James Needham Griffin 1760 to 1802

James Needham Griffin was born/baptized on March 29, 1760. He was the first child born to James Griffin and Polly Needham. He was born in what was probably his grandfather Samuel’s house in Clinton. His marriage to Polly Stevens is recorded in the list of marriages, written by the Reverend Fredrick Bailey, on November 7, 1780. The Reverend Bailey collected marriage records from all over Connecticut. This lone notation is the only family record we have for James Needham Griffin or his children the records from the 1st Society in Clinton having been lost. Using multiple sources we have been able to identify his children. Charlotte who married Ansel Jones. Polly who married Nathaniel Hurd, And James Needham Griffin who was always identified as James N Griffin to differentiate himself from his father. James N Griffin married Jemima Rossiter. We have no actual record of his death but in the probate records there is a small file, which we present here. James Needham/ James /Samuel.

Mercy Nettleton 1741 to 1769

The baptismal record for Mercy Nettleton July 12, 1741 found in the records of the Killingworth Second Society. The original page is very faded and hard to read.

Records for the Second Church of Christ in Killingworth

In Connecticut in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries permission of form a new congregation was a matter of law. Permission was granted by a vote of the Colonial Legislature. With an Act of Organization the legislature established an ecclesiastical society. The society would then seek out and hire a minister to manage the affairs of the church as opposed to managing the society. The society was careful in who they hired and were quick to dismiss them if they became dissatisfied with their efforts. The society held responsibility for religious affairs, burying yards and schools. The Deacons, a position within the society, were held in high regard in these communities. For example Thankful’s father in law was always referred to as the Deacon Daniel Buell a mark of respect. Property within the societies boundaries was subject to be taxed for the support of the church and schools. Tax collectors are listed in town records as tything men a religious term. Within these societies church and state for all intents and purposes were one and the same. Since almost everybody belonged to the Congregational Church this circumstance raised few issues until well into the 1800’s. Killingworth had its origins along the seashore in what is now Clinton. By an act of the legislature the Killingworth First Society was established in 1667. As the town grew a succession of meeting houses were built to meet the growing needs of the Society. As the population expanded the only room to grow was north. By the late 1720’s North Killingworth had a substantial population. Church attendance was taken very serious in the Congregational world. In some aspects it appeared almost mandatory. To arrive late or to be absent from church could bring a fine. Northern Killingworth stretched some nine miles up from the meetinghouse. These northerners became concerned with the difficulties associated with making the weekly trip to church. Thus we see in 1728 the issue of organizing a new Society in the north being taken up in a town meeting. To divide a town into multiple Congregations was not as straightforward as it would seem. The number one issue was the tax revenue that was collected. Few societies were eager to lose the revenue that was used to support their minister and the schools among other things. So there was a fair amount of opposition to the division. By 1730 the two groups had come to some agreement based on the idea that the northerners would help with the cost of building the newest meetinghouse. With opposition mollified in 1734 the north officially petitioned the General Assembly for permission to form their own separate Society. On May 8, 1735 the General Assembly passed the act enabling the formation of the Killingworth Second Society. The first task to be taken up by the newly authorize Second Society was the hiring of a minister. The ordination of a new minister was also an affair regulated by the General Assembly. A number of ministers were assigned the task of ordaining a new minister and aiding in the establishment of any new Society. After a thorough search and a six-month trial period the new Society chose the Reverend William Seaward who was duly established in his new congregation. His ministry lasted 44 years a period that far exceed the term served by the average Congregational minister. The Reverend William Seaward plays an important role in our family’s history. He was not only the guiding light in the Second Society, playing a major part of the lives of the early Griffins, the records he produced are the only source for the identity of many of the Griffin children. The records he created provide the dates that frame our Griffin history. His style was somewhat cryptic. “Asahel son of Samuel Griffin” for example. Many record books in that time frame also included the mothers name and often a place of birth for the parents etc. Reverend Seaward’s records are organized by year. In any one year he had a separate section for births, deaths, marriages and those granted Full Communion, OC. Each year the separate categories are organized in a neat concise record with the year on the heading and the month and dates down the side. By my reading the “birth dates” are actually baptismal dates. It is not unusual to see a number of names listed next to one date. These records tell an individual’s story. Birth/baptism, parents and marriage. OC at an early or advanced age giving hints at a rebellious youth or a religious conviction at an early age. Birth of children, usually at the rate of one every two years, and death. Thankful’s obituary notes that she was a widow. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Reverend Seaward if not his detail for his thoroughness. In fact we can make several assumptions based on that idea. The families of Samuel and Thankful appear in his records they made their home in the Second Society. On the other hand the family of their brother James is absent. This would seem to indicate that he and his children raised their families in the First Society. Later town clerks copied a number of First Society records into the volumes that contained the town records and the land deeds. Thus there is some information on the Clinton families in the North Killingworth town records some of those records were subsequently lost. Their loss has proven problematic in writing the history of James’s family. Of a historical note the Reverend Seaward's name is written in some histories as Seward a more modern spelling of the name.

Sharing Family History bradgruffydd@gmail.com

Doing research on the families that have joined together to become the Griffins has been a very enjoyable undertaking for me. Figuring out who we are is a large part of our socialization. To understand where we came from is very useful in understanding who we have become. In practical terms the idea of family is very comforting in a world that subjects us to a lifetime of challenges. It’s Important to know we are not facing life alone. As a family historian I have been amazed at some of the family histories that have been written. The historian for the Field family wrote a history that covered seven or eight generations in exquisite detail some one thousand pages in all. The work was written by hand the writing so precise that it could not be easier to read if it were typed. After finishing the project he then wrote by hand an index of all of the names. He published the work in 1895. A great source for some of the history of the Griffins in Connecticut was the work of Alvan Talcott. Mr. Talcott was a physician who lived in Guilford, Connecticut. He is in fact listed in the records for the cities in the area as having delivered or attended to a number of the Griffin grandchildren. In his travels he collected the histories of many of the original families of the area. He added to his notes from year to year adding births, deaths and marriages. At some point in his life he published all of his notes in a monumental genealogical collection. What motivates us to do research on our family history? In the spirit of our Congregational ancestors is it the Biblical call written of in the fourth chapter of Malachi? A basic human need? Whatever the reason I hope we all appreciate what a gift it is to open up a door of discovery for someone searching for their family history. Whatever the driving force I am a grateful beneficiary. Many of you have devoted a good deal of effort in collecting and writing the genealogy of your families. As a beneficiary of your work I would like to thank all of you for your contributions. I would also like to renew our plea for your family stories. I think it would add a great deal to the blog to have a history of each branch of the extended Griffin family. The story does not need to be detailed it just needs to be your story. I, in particular, am fascinated by the stories that involve that little spark that triggered a family search. Those little stories that tell of a story told by an aunt that heard it from a grandmother of that originator of a clan. It is those stories that have been key in opening up avenues of discovery in family history. I hope you all understand that you are free to use any or all of the material contained in the blog. I hope the material is spread far and wide. I would ask that when using the material you reference the blog, samuelgriffingenealogy.blogspot.com, that we may benefit from having new families join bringing with them their family history. Communicating through a blog site is not always easy. For those wishing to communicate with me I can also be contacted via e-mail at bradgruffydd@gmail.com. Of the Griffins Brad Griffin

Asahel Griffin 1769 to 1851

In the records of the Killingworth Congregational 2nd Society is a small notation “Asahel son of Samuel Griffin”. The notation is the handiwork of the Rev. William Seward. The record is in chronological order for the year 1769, the date is January 29. There are three names that are included in the January 29 bracket. In all likelihood this date was a baptismal date with Asahel having been born earlier. Asahel joined a household that included his brother Joel and his father Samuel’s three girls Lois, Polly and Azubah. Samuel had married the girls mother Marah Griffen , yes her last name was Griffen, in 1759. With her passing he was left to raise three little girls on the homestead on Roast Meat Hill. His sister Thankful lived nearby and I imagine that he called on her for help. But Samuel had a farm to run, animals that required his attention and a joiners shop. Such men were hard pressed to take care of three young girls. Killingworth was made up of scattered farms. In 1770 there was less than 1800 people scattered along its nine-mile length. Samuel however had a close neighbor Samuel Nettleton and his wife Dinah Healy. The Nettleton’s had a daughter Mercy. The Barbour Collection lists her as “Marcy Nettleton Dau. Samuel & Dinah b. June 11, 1741”. This record is a compilation made by the state of Connecticut in 1903. In all of the original church records from Killingworth her name is written as Mercy. Within a year Samuel had brought Mercy Nettleton into his home their marriage recorded in the church records on May 15, 1766. They had a son Joel born in 1767 and in 1769 a second son was born to be named after Mercy’s brother, Asahel Nettleton. In the records of the Killingworth 2nd Congregational Society Samuel and Mercy were recorded as being O.C. indicating that they Owned the Congregational Covenant. O.C. was granted to a couple, or an individual, on their Profession of Faith. This indicated that they accepted the Congregational Charter with its clearly defined religious precepts. It indicated that they were committed to leading an active, God fearing, Christian life. For Asahel his parents standing meant that he was granted the privilege of baptism thus the notation on January 29, 1769. For Congregationalists baptism, as described in the Bible, was essential for those seeking to enter Heaven. To be granted Full Communion, to Own the Covenant, to become a full church member, at some point in his life Asahel would be required to make his own Profession of Faith. Samuel and Mercy did not enjoy a long life together. The records show Samuel marrying for a 3rd time on March 17, 1770 to Mercy Bailey Stevens some 15 months after Asahel’s birth. Mercy herself was a young widow having lost her husband James Stevens. Samuel added two more girls and four more boys to his family. Mercy and Molly, Worden, John, Samuel and Dan. Their baptisms are all recorded in the church records and Mercy Bailey Griffin also was granted the O.C. an indication that the family was raised within the Congregational circle. Asahel grew up in a very beautiful spot in Killingworth. The home lot is about 2 ½ acres. It is isolated by its surroundings and stands as a little island. Asahel's father did not own enough property to be a full time farmer. Deed records indicate that he had a joiners shop next to the house. His will lists a loom and joiners tools. I think Asahel grew up helping his father in his shop. Today we would probably list him as a cabinetmaker or finish carpenter. Killingworth is still full of beautiful all wood houses. Doors, windows and sashes all hand crafted. The Griffin house itself is lined with elegant two-inch tongue and grove bead board. The loom was used to produce homespun cloth that represented a real source of ready cash for early families. The family had enough property to support the cows, pigs, sheep and other animals needed in a world of self-reliance. The foundation for a corncrib is found on the home lot.. The corn was harvested and thrown into the crib to dry. It was then ground throughout the winter for corn meal or used as a source of feed for the animals. Root crops were common in Killingworth, potatoes, and turnips. Dairy was a major industry cheese and good butter for bread. There are hints of cranberry bogs, cherry trees, dry beans and sugar maples. If a trip was made the few miles down to the coast to see the cousins oysters were probably added to the table fare. A letter mentioning a bean and pork supper, mince pies. Pigs to slaughter, pigs to sell and gatherings to make sausage. Flax and wool to be harvested to feed the loom. For those of us raised in the country we recognize a very traditional farm life. I am sure there were plenty of chores to keep a young Asahel busy. A house garden to hoe, wood to split, cows to milk, animals to feed. With six boys in the house there was probably more than a bit of mischief. I can imagine nights in front of the big fireplace. His dad telling stories of the French and Indian War, a tomahawk, a bit of beadwork, a French knapsack. The history of Killingworth suggests that the focal point of society was the Congregational Church. The Griffins would have listened to the Rev. William Seward and in starting in 1782 the Yale educated Henry Ely. It also indicates that there was time and resources to go to school. There are a number of Asahel’s contemporaries who went on to Yale and the life of an intellectual. The church and school were located a few hundred yards out of the Griffin’s back door. It was not a life filled with extras but it is my sense that it was a life free from privation. It was a life that prepared Asahel for a life on the frontier. It prepared him for a life of self-reliance. His story indicates that he carved out a successful existence for he and his family. From a family history perspective it should be noted that the identity of the two separate Mercys have been merged to some degree. For the record Samuel was married to two separate women who shared the same first name of Mercy, Mercy Nettleton, Asahel’s mother and on her passing Mercy Bailey Stevens, with Stevens being her name from her first marriage. We can only guess as to the exact date of Mercy Nettelton Griffin’s death, sometime before 1770. It is my assumption that she lies under one of the unreadable headstones in the Burying Yard, now Union Cemetery, next to the house. That being one of the reasons Samuel purchased the property from the city when he made the move to Vermont. But we do know where Mercy Baily is buried she died in 1822 and is buried next to Samuel in the Essex Common Burial Ground, in Essex Vermont. The baptismal record is the only record of Asahel in Killingworth. The next record for Asahel is the 1790 census in Vermont. Why did we think it was Asahel? He is listed on the line next to his brother Joel. Five of the Griffin boys moved to Vermont with their father before 1790. Asahel and Joel in New Haven, a short trip away from their father, in Essex. Joel moved on to Swanton, Vermont and Asahel settled down to raise a family in New Haven. By the 1790 Census he has two boys and a girl. The oldest boy was named Loyal after the family of his wife Polly Loyal. Records indicate that Polly Loyal was from Vermont but a detailed search has failed to turn up any families with that surname. My guess is that she is originally from the New Hampshire area that fed a number of families into Vermont. She probably came with an uncle or aunt the only member of her family to immigrate thus leaving no family trail. They had seven children in New Haven. Loyal, who after coming to New York with his father, later moved on west. Worden, named after Asahel’s half-brother, lived in Moira and has a family linage in the Midwest. A sister whose name has been lost. Sarah who moved on to Ohio. Sylvester Griffin who moved on to Ohio and then Iowa. His story of joining the Civil War at an advanced age is quite remarkable. He died as a result of wounds that he received at the battle of Shiloh. He left a large family and has a large progeny. One of his sons David Sylvester Griffin died at a very young age leaving behind one son John. John moved west ending up in Kansas. From this one branch grew a large family that is still involved with each other to this day. Abigail, Leicester and the last of the children, Joseph, born in New York, established a strong Griffin presence in Moira, New York. All of us should have the goal of attending one of their reunions. Asahel stayed in Vermont until about 1807/8. His leaving coincided with the death of his father. He is named as one of the six sons in Samuel’s will. His legacy was to inherit the carpenter’s tools that he had used with his father in his shop in Killingworth. The story of his life in New York needs to be told at another time. His early life is taken from the pages of Americana. If you want to measure his legacy log on to a genealogy site such as Ancestry.Com and count the number of families that trace their roots back to Asahel Griffin.