52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  Week # 11 Theme - Flowers

The wildflowers shown here are on land that was once patented by my 4Gt Grandfather, Benoni Griffin  1743 - 1796.  On a visit to West Virginia a few years ago, we found a clue concerning the location of Benoni's land near Arbovale in Pocahontas County. When Benoni settled on this land it was in Bath County, Virginia.  We were at the Bath County Courthouse and found a tiny paragraph written 60-70 years ago.  

"The town of Arbovale is situated on the grant of Benona Griffin & James Rucker, Jr. The set stone corner near the gate of C.O. Wood's store building is a common corner to the two grants mentioned and to the land supposed to be owned by Jacob Rambo. The Arbovale Church is in the Griffin Patent. " 

We drove toward Cass and Snowshoe, where skiers love to adventure in winter, but we were there in the summer when wildflowers were blooming.  Finding the Arbovale Church and, looking to the west toward the Greenbrier River, we could see where Benoni's beautiful view would be.  But now all is fenced off and classified, as it is the location of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory .   
http://www.nrao.edu/directions/greenbank/map.jpg

The enormous Greenbank Telescope is located in that complex.  It can be seen for miles around.  

Just imagine what Benoni and his sons, Jonathan, Samuel S., Abraham, Levi, and daughter Mary,  would think if dropped back into Arbovale 200+ years later. Change is inevitable, but the wildflowers keep coming back every summer. 

Griffin Family from Mayme Hamrick's Book

There are a few updates to the information above. First of all, Benoni Griffin, father of Jonathan, was born in Connecticut, although he was of Welsh descent. This article does not mention Benoni's first marriage in Connecticut which ended in divorce (to Martha Viets). In listing the children of Benoni, the youngest, Levi, is missing. Also, there is a definite possibility that there were 3 or maybe even 4 wives, since Abraham, Mary, and Levi were born in Virginia.

Samuel Seely Griffin

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  Week 10 Theme - Worship.  Faith is shown to be a characteristic of every branch of my family tree.  I am thankful that has been passed along to us today.  To follow this week's theme, I'd like to tell you about a Griffin relative who was involved in one of the earliest evangelism efforts in our nation.... a circuit riding Methodist preacher.  

Samuel Seely Griffin was the brother of our 3Gt Grandfather, Jonathan Griffin. They were sons of Benoni Griffin, jr., of Simsbury, CT.  We don't yet know his mother's name except as "Miss Seely".  He was born about 1776 in CT, but we first find him in 1798, West Virginia with his father and brothers, at the time he would become of age. The Bath Co VA 1798 tax list shows him as "one tithable", no slaves or horses. I believe his father died about that year, as during the next years, 1799 - 1803, Samuel paid taxes on 50 acres and a cabin built by Benoni on Beaver Lick Creek, formerly owned by Uncle Timothy Holcomb. In the next tax list he is found owning a horse. (a very important part of his future.)

We find that his wife was Elizabeth Ann Harris, daughter of Methodist Minister, Nathaniel Harris. Harris was one of the early founders of Bethel Academy in Kentucky. "Maybe" Samuel studied there and met Elizabeth.    Our Samuel was present at the Methodist Conference in Cincinnati , 1809, with Bishop Francis Asbury and Rev. McKendree... well known in early Methodism. In 1811 he is commissioned for a year of Circuit riding Ministry in Kentucky. 

From "The History of Methodism in Kentucky", p. 50, "The Rise of Methodism in the West": "Perhaps the most notorious controversy between the Presbyterians and the Methodists during the life of the Western Conference was one which occurred in Cincinnati following the session of the conference in that city in 1811. While the conference was in session, three of the younger members, Peter Cartwright, Thomas Stilwell, and Samuel Griffin, took advantage of their stay in the city to have some pamphlets printed against Calvinism. One of the pamphlets was in poetical form or rather doggerel and was entitled "The Dagon of Calvinism, or The Molock of Decrees: A Poem in Three Cantos." It wasn't sanctioned by the Conference, but caused an uproar between Presbyterians and Methodists.  There are pages and pages in Methodist histories, describing the controversy between certain Presbyterian leaders and the Methodist Conference, but no action or punishment was taken against the three young preachers. 

The assignment Samuel was given was to the "Limestone Circuit" in Kentucky.  His father-in-law lived in that area which stretched from  Maysville KY on the Ohio River, down to the lower part of Kentucky near London.  This southern area is where we find Samuel and his young family had settled down by 1820.  In today's maps we see the Daniel Boone National Forest, so we know this was not an easy area for him to ride for ministry.  Francis Asbury who sent out these men, and traveled the state himself, said "We must reach every section of America, especially the raw frontiers. We must not be afraid of men, devils, wild animals, or disease. Our motto must always be FORWARD!"  The circuit riding preachers often rode 40 miles between settlements where they could preach or even sleep.  They were called "saddlebag" preachers, carrying their Bible and few belongings along on their treks. There are diaries kept by Asbury and some others who shared the details of the grueling life as well as the victories for their Lord. 

 After the War of 1812, Samuel received bounty lands in Ohio and Illinois, where he settled at the end of his days, having lived at the edge of the nation's frontier for over 40 of his 64 years. His tombstone says Rev.S. S. Griffin.  

Anatomy of an Online Search - Levi Griffin

We recently shared the Soap Opera of the life of Benoni Griffin, Jr., mentioning a son named Levi Griffin. How did we discover this son and establish the relationship? Read on.

A description of the Griffin family in West Virginia never mentioned youngest son, Levi Griffin. But when we were at the Bath County courthouse a few years ago, we found our Jonathan and other Griffins selling or purchasing portions of the land in Benoni Griffin, Jr.'s estate, with Levi Griffin as the person paying taxes on the land, even though he lived in Kentucky.

Who was this Levi? Googling the name of Levi Griffin and Kentucky, brings us to a message board with a complete posting of "Family Bible of Levi Griffin, Gallatin Kentucky" contributed by Carl Bogardus, Sr. M.D. What a find!!!! Many birth and death, marriage dates of Levi and his descendants. Even the statement that Levi was son of Benoni and Sarah Griffin. (This may have been his step mother.) It shows his birthdate as January 10, 1788.

With that information, Levi would have been about 3 years old when the family came to the Green Bank area, Bath County, VA, in the early 1790s. His name would never show up until he came of age at 21, and would have been old enough to be taxed or to vote and sign legal documents. Going to Ancestry.com records, Levi is first found as an adult in the 1810 Census but is listed as Love Griffin male, age between 16 - 26.

We also found a biography of Samuel P. Griffin, which mentions his paternal grandfather, Levi Griffin in a mini bio. "Levi Griffin, the paternal grandfather of Samuel P., was a native of Culpeper County, Va., and a farmer; he moved to Kentucky at an early day, and first settled in Bourbon County, but subsequently went to Fayette County, where he lived for a short time, and then moved to Gallatin County, where he died. He took part in the war of 1812."

Now I have several paths to follow.... looking for Griffins in Culpeper County, VA, and several counties in Kentucky, plus a search for participants in the War of 1812. A book, "The Battle of Tippecanoe" by Pirtle, says that Levi Griffin participated as a Private in that battle. And Ancestry.com shows census records for Levi Griffin and family in 1820 - 50, in the counties mentioned above. It does not include his death date, but since we don't find Levi in 1860 Census and the last date in the Bible is 1859, perhaps he died around that time.

When I look back at the Bath County land records that started this search, I have come up with this "supposed chain of events." Levi Griffin was the youngest son of Benoni Griffin, Jr., and was the last son living on the 220 acres near Green Bank Virgina, after Benoni died. I don't find a record that he was the executor, but he was continuing to pay taxes on the land, even after he went to Kentucky and settled after the War of 1812. By the 1830s, our 3Gt Grandfather, Jonathan Griffin, probably a half brother to Levi, bought up portions of the estate from siblings out of state, Abraham, Mary, Samuel S., and Levi. Jonathan gave part of the land to son William at the time of his marriage.

I won't say that searching a particular person is easy, but so rewarding. And now I have "met" online descendants of Levi. I hope to find out more about his pioneer life in Gallatin, KY, during the mid 1800s, putting this family into their place in history.

The Genealogy Soap Opera

When you break through a genealogy "brick wall" the bricks sometimes fall all around, leaving a lot of clutter that has to be re-assembled to make some sense. For years we wondered about the parentage of our 3Gt Grandfather Jonathan Griffin, born in Connecticut and found in Bath/ Pocahontas County, Virginia (later to be West Virginia). I now am 90% sure that we have found his father, siblings, and many generations back. There is so much circumstantial evidence, but not yet a paper document that says, "Jonathan was the Son of Benoni! " Ready for the soap opera?

Benoni Griffin Jr., b. 1743 in Simsbury, CT, was the oldest son of Benoni Sr. and Mary DeLacy. Some say she was daughter of a prominent man who lived or traded in the West Indies.

Junior lived in Simsbury CT and married Martha Viets in 1762. They had three children: Martha Griffin b.1763; Benoni Griffin III, b. 1764; and Viets Griffin, b. 1768. Then Junior divorced her in 1773, because of her adultery with Bildad Eaton or Easton. Two of her children, Benoni III and Viets, moved to Vermont. We do not know if Martha remarried or where she or daughter, Martha lived after the divorce.

A couple of years later Benoni Jr. married for a 2nd time, possibly a Miss Seely in CT. (This info from a family record in a WVA book.) I believe they had two sons, Samuel Seely Griffin, 1776, and our ancestor, Jonathan Griffin, 1777. We do KNOW (through a land document) that Samuel Seely Griffin was son of Benoni. Jonathan's parentage is not recorded anywhere.

Family lore says the second wife [Ms. Seely] died and Benoni Jr. went to Virginia. At this point we do not know if the two boys, Samuel S. and Jonathan went with the father or stayed in CT. We do believe that Jonathan was educated in CT, and we know that Samuel S. became a minister, which would make me think they stayed in CT for their childhood and teen years to be educated.

Benoni Jr. must have married a third time, as we have a census and land records showing that he had at least 3 children born in VA.... Abraham, Mary, and Levi... with the youngest, Levi, born in Culpeper Co. VA, 1788 (Bible record.)

We then find the family in Western VA, Green Bank (telescope) area of Bath County, as early as 1791. Benoni has 220 acres patented there. By 1798, 1799, we find the two boys born in CT as achieving adult status of age 21 and listed in Bath County tax lists, along with Benoni. Benoni Jr.'s sister, Elizabeth and her husband, Timothy Holcombe, live in Bath Co. also, and are mentioned in court records along with Benoni. His brother, Abner, also has land and family in Bath County near Benoni and Holcombe.

By 1797, there is a marriage record for a Sarah Smith and Benoni Griffin, perhaps a 4th wife. He died by 1799, and Sarah Griffin paid the taxes.

The children are Samuel S., Jonathan (not proven), Abraham, Mary, and Levi. At Benoni's death, young Levi acts as executor and pays taxes for several years, even though he has gone to KY (War of 1812.) The children share 1/7 of the 220 acres owned by Benoni Griffin Jr.

The stories of each of these children of Benoni Jr., and his children in Vermont, are like the novels of the Western Migration of the United States. Maybe someday we'll write one.