Genealogy of The Griggs Family

By Walter S. Griggs of Norfolk, Virginia

Limited Edition, 1926, Pompton Lakes, New Jersey

The Biblio Company, Inc., Publishers

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1. GRIGGS OF ENGLAND

THE first legal record of the Griggs name in England is found in Muskett's Suffolk Memorial Families, in which data is given of John Griggs (1) who died in Suffolk County, 27 April, 1497. His son, William Griggs, (2) yeoman, of Stansfield, married Catherine Browne. He died in April, 1515, and his wife died 15 June, 1520. He left three sons, Robert, William and Edmund. The male line of the family descends as follows:

ROBERT GRIGGS (3) of Brockley, son of William, married Joane, daughter of John Davey. Robert died 27 September, 1562, and had
1. ROBERT.
2. HENRY, who died 29 October, 1574. His son

THOMAS GRIGGS (4) died 7 July, 1600, leaving wife Anne, and a son HENRY GRIGGS, (5) who married Susan Stebon. His will was proven 15 June, 1570. His son JAMES GRIGGS (6) died before 1677. He married Frances Hammond.

About 1700, some of the Suffolk County family settled in Cornwall, and several members of the same line removed to New England and Virginia. Other Griggs are found in Gloucestershire, Essex and Devonshire.

The arms of Griggs according to Burke's General Armory are thus described:

ARMS: Gules upon two feathers argent; two feathers of the field; upon the escutcheon is a helmet with mantling gules and argent.

CREST: A wreath of the colors, in front of two feathers crossed satterwise gules, a sword in pale unfilled
with a leopard's face proper. Motto: "Secundo curo."

A list of early emigrants from England to America follows:

1635: GEORGE GRIGGS and wife, Alyce, and five children came from London on ship 'Hopewell' for New England and located near Boston. The ship record reads:

GEORGE, 42 years old.
ALICE, 42 " "
THOMAS, 15 " "
WILLIAM, 14 " "
ELIZA, 10 " "
MARY, 6 " "
JANET, 2 " "

1637: Thomas Griggs, 16 years old, was transported on ship 'Globe' from London to Virginia, by John Graves. He located in Elizabeth City County, Virginia.

1639: John Griggs was transported from London to Virginia by Jervis Dobson and settled in Northumberland County, Virginia.

1650: Blanche Griggs was transported from London to Virginia by Captain Isreal Lynch.

1653: Xtop Griggs was transported from London to Virginia by Jervis Dobson and Northumberland County, Virginia.

1653: Robert Griggs was transported from London to Virginia by William DeBrane.

1678: Robert Griggs and wife, Alice, sailed from London on the ship 'Mary,' for the Carolinas.

{} = comments written in ink in the margins

II. GRIGGS OF MASSACHUSETTS

THOMAS GRIGGS, who came from England in the spring of 1639, settled in Roxbury. With him were his wife, Mary, and two sons, John and Joseph. {Also "dau. Mary who died of a kahexie age 12yrs.} Mary died a few months after their arrival and was buried in Roxbury, 25 September, 1639. In five years Thomas, married Mary Green, 26 August, 1640. Thomas died 23 May, 1646, after a long illness. {Widow mar. Jasper Rawlings}

JOSEPH GRIGGS, son of Thomas, born in England, was made freeman in 1653. He married in Roxbury, 8 November, 1654, Hannah Davis. {Hannah Davis b. in Eng. dau of Sam'l Davis of Romney Marsh, Boston.} Their children were:

SAMUEL, born 5 October, 1656, died in three months
MARY, born 22 November, 1657.
HANNAH, born 25 March. 1659.
JOSEPH, born 13 October, 1661.
BENJAMIN, born 8 March, 1668.
JOHANNA, born 10 January, 1673.
ICHABOD, born 27 September, 1675. {Mar. Margaret Bishop}
MARY, born 27 March, 1682.

Joseph died 10 February, 1715, aged 90 years. His wife died 9 January, 1684. The Roxbury record gives the death of Mary Crafts Griggs, wife of Joseph, 20 May, 1653. {Mary Crafts - dau. Of Griffin Crafts of Roxbury} This was no doubt a first wife, by whom he had {one child - died at birth.}

In the Suffolk County wills are recorded two other Griggs of whom we have slight record, but who flourished about the time of Thomas and his son{s John & Joseph}

BENJAMIN GRIGGS, son of Joseph and Hannah Griggs, born 8 March, 1668; married Patience -- June 18, 1701; he died Aug. 19, 1724. JOHN GRIGGS, son of Thomas and Mary Griggs, born in England; married Mary Patton Nov., 1652; {Mary Patton dau of William Patton (Pattin) (Patten) of Cambridge} he died 1692. Their children were:

JOHN, JR., born 1653.
JAMES, born 1656.
JOHN AND MARY (twins), born 1659.
{Hannah (Rayneford)
Abigail (Cooke)
Ruth
Mary
1667 -> Sarah mar. 23 Dec. 1689 Sam'l Kidder son of James T.}

JOHN GRIGGS, JR.,son of John and Mary P. Griggs, born 1653; married Eliza Case, 1682. Their children were: {these children belong to preceding John}

HANNAH married Raynesford.
ABIGAIL married Cooke.
SARAH married Kidder.

GEORGE GRIGGS, of Boston, who came in the ship Hopewell, died June 23, 1660; made his will July 4, 1655; proved for his wife, his son James and daughters Ann Jones, wife of Mathew Jones, Mary Brock and Sarah King. The widow made her will July 20, 1662; probated May 1, 1663. Their children were:

(Born in England)
THOMAS, 15 years old.
WILLIAM, 14 years old.
ELIZA, 10 years old.
MARY, 6 years old.
JAMES, 2 years old.

(Born in Massachusetts)
ELIZA, born May 14, 1636; died May, 1640.
SARAH, born May, 1637.

The inventory of Humphrey Griggs, of Suffolk County, Massachusetts, 18 August, 1657, amounted to 109 pounds. Papers of administration were issued to his wife Grissell Griggs, formerly the wife of Thomas Jewell of Braintree. A very complete line from Ichabod Griggs, son of Joseph, and grandson of Thomas, of
Roxbury, has been prepared by one of his descendants, as follows.
ICHABOD GRIGGS, born September 27, 1675; married Margaret Bishop, born May 17, 1676; daughter of Samuel Bishop of Ipswich (graduated at Harvard College in 1665), and Hester Cogswell (granddaughter of John Cogswell the ancestor of the Cogswells in America) Their children were:

HANNAH, born October 22, 1702; married a Goffe.
SAMUEL, born April 28. 1704.
ELIZABETH, born November 13, 1705.
JOSEPH, born October 11, 1708.
HESTER, born June 22, 1710.
SARAH, born May 15, 1712.
NATHAN, born September 29, 1714.
THOMAS, born February 25, 1716. {Mar. Margaret Williams}
ICHABOD, born March 8, 1717.

THOMAS GRIGGS, born February 25, 1716; married September 11, 1743, Margaret Williams, born February 19, 1723; daughter of John Williams, son of Stephen Williams, son of Robert Williams pioneer of Roxbury. Their children were:

Elizabeth, born October 12, 1745; married Tim. Corey.
Moses, born December 4, 1747, died 1819.
Thomas, born April 20, 1750, died 1800; married Mary Goddard.
Samuel, born December 22, 1753, died January 16, 1814.
John, born July 12, 1756. Joseph, born January 18, 1760.
Joshua, born March 14, 1763, died September 12, 1822.
Sarah, born April 12, 1765; married John Holbrook.
Nathaniel, born July 31, 1770; married Nancy Aspinwall, died January 22, 1844.

THOMAS GRIGGS, born Brookline, Massachusetts, April 20, 1750, married July 4, 1776, Mary Goddard, daughter of Benjamin, {Mary G. dau. of Sally Campbell} son of Benjamin, son of William, son of Edward. Their children were:

Mary, born January 19, 1782, died in infancy.
Lieut. John, born February 15, 1785, died Sutton, Massachusetts, June 1, 1850; married Mary Thurston November 19, 1812, daughter of Nathan Thurston. {Nathan Thurston son of Rev. David son of Daniel son of Thomas, Jr son of Thomas Sr son of John Thurston} Their children were:

Lewis, born September 7, 1813, died 1898; married Maria Hancock.
Salem, born February 9, 1815, died 1908; married Maria Adams Cleveland.
Susan Elizabeth, born July 14, 1816, died September 5, 1886; married (1) Gibbs Lilley; (2) Dr. Julius Y. Dewey of Montpelier, Vermont.
Thomas Thurston, born January 31, 1818, died August 11, 1890; married Julia Pierce.
John, born May 16, 1819, died May, 1856.
Joseph Franklin, born April 24, 1822, died April 1, 1897; married Eliza Buchanan Brooks April 16, 1863. Mary Ann, born April 15, 1824, died March 11, 1846; married Capt. William W. Taylor.
George, born July 31, 1826, died May, 1891.
Nathan, born July 5, 1828.
Frances Helen, born April 29, 1834, died September 3, 1859; married Willard F. Pond January 20, 1853.
Margaret Louise, born November 19, 1835, died June 6, 1868; married Henry S. Stockwell.

CHILDREN OF JOHN GRIGGS AND MARY THURSTON

LEWIS GRIGGS, (John, Thomas, Thomas, Ichabod, Joseph, Thomas), born September 7, 1813, died 1898; married Maria Hancock. Their children were:

Anne Maria, born in Grafton, Massachusetts June, 1843, unmarried.
Mary Louise, born December 21, 1845; married Henry S. Stockwell of Sutton, Massachusetts. Their children were Harry and Thomas Thurston.

SALEM GRIGGS, (John, Thomas, Thomas, Ichabod, Joseph, Thomas), born February 9, 1815, died 1908; married Maria Adams Cleveland. Their children were Emma, unmarried, died. George, unmarried,
died. Delia, married H. Augustus Harrington. Alice married Lucius Eldred. Caroline married John Scott, died; one child, Donald Griggs Scott. Gertrude married Henry Leland. John, unmarried, died. Margaret, unmarried, died.

SUSAN ELIZABETH GRIGGS, born July 14, 1816, died September 5, 1886; married (1) Gibbs Lilley. One child, Susan married Edward Dewey of Montpelier; (2) Dr. Julius Y. Dewey of Montpelier.
THOMAS THURSTON GRIGGS, M.D., born January 31, 1818, died August 11, 1890; married Julia Ann Pierce. One child died in infancy. Frances Helen, born 1860, died 1905; married Henry Warren.

JOSEPH FRANKLIN GRIGGS of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, born in Sutton, Massachusetts April 24, 1822. Attended Wilbraham and Leister Academies and graduated from Yale College, 1846. Went to Pittsburgh in 1849 and established with William McDonald a school for boys. This school was nucleus of reorganized Western University of Pennsylvania (now University of Pittsburgh), of which he was professor of Latin and Greek from 1855 to 1880. Then professor emeritus of Greek and secretary and treasurer of same. Died April 1, 1897; married April 16, 1863 Eliza Buchanan Brooks (born September 26, 1829, died December 16, 1906, daughter of Jeremiah Brooks, M.D., and Martha Clarke Buchanan), a physician of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and had five children: Martha Buchanan, born January 24, 1864, unmarried. Jeremiah
Brooks, born January 6, 1866; married April 1, 1914 Adelaide L. Greenwood (born October 6, 1872). no children. Thomas Campbell. born March 29, 1868; married Christine Newell, February, 1901; 3 children. Mary Thurston, born March 1, 1870, died July 1, 1870; Joseph Franklin, Jr., born August 27, 1871; married Alice Emily Van Gorder, born November 2, 1883; 7 children.

CHILDREN OF JOSEPH F. GRIGGS AND ELIZABETH BROOKS

THOMAS CAMPBELL GRIGGS. born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania March 29, 1868; married Christine Newell February, 1901. Children: Marion Thurston, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania January 7, 1902. Thomas Newell, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania May 20, 1903. Christine Marjory, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania February 3, 1906.

JOSEPH FRANKLIN GRIGGS, M.D. born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania August 27, 1872; married October 10, 1901 Alice Emily Van Gorder, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania November 2, 1883. Their children are Martha Elizabeth, born in Peking, China, January 24, 1903. Harriet Rebecca, born in Peking, China, July 8, 1904. Joseph Franklin, born in Tacoma, Washington, January 3, 1908. Alice Emily, born in Tacoma, Washington, May 9, 1909. David Thurston,, born in Tacoma, Washington, January 18, 1916. George Van Gorder, born in Tacoma, Washington, August 24, 1917, died October 24, 1917. Philip Lewis, born in Tacoma, Washington, February 4, 1923.

JAMES GRIGGS FAMILY

JAMES GRIGGS, son of John and Eliza C. Griggs; married Abigail about 1701. Their children were:

RUTH, born August 4, 1702.
JAMES, JR., born July 14, 1704.
ABIGAIL, born January 7, 1707.
GEORGE, born March 15, 1709.
JOHN C., born May 6, 1712.
WILLIAM, born October 17, 1714.
EBENEZAR, born April 17, 1717.
JAMIMA, born August 16, 1719.

RUTH GRIGGS. daughter of James and Abigail Griggs, born August 4, 1702; married Joseph Davis. Jr. of Roxbury. GEORGE GRIGGS, son of James and Abigail Griggs, born March 15, 1709; married Susannah Baker, September 3, 1747; lived at Brookline in house his father had lived. John Baker, administrator of estate May 13, 1761. Their children were:

SUSANNA, David Wild appointed guardian
SARAH, John Baker " "
ABIGAIL, " " " "
JAMES GRIGGS, JR., son of James and Abigail Griggs born 1704,
married. Children were:
MARY, married Aaron Healy June 16, 1766.
REBECCA, spinster.
HANNAH, married Asa Morse, May 14, 1778 in Roxbury.
ELIZABETH.
THOMAS.
MOSES, died 1830.
SARAH, married Stephen McIntosh.

THE SECOND ICHABOD GRIGGS

ICHABOD GRIGGS, son of Ichabod I, (Joseph I, Thomas I) and Margaret Bishop, was born March 8, 1717 and died in 1790. He married Sarah Hatch. During the Revolution he was a member of the Connecticut Assembly. Among his sons were:

JOSHUA GRIGGS, born 1743, died 1813; married Joanna, daughter of Elisha Chapman.
ICHABOD GRIGGS, born in 1744, died in 1776; married Mercy Hatch. He was a sergeant at the Lexington Alarm.
JOSHUA GRIGGS, son of Deacon Ichabod Griggs and wife, born January 8, 1743, died June 9, 1813; married first Joanna Chapman, December 11, 1766; deacon selectman and adjutant in Revolutionary War; was stationed at Roxbury, New York and Saratoga during the war.

CHILDREN

ROSWELL, born 1767.
CHARLES, born 1775.
JOSHUA, " 1769.
SARAH, " 1777.
SUSANNA, " 1771.
ELIJAH, " 1780.
DANIEL, " 1773.
JOANNA, " 1783.
His second marriage was to Sarah Dunham of Mansfield.

CHILDREN

CHARLES, born 1799.
ELIJAH CHAPMAN, born 1803, died in infancy.
ROSWELL D., born 1806, died in infancy.
SETH DUNHAM, born 1809.
NORMAN BRIGHAM, born 1816.
and six daughters.

DANIEL GRIGGS, son of Joshua and Joanna Griggs, born 1773;
married Nancy Penney 1806. Children:
JOSHUA, born December 11, 1806.
LUCIUS, born January 9, 1810.
DANIEL, born March 2, 1814.
LEMUEL P., born May 19, 1818.
HARRIETT, born November 28, 1811, died March 1, 1815.
HARRIETT (2ND), born May 22, 1816.
HENRY O., born March 30, 1821.
CHARLES G., born November 25, 1823.
JAMES RUDOLPH, born May 7, 1827.
ELIZA, born February 19, 1808.

WILLIAM GRIGGS OF SALEM

WILLIAM GRIGGS, an early resident of Salem, and his wife, Rachel Hubbard were married about 1639, and had the following children:

WILLIAM, born April 2, 1640.
SARAH, born October 6, 1642.
RACHEL, born October 13, 1644.
ISAAC, born October ? , 1646.
ELIZABETH, born October ? , 1648.
JACOB, born November 2, 1658.
HANNAH, born March 12, 1660.
REBECCA, born April 3, 1662.

The will of William Griggs was probated in Salem, February 10, 1693, and mentions his wife Rachel, his daughter Sarah Haskell, and but two sons, William and Jacob.

WILLIAM GRIGGS, son of William and Rachel; married first, Hannah Hannaford of Boston, who died February 4, 1679, and second to Thankful Baker of Dorchester, born 1647, died 1729. William was
an ensign of Artillery. His children were:
John, born July 24, 1674; Hannah, born September 22, 1676;
William, born June 23, 1678, died young;
Hannah, born May 30, 1682;
William, born April 6, 1688, and Samuel, born September 26, 1686.

JACOB GRIGGS, son of William and Rachel, born 1658, married Eleanor Haskell, daughter of Captain William Haskell of Gloucester. The children of Jacob and Eleanor were: Eleanor, born September 23, 1686, died young; Jacob, born October 11, 1688; Rebecca, born June 3, 1691, died young; Abigail, born July 8, 1695; Isaac, born June 27, 1699; Eunice, born February 2, 1703, and Eleanor, born October 18, 1706. Eleanor married Samuel Hilton and Abigail married John Blower.

FAMILY OF MOSES GRIGGS

MOSES GRIGGS, son of James, and grandson of George Griggs, (whose will was dated Boston, 1655), was born in 1755. He married Margaret Cannaby, born about 1772 at Medfield. Her mother was a Granger of Sudbury. She died in Dedham in 1845. Their children were:

JOHN, died July, 1867, in Dedham.
STEPHEN, died 1850.
CHARLES, died 1872.
THOMAS, died 1880.
BETSY, died young.
MOSES, lived at Canton, Massachusetts.