Category Archives: Griggs

Griggs

John Griggs of Henry & Pittsylvania Counties, VA, died 1819

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Little has actually been proven about the origins and life of John Griggs, aside from the personal property tax rolls of Henry and Pittsylvania Counties, Virginia and a tantalizing clue found on his son Michael’s death certificate.

John Griggs was born, place and parents unknown, no later than 1750, based on his sons coming of age and appearing beside him on the tax lists. In fact, he was likely born in the latter part of the 1740s.

The name of his wife is also unknown. There are online trees that provide a name but there isn’t one single source cited to document her name so I won’t repeat it here and the online trees that contain John Griggs are way more than a hot mess.

John Griggs likely married c1768 with his children being born from 1770 onwards.

However, the first primary record found for him is the 1782 personal property tax list of Henry County, Virginia. He is also there in 1783, but then disappears until 1788 and 1789, gone in 1789 and 1790, but consistently on all lists from 1791 through 1813.

John wrote his will on 14 November 1818 and died before it was proved in court on 15 February 1819. He might have moved in with one of his children during the last years of his life, but sons Peter, Robert and James were all on the 1811 Pittsylvania County personal property tax lists, which would explain John’s long residence in Henry County, but a will written in Pittsylvania County.

Children:

  1. John, born c1770; married (1) Rachel Long, 21 July 1791, Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Rachel died soon, perhaps in childbirth and he married (2) Phebe Acholas [as found online], 30 July 1792, Henry County, Virginia. There is no surname like Acholas found in early Virginia. However, the name Echols/Eckles/Eckols is found. Might she be Phebe Echols and her name transcribed incorrectly?
  2. James, born c1772; died after 1833, possibly Pittsylvania County, Virginia; married Ruth Gover, 20 February 1795, Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Ruth was alive in June 1819 when she and James sold her portion of land inherited from her father. However, there was a lawsuit over the land and only James was mentioned in 1822. In 1830, there was no female Ruth’s age at home, but there was in 1820. She likely died between 1820-1822.
  3. Sarah, born c1774; died before 14 November 1818; married William Gover, 20 October 1794, Henry County, Virginia
  4. Michael, born February 1776, perhaps in Nottoway County (then Amelia County) per details in his death record; died February 1858, Henry County, Virginia; married (1) Betsey Minter, 30 November 1799, Henry County, Virginia (2) Caty Stultz, 7 April 1804, Henry County, Virginia (3) Sarah Pedigo, 18 November 1820, Henry County, Virginia.
  5. Rebecca, born c1783; died between 1840-1850; married Pendleton Burgess, 15 October 1804, Henry County, Virginia
  6. Robert, born c1790; died after 1818 when he is mentioned in his father’s will. He may be the man in Giles County, Tennessee in 1850, which may be why his father forgave his $50 debt in his will.
  7. Peter, born c1789; died 3 November 1866, Henry County, Virginia; married (1) Axey Jesse, 20 February 1809, Pittsylvania County, Virginia (2) Lucy Gilley, 11 April 1836, Henry County, Virginia
  8. George, died after 1818 as he is mentioned in the 1819 will
  9. Judith?, married Thomas Wilkinson, before 1811 and she was living on 20 January 1817 when they sold land in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He married (2) Jane Harris Weir, 16 December 1822, Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
  10. Gincy, born c1792; married David Arthur, 8 February 1813, Henry County, Virginia

Although John Griggs left a will, it creates many questions as he did not state his relationship to the legatees. It is assumed that James, peter, Michael, George and John Griggs were sons, while Pendleton Burgess, Thomas Wilkinson (not Wilkins) and David Arthur were sons-in-law. Did that mean his daughters had died? The only daughter mentioned by name was Sarah Gover.

Marriage records show that Rebecca Griggs married Pendleton Burgess in 1804, Sarah Griggs married William Gover in 1794 and Gincy married David Arthur in 1813.

No early marriage records have been found for Thomas Wilkinson, although he and wife Judith sold land in 1817 in Pittsylvania County and one Thomas Wilkinson married Jane Harris Weir in 1822. If Judith was a Griggs, she apparently died after John Griggs wrote his will in late 1818.

In the name of God, Amen.  I, John Griggs Senr, of Pittsylvania County being weak in body but in perfect memory as it is appointed for all men to dy [sic: die].  I make this my last will and testament.  First, I [?] my body to the earth to be buried in decent christian burial. Next, I will my good and chattels as follows. To wit: I give to Axey Griggs my cow and calf for her services to me rendered.  I also give to Rebecca Burgess my bed & furniture for her services.

I give to James Griggs, Peter Griggs, Pendleton Burgess, Michael Griggs, George Griggs, Thomas Wilkins, John Griggs Junr, David Arthur the balance of my property to be equally divided amongst them all To Robert Griggs, I give $50 which he owes me at this time also I give to my daughter Sarah Govers bodyly heirs [She predeceased her father, but had surviving children.] one share out of the above property to be equally divided amongst them all this 14th November 1818.  I also appoint Michael Griggs executor of the above estate.

Signed Sealed in presents us
Test
William Haizlip
Parmanas Sansford    
Martha Davis

John (his X mark) Griggs (Seal)

At a court held for Pittsylvania County the 15 day of February 1819 the within last will and testament of John Griggs Decd was presented in court and proved by the oaths of two of the subscribing witnesses and ordered to be recorded and on the motion of Michael Griggs the Exor therein named who made oath thereto according to Law and together with Richard B Bisk and James Woodall his Securities entered into and acknowledged their bond in the penalty of $1000. Conditioned according to law certificate is granted him for obtaining a probate of said will in due form.

Test
Will Tunstall

Gover, Griggs

James Griggs & Ruth Gover, Pittsylvania County, VA, 1795

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Fact: James Griggs married Ruth Gover on 20 February 1795 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.

Fact: James Griggs was the son of John Griggs, who died in late 1818 or early 1819, leaving a will, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia and John Gover, father of Ruth Gover, died in early 1819, also leaving a will. Both Mrs. Griggs and Mrs. Gover predeceased their husbands.

These two facts place James and Ruth squarely in their fathers’ families and identify their siblings.

However, James’ and Ruth’s own family is much more difficult to piece together. Without the estate administration of Ichabod Griggs in the late 1850s and early 1860’s, it would have been almost impossible.

This research began when a reader asked me who the parents were of Nancy Griggs who married Shepherd Mahon on 9 December 1832 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. There are many Mahon descendants in this line, but it seems no one has ever shared online any research into Nancy’s parents.

I like a challenge and I’ve worked a lot in Pittsylvania County records because of my Mahon research, so off I went.

Since brides typically married in their own county of residence, I checked the 1830 census of Pittsylvania County, Virginia and found several Griggs households. However, only two of them – Martha Griggs and James Griggs were old enough to have a daughter almost ready to marry and each had a female at home in the age range of Nancy (Griggs) Mahon.

I still don’t know who Martha Griggs’ husband was. She was widowed by 1816 when she (1) is on the Pittsylvania County personal property tax list and (2) gave permission, as “Marthy Grigg” for her daughter Maryan Grigg to marry William Marricks on 8 October 1816.

Other research proved she had at least one son, Pleasant William Grigg, born c1810, and at least one daughter, Louisa, born c1816.

Martha’s maiden name is unknown, but she was born c1775 and likely married in the late 1790s. The census shows her as Griggs, but a court record where she signed her own name is spelled Grigg and Pleasant also appears as Grigg.

Whether Martha is closely related to James Griggs is not known at this time.

Although James Griggs married in Pittsylvania County, he has been much more difficult to trace. The only land transaction found for him is in 1819. He and Ruth sold the portion of her father’s land that she inherited as soon as they could so land was not important to James.

I have no idea about his occupation or how the family lived.

I suspect that the 1796 Pittsylvania County tax list that includes one “Elizabeth Gover + Griggs” may well be newlywed James and wife living with one of his Gover in-laws.

However, James Griggs doesn’t appears on his own until 1810, which begs the question of where he went. Knowing that there were many Griggs people next door in Henry County, which was set off from Pittsylvania County in 1777, I looked there.

In 1794. John Griggs Sr. and John Jr. was both on the Henry County personal property tax list and John Sr. had three males at home – himself and 2 others who were taxable and 21 years or older.

In 1795, we find John Sr., now with 2 taxables 21 or over, John Jr. and James Griggs on the Henry County roll.

James is gone in 1796, supporting my theory that he and wife Ruth were living with/helping out widowed Elizabeth Gover.

By 1797, James is back on the Henry conty tax roll and remains there yearly through 1803.

Where he lived between 1804-1809 hasn’t yet been determined, but the first decade of the 1800s brought thousands of settlers into Tennessee. It’s possible he lived there for several eyars before deciding he liked Virginia more.

Between 1810 and 1821, James appears on the Pittsylvania County personal property tax lists, with the exception of 1816 and 1819.

James then disappears once again from the records until the 1830 census, when he is enumerated as 50-59 years of age. His last appearance in government records, at least that I believe is him, is James Griggs on the 1833 Pittsylvania County personal property tax rolls.

There is no probate found for him and the only land found was the 1819 sale of his father-in-law’s land that Ruth inherited.

However, knowing some of Martha’s children’s names and knowing that she and James were the only 2 in the 1830 census of an age to have a marriageable daughter, I believe that an estate administration from the late 1850s into the early 1860s identifies James’s children – at least those living at that time.

Ichabod Griggs first appears on the Pittsylvania County personal property tax list in 1830. Later census records place his birth either just before or just after 1810, which fits if he was 21 years old in 1830 and born c1809.

Ichabod had a sad life story and death. He had a marriage license taken out for himself and a young lady and was to marry on 22 December 1856. For an unknown reason (not wanting to marry?), Ichabod hung himself from a tree the day before on 21 December 1856 near Danville, Virginia.

This is the AI transcription created on FamilySearch full text search. I haven’t edited it so if you haven’t ever tried this option, it is obvious that there are some imperfections. This handwriting isn’t the greatest sample either. What I noticed was “one equal fifth part to have Mahon”, but when reading it for myself, the heir is “Nancy Mahon.” This is just a warning that humans still need to read for themselves and verify the information contained in a document.

His estate administration identified his siblings (not in birth order in the court file) who would inherit:

  1. William D., born c1800; died October 1849 and whose children were identified in the estate papers as James, Ruth M, wife of Jones W. Allen, Eleanor Ann, wife of John Wallace and Elizabeth C., wife of Henry W. Eanes. The fact that William named his only son James lends support to the theory that James Griggs was his father.
  2. Elizabeth, born c1805, Virginia; died between 1860-1870; married Daniel Ragan, 4 August 1821, Pittsylvania County, VA
  3. Nancy, born c1807, Virginia; died 1863, Osage County, Missouri; married Shepherd Mahon, 9 December 1832, Pittsylvania County, VA. Nancy named one of her daughters Rutha Jane, which supports the idea that her mother was Ruth (Gover) Griggs.
  4. [Ichabod] born c1809, Virginia; died 21 December 1856, Danville, Virginia; unmarried
  5. Samuel, born c1818; died 1868, Pittsylvania County, VA: married Mary Ann Earle, 16 December 1844, Pittsylvania County, VA
  6. Rebecca, born c1820, Virginia; died between 1880-1900; married John W. Davis, 16 November 1844, Pittsylvania County, VA
  7. Mary?, born c1822, Virginia; died between 1851-1860; married Francis Pace, 8 May 1851. She is placed as a daughter of James and Ruth because she [Mary Griggs]was living with sister Rebecca Davis in 1850. Francis was much older than Mary, born c1799. However, Francis removed to St. Clair County ,Missouri and is at home with his youngest daughter, Eliza, in 1860. Mary likely died before Ichabod’s estate administration.

There are some gaps in the birth years, but it’s possible that some siblings died unmarried in childhood or young adulthood.

Next, let’s move back a generation to the father of James Griggs, who was helpful enough to leave a will.

Griggs, Mahon

Shepherd Mahon & Nancy Griggs, VA: Who Was Nancy’s Father?

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Although this month’s 12 for ’26 is dedicated to Thompson research, every once in a while, a reader sends me a BSO I can’t ignore.

In this case, a New England reader who happens to be a distant cousin of mine a couple of times over is also a distant cousin of my husband’s through his Williams family out of Cumberland County, Virginia.

Here’s the short version of the Williams story. My husband is descended from Mathias Williams (c1712-1782) and wife Jane (MNU) of Cumberland County, Virginia. His line continues through their son, William. Their daughter Mary married Pleasant Mahon and settled in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, where Pleasant died c1842.

Shepherd Mahon is a son of Pleasant and Polly, so would be the nephew of my husband’s William Williams. Because the relationship is quite distant to my husband, I’ve never gonig looking for Nancy Griggs’ family.

Shepherd Mahon married Nancy Griggs on 9 December 1832. A quick search for low hanging fruit (easy clues) indicate that no one has ever seriously gone looking for Nancy’s parents or shared any theories online.

Southern research is very different than New England research because almost all the records are found at the county level instead of town records.

I had already documented this Mahon family:

Shepherd Mahon was born 14 March 1807, likely in Pittsylvania County, Virginia and died 5 September 1843, Osage County, Missouri.

Nancy Griggs was born on 22 March 1805, probably also in Pittsylvania County, Virginia and outlived Shepherd by many years, dying on 17 August 1863, also in Osage County, Missouri. Their gravestones can be viewed online. Nancy married (2) Abraham Crider, 8 November 1845, Osage County, Missouri.

Children:

  1. Sarah Ann Rebecca, born 7 October 1833, probably Pittsylvania County, Virginia; died 25 February 1918, Osage County, Missouri; married Martin Ridenhour, 2 November 1848, Osage County, Missouri. They were the parents of twelve children, of whom all but one lived to adulthood and married.
  2. William A., born February 1835, probably Pittsylvania County, Virginia; died after 1900, probably Osage County, Missouri; married (1) Rebecca Elizabeth Reavis, 23 April 1855, Osage County, Missouri. They were the parents of three children before Rebecca died c1860. William married (2) Louisa Rogers, after 1864. Louisa died between 1880 and 1900, when William lived with his sister Mary and was enumerated as widowed. William and Rebecca were the parents of three daughters, Martha Minerva, Amanda Frances and Sarah Nancy. William was a Union Civil War veteran. He has a military gravestone, but no death date on it.
  3. Mary, born 6 July 1838, probably Pittsylvania County, Virginia; died 25 February 1921, probably Osage County, Missouri as she is buried with her husband there; married Isaac Johnson, 5 June 1856, Osage County, Missouri. They were the parents of twelve children, ten of whom lived to adulthood and married.
  4. Rutha Jane, born c1840; died 21 February 1921, possibly Osage County, Missouri, where she is buried; married (1) Alexander Fletcher McQueen, 28 February 1856, Osage County, Missouri (2) Henry Scott, 6 August 1871, Osage County, Missouri. Rutha had five children with Alexander and five more children with Henry.
  5. George W. Mahon, born May 1844, probably Osage County, Missouri; died after 1910 and possibly of influenza and insanity at the state hospital on 22 February 1923, Fulton, Callaway, Missouri; married (1) Virginia Rachel Rogers, c1867 (The Maries County courthouse burned in 1868.) (2) Lucinda (Keeney) Goodman, 17 December 1885, Maries County, Missouri. George and Virginia were the parents of six children, while George and Lucinda were the parents of four children.

Rutha is a bit of an unusual name and apparently is not a nickname for Ruth, as this name seems to run in the family. That will be important in a bit.

How did I uncover possible parents for Nancy Griggs? First, I checked the 1830 census of Pittsylvania County. There were seven Griggs household, but only Martha (aged 50-59), James (aged 50-59) and Peter (aged 40-49) were old enough to be possible parents of Nancy.

However, Peter didn’t have a female at home of an age to be marrying in 32, but Martha and James both did.

A bit more digging uncovered Martha’s daughter, Louisa, who apparently never married and she was the one female at home in 1830 who could possibly have been Nancy.

That left James Griggs as the likely father. Printed sources state that he married “Ruth Goven” on 20 February 1795 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Looking at the Pittsylvania tax records, however, two entries of interest were found in 1795: Elizabeth GOVER and SON, John GOVER and Sarah GRIGGS.

The 1796 personal property tax record was even more interesting: Elizabeth GOVER + GRIGGS and Wright Griggs.

The Griggs and Gover families each deserve their own posts, which are coming up.