Griffith Ancestors From Wales to Virginia to
the East Tennessee Counties of Marion County, Bledsoe and Sequatchie...
the East Tennessee Counties of Marion County, Bledsoe and Sequatchie...
According to sources, there were two Griffith brothers that arrived from Wales to Virginia:
(1)William Griffith, Sr. (born in Wales) and died 15 August 1780 in Pittsylvania County, VA. He married Rachel "Unknown" and had several children around the Franklin Co., VA area.
(2)George Griffith (also of Wales) died 1777 in Bedford Co., VA. His wife's name is unknown to me, but someone provided the names of two of his children: George Griffith, Jr. (I have no other info. on) and Benjamin Griffith who married a Catherine "Unknown". I have no other information on this particular George Griffith line, so will concentrate the rest of the page on my husband's ancestor William Griffith, Sr. (born in Wales).
William Griffith (of Wales) married Rachel "unknown".
His will was probated in Pittsylvania County, VA on 15 August 1780.
It has been said that he was a "non-pensioner" Revolutionary War soldier.
From "History of Oliver Springs, Tenn.":
"His son William C. Griffith, Jr. in an affidavit dated 1 November, 1852 said, "I have heard my father say repeatedly that he could live well without a pension, and he would rather that his government would have his services so that in any subsequent wars she might be better able to feed and cloth her army. After William Griffith's death, his widow did file a declaratory affidavit with the intention to file for a pension in which she said "He served at least nine months in three different engagements. He entered from Franklin Co., on Blackwater, VA. I remember the time of his going from the neighborhood, and of hearing my father speak of seeing him in service. He first went to Carolina country under Captain Renfro, and brough back a parcel of Tories under guard. Another tour of duty was under Colonel Lynch in forepart of 1781. We were married after he left service."
William and Rachel Griffith had the following children (taken from will):
1. William C. GRIFFITH, Jr., born 4 November 1758 in Franklin Co., VA; died 31 July 1834 in Anderson Co., TN (Peak Cemetery). He married Susannah JONES (1765-1843) on 3 August 1782 in Henry or Franklin Co., VA.
Susannah was the daughter of Thomas Jones, a Revolutionary War soldier. Susannah's sister, Mary Jones (1769-1846) married Jacob Peak (1769-1853).
It is said that they made the trip from Virginia to Anderson Co., TN together. (See continuation of this line below)...
2. Jonathan GRIFFITH
3. Margaret "Peggy" GRIFFITH married Joseph PARSONS (brother of George Parsons). These are the ancestors of Donna Price prices@mail.advertisnet.com
Children of Margaret Griffith and Joseph Parsons were: Samuel Parsons(married Lucy Bailey); David Parsons (married Elizabeth Bailey); Benjamin Parsons (married Sarah Burton); John Parsons; and Mary Parsons (married John Midkiff).
4. Anne GRIFFITH married George PARSONS (brother of Joseph Parsons). They had at least one child named Betsey Parsons (who married John Keezee in 1788).
5. Mary GRIFFITH married a RIGNY.
6. Susannah GRIFFITH married an ADKINSON.
7. Sarah GRIFFITH.
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Children of William C. Griffith Jr. (from above):
NOTE - Fellow Griffith researcher (Dennis Aslinger) said that William (C.) Griffith Jr.'s will was recorded in Anderson County, TN court on 24 OCT 1834 and listed his children: Amos, Jacob, Thomas, Benjamin, Bonnie Sullins, Anna Hicky, William, Isaac, David, & Susanna Hendrix.
William C. Griffith, Jr. and Susannah Jones had nine sons and three daughters. Two sons may have died young, the following is what is known of ten of their twelve children:
NOTE - There are some bible records that were found in Military Pension Papers of
Wm. C. Griffith (sent to me by fellow researcher Loretta J. Wright - see "Fellow Griffith
Researchers" below) - the bible records include all children below (with birth dates) including
a few more - making a total of "19" children. I'm not completely sure if all these "19"
children were theirs - and according the the "Oliver Springs History" on Griffith's there
were only twelve children. It may be possible that Wm. C. and Susannah Jones could have had
nineteen children...who knows? It is likely that two of the male children listed in the bible
record were the ones that may have died young...
I will go ahead and include the children noted in bible record just in case they are children
or other relatives
Marey Griffith, born 19 February 1791.
Joseph Griffith, born 18 August 1794.
John Griffith, born 13 September 1800; died 5 March 1820 McMinn Co., TN (remained single).
Jessee Griffith, born 5 February, 1805.
Lusindy Griffith, born 10 August 1809.
Bob Griffith, born 2? February 1812.
Tarvis Griffith, born 24 July 1815
Randolph Griffith, born 12 January 1817.
Jacob Griffith, born 29 November 1819.
The following children are included in the "History of Oliver Springs, TN" as children of Wm. C. and Susannah Jones Griffith:
1. Amos Griffith (b. 24 August 1783, Virginia) married Mary "Polly" Standifer (b. 1790; d. 1864), daughter of his old friend William Standifer. (If you're doing research on the Standifer line, you might want to visit: The Standerfer, etc. Research Site.)
Amos and Rachel Standifer Griffith lived near Amos' father in Poplar Springs and by 1806 had settled in the Sequatchie Valley, six miles north of Dunlap where he was among the first white settlers. Issac and William Standifer families made the trip with him. Amos became the first Register of Deeds in Marion County and served in that capacity from 1819 to 1836, when his son James was elected to the same position, which he served for eight years and later served as postmaster of Cheekville, now Cedar Springs for ten years, as well as Justice of the Peace.
Amos and his wife "Polly" had the first white male child born in the county (William S. Griffith, born 18 September 1807, d. 1906). Another son James Griffith (b. 6 October 1811, d. 1902) was born sixteen miles north of Jasper in what later was part of Marion Co., TN. Other children of Amos and "Polly" Griffith were: Frances "Fanny" (no dates) married Joseph P. Kelly; Isaac Griffith? (no other info.); Jehu, (b. 21 Sept. 1809, d. 9 July 1849) - buried in Smith Cem., Marion Co., TN; Jessie Jones Griffith (b. 1814, d. 1858 in TX) married Violet Hendrix; Naomi Griffith, (b. 1823, d. 1887) married Philip L. Daniel; Joel Griffith (b. 1828, d. 1913); Gemima Griffith (b. 1832, d. 1875); Susan Griffith (b. 1833, d. 1887) married Alexander W. Price; Pollyanna Griffith (b. 1835, d. 1837).
2. Thomas Griffith (b. 12 February 1785), served in the War of 1812. I know very little about this line, but I believe Thomas was the father of John H. Griffith, whose daughter Rosa Griffith married her cousin Wm. Bill Griffith (son of David M. Griffith).
3. Benjamin Griffith (born 10 April 1787), was possibly in McMinn Co., TN during 1830 census.
4. Levina (possibly known as Bonnie) Griffith (b. 28 February 1789; died after 1850) married Zachariah Sullins - possibly resided in Bledsoe Co., TN and had nine children.
5. Jacob Griffith (b. 26 May 1792) served in the War of 1812.
6. Annah Griffith (b. 11 July 1796) married James Hickey on 30 Dec. 1819 in Knox Co., TN. She died in McMinn Co., TN about 1845-1850.
7. Isaac Griffith (b. 6 July 1798; died 30 March 1831) married to Catherine Howard in Roane Co., TN on 6 January 1831.
8. William C. "Buck" Griffith (III) (b. 11 September 1802 in Anderson Co., TN; died 31 July 1884) married on a Tuesday 30 November 1830 to Celia Parks (1806-1892). He was a farmer and served as postmaster in Oliver Springs in 1866. He and his family were members of the First Baptist Church of Oliver Springs, and he served there in the office of Clerk for several years. He also did a fair amount of legal work (processing pension claims) for Civil War Veterans (in a three county area) - as his name appeared on several documents as their attorney.
William C. "Buck" Griffith and Celia Parks had several children as follows:
(1) Maryann C. Griffith, b. 1831; (2) William King Griffith, b. 1833; (3) John Parks Griffith, b. 1836 - married Elizabeth J. Butler; (4) Gemima Jane Griffith, b. 1839 - married Samuel R. Lonas; (5) Amos J. Griffith, b. 1842 - married 1st Catherine Lockett and 2nd to Clementine Walker; (6)Alfred M. Griffith, b. 1844 - married Charlotte Butler.
9. David M. Griffith (b. 5 May 1807) moved from Poplar Creek in 1830 to Sequatchie
Valley (Marion County), Tenn. where his brother Amos had settled about 1805. He married
Elizabeth GOFF (b. 1810-1820, Tn.), daughter of Ambrose GOFF (of VA) and his wife Martha.
David and Elizabeth had several children in Marion Co. (See below) - THIS IS MY HUSBAND'S LINE!
10. Susannah H. Griffith (1811-1874) married James Fentress.
David M. Griffith (ninth child of William C. Griffith, Jr. and Susannah Jones) married Elizabeth GOFF. They had the following four "known" children:
1. William Henry Griffith, Sr., born about 1840, TN, married Rosa Griffith on December
20, 1860 in Dunlap, Sequatchie Co., TN.
2. Ambrose Griffith, born abt. 1841, TN.
3. Anthony Griffith, born abt. 1844, TN.
4. Mary M. Griffith, born abt. 1849, TN.
The David M. Griffith family was located in the 1840 Bledsoe Co. TN census (next door to Elizabeth's father Ambrose GOFF). David and Elizabeth were in Marion Co. TN during the 1850 census and Bledsoe Co., TN during the 1860 census.
My husband's line continues with William Henry Griffith, Sr. who married Rosa Griffith, born abt. 1840, Tn. Rosa was the daughter of John H. and Henrietta Griffith. I believe that John H. Griffith was the son of Thomas Griffith, who was a brother of David M. Griffith)...
William H. and Rosa Griffith had the following children:
1. William Henry Griffith, Jr., married Jane Worley.
2. Fannie Griffith, died young at age 18.
3. David Crockett? Griffith, born abt. 1862, married three times to: Liz Morrison, Martha "Easter" Drought, and Jane Brimmer.
4. Joseph H. "Joe" Griffith, born July 19, 1867 in Marion Co., TN, married to Josie Thomas. He died Jan. 17, 1942 and is buried in Red Hill Cemetery, Whitwell, Marion Co., TN. He was a mail carrier for several years and became crippled in 1895 when his hands and feet were frozen in a blizzard while he was carrying the U.S. Mail on horseback between Pikeville and Crossville.
5. Denton Griffith, born abt. 1869, died young.
6. Ephraim King "E.K." Griffith, born Oct. 26, 1877, Tn., married on June 14, 1899 to Lillie Bell Miller, daughter of William Monroe Miller and Mary E. Evans. (This is my husband's line). "E.K." Griffith was once a wagon driver for a lumber mill. He died at the age of 81, and he and his wife and several children are buried in Fairmount Cemetery on Signal Mountain, Hamilton County, TN.
The children of E.K. and Lillie Bell Miller were: Houston, Fred, Luther Warner, Lola A., Nora, Ovid O., (twin of Ovid - died young), Antna, and Emma Griffith.
I got a copy of William GRIFFITH' s will while in SLC, and noticed that his daughter Mary GRIFFITH was married to Charles RIGNEY. He names their son Jesse RIGNEY in his will. I am sure there is a connection between this Charles RIGNEY, and my Griffith RIGNEY. I feel sure that Griffith RIGNEY was named for William GRIFFITH.
There was also a John RIGNEY and a Jonathan RIGNEY in Pittsylvania Co. VA during this time period. Do you know of anyone who is researching this GRIFFITH>RIGNEY connection? If you do, please let me know. I am trying to piece together this RIGNEY family and need some help to figure out the relationships.
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