FOURTH GENERATION

12. John GRIFFITH was born on 8 Jan 1748 in Menallen Twp., York, PA. He died on 11 Dec 1840 in Fishertown, Bedford, PA. He was buried in Spring Meadow, Friends B. Gr., Bedford, PA. OCCUPATION: Farmer

BIRTH/DEATH: from an unrecorded Bible record in Bedford county in possession of
Harold Griffith, copied by Margaret Aaron Spielman. Lists "John Griffith ser
was boarn January 8th Anno Domoni 1748." "John Griffith senior departed this
life December the 11th AD 1840."

SOURCE: Warrington Monthly Meeting records, York County, PA.
John Griffith and Alice Falkner complained of 4-14-1770 by Menallen meeting for
marriage by priest, being 1st cousins; disowned 5-12-1770.

John Griffith, case is left under consideration [1st mention, 4-11-1772]
6-13-1772, has been visited and it appeared "his request was for outward views,
therefore this meeting takes no further notice of it at present."

MILITARY: Private, PA Line, 6th Battalion York County Militia, commanded by 2nd
Lieut. Isaac McKissick, residence Hopewell Township, according to a Class Roll
dated 21 April 1778. Rec'd. bounty land, Warrant application #9456, 6 May 1791,
100 acres.

Joined with his brothers in 1796 in buying land in Bedford County on Dunnings
Creek where he farmed and later his son, William, operated a tannery.

Named as "brother" in Thomas Griffith will dated 28 Feb 1826.

BURIAL: John's burial marker at Spring Meadow reads simply: JOHN GRIFFITH /
1840. This marker is a replacement for an earlier marker that exists that
reads: JOHN GRFth 1840.

ESTATE: ADMINISTRATION filed by Henry Reininger, Adm., Bedford County
Courthouse, October 31st 1844, Bedford, Pennsylvania. Papers filed by Heirs
Living in Ohio and Indiana. "Know all men by these presents that we William H.
Jones and Rachel Jones his wife late Rachel Sills, and Charles Slack and Sarah
Slack his wife late Sara Sills and Lydia Sills of Champaign County and State of
Ohio and legal heirs and legal representatives of Mary Sills Deceased and
formerly Mary Griffith and daughter of the late John Griffith Deceased, late of
St. Clair Township in Bedford County and State of Pennsylvania, Do hereby
nominate, constitute and appoint William B. McCrea Esq. of said County of
Champaign our true and lawful attorney for us and each of us, in our, and each
of our names and for our and each of our use, to collect by suit, and
otherwise, and to receive, and upon payment to him, to receipt for by release
and discharge under seal or otherwise all debts, dues, and demands whatsoever
due and owing to us or either of us in the said State of Pennsylvania: and
especially all money or other right interest or claim due to us or eithr of us
from or in the Estate of the late John Griffith Deceased late of said St. Clair
Township, Bedford County and State of Pennsylvania as known and legal
representatives of the said Mary Sills Dec'd whether the said money interest
and claim be in the hands of Henry Reininger or any other person or persons
Hereby ratifying and confirming and by these presents allowing whatsoever our
said attorney shall or may in our and each or either of our names lawfully use
or cause to bed done in and about the premises by virtue of these present. In
virtue thereof the said William H. Jones and Rachel Jones his wife and Charles
Slack and Sarah Slack his wife and Lydia Sills have hereunto set our hands and
seals this day of A.D. 1846. Executed in the presence of The State of
Ohio, Champaign County Be it remembered that on day of A.D. 1846 before
the undersigned Justice of the Peace in the aforesaid county came the above
named William H. Jones and Rachel Jones his wife and Charles Slack and Sarah
Slack his wife and Lydia Sills and severally acknowledged the signing and
sealing of the above warrant to be their free and voluntary act and deed for
the purpose therein expressed. In witness...."

Paper for Indiana: "Know all men by these presents that we James Blackford and
Mary Blackford the wife of the said James Blackford formerly Mary Sills of the
County of Delaware and the State of Indiana legal heirs and representatives of
Mary Sills Dec'd formerly Mary Griffith do hereby consitute and appoint William
B. McCrea of Champaign County of the State of Ohio our lawful attorney for us
and in our name and for our use to collect by suit or otherwise and receive and
upon the payment to him to receipt for by release under seal or otherwise all
debts or demands whatsoever due or owing to us especially our rights and
interest in the estate of John Griffith dec'd late of St. Clair Township
Bedford County in the State of Pennsylvania which we claim as the legal heirs
of Mary Sills formerly Mary Griffith daughter of the said John Griffith.
Whatsoever our said attorney shall lawfully do in the premises we do hereby
confirm the same as if we were personally present and did the same. [Notorized
State of Indiana, Delaware County, James A. Gilbert, Justice of the Peace,
March 9th, 1846.]"

W.W. Griffith states in his papers: "John Griffith settled property on his
children when they married and on those who sought homes in other states.
We have found a record in Bedford County, PA of the property settled on
the two daughters.
These two daughters were Alice and Susan. Both of these married men named
Griffith. When the husband of Susan Griffith, who was a John Griffith, signed
this deed he stated that his wife was Susan (using the past tense). The father,
John Griffith, left Jesse Griffith, the son of Susan Griffith, some land
stating that his mother had been his daughter, Susan Griffith." (See futher
notes on the daughters under their own listings.)

"John Griffith retained some property in his own name with the provision that
Thomas Griffith have the first choice of buying it. He [Thomas] died before the
sale could be completed. It was for this property that the Ohio and Indiana
heirs presented their claims."

He was married to Lydia WILSON on 9 Jan 1773 in , York, PA. Lydia WILSON was born on 30 Apr 1747 in Menallen Twp., York, PA. She died in , , PA. SOURCE: Abstract of the records of Warrington Monthly Meeting, York County, PA:
Lydia Griffith, formerly Wilson complained of 1-9-1773 for marriage by a
priest
to one not a member. (John Griffith disowned for marrying 1st cousin as 1st
wife.)

SOURCE: IMMIGRATION OF IRISH QUAKERS INTO PENNSYLVANIA by Albert Cook Myers
indicates she was the daughter of George Wilson, b. about 1715 and Ruth Douglas,
widow, b. about 1709. George and Ruth Wilson were complained of 11 mo. 3, 1738
by the meeting at Grange near Charlemont, for marriage by a "priest," "ye Sd
Ruth Duglass being formerly married orderly amongst us." They produced an
acknowledgement, 3 mo. 14, 1740 and thereupon a certificate of removal to
Pennsylvania was signed for them from Grange Meeting, near Charlemont, County
Armagh, Ireland, received 1 mo. 1, 1741-42 by Concord Monthly Meeting, now
Delaware County. About 1747, they removed to York, now Adams County, bringing
a certificate, dated 3 mo. 4, 1747 from Concord to Warrington Monthly Meeting,
2 mo. 16, 1748, and settled on a farm in Menallen Township, near the site of
Bendersville (formerly called Wilsonville), where George Wilson died 9 mo. 15,
1785 and his wife Ruth died 7 mo. 12, 1784. The had children: ALICE, b. 7 mo.
10, 1741; Benjamin, b. 7 mo. 20, 1743; Sarah, b. 1 mo. 15, 1745; and LYDIA, b.
2 mo. 30, 1747. John GRIFFITH and Lydia WILSON had the following children:

51 i. Sarah GRIFFITH was born between 1773 and 1776 in , York (now Adams), PA. She died before 1820 in , Bedford, PA. SOURCE: Menallen Monthly Meeting Minutes.
Sarah Griffith, daughter of John Griffith, requests membership with Menallen,
5-13-1793.

Sarah Griffith requests marriage with Thomas Blackburn, 9-9-1793.

Marriage record reads in part:
16th of 10th mo. 1793. Whereas Thomas Blackburn son of Thomas Blackburn and
Alice his wife of the Township of Monalon County of York and State of
Pennsylvania and Sarah Griffith Daughter of John Griffith and Lidia his wife of
the Township County and State aforesaid...this sixteenth day of the tenth month
one thousand seven hundred and ninety three...at Menalon. WITNESSES: Thomas
Bowen, Elizabeth Wright, ? Oldham, Thomas Hammond, Thomas Hammond, James
Hammond, Sarah Rusk, Reachal Wright, Ruth Wilson, John McGrail, Rachel
Griffith, Ann Bowen, Isabel Blackburn, Benjamin Wright, George Hamond, John
Blackburn, Thomas Wright, John Bowen, Ruth Wright, Steven Hendriks, (Groom)
Thomas Blackburn, (Bride) Sarah Blackburn, John Griffith, John Blackburn,
Samuel Garriston, Alice Garetson, Sally Johnston, Mary McGrew, Martha McGrew,
Finly McGrew, Joel Hutton, George Wilson.

DEATH: probably died before 1820, as no wife listed for her husband, Thomas
Blackburn, in the 1820 Census of Bedford County, PA.
52 ii. Mary GRIFFITH was born in 1776 in , Bedford, PA. She died in 1822 in Christiansburg, Champaign, OH. She was buried in Honeycreek Cem., Christiansburg, Champaign, OH.
53 iii. Elizabeth GRIFFITH died in 1743. Unmarried.
54 iv. John GRIFFITH was born in 1779 in St. Clair Twp., Bedford, PA. He died on 27 Oct 1843 in , Bedford co., PA. He was buried in St. Johns Luth., Cessna, Bedford, PA. Bible record.
55 v. William GRIFFITH was born on 9 Apr 1789 in , York, PA. He died on 23 Jul 1845 in , Bedford, PA. He was buried in Friends Cem., Spring Meadow, Bedford, PA. BURIAL: Inscription reads: William Griffith was born April the 9th In the year
of Our Lord 1789. Dep't this life July 23d, 1845 aged 66 ? y. 3 M. and 14 D.

There is another stone for him with a slightly different incription which
reads: William Griffith was born April 10 In the year of Our Lord 1789 Dep this
life July 23, 1845 aged 56 y, 3 m - 14 d.

NOTE: in Spring Meadow there are several duplicate stones for individuals.

OBITITUARY: Bedford Gazette and Inquirer, 1845 reads: 24 August, died William
Griffith, age 58.

SOURCE: HISTORY OF BEDFORD, SOMERSET AND FULTON COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA,
Chicago, Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1884, p.283.
William Griffith, Sr., made the first improvement on the Griffith farm. He
erected a tannery in 1833, which was run by him and his sons until he died in
1845. The tannery was then run by Joseph Griffith. It burned in 1864, but was
rebuilt by Joseph Griffith, who then turned the business over to his son John
who still conducts it in connection with farming.

ESTATE: Notice in the Bedford Gazette: 5/7/47. Heirs of William Griffith, late
of St. Clair Twp. - William, Mary, Ann (wife of Thomas Jones), John, Samuel,
Joseph,, Sarah (wife of John F. Ake), Hannah (wife of George N. Emler), Daniel,
Josiah, James, Maria, Abner & Elizabeth, all minors.
56 vi. Ruth GRIFFITH was born in 1792. She died in 1837 in , , OH.

He was married to Alice FAULKNER (daughter of Jesse FAULKNER and Martha SMITH) about Apr 1770 in , York, PA. Alice FAULKNER died in 1772 in , York co., PA. She was born in , , PA. MARRIAGE: Married her first cousin, John Griffith, who was the son of her
father's sister, Eve Faulkner Griffith who married Thomas Griffith. They were
disowned by the Quaker membership for marrying because of their close blood
relationship. Alice died comparatively young and John married another Quaker
girl, Lydia Wilson, who expressed sorrow for her "marrying out," but John
Griffith refused to do so and remained without the pale. John GRIFFITH and Alice FAULKNER had the following children:

57 i. Alice GRIFFITH. Supposed to be married to Robert Griffith (parentage unknown) and have a son
Thomas Griffith

According to statements made in W.W. Griffith's papers "Alice Griffith, the
daughter of John Griffith, lived to an advanced age. An account of her life as
told by members of the family living in Ohio is that her husband was connected
with a store making trips East to Philadelphia and from one of these trips he
never returned. It was believed that he was robbed and killed. Her father, to
protect the inheritance for her and her child, willed the mother's share to her
son Thomas Griffith on condition that he care for his mother. The tragedy of
this is that the son died before the mother, shortly after inheriting the
property. As he was married, this property went to his widow and heirs and the
mother was left dependent upon the kindness of relatives. Checking on the
records of Bedford County, PA, we find a record of a Robert Griffith and a ___
Mickle who were merchants. There is a court record where they took property in
payment for bills. (Deed Book D, page 621, Year 1808.)"
58 ii. Susanna GRIFFITH was born in Jan 1779 in , York, PA. She died in Oct 1868 in , Bedford, PA. She was buried in Friends Cem., Spring Meadow, Bedford, PA. Supposed to be married to John Griffith (parentage unknown). There is a
possibility that she was not married and the John Griffith referred to was, in
fact, her father. The Blackburn Database has the strange note under the John
Griffith, husband of Susanna, which reads: "Father unknown for certain, other
than he was a Blackburn of the Bedford County Blackburns." This note does not
make sense, if Susanna's husband was really yet another John Griffith.

According to statements made by W.W. Griffith in his papers "When the husband
of Susan Griffith, who was a John Griffith, signed this deed [property the
father John Griffith had settled on his two daughters by his first marriage] he
stated that his wife was Susan (using the past tense). The father, John
Griffith, left Jesse Griffith, the son of Susan Griffith, some land stating
that his mother had been his daughter, Susan Griffith. Susan Griffith is buried
at Spring Meadows in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, beside her husband and near
her father."

BURIAL: there are two stones for Susanna Griffith, one gives death date as Oct.
7 1868, the other Oct. 2, 1868, both show her as being aged 89 yrs, 8 mo, 5 ds.