Sarah Josepha Hale and Thankful Griffin

Sarah Josepha Buell Hale was born October 24, 1788. Her father, Gordon Buell, was a tavern owner and farmer. The family circumstance was such that in a era where most boys only went to the 8th grade the Buell boys went off to college a privilege very rarely afforded to females in the early 1800’s. But despite these circumstances Sarah was destined to become a major literary figure in America. Encouraged by her mother, Martha Whittlesey, and tutored by her brother Horatio, who was attending Dartmouth, she began a lifetime of self-education. Sarah married a young lawyer, David Hale, and started to raise a family. David was destined to die at a relatively young age. Sarah began to write poems and short stories finding support from the Masons in getting her material published. Her growing reputation as an author attracted the attention of a Boston ladies magazine who recruited her to become their editor. The attention she gained from this position brought her to the attention of the owners of Godey’s Ladies Book based in Philadelphia. Godey’s was the leading ladies magazine of the day. She remained “Editress” , her term, for the next 40 years. Under her leadership Godey’s assumed a major role in American society. Wikipedia notes, “During this time, she became one of the most influential arbitrators of American taste. In its day, Godey’s, with no significant competition, had an influence unimaginable for any single publication in the 21st century.” Sarah used her position to champion many causes and charities. She was a committed abolitionist. She was a leading mentor to the newly emerging female authors who struggled to find their voice. She was a leading exponent of education for women playing a leading role in the founding of Vassar. In her argument for women’s education she wrote “not that they may usurp the situation, or encroach on the prerogatives of man; but that each individual may lend her air to the intellectual and moral character of those within her sphere”. It’s an interesting exercise to contemplate the nature of the society she was living in that would prompt such a statement. She was also the leading champion of the movement to proclaim Thanksgiving as a national holiday. This subject is the focus of the remainder of this article. Sarah was the daughter of Gordon Buell who was born in Killingworth, on February 21, 1752, the son of Nathan Buell and Thankful Griffin. Gordon’s inheritance from the large Buell estate was a large piece of property in Newport, New Hampshire where Sarah was born. With Gordon’s father having died at a young age his mother Thankful assumed the role of family matriarch. In his will Thankful’s father in law, Deacon Daniel Buell, broke from tradition and granted her, a women, a level of control seldom granted to women in that era. Thankful, again breaking with tradition which dictated that a woman needed to have a husband under whose name property was to be granted, never remarried instead assuming the role of head of the family. In an era when the death of a woman was recorded simple as “the wife of ” her death is recorded as “The widow Thankful Buell”. It leads you to wonder what influence a strong willed grandmother had on a granddaughter. As such it was to her home on Roast Meat Hill, a short distance form her brother Samuel ‘s home, that the young Sarah Josepha Buell came for Thanksgiving celebrations. Why do we think Sarah came to her grandmother’s house? Families in that era were very close. Her grandmother lived until 1816. Given what we know of the times it seems inconceivable that she would not spent some of the holidays listening to the Griffin stories from her grandmother. In addition we have a surviving letter from one of her Griffin cousin contemporaries. Written by Eliza Stevens to her parents, Daniel Stevens and Mercy Griffin, living in Killingworth. “We are coming up to spend Thanksgiving with you. You need not cook anything for us for we shall bring all we want and more.” This letter is part of a collection from this one family in which a prevailing theme is a call to come and visit or we are coming to visit. As part of her ongoing effort to promote the establishment of a national Thanksgiving Day Sarah wrote the following letter.-------- From Sarah J. Hale to Abraham Lincoln, Monday September 28, 1863 Philadelphia, Sept. 28th 1863. Sir.— Permit me, as Editress of the “Lady’s Book, to request a few minutes of your precious time, while laying before you a subject of deep interest to myself and—as I trust—even to the President of our Republic, of some importance. This subject is to have the day of our annual Thanksgiving made a National and fixed Union Festival. You may observe that, for some years past, there has been an increasing interest felt in our land to have the Thanksgiving held on the same day, in all the States; it now needs national recognition and authoritative fixation, only, to become permanent, an American custom and institution. Enclosed are three papers being, printed these are easily read, which make the idea and its progress clear and show also the popularity of the plan. For the last fifteen years I have set forth this idea in the “Lady’s Book”. And placed the papers before Governors of all the States and territories—also I have sent these to our Ministers abroad, and our Missionaries to the heathens—and commanders in the Navy. From the recipients I have received, uniform the most kind approval. Two of these letters, one from Governor (now general) Banks and one from Governor Morgan are enclosed; both gentlemen as you will see, have nobly aided to bring out the desired Thanksgiving Union. But I find there are obstacies not possible to be overcome without legislative aid--that each State should, by statue, make it obligatory on the Governor to appoint the last Thursday of November, annually, as Thanksgiving Day;--or, as this way would require years to be realized. It has occurred to me that a proclamation from the President of the United States would be the best, surest and most fitting method of National appointment. I have written to my friend, Hon. Wm. H. Seward, and requested him to confer with President Lincoln on this subject. As the President of the United States has the power of appointments for the District of Columbia and the Territories; also for the Army and Navy and all American citizens abroad who claim protection from the U.S. Flag—could he not, with right as well as duty, issue his proclamation for a Day of National Thanksgiving for all the above classes or Persons? And would it not be fitting and patriotic for him to appeal to the Governors of all the States, inviting and commending these to unite in issuing proclamations for the last Thursday In November for the people of each State? Thus the great Union Festival of America would be established. Now the purpose of this letter is to entreat President Lincoln to put forth his Proclamation, appointing the last Thursday in November as the Nation Thanksgiving for all those classes of people who are under the national Government particularly, and commending this Union Thanksgiving to each State Executive: thus, by the noble example and action of the President of the United States, the permanency and unity of our Great American Festival of Thanksgiving would be forever secured. An immediate proclamation would be necessary, so as to reach all the states in season for State appointments, also to anticipate the early appointments by Governors. Excuse the liberty I have taken. With Profound Respect--------Shelby Foote, the preeminent Civil War historian,wrote concerning Thanksgiving, "By coincidence, in a proclamation issued eight weeks earlier at the suggestion of a LADY EDITOR, Lincoln had called upon his fellow citizens "to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of thanksgiving"".-------- On October 3, 1863 Abraham Lincoln issued the Thanksgiving Proclamation.-------- The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, the harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well as the iron and coal as of our precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly that heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the county, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphan, mourners, or suffers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the imposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this 3d day of October, A.D. 1863, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.-------- As Sarah and her inner circle toasted the President’s actions I can imagine her saying, I can still remember Thanksgiving at my grandmother Thankful’s.

Franklin Pierce Calhoun 1859-1919

Franklin Pierce Calhoun was the son of George Albert Calhoun and Susan Amelia Griffing. Most of the town records concerning Franklin list his place of birth as Clinton, Middlesex County, Connecticut, the home of his maternal 3rd great grandfather Samuel Griffin. In Clinton he would have known all of the Griffin cousins from James N. Griffin’s family. Family records list his date of birth as March 9, 1859. The date is confirmed in the 1900 federal census. His full name is listed in the birth record of his son, Albert Franklin, in the Wallingford town records. Franklin’s father died in 1863 while serving in the Union Army. As a result he grew up in the household of his mother and her 2nd husband William J. Bradley. The family is in Essex, Connecticut in 1870. At some point the family moved back to the Madison/Guilford area where most of them married and raised their families. Franklin’s marriage record is found in the Madison town records. The record is dated October 11, 1882. It lists Franklin P. Calhoun, born Clinton, living Madison, age 22 and Alice R. Spencer age 18, born Madison, living Madison. The marriage is also found in the Methodist Church records. October 11, 1882, Franklin P. Calhoun, 22, Clinton and Alice R, Spencer, 18, Madison, by the Rev W.F. Marwick with the notation “married at my residence”. The first 3 children in the family were born in Guilford. The town records list the following births. ------Estella Calhoun (Florence Estella) August 3, 1883, Frank Calhoun age 23 and Alice Spencer age 19. The town clerks in Guilford always noted the birth order for each child. They list Estella as the 1st child born in the family. Her marriage record to Nelson E. Darrow is also found in the Guilford records. Florence Estella Calhoun age 14, January 12, 1898.------ Listed as the 2nd child, Ethel M. Calhoun born November 9, 1889. Her father is listed as Franklin P. Calhoun of Clinton age 33. ------ The 3rd child is listed simply as, M, a male born January 8, 1893 his parents listed as Franklin P. Calhoun and Alice R. Spencer. The nature of the town records seems to indicate a stillborn child.------ The 4th child is Albert Franklin Calhoun born September 25, 1899. Albert’s birth is part of the Wallingford town records. It lists his father as Franklin Pierce Calhoun age 40; it notes the area of his birth as Yalesville. The record notes that he is part of a family of 4 children with 3 surviving, as does the 1900 federal census. ------Franklin and Alice are buried in the Alderbrook Cemetery in Guilford. Frank P. Calhoun 1859-1919 and Alice R. Calhoun 1863-1930. Also buried in the family plot are Florence E. (Estella) Calhoun 1883-1921 and her 2nd husband Edward Miller 1884-1926. There is also a headstone for her son by her 1st marriage, Charles Darrow 1897-1919, killed in France ( actually date April 20, 1818). Also buried in Alderbrook is Franklin’s sister Jane and parts of her family including her husband Alexander E. Ingraham.------Franklin Pierce Calhoun/ Susan Amelia Griffing / Harry Allen Griffin / Edward / James / Samuel Griffin. Click on images to enlarge.

Susan Amelia Griffin, Susan A. Calhoun, Susan A. Bradley

Identifying the children of Harry Allen Griffin has proven to be a formidable task. As the prodigal son he was left out of his fathers will. It seems he led a wanderer’s life a life at sea. We have been unable to find birth records for any of his children. Instead we have discovered them one by one in the New Haven County communities where they were born and raised their families. Harry lived in what is now Madison, Connecticut. Madison became a separate city in 1826 dividing off from Guilford. The town records that start in 1826 are detailed and well organized. Anyone spending any amount of time reviewing those records quickly becomes familiar with a set of patterns. Madison was a small place in the early 1800’s. The town clerks were very familiar with each family in Madison. For anyone who has spent anytime editing written material it’s easy to understand the clerk’s mindset. Being familiar with everyone in town they would edit for clarity. If two people shared a name they would consistently use a middle initial for clarification. If the party involved was from somewhere other than Madison that information was always added. Based on this familiarity with the Madison records we have been able to identify two of Harry’s children. There was only one permanent Griffin family in Madison that of Harry Allen Griffin. In the town records we find the marriage certificate for the marriage of William L. Griffing to Fanny M. Bradley, which notes “ both of Madison” dated July 16, 1849. In the town records the marriage is again recorded with the ages of the young couple listed as 24 and 19. We find the young couple in Clinton in the 1850 census. After that they seem to disappear. In a land record we find a deed recorded under William’s name in which Fanny Margaret Griffin receives her inheritance from her father Benjamin Bradley whose wife Fanny is also noted. The age of 24 on his marriage record puts William’s date of birth at 1825 a match for the census records for Harry’s family.------ We also found a death record for a Susan A. Bradley. The record, spread across two pages of the ledger, lists her, as Susan A. Bradley age 68 died April 8, 1893. It notes that she was born in Madison. On the 2nd page is listed the cause of death and it lists her father as Harry Griffin( Harry's wife was Ursula Wright). Her marriage certificate is also found in Madison. It notes that Albert Calhoun of Killingworth married Susan Amelia Griffing of Madison February 1, 1846. Albert and Susan, like her brother William, also made their home in Clinton. In the 1860 census we find listed Albert Calhoun 36, Susan Calhoun 37, Catherine 13, Jane (after her aunt Jane Ann) 10, Elisha 9, Alfred 6, Fanny 4, Franklin age 2. Apparently the couple returned for a time to Madison where one of their children was born. The town records note that Fanny M. Calhoun was born March 17, 1856 (age 4 in the 1860 census) to Albert Calhoun and Susan Griffing Calhoun. Fanny was apparently named after her uncle William’s wife. History shows that Albert died while serving in the Civil War in 1863. In the 1870 census Susan has remarried to William J. Bradley. The family, including the Calhoun children, is living in Essex. The census lists William J. Bradley 34, Susan A. Bradley 42, Alfred Calhoun 13, Fanny 12, Frank 11, Albert 9, and Susan Bradley age 2 The town records note Susan’s birth in 1868 her parents listed as William J. Bradley and Susan A. Bradley. Susan and William are buried in the Hammonesset Cemetery in Madison. Her headstone notes that she was the wife of W. J. death on April 8, 1893. Next to her is William J. Bradley, Civil War soldier, died September 28, 1916.------ Susan Amelia Griffing 1823/4 to April 8, 1893 / Harry Allen Griffin / Edward / James / Samuel Griffin.------William L. Griffing 1825 to sometime after 1850. / Harry Allen Griffin / Edward / James / Samuel Griffin. Click on images to enlarge.