Genealogical and Family History
of the
STATE OF MAINE

Compiled under the editorial supervision of George Thomas Little, A. M., Litt. D.

LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
New York
1909.

[Please see Index page for full citation.]

[Transcribed by Coralynn Brown]

[Many families included in these genealogical records had their beginnings in Massachusetts.]

GRIFFIN Humphrey Grimm, immigrant ancestor of this branch of the Griffin family, was born about 1605, and died about 1661-62. His estate was inventoried March 25, 1662. He settled in Ipswich, Mass. He was refused as an inhabitant in 1639, the town "being Full," but purchased land Jan. 14, 1641, of Daniel Denison near the mill; also land at Labor-in-Vain and a lot of Heart-Break Hill. His wife Joan died July 17, 1657. He married (second) Elizabeth Andrews, daughter of Robert Andrews, the immigrant. She married (second) Feb. 10, 1662-63, as his second wife, Hugh Sheratt, of Haverhill. Griffin removed to Rowley, Mass. Children: 1. John, mentioned below. 2. Nathaniel, probably married Aug. 26, 1671, Elizabeth Ring. 3. Samuel. 4. Lydia. 5. Elizabeth, married March 3, 1660, Edward Deare. (II) John, son of Humphrey Griffin, was born about 1640-41. He married Sept. 17, 1663, at Haverhill, Lydia Shatswell or Satchwell. He resided at Haverhill and Bradford, and was selectman of Bradford about 1680. Children: 1. Lydia, born June 21, 1664, at Haverhill. 2. Theophilus, born Feb. 2, 1665-66, mentioned below. 3. John, born June 13, 1671. 4. Hannah, born June 13, 1671 (twin). 5. Ebenezer, born Oct. 26, 1673. 6. Susanna, born Sept. 1, 1675. 7. Samuel, born May 27, 1678. 8. Nathaniel, born 1680. 9. Abigail, born 1684. (III) Theophilus, son of John Griffin, born at Haverhill Feb. 2, 1665-66, died there March 17, 1688-89. Among their children was: 1. Theophilus, mentioned below. 2. Isaac. (IV) Theophilus (2), son of Theophilus (1) Griffin, born at Amesbury, Mass. Oct., 1689, married Dec. 18, 1710, at Amesbury, Hannah Fowler, of Amesbury. He removed to the adjacent town of Kingston, N. H., where he was living in 1722, when he sold his property in Amesbury. He was a member of the church in Kingston in 1725. In 1727 he and Isaac Griffin, his brother, were residents of Kingston, and in 1738 both of them signed a petition for a new parish in the east part of the town. He served in Capt. William Moulton's company of scouts in the war of 1745. He and his wife went to Deerfield to live with their son and died there; buried at Nottingham. Children: 1. Theophilus Jr., born June 17, 1711, removed to Deerfield, N. H. with his brother Eliphalet and had the eastern half of the estate they bought together. 2. Eliphalet, mentioned below. (V) Eliphalet, son of Theophilus (2) Griffin, was born in East Kingston, about 1720. He and his brother Theophilus, April 11, 1749 , bought a large farm in Deerfield, N. H. for seven hundred and fifty pounds, old tgenor of Matthew Dely. He had the western half. The land is now (1908), or was recently, owned by his descendants in Deerfield. He married a Miss Eastman. He died in 1792 at Deerfield. Children: 1. Eliphalet, born 1751, mentioned below. 2. Thomas, married Sarah Morse; had the homestead which he conveyed to his son Timothy by deed, and at last accounts was still in the family. (VI) Eliphalet (2), son of Eliphalet (1) Griffin, was born at Deerfield, N. H. in 1751. He was a soldier in the revolution from Deerfield in Capt. James Norris' company, Col. Enoch Poor's regiment. His age was given in the war records as twenty-four under date of June, 1775. Theophilus Griffin, probably son of Theophilus, his uncle, was a soldier in the revolution from Bedford. About the time of the clsoe of the war, perhaps as early as 1776, Eliphalet settled in Alfred, Maine. His farm was located near Shaker pond and was interesting as the site of former Indian habitation. Many trinkets, arrow heads and utensils have been found there and there were traces of the wigwams on the place since Griffin owned it. He was a blacksmith by trade; was also a farmer and one of the first in the town. He died about 1798. He was accidentally drowned in Shaker pond. Children: 1. John, born May 16, 1776, mentioned below. 2. Thomas. 3. Charles, who was a tavern keeper and at one time had a large brick hotel there, the best in the town, subsequently destroyed by fire. 4. James, the hero of an Indian adventure in which he escaped capture by skating away from his enemy. 5. Sumner. (VII) John, son of Eliphalet (2) Griffin, was born May 16, 1776, at Alfred, or came there when very young, and died at Alfred, July 8, 1837, aged sixty-one years. He married there March 25, 1799, Mary Weston, born May 9, 1775, died July 23, 1854. He was, like his father, a blacksmith and farmer at Alfred. Children, b. at Alfred: 1. Letha, died unmarried at the age of fifty-four. 2. Nancy, born in 1801, married Daniel Wiggin. 3. James, mentioned below. 4. Charles, born Feb. 4, 1805, died March 6, 1879. 5. Ivory, died Dec. 10, 1878. 6. Mary W., born Jan. 1, 1810, died March 4, 1858; married ____ Roberts. 7. Sarah, born in 1817, married Charles Blake; lived and died at Concord, N. H. (VIII) James, son of John Griffin, born in Alfred Feb. 27, 1803, died there July 22, 1876. He married Louise Conant, born July 3, 1805, daughter of Daniel and Ruth Conant. His wife died April 22, 1850. James Griffin resided on the old homestead and, like his father and grandfather, was blacksmith as well as farmer, a prosperous, substantial citizen, highly respected by his townsmen. In politics he was a Democrat. Of their seven children only two, Maria L. and Mary, grew to maturity. These two sisters inherited the homestead, a portion of which is the original farm of the first settler, their great-grandfahter, Eliphalet Griffin. Children: 1. Daniel, born Nov. 14, 1828, died in 1832. 2. Abbie, born 1832, died in infancy. 3. Maria L., born May 16, 1835. 4. John, born April 29, 1838, died in infancy. 5. John, died in infancy. 6. John, died in infancy. 7. Mary A., born Nov. 14, 1844, resides on the homestead with sister Maria L.