Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Jerusha Griffin 1736-1813
There are only three references to Jerusha in the historical records of Killingworth. The first is her birth as recorded with the rest of her family in the pages of the land records. The second comes from the records of the Congregational 2nd Society were she is recognizes as an "owner of the covenant" the epitome of religious commitment within the Congregational community. And within the history of Killingworth she is mistakenly listed as her sister Thankful's daughter, Thankful having assumed the role of head of the house on their fathers death. 
Monday, April 9, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Asahel Griffin Tour of Moira
This tour of Moira was part of a family reunion celebration. The research and the resulting tour guide are the work of David Griffin who has graciously made it available to all of us who have an interest in Griffin Genealogy and in particular the ancestry of Asahel Griffin.
Asahel was born in Killingworth, New London, now Middlesex, County Connecticut on January 19, 1769 to Samuel Griffin and Mercy Nettleton (a copy of his birth record from the records of the Congregational 2nd Society is listed in the blog). Asahel and his brother Joel moved to New Haven, Addison County, Vermont about 1790 or 1791 where Asahel married and had 6 children, living there for about 20 years. The Asahel and Polly Griffin family came to Moira, Franklin County, New York in 1810 from the small town of New Haven with their 4 boys and 2 girls. The boys names were Loyal, Worden, Sylvester and Leicester (Lester) and one of the girls was Abigail and the other one is still unknown. One more son, Joseph was born here in 1811, Loyal and Sylvester moved on with the westward movement and Worden, Leicester, Abigail and Joseph remained the rest of their lives in Moira. Some of Asahel’s descendants still live here.
Griffin’s of Moira Tour
1. The first place we will visit is the Moira Methodist-Episcopal Church on the 4 corners of Moira. It was built in 1869 at a cost of $13,000 and was dedicated in 1870 by Rev W.W. Hunt, Pastor. But Methodism was first started in Moira about 1827, where pastor Luther Lee preached for two years, 1827 and 1828, and records kept back to 1831. A portion of the 1831 entry reads, “previous to the year 1831 the only class for Moira had its central point, or focus at Alburgh, in the south part of town, and Judge Hiram Pierce was the leader, but in that year the class was divided, and Peter Whitney and Hiram Pierce were made leaders of the two classes respectively. Class book, December 6, 1831, for the Moira Class (at the corners) of the Methodist-Episcopal Church, Malone Circuit, Oneida Conference, Spruce Chase, P.E. (Presiding Elder). George Woodruff, John Loveys, Circuit Preachers, for the conference year 1831. Names of the members were Hiram Pierce, leader, Sally Pierce, Carlostin Olverd, Abigail B Olverd, LOYAL GRIFFIN, MITILDA GRIFFIN (Sylvester Griffin’s wife), JOSEPH GRIFFIN, William C. Peck, Emeline Spencer, Polly Keeler, Charlotte Beals, Elvira Gasford, David T Morey, David Keeler and Sally Keeler”…
While at the Moira corners we will see the Town Clock dedicated to Wilber Austin, the husband of ABIGAIL GRIFFIN. The clock was dedicated to Wilber’s memory in 1923. I have not been able to find any more information on this. Wilber Austin came from Milton, Vermont with his family in 1805. His father Peleg and Abiah (Knapp) Austin and other Austin family members are buried in the Moira Cemetery. And I will talk about Abiah again later. I can only say that the Austin family was fairly wealthy and loved to deal in real estate.
2. Our next stop is the Moira Cemetery where there is six generations of GRIFFIN’S buried, including Asahel. Worden was probably the first Griffin to be buried here since he died in 1835. Maybe some Griffin children were buried here before that but they would all be in the old section of the cemetery and the stones, some laying on the ground , are difficult, it not impossible, to read. My direct line here includes a brother, two sisters, father and mother, grandfather and grandmother, g-grandfather and g-grandmother, g-g-grandfather and g-g-grandmother, and g-g-g-grandfather and g-g-g-grandmother. ??? Wish I could read all of the stones and I wish everyone buried there had a stone with their name and dates on them.
3. Our third stop on the tour is the land purchases by ASAHEL GRIFFIN from Luther Brandish, Peter Kean, and Robert Watts, Esquires, proprietors of the Township of Moira. It consists of 51 acres, in lot 151 of Potter Goff survey of 1817, and cost him $136.97 and is recorded in Book 5, Pgs 228 & 229. The property was sold to his youngest son, Joseph, for $1,000.00 on 29 August 1839, recorded in Book 9, Pgs 719 and 720. The census showed Asahel continued to live there in 1840 and 1850 or until he died in 1851.
4. A Starch Factory at the Lawrence Brook beside the Smiths Saw Mill on Mill Road in Moira, was one third owned by Charles W. Griffin, son of Leicester. His one third was sold to two parties in 1859. One party was Wilber Austin, his uncle, and the second party Wagner R. Smith and Amherst L. Morgan as recorded in Book 28, Pg 240.
5. The area of Moira called Wangum, District #8, has quite a tale attached to it. A quote from the Austin Family Tree, written to Edith by Mrs. Lillian Manchester, dated September 24, 1929, speaking of Abiah Austin, wife of Peleg Austin (quote) “ she had learned many words from the Indians and tradition has it she used to stand in the door of her cabin and gaze at the forest and say “Oh Wangum, Wangum” meaning “Oh Lonesome Land”. Thus Wangum received its present name from my great grandmother, its first white woman.” Seems Abiah Knapp was in love with a young Dr. Wyman but her father, Rev. Knapp, disapproved of their relationship and made it clear to Dr. Wyman. A few years later it was feared Abiah would be an “old maid” not desired in the old days. Her parents hints became too persistent and her quick temper rose and she said “All right , I will marry the first man who asks me” who happened to be Peleg Austin, a man homely enough to stop a clock, and 8 years older, uneducated and rough, but he had land, money, and was religious and upright, honest and hard working. She bore him 11 or 12 children. The hardships and terrors of life in the wilderness, wild Indians came by daily, entering the house to steal a whole baking of bread, was more than the delicate Abiah could stand, together with a broken heart for her Dr. Wyman, for she never loved Peleg, she became mentally unbalanced in a mild, harmless way. Three of the Peleg/Abiah Austin children married into the Asahel/Polly Griffin family; Leicester Griffin married Emily Austin, Sylvester Griffin married Matilda Austin and Abigail Griffin married Wilber Austin.
6. Property belonging to Stillman Griffin and then to his son William/Billy Griffin.
7. The little old District # 8, Wangum, school house was built about 1874, the land deeded to the district by William A. & wife/Hulda A. Whitney and David Foss dated July 3rd, 1874 and recorded November 1880 in Liber 64, page 325. Many Griffin children went to this school for grades one thru eight, including me and I believe all my brothers and sisters, my father and his sisters and my grandfather and many of his brothers and sisters and their children. I bought this school house in 1959 and we had many of the reunions here. I sold it in 1995 to David and Sylvia. Now some of the Gales have their reunions here. They are also in our family tree.
8. This house called the Lincoln House, was owned by a few Griffins, Howard, son of William, son of Stillman; Kenneth, son of John, son of David, and today is still in the family.
9. This is the house of Leicester and Emily (Austin) Griffin. Lester bought this parcel one forth acre, on May 14, 1849 from William Whitney & wife, Book 18, Pgs 600 & 601, so the house must have been built in the early 1850’s. When he died it was sold to his namesake son Lester by his widow, 3rd wife Philomena Millie (Clark) Griffin on March 4, 1876, Book 56, Pgs 436 & 437. Lester and his wife Charlotte (Mann) Griffin, were living in the area of Wisconsin called Mann Valley, the little town of Troy in St. Croix County, so did not need the property here in Moira so sold it to Clark J. Lawrence. It has changed hands many times since and at least once back to a Griffin by the name of Howard in 1946 when my father bought Howard’s house the, the Lincoln House.
10. This is the house of David W. and Mary Jane (Kennedy) Griffin. David purchased the property from William Whitney & wife on September 10, 1868 and built the house himself as his trade was a carpenter. David Griffin sold the property to his youngest son John, on January 19, 1905 with a lifetime right of full use, occupation and control by the longest liver of either David or Mary Jane. Many Griffins were born in this house including 3 of David and Mary Jane; Eli Walter, Florence Annette and John Hubert. Four of John and Jennie Mae (Kelly) Griffin; Kenneth Wesley, Marjory Blanche, Inez Alice and Bertha. And seven children of Kenneth Wesley and Dorothy Grace (Childs) Griffin; Marion Helen, Vera May, David Wesley, Lester James, Norman Elisha, Ester Ramona, and Pauline Janet. This property remained in the Griffin family until the early 1950’s when my grandfather , John Griffin, sold it to a family by the name of White.
11. Two houses and three structures in this area belonged to Griffin family members, long gone now, probably by fire. One of the houses belonged to Charles W. Griffin, son of Leicester and his wife Helen M. (Drew) Griffin and the other belonged to George Spencer and Clarissa (Griffin) Spencer. Daughter of Leicester and Emily (Austin) Griffin and sister to Charles W.
12. House belonging to Charles W. Griffin, son of Leicester and Emily (Austin) Griffin.
13. On June 14, 1830, Asahel Griffin purchased 50 acres of land from Joshua Knapp, Book 5, pgs 296 & 297 and kept it for only 8 months before selling it back to the previous owner, Joshua Knapp, on February 10, 1831 Book 5 pgs 480 & 481. My brother, Robert Griffin, now owns a small part of that 50 acre lot.
Many other properties were bought and sold many times over by Griffin’s of Moira, but are too numerous to mention.
Asahel was born in Killingworth, New London, now Middlesex, County Connecticut on January 19, 1769 to Samuel Griffin and Mercy Nettleton (a copy of his birth record from the records of the Congregational 2nd Society is listed in the blog). Asahel and his brother Joel moved to New Haven, Addison County, Vermont about 1790 or 1791 where Asahel married and had 6 children, living there for about 20 years. The Asahel and Polly Griffin family came to Moira, Franklin County, New York in 1810 from the small town of New Haven with their 4 boys and 2 girls. The boys names were Loyal, Worden, Sylvester and Leicester (Lester) and one of the girls was Abigail and the other one is still unknown. One more son, Joseph was born here in 1811, Loyal and Sylvester moved on with the westward movement and Worden, Leicester, Abigail and Joseph remained the rest of their lives in Moira. Some of Asahel’s descendants still live here.
Griffin’s of Moira Tour
1. The first place we will visit is the Moira Methodist-Episcopal Church on the 4 corners of Moira. It was built in 1869 at a cost of $13,000 and was dedicated in 1870 by Rev W.W. Hunt, Pastor. But Methodism was first started in Moira about 1827, where pastor Luther Lee preached for two years, 1827 and 1828, and records kept back to 1831. A portion of the 1831 entry reads, “previous to the year 1831 the only class for Moira had its central point, or focus at Alburgh, in the south part of town, and Judge Hiram Pierce was the leader, but in that year the class was divided, and Peter Whitney and Hiram Pierce were made leaders of the two classes respectively. Class book, December 6, 1831, for the Moira Class (at the corners) of the Methodist-Episcopal Church, Malone Circuit, Oneida Conference, Spruce Chase, P.E. (Presiding Elder). George Woodruff, John Loveys, Circuit Preachers, for the conference year 1831. Names of the members were Hiram Pierce, leader, Sally Pierce, Carlostin Olverd, Abigail B Olverd, LOYAL GRIFFIN, MITILDA GRIFFIN (Sylvester Griffin’s wife), JOSEPH GRIFFIN, William C. Peck, Emeline Spencer, Polly Keeler, Charlotte Beals, Elvira Gasford, David T Morey, David Keeler and Sally Keeler”…
While at the Moira corners we will see the Town Clock dedicated to Wilber Austin, the husband of ABIGAIL GRIFFIN. The clock was dedicated to Wilber’s memory in 1923. I have not been able to find any more information on this. Wilber Austin came from Milton, Vermont with his family in 1805. His father Peleg and Abiah (Knapp) Austin and other Austin family members are buried in the Moira Cemetery. And I will talk about Abiah again later. I can only say that the Austin family was fairly wealthy and loved to deal in real estate.
2. Our next stop is the Moira Cemetery where there is six generations of GRIFFIN’S buried, including Asahel. Worden was probably the first Griffin to be buried here since he died in 1835. Maybe some Griffin children were buried here before that but they would all be in the old section of the cemetery and the stones, some laying on the ground , are difficult, it not impossible, to read. My direct line here includes a brother, two sisters, father and mother, grandfather and grandmother, g-grandfather and g-grandmother, g-g-grandfather and g-g-grandmother, and g-g-g-grandfather and g-g-g-grandmother. ??? Wish I could read all of the stones and I wish everyone buried there had a stone with their name and dates on them.
3. Our third stop on the tour is the land purchases by ASAHEL GRIFFIN from Luther Brandish, Peter Kean, and Robert Watts, Esquires, proprietors of the Township of Moira. It consists of 51 acres, in lot 151 of Potter Goff survey of 1817, and cost him $136.97 and is recorded in Book 5, Pgs 228 & 229. The property was sold to his youngest son, Joseph, for $1,000.00 on 29 August 1839, recorded in Book 9, Pgs 719 and 720. The census showed Asahel continued to live there in 1840 and 1850 or until he died in 1851.
4. A Starch Factory at the Lawrence Brook beside the Smiths Saw Mill on Mill Road in Moira, was one third owned by Charles W. Griffin, son of Leicester. His one third was sold to two parties in 1859. One party was Wilber Austin, his uncle, and the second party Wagner R. Smith and Amherst L. Morgan as recorded in Book 28, Pg 240.
5. The area of Moira called Wangum, District #8, has quite a tale attached to it. A quote from the Austin Family Tree, written to Edith by Mrs. Lillian Manchester, dated September 24, 1929, speaking of Abiah Austin, wife of Peleg Austin (quote) “ she had learned many words from the Indians and tradition has it she used to stand in the door of her cabin and gaze at the forest and say “Oh Wangum, Wangum” meaning “Oh Lonesome Land”. Thus Wangum received its present name from my great grandmother, its first white woman.” Seems Abiah Knapp was in love with a young Dr. Wyman but her father, Rev. Knapp, disapproved of their relationship and made it clear to Dr. Wyman. A few years later it was feared Abiah would be an “old maid” not desired in the old days. Her parents hints became too persistent and her quick temper rose and she said “All right , I will marry the first man who asks me” who happened to be Peleg Austin, a man homely enough to stop a clock, and 8 years older, uneducated and rough, but he had land, money, and was religious and upright, honest and hard working. She bore him 11 or 12 children. The hardships and terrors of life in the wilderness, wild Indians came by daily, entering the house to steal a whole baking of bread, was more than the delicate Abiah could stand, together with a broken heart for her Dr. Wyman, for she never loved Peleg, she became mentally unbalanced in a mild, harmless way. Three of the Peleg/Abiah Austin children married into the Asahel/Polly Griffin family; Leicester Griffin married Emily Austin, Sylvester Griffin married Matilda Austin and Abigail Griffin married Wilber Austin.
6. Property belonging to Stillman Griffin and then to his son William/Billy Griffin.
7. The little old District # 8, Wangum, school house was built about 1874, the land deeded to the district by William A. & wife/Hulda A. Whitney and David Foss dated July 3rd, 1874 and recorded November 1880 in Liber 64, page 325. Many Griffin children went to this school for grades one thru eight, including me and I believe all my brothers and sisters, my father and his sisters and my grandfather and many of his brothers and sisters and their children. I bought this school house in 1959 and we had many of the reunions here. I sold it in 1995 to David and Sylvia. Now some of the Gales have their reunions here. They are also in our family tree.
8. This house called the Lincoln House, was owned by a few Griffins, Howard, son of William, son of Stillman; Kenneth, son of John, son of David, and today is still in the family.
9. This is the house of Leicester and Emily (Austin) Griffin. Lester bought this parcel one forth acre, on May 14, 1849 from William Whitney & wife, Book 18, Pgs 600 & 601, so the house must have been built in the early 1850’s. When he died it was sold to his namesake son Lester by his widow, 3rd wife Philomena Millie (Clark) Griffin on March 4, 1876, Book 56, Pgs 436 & 437. Lester and his wife Charlotte (Mann) Griffin, were living in the area of Wisconsin called Mann Valley, the little town of Troy in St. Croix County, so did not need the property here in Moira so sold it to Clark J. Lawrence. It has changed hands many times since and at least once back to a Griffin by the name of Howard in 1946 when my father bought Howard’s house the, the Lincoln House.
10. This is the house of David W. and Mary Jane (Kennedy) Griffin. David purchased the property from William Whitney & wife on September 10, 1868 and built the house himself as his trade was a carpenter. David Griffin sold the property to his youngest son John, on January 19, 1905 with a lifetime right of full use, occupation and control by the longest liver of either David or Mary Jane. Many Griffins were born in this house including 3 of David and Mary Jane; Eli Walter, Florence Annette and John Hubert. Four of John and Jennie Mae (Kelly) Griffin; Kenneth Wesley, Marjory Blanche, Inez Alice and Bertha. And seven children of Kenneth Wesley and Dorothy Grace (Childs) Griffin; Marion Helen, Vera May, David Wesley, Lester James, Norman Elisha, Ester Ramona, and Pauline Janet. This property remained in the Griffin family until the early 1950’s when my grandfather , John Griffin, sold it to a family by the name of White.
11. Two houses and three structures in this area belonged to Griffin family members, long gone now, probably by fire. One of the houses belonged to Charles W. Griffin, son of Leicester and his wife Helen M. (Drew) Griffin and the other belonged to George Spencer and Clarissa (Griffin) Spencer. Daughter of Leicester and Emily (Austin) Griffin and sister to Charles W.
12. House belonging to Charles W. Griffin, son of Leicester and Emily (Austin) Griffin.
13. On June 14, 1830, Asahel Griffin purchased 50 acres of land from Joshua Knapp, Book 5, pgs 296 & 297 and kept it for only 8 months before selling it back to the previous owner, Joshua Knapp, on February 10, 1831 Book 5 pgs 480 & 481. My brother, Robert Griffin, now owns a small part of that 50 acre lot.
Many other properties were bought and sold many times over by Griffin’s of Moira, but are too numerous to mention.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Letter from Sylvia Griffin wife of Samuel dated 1852
Underhill, Vt. May 30, 1852
Dear beloved children I now will try to write a few lines to let you know I have not forgotten you o, no your mother has not forgotten you altho time seems long and the distance great yet tis good to receive a letter from you tho directed to Harrison. Was glad to hear you are all well now. Albert you understand there has been changes in our family, yes indeed there has. Now your father is no more with us he fell asleep in Jesus we trust last Sept. 19th. He was worn out with sickness, pain and ditness, he made his will and fixed the affairs to leave. Sold the land, some to Orlows to boys and some to Woolcott and took notes for cash but reserved a home for me in the house that you built having settled his business he said I give all up. I give my self up I shall soon know what it is to die. You may wonder why I am at Underhill, well I will tell you, Sylvia Fuller lives there and so I live with her and family. I came here last Jan. my health is not very good I feel the infirmities of age hasting on and soon, very soon, I shall be gone when a few more greifs I have tasted, but I will not murmur nor repine. God has led me through so far and I trust myself with him, he is the same yesterday, today and forever, yes Albert although I may wander and stray, yet God is true and has marked out the way that we should follow his steps and has said be thou faithful unto death and he will give a crown of life. This from your mother and friend.
Albert B. Griffin Sylvia Griffin
Dear beloved children I now will try to write a few lines to let you know I have not forgotten you o, no your mother has not forgotten you altho time seems long and the distance great yet tis good to receive a letter from you tho directed to Harrison. Was glad to hear you are all well now. Albert you understand there has been changes in our family, yes indeed there has. Now your father is no more with us he fell asleep in Jesus we trust last Sept. 19th. He was worn out with sickness, pain and ditness, he made his will and fixed the affairs to leave. Sold the land, some to Orlows to boys and some to Woolcott and took notes for cash but reserved a home for me in the house that you built having settled his business he said I give all up. I give my self up I shall soon know what it is to die. You may wonder why I am at Underhill, well I will tell you, Sylvia Fuller lives there and so I live with her and family. I came here last Jan. my health is not very good I feel the infirmities of age hasting on and soon, very soon, I shall be gone when a few more greifs I have tasted, but I will not murmur nor repine. God has led me through so far and I trust myself with him, he is the same yesterday, today and forever, yes Albert although I may wander and stray, yet God is true and has marked out the way that we should follow his steps and has said be thou faithful unto death and he will give a crown of life. This from your mother and friend.
Albert B. Griffin Sylvia Griffin
Sunday, April 1, 2012
The Bayley Family
The Bayley-Bailey Family in America
The knowledge that we as Griffins are descendants of the earliest Americans is a great legacy one we should all be proud of. One of the family lines that is interwoven in our history is that of the Bailey family. James Bailey served as Pastor in Killingworth at a time when that position may have been the most important in town. In such a role he had an important interaction that all the families that eventually ended up as part of the Griffin heritage. In addition a granddaughter, Mercy, became the wife of Samuel Griffin.
The story of the Bayleys later Americanized to Bailey begins with John Baileys’ welcome to America, as he was ship wrecked on the Ship Angel Gabriel on the coast of Maine in 1635. He was a weaver by trade. In America he made his living primarily by fishing with the sole right of fishing on the Powwow River being granted to him provided he supply the town with a portion of his catch. He built a solitary cabin on 50 acres on the edge of the wilderness. He left a wife, son and two daughters in England but brought his son John to America with him. He was never able to reunite his family. His death is recorded in 1651 in Newbury, MA as old John.
John Bailey Jr. married Eleanor Emery in 1640 in Newbury, MA. History declares him a weaver and husbandman. They had 10 children. The original records of Newbury record the birth of a son. ‘James, son of John b. Sept 2, 1650.’ The family made their home on the Merrimac River across from Carr Island.
The Bailey family was prosperous enough to send their son James to Harvard where he studied receiving a Divinity Degree and studied medicine graduating in 1669. He married Mary Carr Sept 17, 1672 in Newbury, Ma. Together they had a family of nine with son John born Sept 29, 1676.
The first Carr in America was George, son of William Carr, 10th Baron of Fennerhurst. He arrived in 1632 and married Elizabeth Oliver. They lived on Carr’s Island in the Merrimac River they raised a family of 10 with Mary being born in Salisbury, MA. Feb. 29, 1652.
James and Mary soon settled in James’s first parish where he was called as minister in 1671. The area was growing rapidly, the original city, one of the first settled in New England, had expanded into the country side becoming divided into the town portion and the village portion. The village eventually wanted to establish its own identity and its own church. The politics of the day involved religious control and with it tithes to support the church. Overlaid on top of this was a new religious diversification and a movement by the King of England to establish the Church of England as the leading church in America and reassert British control of the colonies. On top of this came King Phillip’s War, in 1675, a brutal and costly engagement with the Indian tribes. As a result of these pressures we see communities who had prided themselves on harmony and unity turning to jealousy and greed. Such was the situation the young preacher entered into. The Village tired of what they perceived as mistreatment by the Town had petitioned for their independence. They elected a five-man leadership committee and started building a meetinghouse and hired a new preacher, the young James Bayley. The town opposed, arguing that the appointment process was biased and lacked authority. Groups on both sides supported or denounced the young preacher. He became the rope in a nasty tug of war and a permanent wedge was formed between the two entities. In the Biograplcal Sketches of Graduates of Harvard we find a description of James as being “orthodox, & competently able & of a blameless & selfe denying conversation and that the petitioners were very desirous of his continuance and settlement among them as their minister” In a letter to his parish James wrote. “There hath as yourselves well know some uncomfortable divisions and contentions fallen out amongst us here, which I cannot express without much grief, fearing what effects there may be of it. And these divisions being about myself, my request and desire is, that you called me amongst you to the work of the ministry, that so you will consider well how I was called, and in what condition I now stand amongst you, that so I may come to know what the will of God is and what to do in this case……The great thing that I desire and pray for is that we may know and do the will of God; therefore, I pray, be serious about those things of so great weight. So beseeching the God of peace be with you and guide you in his way, I rest, Yours in what God calls me to James Bayley”
In the end James could not accept the conditions in the Village and in 1682 moved his family to Killingworth, CT. Mary’s sister Ann married into the Putnam family and stayed behind. James turned the parish over to George Burroughs. The Town and Village were called Salem famous for the witch trials that started in the next few years. George Burroughs was one of five men and fourteen women hanged. Ann Putnam and the Putnam family played a large role in these events, which from the view of history we now see as divided along the Town vs. Village lines. In the Harvard Sketches his biographer writes “ I have given these details respecting Bayley and his parishioners, because opposition to him laid the train for the disastrous and terrible scenes of the Salem witchcraft” “there is no indication that he had a hand in subsequent proceedings, or was in the slightest degree connected with the troubles that afterwards arose…”
James and Mary had three more children in Killingworth staying for nine years. He retired from the ministry and returned to Roxbury, MA where he practiced medicine, Mary having died in Killingworth. His son John married Elizabeth Plats Fox recorded in the Land book as 17 Dec, 1713. They had two sons John and James. The family is recorded on page 361 of the Land Book “John the sone of John & Elizabeth Bayley was born June te 24th 1715 James the sone of John & Elizabeth Bayley was born Aug te 11th 1716 the record is written in John’s hand in a neat little square among other entries. Elizabeth was the daughter of Samuel Fox and Mary Lester. Samuel the son of Thomas Ffox and Hannah Brooks, Mary the daughter of Andrew Lester and Barbera. Her birth is recorded in old world prose in the records of Glouchester, MA. “ Marie, d, Andrew and Barberie, 26: 10m: 1647”. Thomas Ffox and Andrew Lister being two of the earliest arrivals in America.
John married Mercy Farnam on Dec. 29th 1737 the event listed on page 325 of the Land Book. Their daughter Mercy’s birth is recorded “Mercy daughter of John & Mercy Bayley was born May te 22d 1739”.
Mercy Bailey became the third wife of Samuel Griffin 15 March 1770 married by the Rev. William Seward. Around 1799 they moved to Vermont with their son Samuel and witnessed the birth of a grandson Albert Bailey Griffin my grandfather.
The knowledge that we as Griffins are descendants of the earliest Americans is a great legacy one we should all be proud of. One of the family lines that is interwoven in our history is that of the Bailey family. James Bailey served as Pastor in Killingworth at a time when that position may have been the most important in town. In such a role he had an important interaction that all the families that eventually ended up as part of the Griffin heritage. In addition a granddaughter, Mercy, became the wife of Samuel Griffin.
The story of the Bayleys later Americanized to Bailey begins with John Baileys’ welcome to America, as he was ship wrecked on the Ship Angel Gabriel on the coast of Maine in 1635. He was a weaver by trade. In America he made his living primarily by fishing with the sole right of fishing on the Powwow River being granted to him provided he supply the town with a portion of his catch. He built a solitary cabin on 50 acres on the edge of the wilderness. He left a wife, son and two daughters in England but brought his son John to America with him. He was never able to reunite his family. His death is recorded in 1651 in Newbury, MA as old John.
John Bailey Jr. married Eleanor Emery in 1640 in Newbury, MA. History declares him a weaver and husbandman. They had 10 children. The original records of Newbury record the birth of a son. ‘James, son of John b. Sept 2, 1650.’ The family made their home on the Merrimac River across from Carr Island.
The Bailey family was prosperous enough to send their son James to Harvard where he studied receiving a Divinity Degree and studied medicine graduating in 1669. He married Mary Carr Sept 17, 1672 in Newbury, Ma. Together they had a family of nine with son John born Sept 29, 1676.
The first Carr in America was George, son of William Carr, 10th Baron of Fennerhurst. He arrived in 1632 and married Elizabeth Oliver. They lived on Carr’s Island in the Merrimac River they raised a family of 10 with Mary being born in Salisbury, MA. Feb. 29, 1652.
James and Mary soon settled in James’s first parish where he was called as minister in 1671. The area was growing rapidly, the original city, one of the first settled in New England, had expanded into the country side becoming divided into the town portion and the village portion. The village eventually wanted to establish its own identity and its own church. The politics of the day involved religious control and with it tithes to support the church. Overlaid on top of this was a new religious diversification and a movement by the King of England to establish the Church of England as the leading church in America and reassert British control of the colonies. On top of this came King Phillip’s War, in 1675, a brutal and costly engagement with the Indian tribes. As a result of these pressures we see communities who had prided themselves on harmony and unity turning to jealousy and greed. Such was the situation the young preacher entered into. The Village tired of what they perceived as mistreatment by the Town had petitioned for their independence. They elected a five-man leadership committee and started building a meetinghouse and hired a new preacher, the young James Bayley. The town opposed, arguing that the appointment process was biased and lacked authority. Groups on both sides supported or denounced the young preacher. He became the rope in a nasty tug of war and a permanent wedge was formed between the two entities. In the Biograplcal Sketches of Graduates of Harvard we find a description of James as being “orthodox, & competently able & of a blameless & selfe denying conversation and that the petitioners were very desirous of his continuance and settlement among them as their minister” In a letter to his parish James wrote. “There hath as yourselves well know some uncomfortable divisions and contentions fallen out amongst us here, which I cannot express without much grief, fearing what effects there may be of it. And these divisions being about myself, my request and desire is, that you called me amongst you to the work of the ministry, that so you will consider well how I was called, and in what condition I now stand amongst you, that so I may come to know what the will of God is and what to do in this case……The great thing that I desire and pray for is that we may know and do the will of God; therefore, I pray, be serious about those things of so great weight. So beseeching the God of peace be with you and guide you in his way, I rest, Yours in what God calls me to James Bayley”
In the end James could not accept the conditions in the Village and in 1682 moved his family to Killingworth, CT. Mary’s sister Ann married into the Putnam family and stayed behind. James turned the parish over to George Burroughs. The Town and Village were called Salem famous for the witch trials that started in the next few years. George Burroughs was one of five men and fourteen women hanged. Ann Putnam and the Putnam family played a large role in these events, which from the view of history we now see as divided along the Town vs. Village lines. In the Harvard Sketches his biographer writes “ I have given these details respecting Bayley and his parishioners, because opposition to him laid the train for the disastrous and terrible scenes of the Salem witchcraft” “there is no indication that he had a hand in subsequent proceedings, or was in the slightest degree connected with the troubles that afterwards arose…”
James and Mary had three more children in Killingworth staying for nine years. He retired from the ministry and returned to Roxbury, MA where he practiced medicine, Mary having died in Killingworth. His son John married Elizabeth Plats Fox recorded in the Land book as 17 Dec, 1713. They had two sons John and James. The family is recorded on page 361 of the Land Book “John the sone of John & Elizabeth Bayley was born June te 24th 1715 James the sone of John & Elizabeth Bayley was born Aug te 11th 1716 the record is written in John’s hand in a neat little square among other entries. Elizabeth was the daughter of Samuel Fox and Mary Lester. Samuel the son of Thomas Ffox and Hannah Brooks, Mary the daughter of Andrew Lester and Barbera. Her birth is recorded in old world prose in the records of Glouchester, MA. “ Marie, d, Andrew and Barberie, 26: 10m: 1647”. Thomas Ffox and Andrew Lister being two of the earliest arrivals in America.
John married Mercy Farnam on Dec. 29th 1737 the event listed on page 325 of the Land Book. Their daughter Mercy’s birth is recorded “Mercy daughter of John & Mercy Bayley was born May te 22d 1739”.
Mercy Bailey became the third wife of Samuel Griffin 15 March 1770 married by the Rev. William Seward. Around 1799 they moved to Vermont with their son Samuel and witnessed the birth of a grandson Albert Bailey Griffin my grandfather.
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