Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

quires the most brilliant intelligence and
the most consummate skill. The name ol
Griffing is one well known in electrical
circles in this State.
The Griffing family, according to Welsh
historians, is one of the oldest of which
records can be found, and dates back sev-
eral centuries before Christ The claim
has been made that the Welsh people
originated in the Caucasian country, com-
ing to Britain to colonize the island under
their chief, Hit Cararn. At later periods
Celtic colonists emigrated from Loire and
I , iscony, in France and Brittany. According
to Welsh genealogies, the found-
ers of this family in America are de-
scended from Prydian, son of Aedd, the
( ireat, who led the colonists from Loire
some centuries before the Christian era.
Nearly all of the nobility of Wales, as
well as some of the Royal family of Eng-
land, trace their ancestry to the earlier
generations of the Griffith line. Accord-
ing to X. T. Griffen, of Chicago, who has
done considerable research work on this
family. Jasper drifting, who was the immigrant
ancestor of the branch here under
consideration, was a cousin of Sergeant
John Griffen, who founded the Griffen
family in Connecticut. Jasper Griffing
was undoubtedly of the same line, and if
he was a cousin in the present significance
oi that term, he was ninety-eighth in di-
rect line of descent from Prydian, son of
Aedd.
Before family surnames came into use,
people had but one name, usually sug-
gested by the occupation, or by some per-
sonal quality. Some took their father's
name, using prefixes or suffixes indi-
cating the relationship. The name Griffin
has been derived from Gruff— plural,
Griffion—a sneer, irony (feminine) ; Grif
—plural, Grifonan. aggressive mass (mas-
culine). The former means boldness,
fierceness. In a Welsh poem, "Gruffudd"
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BK »G^ M'HY
i^ called the "Noble Speared," and "Griffon."
of our "Noble Race.' In Dwnn's
Pedigrees, the family in which we are
now interested is given as Pengriffin, sig-
nifying "Head Griffin," it •'Chief Grif-
fin." The following is the coat-of-arms
of this family
:
Arms—Gales on a fesse, between three lozenges
or, each charged with a fleur-de-lis "i tin- tirst.
A demi-rose between two gryfons, I of
the fold.
i rest—A gryfon stream.
M,>tt,i— Semper paratus. (Always ready; in
\\ elsh "l'.' h amser yn bared." >
i i
I Jasper Griffing, born about 1648 in
Wales, died April 17. 1718. His wife's
Christian name was Anna. She was bom
309
at Manchester, New England (probably
.Massachusetts) in 1653, and died April
20, 1699, aged forty-six years and eight
months. In 1647, the records show, he
lived in Marblehead, and in 1670 in Es-
sex county, .Massachusetts. He married,
about 1675, and came to Southold, Long
Island, where he died. He was the father
of eighteen children.
(II) John Griffing, son of Jasper Grif-
fing, besides the fact of his death about
1 7 14 or 17 1 5, we find no record except
that he built a house in Riverhead. New
York.
'
(III) John (2) Griffing, son of John
(1) Griffing was born in 1710. He married
1 first) February 13, 1735, Sarah
Laine, born in 1 7 1 6. died September i_\
1761. During the Revolution he removed
with his family to Connecticut.
(IV) John (3) Griffing, son of John
2 Griffing, was born in 1737. He married
Deborah Wells, daughter of Samuel
Wells, of Southold, Suffolk county. New
York. He died at Riverhead, Xew York,
January 17, iSjj.
( 1 V Stephen Griffing, son of John (3)
Griffing, was born October 21, 1777. in
the house built by the first John Griffing