Lois Griffin and Stephen Kelsey

Samuel and Marah Griffin’s daughter Lois married Stephen Kelsey in Killingworth. The couple made their home across the river in Madison. Their children lived in both Killingworth and North Madison. Lois and Stephen are buried in the Stone House Cemetery in Killingworth next to her sister Azuba's family. The Stone House cemetery was named after Azuba and Henry Davis' stone house and was probably started by them as a private family cemetery. Their cemetery inscriptions read “Kelsey Lois, wife of Stephan, died Mar 22, 1844, age 83 yrs”. “Kelsey Stephan, Rev. War. Baldwin’s Co., died Mar 22, 1833, age 76 yrs. Veteran.” They had four children together. Julius born September 8, 1783. Julius married Sylvia Hill they together had nine children. Polly, named after Lois’s sister Polly, married Peter Davis and they had 5 children. Stephen born January 3, 1789 married Malinda Davis and they had 6 children one of whom they named Samuel Griffin Kelsey. Cynthia born June 7, 1793 did not marry. She is buried next to her parents having died at age 37. We have added a few documents concerning Lois and Stephen. One is a record of their marriage dated March 29, 1783 found in the Killingworth town records. Her sister Azuba's marriage to Henry Davis is on the same page. It is part of a list compiled in the pages of the land deeds. The second document comes from the genealogical collection of Alvan Talcott a collection we have made reference to many times. This document is Doctor Talcott's notes for the children of Lois and Stephen. We have selected potions of Stephen's will. It references his widow and notes the transfer of a portion of his property to Julius. Stephen’s will also has a provision for the heirs of his daughter Polly Davis who herself had died earlier that year. Stephen out lived three of his children which accounts for the fact that his son Stephen and daughter Cynthia are not mentioned. We have also included Lois's baptismal and marriage records that are found in the Killingworth Congregational Second Society ledgers. We have a record of her death found in the records of the Congregational First Society in Madison. The last item is a record of their family that is written on a page in the ledger that records the land deeds._________ Lois / Samuel-Marah / Samuel Griffin.

Probate File for Samuel Griffin 1739 to 1808

The nine documents that make up the probate file for Samuel Griffin are housed in the Vermont State Archives in Montpelier, Vermont. They are indexed by box number and file number. Samuel’s will is located in the third box in the collection. This would seem to indicate that his was one of the earliest wills filed in what was in 1808, a very young state. What makes Samuel’s will so important is that it names all of his living children except Worden. Why not Worden? If you have spent any time reviewing deed records in Killingworth it’s easy to come to the realization that Worden ended up with his fathers holdings in Killingworth. Even though he purchased the bulk of his father’s property from him it is my observation that portions of that exchange constituted an inheritance. I had my first glimpse of a small portion of the will in the 1980s. Up to that point I had no idea that he had been married three times with three subsets to his family. I believe a good portion of his descendants shared this observation. Among Samuel’s children tracing Joel and Asahel proved to be the biggest challenge they having left the smallest footprint in Killingworth. Finding the Moira connection and Asahel’s family led by David Griffin was a real revelation. And so it has been with every family group that I have met ever since. It is my hope that the Blog can provide the crossroad where all of Samuel’s family can meet. A good portion of Samuel’s family lived close to him in Vermont. Passing their inheritance on to them was probably very straightforward. But he also left an inheritance to his children still living in Killingworth. This seems to indicate that they were still very much in contact and that he had the means to deliver their inheritance to them. One hint of the closeness of the connection is the fact that his grandson Samuel, son of his son John, went back to Killingworth to claim a bride, Zaida Field who is recorded in the Killingworth Barbour records as Lodah Field. Of Samuel’s ten living children Lois Kelsey, Azuba Davis, Polly Doud, Mercy Pelton and his sons Joel, Asahel, Samuel, John, Dan and Worden someone in each of their posterity has made contact with the Blog. My own line traces its roots back to his son Samuel. The first document in the probate file is the cover to the file created by the archivist. As with all probate records each step taken by the court is noted. Some are brief simply stating the intentions of the court. The third document is a list of his remaining assets, farming equipment mainly and all of the bedding etc. required to maintain a very comfortable home. I noticed that he still had some of his joiners tools and his loom. Did he use the tools to make things for his grandchildren? Storage chests, chest of drawers, etc.? What did he make on his loom? Shawls, little blankets for dolls, a nice piece of cloth as a Christmas gift? It’s easy to note that he had very few possessions left at the time of his death. We need to remember that he and his son John were partners on the farm. Much of what he had probably belonged to the partnership and went to John. I can envision that late in his life as each of his sons visited he took them aside and said I want you to have this giving them some item that he knew had a special meaning. I have a collection of letters written by his grandchildren. Those letters paint a picture of a very close family. The news they share covers all of the current events concerning the whole of the their scattered family. I am sure the same was true of Samuel’s children. The fourth document has his signature on it and the last document has the signature of his wife Mercy and his son John. The key to the file is his will. A transcription of it is posted in the early sections of the blog. It gives us a perspective on his concern for his wife and children. What he gives away is an indication of what was valuable in his life. It also probably reflected things that his children wanted in order to keep his memory alive. I hope you all look upon these documents as your inheritance just as his children did in 1808.

Documents for the family of James N. Griffin

The family of James N. Griffin and Jemima Rossiter left behind a very faint trail of documentary evidence. But they did leave behind a large posterity who has worked diligently to keep their memory alive. I think part of what attracts all of us to family history research is for the joy of those moments when some story, some document, brings those people to life. They become more than names in a family tree. Eventually they become us. The story of this branch of the Griffin family takes place in Clinton, Middlesex County, Connecticut. The story has as its central theme the ancestral Griffin home of Samuel Griffin and his wife Mary Beckwith. Their son James, as the oldest son, seems to have inherited the family home where he would have raised his family as well as taking care of his widowed mother. There is a whisper in the family history that suggests Mary may have outlived James. The house then passed on to James Needham Griffin and then to James N. Griffin. In earlier deeds the property is refereed to as the Samuel Griffin property. In James N. Griffin’s day it is referred to the as the property of Mary Griffin. Among the documents below is a deed referencing the Griffin property making note of the “dwelling house theron standing”. Was that the original Griffin home? We have also included the original marriage records for James and Jemima’s girls. I love the little asides “by me this day” and “of this place”. It is easy to imagine the town clerk with a smile on his face, with the memory of the wedding party fresh on his mind recording the marriage of the daughters of his neighbor and friend James N. Griffin. The names that he was recording were for people that he was so familiar with, that he knew where they were born, Wethersfield, Meriden, or of this place. Who made up the wedding party? The Rossiters were a large clan in Clinton and Killingworth. I am sure Jemima and her married sisters probably set out a wonderful table. James’s sister Polly Griffin Hurd and her large family lived in Clinton.I am sure their favorite uncle Ansel Jones attended. From his uncle Samuel Griffin’s line Worden Griffin and his family from Killingworth Harmon and Mercy Griffin Stevens and their children. The children of Aruba Griffin and Henry Davis who lived in Killingworth probably attended as well as those of her sister Lois Griffin Kelsey. In addition to the extended family I am sure a good number of their neighbors and friends joined in the celebration. And most importantly we in our imaginations have the chance to attend. James N/James Needham/James/Samuel

Samuel Griffin 1739-1808

Samuel and Mercy Griffin spent some dozen years together in Essex Vermont. Mercy outlived him by fourteen years. By the time of their deaths they had the pleasure of gathering their grandchildren about them. Joel and Asahel lived within easy traveling distance from them. John, Samuel, Dan and for a short time Mercy Griffin and her husband Ithamar Pelton all lived in Essex. I am sure that the grandchildren were all left with rich memories of their grand parents. We present here Samuel’s signature on the cover letter for his will. His signature reduced to a shaky scrawl is a testament to the life he had lived. Carving a homestead out of the woods in Killingworth. Building the beautiful little home next to the burying yard. The hardships of the French and Indian war. The move to Essex and a new farm caved out of the virgin forest. Working in his joiners shop. Winter nights at his loom. By 1808 life had extracted its toll on him. He and Mercy Bailey are buried in the Essex Common Burial Ground in Essex.

James N. Griffin and Jemima Rossiter

James N. Griffin was always referred to as James “N.” rather than James in town records to differentiate him from his father James Needham Griffin. James N. married Jemima Rossiter in Clinton probably about 1811. James N. was the last of the Griffin line to occupy the ancestral Griffin home of Samuel and Mary. The deed records concerning his property were almost always referenced as either the Samuel Griffin property or the property of the descendants of Mary Griffin. The story of the family of James and Jemima takes place in somewhat of a historical vacuum. James and Jemima raised their family in Clinton, Connecticut, Clinton and Killingworth having, by then, become two separate communities. For those of us doing historical research in this time frame it is the worst of worlds. The documentary history of Killingworth starts in the 1660s when the original charter was granted. There are two early historical volumes that provide the bulk of documentary evidence that we can use to trace our ancestry. Within these two volumes we have the original charter, town organization, town minutes, the earliest deed records and mixed in among these papers is the records of the earliest births, deaths, marriages and wills. As the town grew the record keeping evolved. By about 1715 the 2nd and 3rd generations were creating a demand for their own property and a expansion northward began in earnest. On a yearly basis the town fathers would organize a survey and would grant land in the undeveloped portion of the land grant to the younger men seeking to build a home of their own. In addition older men were also granted additional property and property was also awarded for public and military service. This new distribution of land was recorded in a separate set of volumes. Within the first several volumes we still find the tradition of adding vital records but by in large these volumes are restricted to the recording of land deeds and land transactions. These volumes, however, are still very valuable as sources for family history. By this time the Congregational Societies had also begun to keep more detailed records. Sadly a good portion of the original records from the First Congregational Society have been lost. To our good fortune a fair amount of the earliest records had been copied in the land records. So what was the status of record keeping at the time James and Jemima were starting to raise their family? For this time frame the bulk of the records were among those lost records but unlike the earliest records they had never been recopied elsewhere. Even in the Second Society based in Killingworth the record keeping became very spotty. In the early days of Killingworth/Clinton keeping record of church membership was very important. By 1815 that mindset was not nearly as strong. In the early 1800’s the keeping of town records throughout Connecticut relied on the personal initiative of individual town clerks. Some kept excellent records some very poor records. The only item that was recorded on a somewhat consistent basis was marriages. By the 1840s and 1850s states began passing laws mandating that towns keep detailed records of births, deaths and marriages. But sadly for us the family of James and Jemima were born in those years for which there is very little documentary evidence. Our search for the family of James N. and Jemima starts with the census records. They first appear as a family in the 1820 Federal Census. This census shows the family with one boy and four girls all under the age of ten. The 1830 Census shows a family of one boy and five girls. In 1840 they are living next to Julius Brooks. Their household has only one child a female. Starting with the 1850 Census the census included the name and age of each member of the household. In 1850 James and Jemima are living next to Louisa M. Brooks and have as part of their household two children Nancy Dix age two and Charles Dix age 7 months. In the 1860 Census James N. Griffin, age 75, is listed as part of the household of Zerah Brooks and his wife Susan. The early census records provided the number of males and females in a family and some indication of the distribution of their ages. With each succeeding census the information became more and more specific. Later census records are divided into male and female sections and are organized in columns. Each column has a corresponding age range. The organization of the census records varied from year to year in the early censuses. In our case these differences have proven to be helpful in establishing the age range of the children. Within each ten-year period it’s easy to track each child age six in one census age sixteen in the next. Present in one census and gone in the next. One of the major flaws in using census records is that it is impossible to account for that child that was born and died between censuses. Using the information from the 1820, 1830, and 1840 Census records we can draw a picture of the family of James and Jemima. Knowing how many boys and girls are in the family and their approximate ages provides a very good base as we begin to identify each of them by name. The records indicate that they had one boy born about 1815/16, a girl born 1817, a girl born 1819, a girl born 1821, two girls born about 1823, and a baby girl born just before the 1830 Census. This follows a very common pattern for families of that era with a child born about every two years. The 1820 Census listed four girls under the age of ten. We have only been able to account for two girls. So despite our best efforts there may still be two missing girls who according to the age distribution were probably born before 1815. The other key record we have to work with is from the Barbour Collection for Clinton. It is based primarily on the only records that survived, marriage records. Under the heading of Griffin is listed thirteen separate Griffins. Clinton in 1840 is a small place. It is very likely that most of James and Jemima’s children should be among these thirteen Griffins. GRIFFING, GRIFFIN • Caroline A., m. John W. PARKS, Dec 3, 1854, by Rev. Fra[nci]s Bottom. • Eliza A., m. Edwin PARKS, Apr 24, 1853, by Rev. Henry Camp. • Elizabeth, m. Giles GRINNELL, both of Clinton, Jun 10, 1846, by Rev. E. S. Huntington. • Emma, of Clinton, m. Charles AUSTIN, of Catskill, Sep 29, 1840, by James Hepburn. • George, of Clinton, m. Antoinette M. JONES, of Saybrook, Oct 22, 1854, by A. E. Dennison. • Harriet, of Clinton, m. Abel CHITTENDEN, of Mt. Pleasant, Pa., Sep 26, 1850, by Rev. James D. Moore. • Louisa M., milliner, d. Feb [ ], 1848, ae 22. • Maria L., m. Julius BROOKS, both of Clinton, Sep 22, 1839, by Lewis Foster. • Mary Jane, of Clinton, m. Moses SANTER, of Mereden, Dec 31, 1845, by Rev. E. S. Huntington. • Nancy J., of Clinton, m. Chauncey DIX, of Wethersfield, Feb 25, 1849, by Rev. E. S. Huntington. • Nancy J., ae 19, of Clinton, m. Chauncey B. DIX, joiner, ae 23, of Wethersfield, Feb 25, 1849, by E. S. Huntington. • Polly, b. Feb 9, 1787, m. Nathaniel HURD, Oct 13, 1806. • Robert, joiner, b. in Westbrook, d. Nov 17, 1848, ae 75. • Susan C., m. Zerah C. BROOKS, both of Clinton, Dec 31, 1843, by Rev. E. S. Huntington. Lets start our analysis of the Barbour list by eliminating those persons who we know are not related to our Griffins. Caroline, who married John Parks, according to marriage and census records, was born in 1833, too late to be a child of James and Jemima. I have found no evidence as to her parentage. Eliza A, who became the second wife of Edwin Parks, John’s father, is well documented in Clinton. She was born Elizabeth Ann Griffin. She is the daughter of Samuel and Jemima Griffin. There are two Griffin clans in Clinton, The descendants of Samuel and Mary and the family that traces its ancestry back to Jasper Griffin of Southold, Long Island, New York. Jasper had a number of grandsons living in Killingworth/Clinton including the above-mentioned Samuel along with Daniel and Robert. This family has left a detailed genealogy. Using their material and dates from vital records it’s quite easy to identify Jasper’s grandchildren. Emma who married Charles Austin is the daughter of Robert Griffin and Abigail Peck born in Clinton in 1808. Harriet who married Abel Chittenden is also Robert’s daughter. “Louisa M, milliner” is the daughter of Daniel Griffin and Maria Jones. Then we also have George Griffin who town and census records indicate was from Madison, Connecticut born about 1830. The Polly listed is James’s sister Polly. This process of elimination leaves us with five girls who could be five of possibly eight girls likely to have been born to James and Jemima. Taking each child separately we can add up the bits and pieces to created a picture of the family of James N. and Jemima Griffin. Our discussion needs to start with Jemima, James’s wife. We do not have a marriage record for this couple. Our first hint of Jemima’s name came from the 1850 Census, which lists James N. Griffin age 64, and his wife Jemima age 61. While reviewing deed records for Clinton we came across a deed listed in James’s name that recorded a transfer of land to James and Jemima from David Rossiter who is identified as her father. Having discovered the name of David Rossiter we went in search of his Will. In the probate files we found a detailed probate packet. Among the papers we discovered that one of the executors of David’s Will is James N. Griffin. In his Will David names as one of his daughters Jemima Griffin. The Will also identifies Jemima’s mother as Abigail Buell. A record of Jemima’s death is part of the Hale Collection. The Hale Collection was put together as part of an effort by the state of Connecticut to preserve old records in the 1930s. The original sources have been lost and the collection is troubled with transcription errors but still provides valuable historical material. The Hale Collection lists her death. “James N. Griffin, his wife d. Aug 30, 1851, age 63. “ The record for Jemima should read born in Clinton, Connecticut 1788/89 to David and Abigail Rossiter, died Aug 30, 1851. The first hint of the identity of the oldest son came from Michael Clark. Michael traces his ancestry back to a Joseph A. Griffin who married Susan Dearborn November 10, 1834 in Massachusetts. After the death of his first wife Joseph married Mary Jane Dearborn and raised his family in Boston. Michael has a well-researched Family Tree on Ancestry.Com. The key document from the life of Joseph A. Griffin is the record of Massachusetts Deaths 1841 to 1915. It lists Joseph’s death as January 10, 1895; born Clinton, Connecticut, father JAMES. An obituary in the Boston Herald list his age as 79. In subsequent records concerning his children their father’s place of birth is listed as Clinton, Connecticut. Census records confirm his age and indicate a date of birth as 1815/16 and indicate that he was born in Connecticut. The records also indicate that Joseph was a shipwright following in the family tradition of woodworking and involvement with the sea. If you review the actual census records for Clinton it’s easy to ascertain that there was one and only one James Griffin living in that time frame, the subject of this project James N. Griffin. While there are no records in Clinton for Joseph, which is explained by the fact that he had followed the shipbuilding trades to Boston; the weight of this evidence indicates that Joseph A. Griffin is the son born according to census records in 1815/16. A final piece of the puzzle for me is the fact that Joseph named a son James after his father and a son William Ansel after the family’s favorite uncle Ancel Jones, the husband of James’s sister, Charlotte. Another sister of Joseph’s named a son Ansel Jones Brooks. I would direct your attention to the article we published on the family of James Needham Griffin, James N.’s father. The second child in the family is Maria Louisa. Maria L. married Julius Brooks in 1839. Maria and Julius lived next door to James N. and Jemima. In the 1840 Census Julius is the head of the house. Julius died in 1849 at age 33 and in the 1850 Census the head of the house is listed as Louisa M. Brooks age 33. Maria later married John Simpson and moved to New Haven where her children grew up and lived as adults. In a number of land deeds she uses her full name Maria Louisa Brooks. She is buried next to Julius in the Indian River Cemetery in Clinton. Her headstone reads “Brooks, Maria Louisa Griffin, widow of Julius, also wife of John N Simpson, Died May 29, 1887, age 70”. These records indicate that she is the daughter born in 1817. The third child is Mary Jane. She is buried in the Indian River Cemetery next to her maternal grandfather David Rossiter. Her headstone reads “Mary Jane Griffin, daughter of James and Jemima d. Oct 3, 1820 age 15 months”. That gives her a date of birth of July 1819. The fourth child was also named Mary Jane. The tradition of naming a child after another child who died young is very strong in early Connecticut. There are several examples in our own family tree. The Barbour Record lists her marriage to Moses Santer of Mereden in 1845. Married by the Rev. E. S. Huntington. The name Santer was transcribed incorrectly. His name was Moses Santy. Mary and Moses made there home in Meriden, New Haven County, Connecticut. In fact their house is on the national historic registry. Moses was a stonemason and the house is listed as a good example of Greek Revival Architecture. Her headstone lists her date of birth as June 8, 1821 and her death as February 27, 1903. She is buried in the Meriden West Cemetery. Mary and Moses only had one son who did not outlive his parents. As a result we see listed as beneficiaries in her will Charlie ( Charles) Brooks and his brother George, sons of her sister Maria Louisa, whom she identifies as my nephews. Also listed is her nephew James Brooks the son of her sister Susan. The fifth child is Susan Cecelia. She married Zerah C. Brooks December 31, 1843. Zerah and Julius Brooks were brothers. They were married by the Rev. E. S. Huntington. Elliot S Huntington became the pastor of the Congregational First Society in Clinton in 1841 too late to have married Maria Louisa. All of the other girls on our list were married by him. Clinton was a small town, the Griffins strong Congregationalists, James’s children the only Griffins in the First Society. This circumstance provides a strong connection between these Griffin girls. Susan names a son James after her father and a son Ansel Jones Brooks after her uncle. In the 1860 Census her father James N. Griffin is part of her household. Her sons filed a petition to become members of the U. S. Sons of the American Revolution. In their application they list their family tree. They identify their parents as Zerah Clark Brooks and Susan Cecelia Griffin giving us Susan’s middle name. She and Zerah are buried in the Indian River cemetery. Her headstone lists her date of birth as October 23, 1823 and her death on March 25, 1899. The sixth child is Phebe Elizabeth. Elizabeth married Giles Grinnell on June 10, 1846 again by the Rev. Huntington. We have very little information on Elizabeth. Her headstone lists her name, as “Phebe Elizabeth Grinnell, wife of Giles, died February 2, 1847 at age 24”. This gives her a date of birth of 1823, which matches the census records. By a twist of fate when Giles’s oldest son Charles died the town clerk recorded his age in years, months and days. When you do the calculations his date of birth turned out to be February 2, 1847. There are other hints that indicate a connection to our family. Her husband Giles and her uncle Ansel Jones were involved in several land transactions together. Giles was himself a great grandson of Jasper Griffin. In the 1840’s it is very unlikely that he would have married a close cousin, which argues that Phebe was not a granddaughter of Jasper’s. Phebe Elizabeth is listed as a cosigner on several land deeds, using the name Phebe Elizabeth Griffin, with a Chauncey Griffin. The manner of the deeds indicates siblings, rather than husband and wife, which was always clearly indicated. On his early death Chauncey left his property to Maria Louisa, Phebe Elizabeth having already died. We need to take a moment and discuss Chauncey Griffin. Census and deaths records indicate he was born in 1821 a date, which does not match census records for James N. Griffin. However, he was very involved with the Griffins. He lived next door to them in Clinton. Having never married he seems to have added Phebe Elizabeth to his land deeds as a means of passing them on to the family in the event of his death. In his will he leaves all of his estate to the care of Maria Louisa. He is buried next to Maria and Julius Brooks. Was he an adopted son? A child born out of wedlock? The last child born into the family is Nancy J.. Nancy J. married Chauncey B. Dix. The Barbour Collections lists two records for the marriage. One from the town clerk and the other as recorded in the church records. They married February 25, 1849. Her age was listed as 19. This indicates a date of birth of 1830 again a match to the census records. The 1850 Census lists her children as part of James N. Griffin’s household. A daughter Nancy Dix age two, who must have been born out of wedlock, and a new baby age 7 months. The 1850 Census shows Chauncey Dix living as a border in his hometown of Wethersfield with no evidence of Nancy. It is my conclusion that she must have died in childbirth. Chauncey Dix must have left the children in their grandparents care until he could make other arraignments. Following the pattern of their contemporaries James and Jemima were probably married 1810/11. Using this as a benchmark I propose the following lists for their children. Female 1811. Female 1813. Joseph A. 1815/16 to January 10, 1895. Maria Louisa 1817 to May 29, 1887. Mary Jane July 1819 to October 3, 1820. Mary Jane June 8, 1821 to February 27, 1903. Susan Cecelia October 23, 1823 to March 25, 1899. Phebe Elizabeth 1823 to February 2, 1847. Nancy J. 1830 to 1849. I hope this list sparks a discussion in the Griffin history community. I hope that the ancestry of James N. and Jemima will send us their family stories and help us fill in the blanks. James N. Griffin/James Needham Griffin/ James Griffin/ Samuel Griffin. James’s death is recorded in great detail in the Clinton town records. December 1, 1863/James N Griffin/ Male/ Age 79/ occupation, mechanic/ born, Clinton/ residence, Clinton/ widowed/ cause of death, injured in a fall. We have included his signature from the probate records for David Rossiter.

Cerona Griffin Piper

We would like to present a family story submitted by a descendant of Cerona Ellen Griffin. Cerona was born in Copley, Summit County, Ohio in 1835 to Charles N. Griffin and Elizabeth Bell. Their story is part of the Blog. She married Henry G. Piper. Together Cerona and Henry raised a large family in Michigan. Her family tree is Cerona/Charles N. /Edward/James/Samuel Griffin. An amazing part of the story of Samuel and Mary Griffin, who started a family in 1728 in Killingworth, Connecticut, is how far and wide their family roots have spread, in this case, all the way to New Mexico. My name is Tom Howorth and I link to the Griffin family tree through my Great-Great Grandmother Cerona Ellen Griffin. Cerona was married to Henry G. Piper. They had a son, Harry Griffin Piper, who was married to Elizabeth Soule (ancestor of George Soule from the Mayflower). Their son, Marshall LaVern Piper, is my Grandfather and was married to Sarah Jane Jenks. My parents are Charles and Joan Howorth. What follows is part of a diary that my Grandmother (Sarah Piper) has kept since she was married until today. She is now 93 years old. The text in brackets are my additions for clarification. Excerpt from the journals of Sarah (Jenks) Piper [my maternal grandmother] 1896 Feb 10 Harry Griffin Piper & Elizabeth Soule were married in Sheridan, Michigan. They started their lives together by taking up a homestead at Moddersville, MI. They drove their cattle from Sheridan up there. The first born, a girl, was stillborn from a fall. Leah was born Feb 7, 1898. Clarence come along Dec 28, 1900. Agnes was born May 3, 1903. Charles was born Dec 2, 1906. Emma was born April 22, 1908. Leah was sickly and Dad had a bit of TB [tuberculosis]. They decided to go West for their health. The Shraugers went to homestead in Las Vegas, New Mexico too. The land was given to them. In the Spring (Sept) of 1909, the men went on ahead to make the settlement. Harry Piper, John Almo, Frank & Harold Shrauger settled within a three mile radius. The wives and families left by train from Sheridan later and headed for the West. They were 35 miles East of Las Vegas. A big canyon was to the South & West of the folks where there was a flowing well. Mother took her washing there to do it. The others had windmills. The school & community building was to the West of them about two miles. Jan 26, 1911 Ethel was born ahead of time. A doctor had to come from Vegas to help. Only time Mother [Elizabeth] had a doctor. Marshall came July 16, 1914. Robert was born Sept. 18, 1917. The flu hit the US in 1918 & 1919 and Leah her husband, Bill Mathews, died in the hospital. Mother had to help there too. In 1921, Aug 17, Glen was born real small. A teacup fit over his head. He was carried on a pillow. The drought come for the next two years. The ground dried up and the crops all blew into the canyon. In 1923, the men started working their way back to Michigan. The women packed their clothes in trunks and left the homes as they lived in them. They come from Las Vegas by train. Mother had Charles, Emma, Ethel, Marshall, Robert & Glen. Agnes come on before with Mart Sherd. Clarence was working on the Bell Ranch. They stayed with Grandma Soule and Dad [Harry] did day work for Uncle Mart Sherd and other farmers. In 1924, they rented Uncle Vern Sherd’s farm. The kids went to the Castle School. Mother took care of a dwarf lady, Clara Supp after her stroke in 1929. She gave the folks [folks=Elizabeth and Harry] her farm then when she died. They lived there then. Clarence fell with a horse and met Faye Stanfield in the hospital & married her. TB of the bone set in and he died 1933. Charlie and Agnes took the folks out to Tucumcari, N.M. for the funeral after Charlie & Mart rode a [motor]cycle out to see Clarence earlier. Mart [my grandma’s nickname for grandpa, Marshall] & I [Sarah] married April 24, 1937 and we bought the 90 acre farm from the folks May 3, 1939 after Joan [my mother] was born Jan 1, 1939. The folks moved into Tillic North’s House, where we moved from across the road. Dad Piper died May 14, 1940 after Son [my uncle Lee Piper was nicknamed “Son”] was born April 28, 1940. Mother & Glen moved to the Albert Warren house in 1941. Jan 14, 1942 Glen & Eleanor were married. Mother started working for people. Later she had to stay around with the kids until she died Oct. 26, 1959. They are both buried at the Sunny Hill Cemetery, North of Palo, and East and South of Fenwick, Michigan. Below is the death record for Cerona. The first document lists, among other items, the date, the second part lists her parents.

Emeline Doud and Harmon French

Emeline Doud and Harmon French; Emeline/Fanny Griffin/ Edward Griffin/ James/ Samuel. Emeline Doud was born/baptized in Guilford, Connecticut on September 23, 1806 to Lyman Doud and Fanny Griffin. The original record of their family as found in the town records from Guildford is posted on the Blog. There are a number of families who trace their roots back to Emeline. A number of family histories for Emeline and her second husband Harmon French are in circulation. Among these histories there is an active debate on the parentage of both Emeline and Harmon. The purpose of this entry is to post a point around which these debates can hopefully be resolved. The particulars, as I understand them, are as follows. There is documentary evidence that Harmon French married Emeline “Frisby” in Montgomery, Massachusetts in February of 1825. Also at about the same time a Timothy Clark marries Eveline French also in Montgomery who town histories identify as Emeline’s twin sister. There is a good deal of interaction in the deed records between Timothy and Harmon suggesting some connection. Emeline and Harmon appear in the census records into the 1870s ending up in Hartford, Connecticut however, there is a difference in the dates of birth in the census records and that date recorded in Guilford, a situation that is not uncommon, census records having a good deal of variability. The census records do indicate that they were both born in Connecticut. There are questions as to the parentage of Harmon and there are a number of histories that have Lyman Doud’s wife listed as a Hannah Tooley. And then there is the question as to how Emeline born in Guilford, Connecticut ended up in Montgomery, Massachusetts. To find the answers to these questions we need to start in Guilford. There is some evidence that Harmon is part of the French family that is prominent in Guilford. In the Guilford records we find Thomas French who married Eunice Wheeler. Their first child was born in 1795. Records suggest Harmon was born between 1802 and 1806. At about the time Harmon was born Thomas disappears from Guilford and a Thomas French appears in Montgomery, Massachusetts. There was a strong migration from the Connecticut costal cities, like Guilford, north to the northern part of Connecticut and on to Massachusetts and even on to Vermont. Montgomery is along this axis of travel just off from the Connecticut River. The French family and the Doud family would have undoubtedly known each other in Guilford. So it is very plausible that Harmon would have met Emeline in Guilford and they then married and made their home in Montgomery where his family had moved. To provide some foundation for this discussion let me again refer you to the material on the blog concerning Emeline’s grandfather, Edward Griffin. In the Edward Griffin papers is a deed signed by his children and part of that record is the signature of “Lyman and Fanny Doud of Guilford”. We have the original record of their family from the town records of Guilford. And below we have the records from the collection to Alvan Talcott, a prominent physician of the time, who collected the histories for many of the families of Guilford. Of note in his history he writes that Fanny Doud is the daughter of Edward, that Emeline married Edward “Frisbie”. Absent from any of these records is the mention of a twin sister Eveline. I hope these records provide a foundation for the resolution of the uncertainties surrounding the history of Emeline Doud and Harmon French. We would love to have your input please submit your family histories to the Blog.