Thankful Griffin and Nathan Buell

Thankful's birth is recorded in the document that is the face of the blog. She married into one of the most prominent families in Killingworth. Her father in law Daniel Buell was a Deacon in the Killingworth Congregational 2nd Society. Her marriage to Nathan Buell is recorded in the pages of the church records. Thankful and Nathan's family is recorded, as was the local tradition, on a page in the town records. Her husband having died quite young Thankful assumed the role of family matriarch a role she filled with vigor an idea somewhat unusual in the day. Gathering for Thankgiving Day was a family tradition that was held dear by most Connecticut families. Children would travel some distance for that occasion. Before she died in 1816 I am quite sure her granddaughter Sarah Josepha Buell Hale enjoyed Thanksgiving at her Grandmother Thankful's. As the editor of Godey's Lady's Book, the premenient women's magazine of the day, Sarah went on to play a major role in the decision to make Thanksgiving a permanent national holiday.

Essex Vermont

The Griffins moved here in the 1790s. Samuel Jr. settled on Lot 142. His son John later purchased Lots 141, 121 and bits of other adjoining lots. Samuel 3rd settled on Lot 81 and later purchased Lot 82 and additional property in the surrounding Lots.

Essex Center Vermont

Essex Center was the location of the original town of Essex. The economic center of the valley is now Essex Junction. The Congregational Church and later the Baptist Church were located here. Behind the Congregational Church is the Essex Common Burial Ground the oldest cemetery in the area. Samuel and Mercy Griffin are buried here along with their sons John and Samuel 3rd and a number of their grand children.

Samuel Griffin 1739-1808 His farm in Essex Vermont

In the 1790s Samuel and three of his sons moved to Essex Vermont. Samuel purchased this piece of property Lot 142 directly from the original owners as raw undeveloped land. He and his son John farmed here. On his death John farmed the property adding several more pieces in the area. (Samuel/Samuel-Mary)

Griffin Property in Clinton Connecticut

The extended Griffin family lived on the property surrounding this lane. The deeds describing the property referred to the Samuel Griffin or Mary Griffin properly as a reference point for property in the area. In later deeds we find family members selling bits of their property to the railroad for a right of way. What we find here is several generation of James Griffin's family primarily the children of his son James Needham Griffin and his son Captain Edward Griffin. (James Needham/James/Samuel)

Asahel Griffin's Farm New Haven Vermont

Letter from Sabra Stevens Lewis

One of our most enjoyable finds has been a collection of letters held by the Connecticut State Library as part of its Civil War Collection. The collection is titled Letters to Daniel Stevens of Killingworth. The time frame is the Civil War years. The letters were written to Daniel Stevens by his children. Their importance is that they give us a more personalized view of our ancestry apart from the dry records containing births, deaths and marriages. The letters paint a portrait of a very close family relationship. I think that they would be pleased to know that the sense of family still exists. They, like you, enjoyed being part of a family. One of the more poignant letters is written by Sabra Stevens Lewis. In the letter Sabra had been discussing the number of funerals in town including a women who “left a babe two days old". She then writes “Death is all around us. The new year seems eager to fill its numbers……Our time will come ere long and if we are ready it will not be an unwelcome messenger to us. We shall be glad to lay this weary body to rest and be free from care and sin. We have the promise that if we are truly his we shall be at rest. I hope we all shall meet in heaven. The departed ones that have left us, which I trust, are those waiting to welcome us home. I do feel very sad today. I am thinking where I was three years ago. Life very different than the scene I witnesses then and Friday it will be three years since my mother one the best of mothers died. She is gone never to return but we may one day go to her. This is a comfort to think that we may meet if we are faithful to the end and since God is we ought”. (Sabra/Mercy/Worden/Samuel/Samuel)