Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

Dwnn's Pedigrees, the family herein un-
der consideration is given as Pengriffin,
signifying "Head Griffin" or "Chief Grif-
fin."
(I) Richard Griffith, great-grandfather
of the immigrant, who is numbered in
the ninety-fifth generation, is said in the
Chronicle to be of the highest nobility.
He was born in the troublous times of
Glendower (1400-16), when Glendower
failed in his rebellion against the Eng-
lish, he having espoused the cause of the
Red Rose. At first Richard Griffith cast
his lot with the Red Rose, but later trans-
ferred his allegiance to the White Rose,
and as a reward for his valuable service
at the battle of Bosworthy Fields, Henry
Tudor, when he became King Henry VII.,
granted to Richard Griffith the right to
wear the following coat-of-arms on his
shield
:
Arms—Gules, on a fesse, between three lozenges
or, each charged with a fleur-de-lis of the first.
A demi-rose between two gryffons, segreant of
the field.
Crest—A gryffon segreant.
Motto—Semper paratus. Always ready. In
Welsh, "Bob amser yn bared."
Richard Griffith married Elizabeth, a
sister of William Mar, Esquire. Their
son, Griffith Griffith, who married Joan,
daughter of Seimant David, Esquire of
Koksol, Gent. They were the parents of
John Griffith, who married Ann, daughter
of Edward Langford, of "Bigandr." They
had two daughters and two sons : The
latter, Edward, born about 1602, and John,
who established the family in America.
(II) Sergeant John Griffin, from whom
is descended the members of the family
here under consideration, was born about
1609, and came from London, October 24,
1635, on the ship "Constance," to Vir-
ginia. He was in the employ of Captain
William Claiborn, secretary of the Vir-
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
56
ginia Colony, as was his brother, Lord
Baltimore, who claimed that his grant
superceded Claiborn's grant of Kent's and
Palmer's island in the Chesapeake bay,
and while Claiborn was in England re-
cruiting Protestants to defend his island
possessions, Lord Baltimore sent a force
of forty men and two cannon to seize
the islands. The Griffin brothers were
among those captured, but both managed
to escape. We next learn of Sergeant
John Griffin in New Haven, his name ap-
pearing in the directory of that town for
the year 1642. There he engaged in the
ship business with a man named Bell.
In 1644 he took the oath of fidelity there.
It is claimed that he was the first settler
of Simsbury, his name being on record
there in 1646. He represented the town in
the General Court, 1670-74, and was the
first manufacturer in that town, having
invented a new process for making pitch
and tar, the latter being used in the Brit-
ish navy, and for which he received a
large grant of land, which was in addition
to the tract of ten miles square, which he
had acquired as the first settler of Sims-
bury, and was known as the "old Griffin
Lordship." He was sergeant of the train
band there. His death in August, 1681,
was due .to drinking water from a spring
while he was over-heated. From that
time the spring was called Lord Griffin's
spring, he having been known by that
title for a long time. He married, May
13, 1647, Anna Bancroft, of Simsbury, and
at his death left ten children.
(III) Thomas Griffin, fifth child of Ser-
geant John Griffin, was born October 3,
1658. He married, in 1693, Elizabeth
Y\"alton. He died in August, 1719.
(IV) Lieutenant Nathaniel Griffin, son
of Thomas Griffin, was born May 24, 1706,
and died April 22, 1786. He married Eliz-