Notes:

Please refer to William Griffen Esquire's notes.

Notes:

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION MAY HELP TO PROVE THE FAMILY STORY!? FIRST, THE FIRE IS DOCUMENTED IN JOHN WENDELL'S SR'S BIOGRAPHY(See John Wendell Sr.'s notes for 1760). THEY DID REBUILD, ETC...SECONDLY, THE WILL OF JAMES GRIFFIN APPEARS IN 1764 AFTERCORRESPNDENCE BETWEEN LONDON AND BOSTON (See James Griffin's notes).THIRDLY, THE SONS OF LIBERTY LISTING (1773) SAYS THAT, WILLIAM GRIFFENESQ. WAS FROM VIRGINIA, AND HE IS LISTED WITH JOHN WENDELL JR., JACOBWENDELL, OLIVER WENDELL, AND OTHER FAMOUS PERSONS (See below).

SOURCE: www.Ancestry.com; Request for William Griffen, 1740-1764,given: Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Passengerand Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s
Name: William Griffin
Year: 1752
Place: Halifax, N.S.
Source Publication Code: 7058
Primary Immigrant: Griffin, William
Annotation: Pages 174 and 175 list persons from Cornwallis' ships,1749, and the early victualling list for Halifax, 1750. Derived fromno. 80, Akins. Names only.
Source Bibliography: PUNCH, TERRENCE M. "The Irish in Halifax, NovaScotia, before 1830." In Canadian Genealogist, vol. 1:3 (1979), pp.173-180.
Page: 175
Source Citation: Place: Halifax, N.S.; Year: 1752; Page Number: 175.
Source Information:
Gale Research. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc.,2006. Original data: Filby, P. William, ed.. Passenger and ImmigrationLists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research,2006.
Description:
Updated annually, this database is an index to passengers who arrivedin United States and Canadian ports from the 1500s through the 1900s.It contains listings of approximately 4,588,000 individuals andreferences thousands of different records compiled from everythingfrom original passenger lists to personal diaries. For each individuallisted, you may find the following information: name, age, year andplace of arrival, and the source of the record.
[Obtained 19 April 2007, SLJuhl, compiler]

SOURCE: An Alphabetical List of the Sons of Liberty who din'd atLiberty Tree, Dorchester"
Col. William Palfrey, 14 August 1769
32.7 cm x 40 cm
http://www.masshist.org/database/onview.cfm?queryID=9
http://www.masshist.org/objects/2006february.cfm
?This list of the 300 Sons of Liberty who dined at the Liberty TreeTavern in Dorchester, Massachusetts was compiled by William Palfrey,one of the participants. His grandson, John Palfrey, donated it to theSociety in August 1869, on the 100th anniversary of the event. Becauseof the organization's secrecy, this list provides a rare glimpse intoits membership.?

GRIFFEN, WM ESQ. OF VIRGINIA (Ancestor)(WM = William)(Esquire =Gentleman)
WENDELL, JN Mic (Ancestor)(JN = John Jr.)(Not certain what Mic or Micemeans, ?Mister perhaps)
WENDELL, OLIVER (Ancestor)(John's cousin)
WENDELL, JACOB (Ancestor)(either Oliver's son or John's brother JacobWendell )

?Destruction of the Tea in Boston Harbor
On the night of 16 December 1773, a party of marauding "Indians"boarded three vessels--Dartmouth, Eleanor, and Beaver--that weremoored at Griffin's Wharf in Boston, intending to destroy theircargoes of East India Company tea. This act was the culmination ofmany days of posturing, threats, and counter-threats among themerchants and government officials and the radical colonists. Incensedat the landing of three ships carrying East India Company tea in lateNovember, colonists had been blocking the unloading of the tea andconvening meetings of their local Committees of Correspondence, whichdemanded that the tea be returned to England without delay.?

?Earlier that day, a mass meeting at the Old South Church attractedthousands of people from Boston and the surrounding towns, includingpatriots Samuel Adams, James Warren, and Josiah Quincy, Jr. After aday of inflammatory discourse, Governor Thomas Hutchinson's refusal toallow the ships in port to leave without discharging their cargoes oftea was apparently the last straw. Samuel Adams rose, announcing thathe did not see what more the inhabitants could to do save theircountry. At this, war-whoops filled the hall, and between 30 and 60men, disguised as Indians, rushed out of the hall and into the streetsof Boston, heading for Griffin's Wharf and its three tea-laden ships.In all, 340 large wooden chests containing some 90,000 pounds of teawere dumped into Boston Harbor that night. To this day the identitiesof the participants in the "tea party" are shrouded in mystery, buthistorian Benjamin W. Labaree identifies members of the SONS OFLIBERTY, Freemasons, and members of local Committees of Correspondenceas the most likely "Indians." (To view a list of the Boston Sons ofLiberty in 1769, please see our our online display.)(NOTE: A copy ofthe Image is in the Park/Griffin Family Records belonging to Penny SuePark Wethington.)
Images from the collections of the
Massachusetts Historical Society.
Massachusetts Historical Society
1154 Boylston Street (directions)
Boston, MA 02215-3695
Tel: 617.536.1608
Fax: 617.859.0074
[Obtained 18 April 2007, SLJuhl, compiler]

SOURCE: www.Ancestry.com; All Court, Land, Probate Results; VirginiaCounty Records, Volume VII
Original Source Page #: 622
Name: Wm. Griffen
Date: 1764
Comment: 220 acres
Virginia County Records, VII
Prince Edward County.
Book No. 36.
[Obtained 19 April 2007, SLJuhl, compiler]

SOURCE: www.Ancestry.com; Virginia Census, 1800-90
Name: William Griffen
State: VA
County: Princess Anne County
Township: Eastern Shore Prect
Year: 1783
Record Type: Tax list
Page: 062
Database: VA Early Census Index
[Obtained 19 April 2007, SLJuhl, compiler]

Thomas Griffin signed for the bond on George Finley Griffin's 2ndmarriage to Anna Fields in Guilford County, North Carolina. George isbelieved to be the older brother, however Thomas may be the elderbrother also. There is a Thomas Griffin between the age of 26-44 inthe 1810 Federal Census with a George Griffin age 26-44 in GuilfordCounty, North Carolina, however, Thomas is not listed on the 1820Federal Census in the same county. There is another G. (?-J. forJames-the hand writing is difficult to tell which letter would beappropriate, however, it looks like a letter G. ) Griffin, male,listed with George & Thomas of the same age group, in the 1810 FederalCensus in the same county (see Elder Griffin Notes as well). Thismale person is not listed in the 1820 census with George either.
There is however, a Moses Griffin listed with George Griffin inGuilford County, North Carolina on the same census in the 1820 FederalCensus Record, and they are the only two listed for that county.There is a "George Griffin" that shows up in the 1810 & 1820 FederalCensus for Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina, but not before(1790 or 1800) in the census records. In the 1810 census, George isbetween 26-44 years of age. In the 1820 census, George is in the over45 age bracket, estimating his age ten years prior, this would makehis estimated birth date possibly as 1775, give or take a five yearplus or minus.

Also in the 1820 census, Moses Griffin is listed living very near toGeorge Finley Griffin on the same census sheet. Could Moses Griffinbe another brother? He is listed as over 45 years as well. THEOLDER (WILLIAM or JOHN) GRIFFIN was not in the 1820 census.

Please consider the information in these notes at an infant stage ofresearch and that a great deal more research is required as yet on thefamilies.

SOURCE: In the Augusta County, Virginia records this compiler keepscoming across a John Griffin who had removed to North Carolina andthen returned to Virginia to settle land business. There is also aJohn Finley who seems to be connected to "Griffin" in Augusta County,Virginia. As follows:
SOURCE: Printed from Family Tree Maker, CD276 Scotch-Irish Settlersin America, 1500s-1800s, Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, Vol. I,Augusta County Court Records, MyFamily.com, Inc., April 17, 2007.
"FEE BOOKS OF AUGUSTA COURT, 1774--"Page 72, John Finley, MiddleRiver; Page 79, Robert Reed, Staunton, (November), Griffin's deeds toyou; ...etc..." Page 408; These two listings were together onefollowing the other. Then is listed for 1775--..."page 12, JohnFinley, Middle River;..." then again on Page 408.
NOTE: Certainly the two names of Finley & Griffin indicate aconnection between the two families since they are listed one afterthe other in the court records. SLJuhl, compiler.

There is also a Thomas Griffin from the 1780's who had removed fromAugusta County, Virginia and was delinquent on his taxes. He wasinvolved in a couple of other court cases as well in Augusta County.And in one of the judgements it lists him as being from NorthCarolina. Is he a brother to William Griffen Esq., a son, nephew??

Notes:

GRIFFIN
SOURCE: http://www.houseofnames.com
IRISH
THE NAME ?GRIFFIN? ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN GAELIC AS:
?O GRIOBHTHA?, WHICH IS DERIVED FROM THE WORD ?GRIOBHTHA?,
WHICH MEANS, ?GRIFFIN-LIKE?.
WHILE MOST OF THE INSTANCES OF THIS NAME IN IRELAND CAN BE TRACED TOTHIS NATIVE IRISH SOURCE, THE NAME ALSO CAME TO IRELAND IN THE 12THCENTURY WITH THE ANGLO-NORMAN INVASION OF STRONGBOW. IN THISINSTANCE, THE GRIFFIN SURNAME IS DERIVED FROM THE WELSH PERSONALNAMES, GRIFFIN, GRUFFIN, OR GRIFFITH, PET-FORMS OF THE MIDDLE WELSHNAME, ?GRUFFUDD?.
SPELLING VARIATIONS INCLUDE: GRIFFEY, GRIFFY, O?GRIFFEY AND OTHERS,ETC?.
FIRST FOUND IN, ?COUNTY CLARE?, WHERE THEY HELD A FAMILY SEAT FROMVERY ANCIENT TIMES. [Transcribed 09 October 2006, SLJuhl, compiler]

It is not known as yet the name of the Elder Griffen. There are noWILLS listed for any of the sons below that would match them inVirginia at the Library of Virginia web site:
http://ajax.lva.lib.va.us/F/?func=file&file_name=find-b-clas08&local_base=CLAS08

"SOURCE: A Booklet belonging to Penny Sue Park:
"JOHN FINLEY & JANE GILES GRIFFIN; Pages 1-17. Headstone Committee:
Alice Hunter Anderson (MO), Thomas Fout (TX), Donna Thielen Goves (AZ)
Minnie Mae Griffin Holman (IL), Beatrice Griffin Justice (KS), BonnieFerry Kipp (IL)
Eunice Griffin Reehl (IL), B. Edna Park Waller (SC)
Dedicated, this 18th day of July, 1992, ETC...."
"FAMILY LORE
Family tradition maintains that our Griffin line descends from thefour Griffin brothers who emigrated from Ireland to Boston in thelatter half of the 1700's. Two of them, James and William, settleddown there and were on the tax rolls. They built Griffin's Wharfwhere the Boston Tea Party took place and, after the wharf burneddown, James stayed in the area, but William disappeared. It is thenthought that William went to Virginia ...etc..."
SEE WILLIAM, JOHN, AND JAMES GRIFFEN/GRIFFIN NOTES PLEASE !!

The Boston Tea Party took place at a much earlier time than theinformation claimed by family researchers in Guilford County, NorthCarolina. The ages do not match up to the two time periods givenGeorge's age, Thomas age, and the age of G/J Griffin. However, if thefamily researchers are convinced that the Guilford County, NorthCarolina family is the correct one, I 'd encourage them to take aclose look at the 1810 Federal Census for G.(J) Griffin. THERE IS ANOLDER MALE GRIFFIN LIVING IN THAT HOUSEHOLD AT THE TIME OF THE CENSUSWHO IS OVER 45 YEARS OLD. THE OLDER GRIFFIN IN THE 1810 CENSUS HAD TOHAVE BEEN BORN AT LEAST BEFORE OR AROUND 1750-55 probably.
I suggest that perhaps the three males and their families listed inthe 1810 Census are brothers, that the father is living with the oneson, and that father may actually be perhaps "WILLIAM GRIFFEN" who wassupposed to have disappeared from Boston or one of the other brotherssuch as "JOHN GRIFFEN" who is not mentioned at the time of the BostonTea Party. We know it's not James Griffin since he elected to remainin Boston, and may have died in 1764.

REASON FOR CHANGES TO FAMILY GENEALOGY LINES HERE IN AMERICA:
SOURCE: In the 1810 CENSUS for G. Griffin (Image 41-www.Ancestry.com,Guilford County, No. Carolina), it proves that there was an older malein the family in North Carolina who would definitely have been oldenough for the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Please take a ruler and goalong the bottom of the name to verify. The line will slant downwardto the right which is a natural thing for a right handed person to do. But in doing so, you will notice the older male listed. These arethe only Griffin in the Guilford County at the time of the census.Edna Waller states that this is where the family is located previousto moving to Indiana, and a marriage bond record that states Georgewas in Guilford County as well is available. So, it can only be thisfamily.
It is strongly believed by this compiler then that the older male mustbe one of the original brothers, and probably either John or WilliamEsq. of Virginia since all three of the sons, Geo., Thomas, and G/J.in later census records were indicated as being born in Virginia, andalso noting that William is known as William Griffen, Esq. ofVirginia in the Sons of Liberty listing (See William Griffen's notes),plus John Griffin is also found in Augusta County, Virginia plus therelationship of Griffin to John Finley of Virginia ( See WilliamGriffen's notes).
This compiler could not make out the first letter of the name for thehead of one of the three households, Geo., Thos., and G. Griffin (thisone). The web site has it as a "G"., but if you look at all the otherletter G's on the page of the 1810 Federal Census record of GuilfordCounty, It's doubtful that it is a G. It may be an I--J ???
Also, all three of the males, Geo., Thos., and G/J., who are listedfor the heads of households, were between the age of 26-44 years in1810, living in the same Guilford County, and Thomas signed forGeorge's second marriage bond in Guilford County, North Carolina. So,this would conclude that they had to be brothers. And, they had to beborn between 1766-1784. Much too young for the Boston Tea Party in1773.
In the 1820 Federal Census Record for Guilford County, George turnedover 45 years of age. So, it is likely that either Thomas or Georgemay have been the oldest, and George's birth had to be between1766-1780. This would still make him too young for the Boston TeaParty. [16 April 2007, SLJuhl, compiler, sljuhl1234@yahoo.com]

Please read through William, John, and James Griffin's notes. I wouldsuggest that finding the two books, (1). PUNCH, TERRENCE M. "The Irishin Halifax, Nova Scotia, before 1830.", and (2). SHERWOOD, GEORGE.American Colonists in English Records: A guide to Direct Referencesin Authentic Records, Passenger Lists Not in "Hotten,", would help toenlighten the search on this family. It could also be that perhapsthree of the brothers made the voyage first and the another followedlater, but in any case the two books listed may help. I found alsothat there were so many Griffin/Griffen immigrations by similar nameson www.Ancestry.com, and that it was very difficult to ascertain whothe family members may have been or when they arrived to the Americas. The only two with matching dates from Ireland were William & John whowere recorded in the first book, and there is a third relative thattraveled with them as well, but is not listed. I'd also like to pointout that not all of the records are recorded on the www.Ancestry.comweb site for immigrations, and this was only my first attempt intrying to find the four brothers immigration.

HOWEVER, all of the information that has been gathered so far wouldindicate that there is truth to the family story, or "FAMILY LORE."
[SLJuhl, compiler]

Birth:
Possibly Scotland Or Ulster, Ireland ("...The Foundation Of Ulster Society Is Scotch."--Ftm, Pg. 140.)

Elder married Wife between 1720 and 1730 in Possibly Scotland Or Ulster, Ireland. and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]