zealand, died on 13 Feb 1975 in Wellington, New Zealand and was buried in Taita Lawn Cemetery, Naenae, Lower Hutt, NZ.)

  Marriage Notes:

1904/307 NZ Marriage Ellen Elizabeth Pallney James Martin Griffin (m. Folio 4956)