Mercy Griffin Pelton 1774-1844

Mercy Griffin was born in Killingworth, Connecticut April 3, 1774 the daughter of Samuel Griffin and Mercy Bailey. Her baptism was duly recorded in the ledgers of the Killingworth Second Society the daughter of Samuel Griffin. She was named after her mother Mercy. Mercy was the eighth child to join the Griffin household three more brothers would eventually join the family.---------- Mercy probably grew up under the tutelage of her three older half sisters, Lois, Polly and Azuba. By the time she was a teenager those older sister were married with homes of their own leaving her as the older sister presence in a household of boys. There are no historical references for how old her sister Molly was at the time of her death. I suspect that Molly did not live very long.----------- Life for the Griffin girls probably started and ended with the large fireplace that dominated the main room in the house. With a large family to feed history places the girls center stage managing the fire and moving the cooking pots, as meals were prepared. Unlike most of the household in North Killingworth the Griffin’s were not full time farmers. Their father’s loom was a prominent part of the estate he left to his children. I have always pictured the Griffin girls being involved with cloth and sewing. Cloth was a cash crop. The many steps needed to turn raw product into usable tread for weaving and sewing must have taken up much of their time.---------- Outside of their home the next biggest influence in the life of the Griffins was the Congregational Society. The Griffin names, births, deaths and marriages, are record on many pages in the society records. It was probably at a Society function that Mercy first met Ithamar Pelton.---------- The Peltons were from Essex/ Saybrook on the Connecticut River. Their family history notes that they were carpenters involved in the ship building trade. The Pelton family history reords that Ithamar was born in Essex, Vermont October 26, 1769. The 1790 census places Ithamar’s father, Josiah, in Killingworth. His household contained; 3 males over the age of 16, 3 under the age of 16 and 3 females.---------- The marriage of Mercy Griffin and Ithamar Pelton is recorded in the Congregational Society under the heading “1791”, “Nov 11 Ithamar Pelton & Mercy Griffin”. In Deacon Abraham Pierson’s notebook the date is give as November 13.---------- Apparently the Peltons did not make their home in North Killingworth. If they had the birth of their first two children, Eunice-1792 and Flora 1793 would be record in the Society ledgers. There is evidence that they instead moved just across the city boundary to what was then called North Bristol, which had its own Congregational Society. There was a very close connection between the citizen of North Bristol and North Killingworth. North Bristol is now part of modern day Madison. We find recorded in the North Bristol ledgers on Aug 12, 1792 the acceptant of “Ithamar Pelton and Mercy his wife” into full communion. There are bits and pieces of the North Bristol Society records that have survived. We cannot find a birth record for Eunice but there is a record for the baptism of a daughter they called “Besty”. Under the heading Oct 1793, ‘The same day was baptized Betsy ye Daughter of Ithamar Pelton and Mercy his wife.” Their daughter Flora was born in September 1793. Flora would have been baptized in September or October.---------- The story of Ithamar and Marcy is recorded in the Pelton family history titled, Genealogy of the Pelton family in America by Jeremiah Pelton. Reading the preface to the volume you are left with the feeling that the project to gather family data lasted a number of years. They describe a vast letter writing and advertising campaign. The work was published in 1892. Two points need to be emphasized. The first is the description of an account book kept by Ithamar’s grandfather, John Pelton. Used in his business John also kept a detailed record of the extended family in the book. The author notes that the Josiah, Ithamar’s father, took the book with him when he moved to Ohio. At the 1892 publishing date the author named the current descendant that was still is possession of the book. The account book in essence became the primary source for much of Ithamar’s generation. The second thing that jumps out in the history is the quite references to certain aunts and uncles who were in possession of family history, birth dates, marriages etc. All in all the history makes a firm argument for the authenticity and accuracy of its contents.----------- The Pelton history notes that Ithamar and Mercy moved to Essex, Vermont in 1794. By 1798 Mercy’s father, Samuel, and brothers, Samuel Jun, John and Dan were also firmly settled in Essex. Whether or not they all made the move together is uncertain. Six children were born in Essex; Oritta, Feb 9, 1795, Achsah, Aug 6, 1797, Josiah Feb 18, 1799, Lester July 7, 1801, Elizabeth August 21, 1803 and Samuel Griffin June 11, 1805. The children unfortunately for us were born in the time frame before birth records were kept in the new town of Essex. ----------- Samuel Griffin Pelton’s birthright seems to have been to serve as the torch bearer for the Griffin side of the Pelton heritage. He named a son Griffin Pelton and one of his sons named his son Henry Griffin Pelton.--------- Ithamar and Mercy left a very faint footprint in Essex, Vt. The Pelton family history reports that they left Essex in the Fall of 1805 moving to Ohio. In Ohio they were reunited with the Pelton clan who had gathered around his father in Gustavus, Trumbull County.--------- By 1800 in New England societal forces were such that many were in search for new land. In Killingworth the Griffin boys looked to the new frontiers for new opportunities. For them the new frontier was Vermont. The greatest promise for new land however was the Western Reserve, land in the Ohio River valley and beyond. The Western Reserve was claimed by the state of Connecticut. Companies were organized to survey the Reserve creating a structure for its sale and colonization. Advertising for land in Vermont and the Western Reserve was wide spread. In response to such advertising Josiah Pelton, Ithamar’s father, traded a piece of mill property for one half of the newly surveyed township, Gustavus, Trumbull County Ohio. In 1800 Josiah and some of his sons made the trip to Ohio on horseback to locate his newly purchased 6, 605 acres of virgin land. In 1801 his son Jesse again made the trek taking with him a new wife the first women to settle in Gustavus. A second brother was to follow. In 1802 Jesse gathered up the remainder of his family and made the arduous trip. From the Pelton History,---------- “On the journey west they traveled through New Haven and New York to Philadelphia, thense by “Ark” ( large six-horse wagons) to the Ohio River, down that river by flat boats to Beaver, and by ox-team sixty five miles to Vernon, Trumbull Co. After a cabin was built in Gustavus the family was taken there.” ---------- 6,605 acres represented a significant holding in 1800. A typical large successful farm may be only contain 200 acres. The history of Gustavus is replete with Pelton references. At the turn of that century they were the dominant presence in Gustavus. The lure of the large holding was such that Ithamar and Mercy left Essex, Vermont in the Fall of 1804 to make their own journey to Gustavus.----------- It is my guess that they followed the established route that stretched across upstate New York. It is a short days ride from Essex to the shores of Lake Champlain at Burlington. The well-established Lake Champlain Trail stretched south down the east side of the lake from Burlington, Vermont to Whitehall, New York, at the southern end of the lake, and then on to Albany, New York a distance of 150 miles. Albany had been the capital of New York since 1797. Albany had served as a major trade center since well before the Revolutionary War. As such it had served as the hub for a number of roads. One of the major roads ran from Albany via Utica to end up at Fort Oswego on Lake Ontario. Starting in 1794 the State of New York started building a road, referred to as the Great Genesee Road, from Fort Schuyler in what is now Utica to Canawaugus on the Genesee River a major north-south link in central upstate New York. In 1798 the legislature authorized a road extension to Buffalo on Lake Erie. Another road, the Lake Shore Path, stretched from Buffalo, along the shore of Lake Erie, all the way to Cleveland, Ohio. It is a short detour from the Lake Shore Path to Gustavus in total a distance of about 620 miles. By wagon you are probably looking at a trip that lasted 60 plus days.------------ Five more children joined the family in Gustavus; Hiram February 3, 1807, Albert March 26, 1809, Lucius April 1812, Ithamar Jr. March 26, 1816 and Charles October 6, 1818. The history of Trumbull County describes the area as being very fertile and successful farmland. As the founding family of Gustavus the Pelton’s, with their large land holding, are described as being very successful. By 1820 the town had grown to a sizable community. When the town was first organized Ithamar was elected to be one of the first trustees. In the 1820 census there are eleven people in the household of Ithamar Pelton. In addition to Ithamar and Mercy there are eight males under the age of twenty-five and one daughter. The census lists six members of the household as being involved in agriculture. In the 1830 census there are still three sons living with their father. In the 1840 census a female matching the age of Mercy Griffin Pelton is part of the household of Samuel Griffin Pelton.---------- Ithamar and Mercy Griffin Pelton are buried in the Old Gustavus Cemetery in the rather large Pelton family plot. He died March 16, 1832. Mercy died September 14, 1844. Their large family left its footprint in Gustavus and the surrounding communities. You also find their children and grandchildren scattered all throughout the upper mid west.--------------------- Mercy Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin of Killingworth CT.

Bradley V Huntley 1827-1907

Bradley V Huntley was born May 19, 1827 in Milton, Chittenden County, Vermont. He was the son of Clarissa Bradley and Duran Huntley. As the oldest son his mother gave him her family name, Bradley. Giving a son a family name was a common occurrence. In this case it may have had a little more meaning since his mother’s father, Harding Bradley, (Blog April 2016) had died as a relatively young man in 1819. ---------- Duran Huntley was born in Lyme, Connecticut in 1764. He moved to Milton, Vermont at a young age. Evidence suggests that the much younger Clarissa Bradley, born 1796, was probably his third wife. Duran died in 1842. In the 1850 census taken in nearby Colchester we see Clarissa listed twice the matriarch of seemingly multiple Huntley households. Bradley also appears as the head of his own household with members of the extended family living under his roof in that 1850 census. Clarissa died in Colchester March 14, 1859. ---------- There still remains a good deal of confusion regarding the parentage of Duran’s children the issue being which child belonged to which wife. The issue is further compounded by the lack of a clear identity for the other wives particularly the first. You even see the confusion in the excellent Huntley family history. It seems quite clear however that Clarissa’s children were, Bradley V, Edgar Porter, Almeda and Henry. ---------- As a young man Bradley left Vermont and moved across Lake Champlain to the area of Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York. There are very few surviving vital records from the Plattsburgh. Putting together a picture of Bradley’s life is reliant on census and military records. ---------- Bradley does not appear in the 1860 census records. His military records place him in Saranac, New York in 1862. In Saranac he married Mary Ann Cline. Listed as Mary or Mary Ann in the census records the only source for her last name is in the marriage records for two of her daughters. ---------- A daughter, who they name Cora, was born in 1862. But the contingencies of the ongoing Civil War saw Bradley enlist on June 14, 1862. His military enlistment file notes that he joined in Detroit, Michigan. At first glace you are led to believe that there must be another Bradley V Huntley, Michigan is some distance from Plattsburgh. The mystery is solved with the discovery that he joined the 17th Regiment Michigan along with his brother Edgar Porter who was then living in Michigan. Further clarity is found in the notation that his residence was Saranac, NY. a subset of Plattsburgh. ---------- The 17th was a support regiment. In various census records Bradley is listed as a wheelwright or mechanic. It is a fair interpretation to suggest that his unit was involved with the maintenance of wagon’s and equipment. His military records show that he left the army on December 16, 1862 having served 6 months. --------- The next time we find a record for Bradley is the 1870 census taken in Saranac, Clinton, NY. Saranac was formed from the western part of Plattsburgh. The 1870 census lists; Bradley Huntley, age 42, born in Vermont. Also listed is Mary Ann-27, Burnham-18, Cora, 8, John-5, Nellie-3, Mary 7/12, all born in NY. ---------- The name Burnham, age 18, poses some interesting questions. At the age of 18 Burnham would have been born in 1852 when Mary Ann was only 9 years of age. Is he a cousin? Is there a chance that Bradley was married once before? There is no definitive explanation. However there is circumstantial evidence that argues that he was in fact Bradley’s son from an earlier marriage. Bradley Huntley lived the majority of his adult life in the area of Plattsburgh. However in the 1892 New York State census he is living in Diana, Lewis, NY. some distance to the west. Why move to Diana? The answer is that Diana was the home of Burnham. It would seem that as he got older Bradley had moved closer to his oldest child. ---------- There are some additional bits and pieces to the Burnham mystery. Burnham had a son who he also named Bradley Huntley. This younger Bradley was born November 26, 1880. Most genealogies incorrectly list him as the son of Bradley V Huntley, but he is in fact Burnham’s son. In the 1892 census in Diane, Bradley is listed in the household of Burnham and Hattie Huntley, age 13. Father and son are buried together in the Watertown Cemetery in Watertown, NY. ---------- Another twist to the Burnham story was the discovery that for much of his life he went by the name of Vernon. Is the “V” in Bradley” V” Huntley actually Vernon? There is in fact a birth record for the Bradley in question that is found in St. Albans, Vt. It records the birth of Bradley Huntley, Nov 26, 1880, the son of Vernon Huntley and Hattie Day. St. Albans is just across Lake Champlain from Plattsburgh. --------- We find the family of Bradley Huntley in the 1880 census taken in West Plattsburgh. That area is more commonly referred to as Cadyville. Listed is; Bradley-54, Mary A- 38, Cora-19, Frederick-4, Burt-2. Vernon is also listed as the head of his own household in Plattsburgh. ---------- Bradley Huntley is listed on the muster roll for Civil War survivors in Plattsburgh in 1884; Bradley V Huntley, 56, born Milton VT,, Residence, W. Plattsburg. ---------- In 1890 he is listed in the muster held in Diana, Lewis, NY. ---------- He is also recorded in the 1892 New York Census in Diana; Bradley V Huntley-66, Mary Ann-47, John-28, Fred-17, Burt-15. ---------- Bradley is also found in the Federal census taken in Harrisville/Diana in 1900. Listed is Bradley Huntley, May 1827, Mary A.-Aug 1845, Eunice B-Nov 1887. --------- In the 1905 New York census he is part of the household of John Huntley in Plattsburgh; Bradley V, Father, 77. ---------- Bradley is buried in the Harrisville Cemetery. His headstone, erected by the military, reads; Bradley Huntley / Co F / 17 Reg Mich / Died / Nov 23 1907 / aged 78 yrs. --------- The lack of vital records from upstate New York makes creating a family profile for Bradley and his children difficult. He is the only Huntley buried in Harrisville. It is my guess that the remainder of his family is buried near Plattsburgh. John and five of his children buried in the Cadyville Cemetery. ---------- Bradley’s wife is identified as Mary Ann Cline in the marriage records for both of his daughters, Cora and Eunice. Census records place her birth in New York in August 1845. It is probably a fair assumption that she was born in or near Plattsburgh/Saranac. Her death occurred at some point between the 1900 and the 1905 census. ---------- Burnham/ Vernon and his wife, Hattie Day are buried in the North Watertown Cemetery. Watertown, Diana, and Harrisville are towns found in close proximity along the Black River. His headstone lists two dates 1857 and Dec 1922. --------- For the 1900 census the US government designed a very detailed census for the turn of the new century. One of the items they wanted to be recorded was the number of children each woman had delivered and how many were still living. That 1900 census lists eleven children born with seven still living for Mary Ann. We have only identified seven total. It is a rough guess that it is those seven who were still living in 1900. --------- Cora appears in the 1870 census, age 8, which suggest a date of birth in 1862. In the 1880 census she is listed as age 19. The next record we find for her is a marriage registered in St Albans, Vermont. The marriage date is January 6, 1882. The bride is identified as; Cora Huntley, age 20, born Saranac, NY, the daughter of Bradley Huntley and Mary A Cline. The groom is Henry S Huntley. After the marriage Cora disappears from the records. ---------- The census records are inconsistent in their estimation of John’s age. The best guess is October 1864. John married Anna Lawless. They lived out their entire married life in Cadyville/Plattsburgh. John and five of his children are buried in the Cadyville Cemetery. The dates provided by the existing cemetery transcription are lacking to say the least. He last appears in the census records in 1930. ---------- Nellie is listed as age 3 in the 1870 census. In 1880 she is listed as, age 15, living as a servant in another household in Plattsburg. Her sisters married in Vermont, which kept excellent marriage records. It is possible that Nellie married in New York for which there are no records and was still alive in 1900 as indicated in the 1900 census for her mother. --------- Mary was listed as age 7/12 in the 1870 census taken in August of that year. That suggests a date of birth in January 1870. That 1870 census is the only mention of Mary. ---------- Fredirick is listed as age 4 in the 1880 census. The 1892 New York census lists him as 17. In the 1900 census he is part of his brother John’s household. The 1900 census lists his birth as Aug 1877. There is a listing for a Fred Huntley age 28 in the Harristown census taken in 1905 New York census. ---------- Burt is listed as age 2 in the 1880 census. He is listed as age 15 in the 1892 census in Diana. There are no other records for Burt. Some family histories suggest that Burt is actually the Bradley we have previous discussed. However that Bradley appears in his own father’s household in the same 1892 census. There are no other records for Burt. ---------- There is a gap in the family between the birth of Burt in 1878 and that of the next child in 1887. Where the missing four children born in that time span? ---------- Eunice is listed in the 1900 census. The census gives her date of birth as Nov 1887. In the 1892 census there is listed a daughter, Mary N, age 5. The age of 5 suggests a birth in 1887. You would expect Eunice to also appear in the 1892 census. The fact is that the Mary N was probably a mistake and that we are looking as Eunice in both census records. --------- We find a marriage record for Eunice in Pawlet, Vermont dated September 27, 1920. It lists her as Eunice B Huntley, residing in Pawlet, born in Plattsburgh, NY, the daughter of Bradley Huntley and Mary Ann Cline. The groom is Warren Stratton of Pawlet. There are no other records for Eunice Huntley Stratton. Warren appears in the 1930 census. He died in 1950 in Pawlet. ---------- Eunice is not buried with Warren Stratton. Mary Ann Cline is not buried with her husband Bradley Huntley. It is my suspicion that somewhere near Plattsburgh is a yet undiscovered Huntley family burial plot that also includes the missing four children. ---------------------- Bradley V Huntley / Clarissa Bradley / Harding / Stephen / Stephen / Stephen / Stephen Bradley of Guilford.

The family of Electa Griffin Wolcott in Nebraska

Electa Griffin was born Oct 21, 1820 in Essex, Vermont to Samuel Griffin and Sylvia Bradley. Electa married Chauncy Wolcott. They raised their 3 children, Sarah Maria, Sidney and Julietta in nearby Colchester. After living much of the their lives in Colchester, Vermont in the spring of 1884/85 Electa and Chauncy Wolcott made the decision to follow their children Sidney and Sarah to Nebraska. Their daughter Julietta and her husband, Harmon Parsons, lived in Battle Creek, Michigan. After making the move to Nebraska they settled in Cowles, Nebraska. Sarah and her husband Milan Wilson lived in Pleasant Hill. They last appeared in the census records in 1885. Sidney lived in Inavale. Each of these communities, now located in Webster County, were near enough to each other for an easy visit. The county seat for Webster County is Red Cloud. Red Cloud was home to a regional newspaper the Red Cloud Chief. The Chief was published every Friday. Each edition was 6 to 10 page. The Cloud covered local, regional and national news. It was large enough to also have a traditional society section.---------- The Wolcott family appears frequently in the Cloud. The family of S. E. Wolcott is found frequently in the society notices. The articles mention Sunday visits, club meeting and dinner invitations. We also find the wedding of Arthur Wolcott, Sidney’s son, and Cora Olmstead.---------- Electa appears only twice in the newspaper always referred to as “Mrs Wolcott”. The first reference is a line that noted that she had returned to the green hills of Vermont for a visit. The second article published in the Feb. 13, 1891 edition notes that Mrs. Wolcott had received a photograph of a pillow of flowers, which had been placed on the coffin of her sister, Sylvia Griffin Fuller who had died in December 1890.---------- In addition to the society pages the Cloud published obituaries for Chauncy H Wolcott, Sidney E Wolcott and Julia A Wolcott, Sidney’s wife. The obituary for Chauncy is particularly valuable. It confirms the commonly held date of death, July 30, 1885. It may be the only source for his date of birth March 2, 1811. It also provides a time line for the move to Nebraska. The obituary notes that Chauncy was buried in the Cowles Cemetery. The Find A Grave Index for the Cowles Cemetery notes that it covers only 97% of the burials. Missing is Chauncy Wolcott and I suspect Electa Griffin Wolcott. ----------- The obituaries for Sidney and Julia Wolcott offer the closest thing to a biography that exists for either of the two. The description of Sidney’s Civil War service provided enough clues to allow us to piece together his wartime exploits. Julia’s obituary solves a family riddle. For a long time historians had only listed one child in the family. The 1900 census indicates that she had given birth to two children. Her obituary identifies the second child as a little girl who did not survive very long. The Wolcotts are buried in the Pleasant Prairie Cemetery in Inavale.---------- Unfortunately the Cloud is silent in reporting the marriage of Electa to the man she referred to in family letters as Mr. Conant. It is also silent on her death. The reason may be due to the fact that Electa had moved from Cowles to Mt Clare in Nuckolls County. Although only 14 miles away apparently it was outside of the area covered by the Red Cloud Chief. ---------- Electa / Samuel / Samuel / Samuel Griffin of Killingworth

Sidney Wolcott a Griffin cousin in the Civil War

Sidney Wolcott was born in Colchester, Vermont, June 24, 1842, the son of Chauncy Wolcott and Electa Griffin. Electa was the daughter of Samuel and Sylvia Bradley Griffin. He died in Inavale, Nebraska in February of 1901. He was but one of the many Griffin cousins who served in the Civil War. The only details we have of his service is found in his obituary posted in the Red Cloud Chief. The obituary noted that he had served in the Vermont First Regiment of Calvary. The Vermont First was the only mounted unit to be formed in Vermont. It was organized in November 1861 in Burlington. Sidney served in the unit until the end of the war.--------- The Vermont First started the war serving in the Eastern Theater fighting in the numerous campaigns that led up to the Battle of Gettysburg where they were heavily involved. After General Grant assumed overall command of the army the Vermont First became part of the drive toward Richmond. For those of you that remember your Civil War history you will remember that Yellow Tavern, where J E B Start was killed, and Haw's Shop where two of the biggest cavalry engagements of the war. The Vermont First was involved in both of those battles. The Vermont First was to play critical roles in the final campaign that ended at Appomattox. Sidney’s obituary noted that he served at Cold Harbor, Wilderness, and Petersburg to name but a few. We have published a history for the unit below.---------- Of special interest is the Battle of Winchester. Confederate Gen. Lee dispatched Gen Judal Early to raid up the Shenandoah Valley and beyond. The intent was to threaten Washington and draw off pressure from the main Confederate Army. Union Gen. Sheridan was dispatched to deal with Early. The Shenandoah campaign ended with the almost totally destruction of Early’s Army. One of the key battles occurred at Winchester, Virginia. We get a hint of Sidney’s involvement from his obituary, ---------- “He also suffered much from a saber cut in the head which occurred in a hand to hand conflict with a gray coat at Winchester, Virginia in 1863, at which time his horse was shot from under him.”---------- We have published an order of battle and a history of the engagement below. You can tract Sidney’s involvement by tracking his commanding officer, James H Wilson, who led an attack that turned the Confederate right flank.--------- Gettysburg is the most memorable battle of the Civil War. Again we have published the order of battle and a brief history of the particular units he was fighting with. You can follow his involvement by tracking the actions taken by his commanding officer, Elon Farnsworth.---------- The campaign between Generals Grant and Lee has been written about extensively. We see in a few of the battles where the Vermont First served as the Escort for the Headquarters of II Corps under Gen Hancock. Freed from escort duty they joined in the Yellow Tavern and Haw’s Shop raids.---------- The Vermont First was also involved in the pivotal Battle of Five Forks the action that broke Lee’s defense of Richmond. In that action the First Vermont was part of George Armstrong Custer’s command.---------- The Griffin family has been deeply involved in the martial history of America. It started with Samuel Griffin’s involvement in the French and Indian War, continued in the War of 1812, and the Civil War witnessed a large contribution from the Griffin cousins. Sidney Wolcott’s military service is but one shining example.-------------- Sidney Wolcott / Electa Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin of Killingworth, CT

Harrison Griffin, Essex, Vermont, 1813-1895

Harrison Griffin was the youngest son in the family of Samuel Griffin and Sylvia Bradley. There are no surviving records that supply us with his date of birth. The census records indicate that he was probably born in 1813 in Essex, Vermont. The best hint comes from a letter written by his sister Electa to his brother Albert. The lettter is dated January 6, 1895. Elect wrote, "I recieved a photograph of Harrison's house and family he sat in his large chair, his hair is white as snow also his beard he is 82 in January. There is a commonly used date of death for Harrison December 12, 1890. Family tradition suggests that at the time of his death he was living in Colchester. There is a strong argument against the 1890 date. His wife Sylvia’s date of death was in 1895. In her death record she is listed as “married.” That document argues that Harrison died after 1895. Also there is a letter written by his brother, Albert, to his son, Charles, also dated in 1895, that referenced a living 82 year old brother Harrison. By 1890 and beyond both Colchester and Essex were keeping very detailed death records. It is easy to find the death records for both of Harrison’s wives but there is no record in either of those places for the death of Harrison Griffin. The same is true for his burial location. ---------- Harrison grew up on his father’s farm in the area know as the Lost Nation. By the time he was a teenager his father had amassed several hundred acres of farm and pasture land. The family history indicates that the Griffin’s were a typical farm family. This means that Harrison grew up working side by side with his siblings. The surviving family letters paint a picture of a very close family of modest means. The one thing they seemed to be rich in is foodstuff. There are descriptions of fruit orchards and maple groves. There are discussions of sheep herds. In surviving family letters there are wishes that the missing sibling were there to enjoy a good ham and beans supper. There are letter entries discussing the best potato varieties. One of the constant themes in the extended family is a reference to cutting timber and clearing new land. ---------- Harrison made his first land purchases from his brother Orlow and his father Samuel. Harrison bought and sold property until he settled on a farm in what is now Essex Junction. The farm was centered on the adjoining lots 28 and 33. You can find Harrison’s farm identified in the 1869 map of Essex. One of the landmarks for his property is the location of the Griffin School. In 1853 Harrison and Phebe Griffin sold a portion of their property to School District No-2. ---------- There are a number of purposed locations for the marriage of Harrison and Phebe S Larkin. We have posted a copy of the original marriage certificate below. The record is found in the Williston town records it is dated “This 6th day of Oct. 1841”. It is between Harrison Griffin of Essex and Phebe S Larkin of “Beekmantown in the State of New York”. ----------- Most of the current family histories for Harrison and Phebe are unclear on where Phebe was born and who her parents where. In her death record for example in the section that usually lists a person’s parents a listing, which often includes a mother’s maiden name there is only written “Larkin”. ---------- The hint for finding Phebe’s family is the hint of Beekmantown, N.Y found in her marriage record. It may seem out of place for a marriage in Williston, Vermont to include a person from Beekmantown, N.Y. until you refer to a map. On a map you will see that Beekmantown was located on the New York side of Lake Champlain across from Burlington and Essex. ---------- From the records of upper New York there are detailed well-documented records for the family of Hiram Larkin and Mary Marshall. The records include that of their daughter Phebe Sophia Larkin born in Beekmantown February 2, 1823. ---------- If you reference the history of Hiram, looking on web sites such as Ancesrtry.com, you will find posted a copy of his will. In the will he references his grandchildren, Ella and Ida Griffin who we recognize as the daughters of Harrison and Phebe Larkin Griffin. --------- Childbirth was not kind to Harrison and Phebe. There are five small headstones in the Griffin Plot in the Essex Common Burial Ground that reference Harrison and Phebe S Griffin. ---------- Griffin, infant son, June 18, 1842 ---------- Griffin, infant son Oct 12, 1843 ---------- Griffin, infant son Sep18, 1844 ---------- Griffin, infant dau June 21, 1845 ---------- Griffin, infant son Mar 5, 1848 ---------- The couple eventually had two daughters, Ella P Griffin born November 4, 1851 and Ida A Griffin born September 1855. There is a listing for Harrison, Ella and Ida Griffin in the school records in Essex. ---------- Phebe S Griffin’s death record, at the age of 34 years and 13 days, is found in the Essex town records. It is dated February 21st 1857. It lists the cause of death as ‘consumption”. There is evidence that whosoever supplied the vital information to the town clerk did not have much to offer. Under place of birth they entered “Essex” and under “Parents” they simple entered “Larkin” instead of the usually definitive identify found in most death records. ---------- We find a marriage record for Harrison Griffin, age 44, born, Essex and Sylvia M Baker, age 36, born Colchester, in the Colchester, VT town records. The marriage certificate is dated September 22, 1857. ---------- Found in the Essex town records is a birth record for “Dan B Griffin”. It is dated March 18 under the year 1860. Dan’s parents are identified as Harrison Griffin & Sylvia Baker. Likewise under the year 1863 we find record for the birth of Mariah E Griffin. The date is March 15. Mariah’s parents are identified as Harrison & Sylvia Griffin. ---------- There is a death record for Sylvia in the Essex town records. It is dated September 6, 1895. She is listed as Sylvia M Baker Griffin, age 73 years 5 months and 5 days, Female, married. Born in Colchester her parents are listed as Elisha and Melissa Baker. ---------- Harrison and Phebe are recorded in the 1850 Census in Essex. We find Harrison’s family living in Essex in the 1860, 1870 and 1880 census records. In the 1870 census we find listed in the household of Harrison and Sylvia Griffin, Ella-18, Ida A-14, Dan B-10, Maria E-7. ---------- In a letter written to his brother, Albert, dated April 4, 1871 Harrison wrote, ---------- “I have two girls, one past 19 and the other past 15 by my first wife & one boy past 11 and one girl past 8 by my 2 wife”. ---------- The 1880 Essex census lists the household of Harrison and Sylvia Griffin and their two children, Dan and Maria. Living next door we find the household of Miles Cunningham and his wife Ella. We find a marriage record in the Marriage Index of the Burlington, VT town records for a Miles Cunningham and Ella Griffin dated September 25, 1876. Ella and Miles raised a family of six in Burlington, VT. Ella’s death recorded is found in the Burlington town records. The record provides a date of birth, November 4, 1851 and date of death December 11, 1917. Her parents are listed as Harrison Griffin and Phebe Larkin. --------- We have been able to trace a marriage record for Ida in Massachusetts. The marriage is registered in Clinton, Worcester, Mass. Dated July 20, 1878 it is between Ida A Griffin, age 22, born Essex, VT, parents Harrison and Sophia and George L Taylor also age 22 of Massachusetts. Ida and George Taylor made their home in Bolton, Mass. The 1900 census lists her date of birth as Sept. 1855. It also notes that she did not have any children. There is a death record for Ida in Bolton dated April 4, 1918. It lists her as “Ida A Taylor wife of Geo. Taylor”. Her age is give as, 62 years, 6 months, 6 days. (September 28, 1855) It notes that she was born in Essex Junction, VT the daughter of Harrison Griffin of Vermont and Sylvia Larkin of New York. Note that she gave her stepmother’s fists name and her birth mother’s last name as well as her birth mother’s place of birth, New York. Ida was two years old at the time of her mother’s death Sylvia was the only mother she had know. --------- Dan B Griffin was born in Essex March 18, 1860. You can track Dan in the census records in Colchester. The census records indicate that he was a naturalist for the State of Vermont. Dan never married. There is a Death Certificate for “Daniel B Griffin” in the Colchester, VT town records. It lists his date of death as June 19, 1921 the son of Harrison B Griffin. ---------- Maria E Griffin was born March 15, 1863 in Essex VT. Her death record is also found in the Colchester town records. The date of record is February 5, 1898. It gives her full name as Eunice Maria Griffin; age 33 years, 11 months 5 days. It list her place of birth as Essex, VT the daughter of Harrison and Sylvia Griffin. It also notes that she was “single”.