Samuel Griffin Killingworth, Samuel Griffin New London, Samuel Griffin Middletown

By a quirk of history there were three men with what was an uncommon last name for the time born in the early 1700,s in close proximity in Connecticut. Samuel Griffin of Killingworth, Middlesex, Samuel Griffin of Middletown, Middlesex, and Samuel Griffin of New London, New London. Also key for this discussion they in turn each had a son named Samuel. This circumstance has created a good deal of confusion for their ancestry as they have tried to organize their family trees. As America’s vision of itself matured in the later part of the 19th Century there was a great deal of effort put into recording the early American families. Some incredible family histories where written many covering multiple generations and thousands of names. Most of us have inherited our genealogy bug from aunts and uncles who wrote their family histories before the dawn of the information age we now live in drawing mainly on these earlier family histories. Without the access to the wide range of information that we have today, including access to the original documents, the key factors became location and time frame. If the name, the dates and the location made sense by the process of elimination it had to be the correct person. This is certainly true of my own family. From family histories and letters my grandfather knew his grandfather was named Samuel Griffin. The family hired an attorney to help them search for his identity. His search turned up Samuel Griffin of Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut. Correct name, approximate location, approximate dates no other apparent candidates. This circumstance has repeated itself in many families to the point that the identity of these three Samuels have become intertwined. If you go on a site such as Ancestry.Com today and search under families that have traced their family tree back to what they assume is Samuel Griffin of Killingworth you will find him married to the wives of all of the other Samuels. The same is true of the other two Samuels. As always the purpose of this Blog is to provide a crossroads for an extended family meeting. It is not my intent to preach to the choir. But I do have strong feelings about creating an accurate history for Samuel and Mary Griffin of Killingworth, Middlesex, Connecticut. I hope the families of the other two Samuels join this discussion as well. The most accessible database for Connecticut genealogy is the Barbour Collection. A discussion of what the collection is and is not seems in order. The collection was published in 1903 by the state of Connecticut. The project was authorized by the state legislature concerned over the need to conserve their state’s written history and heritage before it became scattered and lost. Lewis Barbour was chosen to head a state commission to collect and record as many original documents as they could find on a community-by-community basis. So when you look at the data for any given community its important to realize that each piece of information was extracted from an original document, town records, church records, land records, everything that they could find. It was extracted a name at a time, alphabetized and then put in chronological order. But it is also important to understand what the collection is not. Many of the original records that are reflected in the collection have subsequently been misplaced. It is plagued with transcription errors, a 7 written as a 1 and visa versa. Proximity on a page does not correlate to a family connection. The manner of its organization can also be misleading. You may have two Susan Smiths listed in close proximity each with a birth date each with a marriage date, but which marriage goes with which birth? The manner of its organization also clouds family connections. If the data for an entry is incomplete it is sometime hard to place that person within a family context. But given its shortcomings it still represents a gold mine of information for family history researchers. The key for us it that it provides dates and locations. According to Barbour Samuel Griffin of New London, New London, Connecticut was born January 9, 1705 to Ebenezer Griffin and his wife Mary Hubble. Samuel married Ann Avery November 16, 1727. Their first child Samuel Jr. was born September 27, 1728. Samuel Jr. in turn married Desire Crary in 1753 in Stonington, Connecticut. His death is documented in Pennsylvania in 1805. A second son, Thomas, was born to Samuel and Ann in 1730. There are no other children listed by Barbour, the location is New London, the marriage for Samuel and Ann is confirmed in the marriage collection of Fredrick Bailey. There are several well-researched family histories written by their ancestry none include a Killingworth connection. The courts officially recognized Samuel’s death, having died at sea in 1731, on January 27, 1737. The original document is included in the article we have posted on Ann Avery. Ann was subsequently remarried to Sylvanus Miner. This is an identity clearly distinct from the Samuel Griffin who lived in Killingworth. The names, dates and number of children differ dramatically. The dates of birth for the two sons also named Samuel are inconstant. Yet despite these significant differences we see histories where Samuel of Killingworth is shown as married to Ann Avery and his son Samuel is shown married to among others Desire Crary. Despite the new documentation that has recently come to light confirming the name of Mary instead of Ann for the wife of Samuel of Killingworth many histories have simple replace the name Ann Avery with the name Mary Ann Avery.----------- The family history for the original immigrant Matthew Griffin of Charlestown, Massachusetts records that his great grandson Samuel Griffin of Middletown, Middlesex Connecticut, the son of John Griffin and Mary Upham was born May 19, 1717. His marriage to Alice Woodwell is recorded in the family history of Matthew Woodwell of Salem, Massachusetts on November 30, 1738. I have not reviewed the original documentation for Samuel and Alice. Their son Samuel was born December 3, 1739 in Middletown a date quite close to that of our grandfather Samuel born in Killingworth. It is this date that influenced early historians to consider these two Samuels as one and the same person thus the conclusion that Samuel of Killingworth was married to Alice Woodwell. But the names and dates for the family as a whole do not correlate with names and dates for the family of our Samuel. Nor do the marriage records. Samuel and Alice Woodwell were married in 1738 their first child born in 1739 not 1728 like Samuel of Killingworth’s daughter Mary. The Barbour Collection notes the marriage of Samuel Jr. to Mary Bartlett on January 22, 1761 and on her death his marriage to Mehitabel Turner on January 20 1766. Many histories also incorrectly included a marriage for him to our Mercy Bailey. It is these two women who we see in various family trees as married to either Samuel Jr. of Killingworth or even his father. ------------- The third Samuel is Samuel Griffin of Killingworth, Middlesex, Connecticut. Of the three Samuels his history is supported by the least amount of original documentation. As a result, of the three, his identity stayed hidden the longest. Having been lost to history early historians substituted his identity with that of the other two Samuels whose history was more readily available. His children Mary, Thankfull, Jerusha, James, Samuel and Jeremiah are part of the Barbour Collection. What was lost in the interpretation of that collection was the time frame. We now have the original document from which the Barbour Collection was extracted, it provides a distinct time frame and a clearer view of who was or was not in Samuel and Mary’s family. The first child Mary was born December 7th 1728 followed by Thankfull in 1831 then Jerusah and James and Samuel on February 10, 1739 followed by Jeremiah. This list of children, this birth order and these dates do not fit into a pattern consistent with the families of the other two Samuels. The document also places Samuel and Mary’s family firmly in Killingworth. We now also have Samuel’s Probate File, which names his sons James, and Samuel Jr. and his widow Mary. We have the documents for the three marriages of Samuel Jr. to Mariah Griffen, Mercy Nettleton, and Mercy (Stevens) Bailey. We have the accumulated history of Samuel and Mary’s children emanating from Killingworth, not New London and not from Middletown. I would argue that there is a Samuel Griffin who married Mary (Beckwith) and raised his family in Killingworth, Connecticut and that his identify is separate and unique from that of Samuel Griffin of New London or Samuel Griffin of Middletown.

Asa Landon and James Selleck Land Deeds in Salisbury

Asa Landon, husband of Jerusha Griffin, and his son in-law, James Selleck, appears only briefly in the land records in Salisbury, Connecticut. Both were given property by their fathers. Most deeds contained the phrase “In consideration” a term that is the precursor to the agreed on amount of money or considerations to be exchanges for the property. In the case of Asa and James the “consideration” was “in consideration of parental love and good will”. With this phrase their fathers passed on to them enough property to set up a household. Asa’s father gave him two separate pieces of property. Most of the property held by Asa was in Vermont where he was quite active in land speculation. Of his Salisbury property it’s interesting to note that he later sold the property given to him by his father. Given his history of being on the Tory side in the Revolutionary War it’s interesting to note that the date on the deed, whereby he sells his Salisbury property, is May 13, 1776. After being forced to leave America for Canada after the war he was unsuccessful in his efforts to retain his property in Vermont. His father Ezra gave James Selleck 43 acres of land in the “Plantation” section of Salisbury on October 4, 1785. He later sells the property February 23, 1787 as he and his wife Lois Landon prepare for their move to New York. Lois/ Jerusha/ Samuel.

Connecticut in the 1800's

The children of Mercy Griffin Stevens, Mercy/Worden/Samuel/Samuel, and her husband Daniel all raised their families in the communities surrounding Killingworth. This is true of the majority of the first 3 generations in Samuel and Mary’s family tree. If you are like me you are probably more than a little curious as to what the communities looked like in the 1800’s. The photo we have added below is from Higganum which is one of the neighborhoods in nearby Haddam. It is in all likelihood very representative of a Connecticut neighborhood. Mercy’s son Samuel Griffin Stevens and his brother Ellis both lived in Haddam. Ellis later moved to North Branford. Samuel and his family are buried in Haddam. The photo was taken within the time frame when they lived there. The road in the photo was the main avenue of travel through the area. At numerous times in their lives these two Griffin grandchildren would have viewed this exact scene. Each of these communities keeps a historical register of old homes. One of those listed in Haddam is that of Samuel Griffin Stevens. His house could be among those shown in the photo.

Birth/Baptismal record for Joel Griffin Oct 4, 1767

This record is from the Congregational Second Society ledger. The record for the year 1767 starts on the bottom of one page and is continued on the top of the next page. We have included both portion. There are certain indications in these records that suggest that more often than not the dates represent a baptismal date. I have found it very interesting to note that the birth records only use the fathers name. Joel/Samuel/Samuel

Samuel Griffin Jr Land Deeds in Killingworth

Samuel Griffin Jr purchased the original home lot from Benjamin Turner on September 13, 1762. He did not begin purchasing additional property until 1765. During that interlude he was probably busy clearing the land and building the wood frame house that we have documented on the blog along with his joiners shop. Over the next several years he added to his property by bits and pieces buying two or three acres at a time. As you trace those deeds it shows that all of his purchases were for land surrounding his original home lot. In total he purchased about six different small plots for a total of about 22 acres. His property eventually included all of the property from Hwy 80 up to the other side of Wolf Hollow Lane. The eastern boundary on most of the deeds is Roast Meat Hill Rd. The western boundary reached about midway between Hwy 81 and Roast Meat Hill Rd. Many of the deeds are referenced to either his home lot or the burying yard. One of his last purchases was two acres directly across the road to the east from his house. As his family grew he made one large purchase of twenty acres of land a short distance to the east in the area that is now the Killingworth Reservoir. That purchase probably represented something of a working farm. The description states that it was east of the river and bounded on the south by the highway. We have included the original deed from Benjamin Turner with its date of purchase. One of his purchases was from his father in law Samuel Nettleton who lived to the north of him the deed documents that their properties were adjoining. Mercy Nettleton Griffin could take her two little boys and walk a short distance up Roast Meet Hill Rd to her mother’s door. In December 1784 he purchased the “burying yard” from the city. That location is now the Union Cemetery. Why did he make that purchase? The idea of a family cemetery was very common in the age. This circumstance argues that Mariah (Marah) Griffen Griffin and Mercy Nettleton Griffin and his daughter Molle (Mercy Bailey) are interred there among the unreadable headstones. I have always assumed that his parents were also buried there although there is no evidence to support that conclusion. Worden and his wife Rhoda Hull are buried just over the fence from the home lot. Worden’s son Harmon and all of his family are buried there as is his daughter Mercy Griffin Stevens and her husband Daniel and a number of their children. His sister Thankful and her husband Nathan Buell’s graves are marked with a pair of beautiful headstone. But one thing is certain the “burying yard” with its distinctive stone fence became the frame of reference for many of the land deeds in the area. The last deed added is a deed from Samuel to his son Worden. It is significant in that it includes a description of the original home lot. It points out that the purchase includes his joiners shop, a barn, and his dwelling house on a plot of ten acres. The descriptions in the deed go a long way in describing how Samuel lived and made his living. Samuel’s son Worden expanded on his father’s property he eventually owned all of the property from Hwy 80 to north of Wolf Hollow Lane. It extended from the Roast Meat Hill Rd to the other side of Hwy 81. The Congregational Chapel sits on Hwy 81 directly west of the Union Cemetery. The Buell home lot was located on Roast Meat Hill Rd south of Hwy 80.

Joel Griffin October 4, 1767 to September 15, 1833

Joel was the son of Samuel Griffin and his second wife, Mercy Nettleton. His birth/bapstism is recorded in the ledger of the Killingworth Congregational Second Society. On Oct 4, 1767 is the entry, "Joel son of Samuel Griffin. By the 1780’s most of the available land from the original Killingworth land grant had been allotted. As a result when Samuel Griffin and his wife Mercy Nettleton's boys reached the marrying age they were forced to look elsewhere to find suitable farmland of their own. This generation of young men represented the first major exodus out of the original Colonies. For most of the young men in Connecticut the move was north. They moved on to the upper counties in Connecticut or western Massachusetts. Those seeking a little more adventure made the move all the way to the newly established land grants in Vermont. Samuel’s boys were part of this generation. The first to leave Killingworth were his two oldest sons Joel and Asahel. Joel and Asahel ended up in southern Vermont in New Haven. They are both listed in New Haven in the 1790 Census. Both married in New Haven, Asahel to Polly Loyal and Joel to Submit Alvord. The only record of the marriage is in a history written by the Alvord family. Asahel purchased land and established the farm that we documented earlier in the Blog. There is no record of Joel buying property in New Haven. With no evidence for Joel in New Haven we began to search for him. We found him while conducting an audit of the 1800 Census for the whole state of Vermont. In 1800 the census records indicate that he was living in northern Vermont in Swanton about twenty miles from his father. In Swanton the records seem to indicate that Joel took on more of the role of a businessman rather than that of a farmer. Records indicate that he managed the concession for the toll road and bridge leading into Swanton. He also served as the town constable. In that role he was used by the courts to police land transactions. On one of the documents that we have included, which identifies him as a constable, we find his signature. As you can see by his signature, in this instance, he served as a “collector” for payments due. In most deeds written in this period all of the names on a deed are written in by the clerk who then adds his signature as verification for all of the names. In this case Joel is the person signing for all of the parties so the signature shown is probably Joel’s. Joel and Asahel both started their married life in very young communities. Record keeping was very spotty. As a result we have very few birth records for their children. In Joel’s case we have an exception. When a new community was legally established a probate court was set up to manage the land transactions. The court obtained a set of ledgers that were to be used as the official record for all land sales and transactions. The original land grant and the documents establishing the legitimacy of the court were recorded in the front of these ledgers. As the clerks were setting up the ledgers in Swanton one of them took a page to record a few of the earliest births. After that brief record there were no other births recorded in Swanton for the next dozen or so years. To our good fortune three of Joel’s’ children are listed on that one page of records, Oramel born March 26, 1794, Milton born January 18, 1796 and Lois born October 78, 1797. The 1800 Census shows Joel with a family of three boys and two girls but we do not have any records for Joel’s other children born in Swanton. Joel and Asahel sold their Vermont holdings and made the move to Franklin County, New York seeking bigger and better opportunities some time around their father's death in 1808. Joel ended up in Bangor/Malone and Asahel nearby in Moira. Both established successful working farms and raised their families. Several more children were born to Joel and Submit in New York. Again we are faced with a new community where very few records were kept. Based on census records Joel and Submit seem to have buried a young boy and two young girls and his adult son Aaron in Bangor. In the New York period we also lost track of his oldest child, a girl, probably born in New Haven. We find in the family records of Hiram Luther Drake notations that his wife was Lois Griffin. The census records indicate that Lois was born in Vermont in about 1797. Most telling that she is the daughter of Joel Griffin is the fact that she named her oldest son Oramel after her brother. Joel’s final days were spent with his son Oramel who had moved even further west eventually settling in Rushford, New York. Oramel had become a very successful businessman. He became what we would refer to today as a land developer. A community he established as a stopping place on the Genesee Valley Canal still bears his name Oramel, New York. Joel and Submit along with his sons Milton and Joel Jr. and his two daughters Sophia (Augustus Hitchcock) and Saphronia (Solon Nichols) all followed Oramel to Rushford. The later history of the family in the area revolves around Oramel’s daughter Achsah who married M. B. Champlain. Mr. Champlain became the attorney general for the state of New York. At one point he was under consideration to become a candidate for the Presidency of the United States. We have included pictures of her and her husband and a picture taken inside of her home in Cuba, New York. Joel is buried in a family plot in the White Cemetery just outside of Rushford. At some point after his death Joel’s grandchildren, who were among the most prominent families in the county, erected a marble pillar to mark the spot of the Griffin Plot. Joel and Submit are buried there along with Oramel and his wife Caroline Gary and his two sons Solon and Jackson, Solon and his wife Bridget and Jackson all died in Michigan. Their remains were brought back to Rushford for burial. Also in the plot are Joel Jr. and his wife Clarissa Frost. The headstones and the pillar record provide the following information. Solon W. 1836-1902. (Solon died in Union, Branch, Michigan April 20, 1902)- Bridget (Bridget is Solon’s wife)- Oramel Griffin Died Sept 15, 1877 aged 83 Yrs- Caroline wife of Oramel Died Feb 26, 1848 Aged 43 Yrs- Jackson Griffin Died Sept 11, 1893 Aged 54 Yrs (Kalamazoo, Michigan)- Joel Griffin Died Sept 15, 1833 Aged 66 Yrs- Submit his wife Died Sept 30, 1842 Aged 72 Yrs- Joel Griffin Jr Died Apr 22, 1871 Aged 70 Yrs- Clarissa wife of Joel Jr Died Oct 16, 1869 Aged 65 Yrs

The Killingworth Second Society Ledger

The records for the Killingworth Congregational Second Society were kept in a simple little ledger. It is organized into sections that cover about a ten year span. Each section is subdivided into a seperate section for births, deaths, marriages and church membership. The information is listed under a heading for a given year. Under the heading for a given year the records are listed in chronological order. After any one ten year span the process is repeated. This ledger contains the recorded history for the first four generations of Griffins. We have include here the marriage records for some of our family. Thankful and Nathan Buell, Samuel's marriages to Mercy Nettleton and Mercy Steevens, Samuel and Mercy Bailey Steeven's daughter Mercy to Ithamar Pelton, Worden and Rhoda Hull, Worden's daughter Mercy to Daniel Stevens, Samuel and Mariah's daughter Polly to Reuben Doud