Azuba Griffin and Henry Davis

Leonard/Azuba/ Samuel/ Samuel Griffin of Killingworth------We have been unable to find a probate record for Henry Davis the husband of Azuba Griffin. However their son Leonard left a detailed probate record. Leonard was the only son of Henry and Azuba. Being the only son tradition suggests that he probably ended up with most of his fathers property either by purchase or inheritance or as an inheritance from his mother. Historically the girls received their inheritance in the form of cash or household goods with the property to remain in the family. Based on this premise we can use Leonard’s probate to approximate his fathers and thus gain a sense of what life may have been like for Henry Davis and Azuba Griffin. In one section of the probate is a list of the properties involved. They include the stone house lot with 12 ½ acres, old chimney place lot of 2 ½ acres, 14 acres of salt marsh in Madison, dwelling house, wood house, best barn, and cow house on the east side of the yard all on 52 acres. Also listed were the cow house on the west side of the yard, old barn, old cow house and the cider mill house on 212 acres. It lists two additional lots containing 42 and 49 acres respectively. What conclusions might we draw from this list? 370 acres in 1841 was a large farm. With three separate “cow houses” mentioned it is my assumption that this was primarily a dairy operation, dairy being a major industry in Killingworth. Did the 2 ½ acres at the old chimney lot represent the original home lot of Henry and Azuba ? Was the stone house lot their second home? Did the 212 acres associated with the old barn represent Henry’s farm? Leonard left a bequest to five people in his will. To each of them he granted access to the “cider mill house”. To have a dedicated structure to house a cider mill would seem to indicate that the mill had a fairly large capacity and that it represented a valued resource. A cider mill also would seem to imply apple orchards. Having reviewed a fair number of probate records there are little hints in Leonard’s probate that that would seem to suggest a little affluence. He had enough resources to build a building dedicated to wood storage. This was not only for firewood but probably also finished lumber, which was a commodity, named in many wills including Leonard’s. To each of the people mentioned in his will he left a silk handkerchief. To his son Joel he left a razor and lather box. The household goods, that make up a large part of every probate, were numerous and decidedly upscale. One of the marks of affluence in that age was the possession of books. Leonard’s probate lists the following volumes, Large Bible, Beauties of the Bible, Exposition of the New Testament, Companion to the Alter, Berna Family Worship, History of England, Biographical Dictionary, Webster Dictionary, Morse Geography, Hukeweldins Narrative, Modern Geography, Civil Officer, and Gazetteers. The book list would seem to indicate people studying the issue of religion at home and people with a worldview. It’s an interesting exercise to imagine what the nature of the household that Leonard grew up in was like. To imagine how much of what he became came from his Griffin heritage.