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.

Weddings and Social Life on Stony Creek

Hello Time Travelers,
We are still in the first years of 1800s, on Stony Creek in Bath County,Western Virginia (later to be Pocahontas, West Virginia.) It is 1803, and a young lady, Mary Griffin, of about 19 years is to be married to Hugh Brown. Her father, Benoni Griffin, Jr. died when she was a young teen, and perhaps her mother and step mother as well. The marriage bond states that John and Sally Moore Smith gave consent for the marriage. And our 3Gt Grandfather, Jonathan Griffin, was "surety" which means he guaranteed the bond promised by the groom, as would the nearest male relative. [Older brother, Samuel S., had left the area, and brothers Abraham and Levi were not old enough to sign for her.] This leads us to believe that Mary was taken in by the Smith family of Stony Creek when she was left orphaned. They had 2 or 3 children at the time, so maybe Mary was a nanny, helping Sarah in the home. Later on, Jonathan and wife Rachel purchased land on Stony Creek, living near the Smiths. Mary and Hugh moved to Ohio.

Thinking that the idea of a wedding at the Smith's might be part of our family's history, I found the following narrative taken from Price's "History of Pocahontas County." The original article was written by Georgia C. Shinaberry, submitted by her daughter, Juanita Dilley, Clover Lick West Virginia, May 24, 1940.

"The home of John and Sally Moore Smith on Stony Creek was a place where good times could be had, by the young people, as good times were known in pioneer days. At log rollings, wool pickings, flax scutchings and quiltings, the young people met, fell in love, and did much of their courting. Sunday would be preaching or all day prayer meetings, when it was not deemed right and proper to think or talk of any thing but Heaven and heavenly things.

The grandest social events would be the weddings. These occurred just as fast as the young folks thought themselves old enough to go to themselves. For a long time after the first settlement of this county the inhabitants, as a rule, married young. There was no distinction of rank and very little of fortune. On these accounts, the first impression of love resulted in marriage. A family establishment cost but much labor and nothing else. A glance at a pioneer wedding of the early 1800’s serves to mark the manners of our forefathers, and shows the grade of civilization which has succeeded their rude social condition.

At that time a wedding created a great sensation and attracted the attention of all the people from 12 to 15 miles around. This is not surprising when it is remembered that this was almost the only gathering, aside from church, which was not attended with the labor of reaping, log-rolling, building a cabin or some other labor.

The people came dressed, to the wedding, in their linsey and coarse linen clothes, all homemade. Because there were no stores from which to buy tailored things. Most of them came horseback, with only a girth with an attached stirrup for a saddle. Later leather saddles were made. "

More to come on the social events of the early 1800s.