Children of Jonathan and Rachel Griffin

Each family of Rachel and Jonathan's married children will be touched on here, although we do not have complete descendancy lists.

1. ABRAHAM GRIFFIN, B. 1808, D. AFTER 1880. Married at about age 21.
Records show - Abraham Griffin and Nancy Waugh, married 29 Oct 1829, Pocahontas, Virginia. Nancy was the daughter of James Waugh, jr., and Rebecca McGuire.

Children:
1. Jonathan James Griffin, sometimes called James, b: 1829 in Pocahontas, VA, married Lucinda Fleming at age 30, d. unknown after age 50.
2. Malinda Griffin b: 1831 in Pocahontas, VA, never married, d. 1922, Buckeye WV. Some glimpses of her life are recorded in the works of West Virginia Poet Laureate, Louise McNeill, in whose family "Aunt Malindy" spent her last years.
3. Dianna Rachel Griffin b: 22 Dec 1836 in Pocahontas, VA; At age 19, married 1) Jacob L. Buzzard, 2) Mr. Moorten ; d. 1912, WA.
4. Eliza B. Griffin, b. about 1839 , in Pocahontas, VA, married William Pritt at age 28; died after 1920, leaving many descendants in the Little Levels area.
5. Matthias "Potts" Griffin b: 1842 in Pocahontas, VA, d. 1862 in Confederate service at Sharpsburg (Antietam).
6. Sarah Griffin b: 1844 in Pocahontas, VA, died at about age 16.
7. Margaret Griffin b: 1847 in Pocahontas, VA, married Claiborne McNeel; d. 1926. She was step mother to Nathan C. McNeel, State Senator of West Virginia.

Abraham and Nancy and most of their family lived in Pocahontas County all their lives, farming near Edray P. O. probably on the Jonathan Griffin farm on Stony Creek and land he purchased in the 1830s on Swago Creek. Nancy died before 1880, possibly in Buckeye, and Abraham may have lived even longer, as the last time we find him in census [1880], he is 72 years old.

2. MARGARET GRIFFIN, B. ABOUT 1810, D. ABOUT 1903. Married at about age 29.
Marriage Record:
7 Dec 1839 Bond: Isaac Hamrick, of Nicholas County, & Margaret Griffin. Surety, Isaac (x) Hamrick & William Griffin. Jonathan Griffin consents for daughter. Teste, Abraham Griffin & William Griffin. William Hamrick makes oath his son, Isaac, is 21 years of age. Teste, William Griffin & Benomi [sic] Griffin. 10 Dec 1839 Return: Isaac Hamrick & Margaret Griffin by John W. Osborne.

The family lived on Point Mountain, four miles above Webster Springs, in Webster County (formed in 1860 from Nicholas, Braxton, Randolph Co.)
Children:
1. Jonathan Griffin Hamrick, b. 1846, Nicholas Co., VA, married Rebecca Jane Hamrick, daughter of Peter Hamrick. Jonathan lived on Point Mountain where his father lived, then moved to St. Petersburg, FL.
2. Mildred J. Hamrick, b. 1852, Nicholas Co., VA, married Robert A. Lilly of Randolph Co.
3. Nathan Hamrick, b. 1855, Nicholas Co., VA, married Isabel Harrah.
4. Levi Hamrick, b. 1848, Nicholas Co, VA, married Almarinda Cogar, a daughter of George Cogar. He also raised his family and lived for a number of years near the home of his father.
5. Rachel Ellen Hamrick, b. 1843, Nicholas Co., VA, married Alfred R. Miller. They raised their family on the Back Fork of Elk River in Webster County.
6. Andrew Hamrick, died when young.

Isaac Hamrick died 11 February 1893, and is buried in a private cemetery near the Pleasant Grove Church. His wife, Margaret, who died about 1903, at the age of 93 years, is buried beside him.

3. WILLIAM GRIFFIN, B. 1812, D. 1889, EDMOND OKLAHOMA. Married at about age 26,
Pocahontas County, Virginia. We have a copy of the certificate, October 22, 1838, William Griffin m. Elizabeth M. Rodgers.

Children: Information comes from family Bible and census records.
1. Joseph N. Griffin b. 2 Aug. 1839, VA; d. 1861-62 Braxton Co, WV.
2. Samuel Young Griffin , b. 23 Sept 1840, VA; Union Soldier, Ohio Vols.; d. 1891, Sycamore, Montgomery Co., KS; married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Terry
3. James M. Griffin b. 7 Jan. 1842, VA; Union Soldier, Died in Service, 1862
4. Levi J. Griffin, b. 8 Aug. 1843, VA; Union Soldier, Died in Service, 1864
5. Adam Bland Griffin , b. 1844-1845, Sutton, Braxton Co., VA; d. 1925, Caldwell, KS; married Sarah Ann Wiggins
6. Andrew W. Griffin, b. 3 Oct. 1846, VA; married Zarah E. Mayfield; d. 1917, Montgomery Co., KS
7. Sarah A. Griffin, b. 22 Feb. 1848, VA; married Hugh McNutt; died Sept. 1937, Burbank, California.
8. Robert O. Griffin, b. 23 Oct. 1849, VA; died between 1860-70, unknown location.
9. Adonijah Harris "Nije" Griffin, b. 6 Aug. 1851, VA; married 1) Mattie 2) Ida Groseclose; died between 1928-30, Texas.
10. William F. Griffin, b. Jan 1853, Ohio; married Ellen Davis; d. 1922, Lincoln Co., OK
11. John Luther Griffin, b. 24 April 1855, VA; married Clara Odessa Piersol; d. Jan 25, 1925, Everett, WA
12. Rachel J. Griffin, b. 22 Oct. 1856 , VA; d. about 1868, location unknown.
13. Alpheus Griffin, b. 1 Jan 1859, VA; d. before 1870 location unknown.
14. Peter Charles Griffin, b. 20 Aug. 1860; never married; d. April 25 1934, Edmond, OK



4. BENONI GRIFFIN, B. 1814, D. 1888. Married at about age 20. His wife was Nancy Hamrick.
"Descendants of William Hamrick" says of William's daughter, Nancy:
"Nancy Hamrick, born March 17, 1815, married Benoni Griffin in 1834. [They] lived in Pocahontas County until 1852, when [they] moved to Wainville [near Laurel Creek] in Webster County. In 1862, [they] moved to Salem, Harrison County, where she was living at the time of her death." Benoni died Nov. 29, in 1888 and Nancy died Mar. 13, 1891. They are buried at the 7th Day Baptist Cemetery, Salem, Harrison Co., WVA.

The date of the family's move to Webster County (1852) coincides with the death of Benoni's father, Jonathan Griffin. Then the move in 1862 was probably because of the fact that they were Union sympathizers in a county where they were not welcome. The following is from "History of Pocahontas County", "Griffin, Benoni, b. 1814 in Nicholas Co., VA, d. in Harrison Co., WV. He lived at Laurel Creek in Webster, West Virginia until 1862. He was a Unionist and fought in the Federal Army during the Civil War. On 29 December 1861 he led a unit of the Union Home Guard on raids to Laurel Creek from Sutton. Several of his neighbors were wounded and killed and farms and homes burned."

William Hamrick [father of Nancy] started the first school in Webster County, West Virginia along with his brother Benjamin and James Dodrill and built a log school house on Benjamin Hamrick's land. Benoni Griffin was the first teacher.

Full Context of West Virginia Prominent Men :
Griffin, Benoni, Pocahontas County, Beech Bottom, House of Delegates 1863-'64.
Griffin, Isaac H., Webster County, Webster C. H., House of Delegates 1871. [Son of Benoni.]

Children:
1. Jane Griffin, b. 1836; d. about 1860 at age 24. She was unmarried.
2. William Griffin, b. 1838; d. about 1856, at age 18. He was unmarried.
3. Isaac H. Griffin, b. 1839; d. in 1914. He was a Union Soldier.
4. Rachael C. Griffin, b.1842; d. at the age of 2 years, in about 1844.
5. Charles R. Griffin, b. 1844; d. at the age of 18 years, in about 1862.
6. George C. Griffin, b. 1846; killed in action Union Service, 1863, at about age 17. He was unmarried.
7. Elizabeth R. Griffin, b. 1848; was unmarried.
8. Jonathan S. Griffin, b. 1850; was unmarried.
9. Newton J. Griffin, b. 1852; married Jane Haskins.
10. Vanlinden S. Griffin, b. 1855; married Susan Haskins.
11. Mary E. Griffin, b. ; died at age 17. She was unmarried.
12. Matthew W. Griffin, b. 1857; married a Miss Elliott.

5. RACHEL S. GRIFFIN, B. 1822, D. AFTER 1880, OHIO.
Married Charles Ruckman. He was a scholar, teacher, and Methodist minister. They moved to Ohio, because he did not approve of his brothers' support of the south during the Civil War. In his later years became a rheumatic invalid. It is believed that there are no living descendants.

Children:
1. Julia Ruckman, b. about 1842; d. 1939, Noble Co. OH. She was an unmarried schoolteacher, Sharon, Ohio.
2. Leonidas T. Ruckman, b. about 1845; d. 1915, Noble Co. OH. He was an unmarried schoolteacher, Sharon, Ohio.
3. Morgan W. B. Ruckman, b. about 1855; died 1870-80.
4. Jonathan D. Ruckman, b. about 1857; died 1870-80.


6. JONATHAN GRIFFIN, B. 1826, D. AFTER 1910. Married Margaret Rader.
Quote from website: "Jonathan Griffin, another son-in-law of John Rader, first settled at the Jack Paugh place on Mill Creek, after several years, he sold to his wife's brother, Adam Rader, who married a Riddle."

Children:
1. Nancy "Nannie" R. Griffin, b. 1861; d. bet. 1920-30. Married Solomon "Low" V. Hickman.
2. Laura Griffin, b. May 1855; d. ? Married James C. Ruddell.
3. Sarah Griffin, ?

7. SAMUEL GRIFFIN, B. 1828, D. AFTER 1880. (never married)