Twiggs County GaArchives Biographies.....Griffin, William ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Diane Thompson Dixon JDixon8671@aol.com December 16, 2004, 12:30 pm Author: Diane Thompson Dixon History of Twiggs County. A Methodist minister, and comrade of Rev Charlie Johnson, who together constituted twelve Methodist churches in middle Georgia. Rev William Griffin was senator from the 21st district 1868-1870, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1868, a member of House of Representatives 1873-74, and Ordinary of Twiggs County at the time of his death. The following information was taken from the minutes of the Swift Creek Methodist Church, South Georgia Conference, Macon District, U.S.A., 1966: Swift Creek Methodist Church, located in Bibb County, near Macon, Georgia, U.S.A., is an old country church which will celebrate its centennial in 1967. Shortly after the end of the War Between the States, in 1865, two pioneer Methodist evangelists, the Rev Charlie Johnson and the Rev William Griffin, residents of an adjoining county, conducted a revival on the banks of Swift Creek under a brush arbor. As a result of the revival, the congregation was organized as Swift Creek Mission by the Rev William C. Bass, President of Wesleyan Female College, the first college for women in the world. He was engaged in church extension work at the time and stated that he was "determined to see that every corner of this territory received some kind of religious instruction or preaching." He became the first supply pastor and continued to hold monthly preaching appointments at Swift Creek for 25 years, sharing the work with pastors appointed by the conference while he was President of Wesleyan College, until his death in 1894. The men of the community built this church on a land lot of 3 1/2 acres deeded by a Baptist lady, Nov 5, 1868, to the first trustees, Lunce D. Riggins, James E. Duke, and William H. Donnan. The original building is still the sanctuary. Modern improvements and wings have been added. For 90 years, Swift Creek was on a circuit with from two to five churches, all served by one pastor. In 1957, it became a station and a parsonage was bought for a fulltime pastor. When first entered into the minutes of the South Georgia Conference in 1867, a membership of 120 whites and 2 colored was reported. Now, 100 years later (1967), the roll shows approximately double the number of charter members, still a rural church. _______________________________ Wilmuth Donnan, Historian Swift Creek Methodist Church Sep 27, 1966 **************** The following information was taken from typed information given to my aunt by marriage, Gloria Stanley Thompson, by Mrs. Tillie A. Griffin McPherson, 296 Roy Huie Road, G-2, Riverdale, GA 30274. Letter was dated February 10, 1973. The letter was written to Mrs. Memory Brown, P.O. Box 581, Dublin, GA 31021. "MARY ELIZABETH LINGO, daughter of Richard T. Lingo and Lucinda Humphries, Clements Lingo, our grandmother as to the lineage captioned, was born November 26, 1832, married William Griffin, a farmer and then Minister of the Methodist faith, Died January 11, 1910 at her home place and was living with her son, Robert (Bob) Slappy Griffin where she had lived all of her married life. There is no specific marriage date that I have, but according to the 1850 and 1860 census of Twiggs County, they would have been married in 1846 or 1845. The 1850 Twiggs County, GA census records William Griffin, age 25, and Mary E. Griffin, age 17, with children, Laura, age 3, and Josephine, 6 months. (this note was in the margin -pg 161, line 31-34, GA birth all) He is listed as farmer. The 1860 census reports of Twiggs County, GA. William Griffin, Minister, age, 35, Mary E. Griffin, age 28, with children Laura 12, Josephine 10, Henry L, 4, and Mary (Mattie) age 1. William Griffin, a Methodist Minister was a founder of many Methodist Churches in middle Georgia, and lived in the Big Sandy Creek Community of Twiggs County. He was a farmer, a local Minister, and pioneer evangelist and a politician. He and his associates, the Rev Charlie Johnson of Wilkinson County, conducted many revivals during the 1860s and was a founder of many churches in the area where there were no churches. These two men, the Rev Griffin and Johnson ran a brush arbor meeting at Swift Creek in 1865 and originated the idea of building a Methodist Church which was known as Swift Creek Mission. During 1866, this church was organized by Dr. William Capers Bass of Wesleyan Female College of Macon, GA and was built under the supervision of one of the first trustees, E. Lunce Riggins of Riggins Mill, Bibb County. The land was donated by the family of Elisha Davis and deeded to the first three trustees, James S. Duke, William H. Donnan, and E. Lunce Riggins, in trust of The Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The Rev William came back to Swift Credk as pastor of the Church in 1870. The Rev William Griffin was founder and a charter member of the Liberty Hill Methodist Church, founded in 1871. This church is located on Myrick's Mill Road near his home in Twiggs County, GA. He was also a charter member of the Liberty Hill Masonic Lodge No. 308, established October 31, 1876. According to a letter received from The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Georgia dated December 6, 1966 from the Grand Secretary David Larkin, the first shows Isaac Carroll as the First Worshipful Master, and that Brother William Griffin served this lodge as Worshipful Master from 1877 through 1884. He was listed as deceased in 1855 (this must have been a typo by Mrs. McPherson). In addition to his work as a farmer and Minister, William Griffin was engaged also in civic and political movements. First, William Griffin served as Justice of the Peace 1860, Tax Receiver 1861-1864, Tax Collector 1864, Senator in the General Assembly of Georgia 1868-1872, Representative in the General Assembly of Georgia 1873-1874, Delegate to the Constitutional Convention of Georgia 1868; Ordinary of Twiggs County, GA in 1883 until his death in 1884. See sketch of the Lingo-Griffin Family. William Griffin and Mary E. Lingo Griffin had the following children as to my records: 1. Laura Eugenia Griffin Floyd married 2. Josephine Griffin Vincent " 3. Henry Llewellyn Griffin Myrick " 4. Mary (Mattie) Griffin Reddick " 5. Ella Virginia Griffin Edmondson " 6. Shorter Griffin Vincent " 7. Robert Slappy Griffin Vincent " 8. Minnie Griffin Hudson " 9. Luther Lawrence Griffin Myrick " Sketches of the lives of the above can be furnished to be adjusted in order. As I can type and furnish. It will be an almost impossible task to fill in all the lineage of all as it is extensive and also I have not received some of the data of all of the children of William and Mary Lingo Griffin as some of them did not give me the data needed. Tillie A. Griffin McPherson dated 1973 daughter of Henry Llewellyn Griffin son of the Henry L. Griffin listed above. ************ The following information was received from Marc Reid, Columbus, GA: Rev Wm. Griffin was born in 1822 and wife, Mary E. (Lingo) Griffin (born 1827; died 1907) Georgia Official Statistical Register, Dept of Archives and History, pages 5 or 27 or both. ******** 04-02-99 - Conversation with uncle, Rev Griffin Thompson, stated that William Griffin was referred to as "Uncle Billy Griffin". Rev William Griffin also preached at Asbury Methodist Church, Highway 18S near Twiggs County line. The church was organized in the 1850s. 10 Dec 04: From: Cecil Fountain cecil_fountain@yahoo.com Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2004 21:53:36 -0500 To: GATWIGGS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [GATWIGGS] Re: GATWIGGS-D Digest V04 #77-Rev William Griffin & E.S. Griffin Betty The property the Griffins owned was located on the dirt part of Myricks Mill Rd. & other areas close to it. In the late 1940's or early 1950's the last part of their land was sold to a kaolin company located in Gordon Ga.for $5000.00, the Mr Griffin at that time was promised a house and upkeep on it to be located in Gordon & a job for any of his family members...I do not remember how many acres were involved, but after the sale Mr. Griffin told them he was so happy that he got so much money for land that he was going to just give them another 400 acre tract that was way off the road. it has been estimated that the companys mined between 25 & 100 million dollars of kaolin from the properties. The other day I went to Gordon on that road & they were still mining there. The Liberty Hill church (it is located in the area) was built by Rev. William Griffin, he along with Rev Charles Johnson (my ggg grandfather) also built Swift Creek Church located on hwy 80 in Bibb County, this was in the middle 1800's...I can look up the dates if anyone wants to know. Years ago there was a Griffin Mill located on big sandy creek located above Myricks Mill, there is a church with the name Griffin Gift Church, located close to where the mill was once located...(the land where the church is located was given to some black people & that is the name they gave it.....it is still an active church I remember back in the middle 40's ridding the school bus that picked the Griffin children up for school. ******** This information was taken from the book, History of Twiggs County, pages 393- 395. The information was submitted to the author of the book by Mrs. H. L. Chance (Minnie Leola Griffin), Danville, GA, and Mrs. Eugene Sanders (Johnnie Eugenia Griffin), Jeffersonville, GA, two of the daughters. The following account is given: Luther Lawrence Griffin (one of nine children, five girls and four boys) was born in "Big Sandy Community" of Twiggs County, GA on February 20, 1870. He was the son of Rev William Henry Griffin (1821-1884), a Methodist minister, and comrade of the Rev Charlie Johnson, who together constituted twelve Methodist churches in middle Georgia. Rev William Griffin was senator from the 21st district 1868-1870, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1868, a member of House of Representatives 1873-74, and Ordinary of Twiggs County at the time of his death. Mary Elizabeth Lingo *(1827-1907), wife of the Rev William Griffin, was the daughter of CPT Richard and * Nora Lingo. Luther Lawrence Griffin attended school in Jeffersonville GA, married Gillie Myrick, daughter of Jonah Myrick (1849-1903) and Mary Vinson Myrick (1852-1944) of Wilkinson County, GA. He was a Methodist. Mason, Democrat, farmer, and postmaster of "Soloman" in Marion District of Twiggs County. He served as Tax Receiver of Twiggs County 1913-17, 1921-25, and member of the House of Representatives 1925-26, and 1927-28. Luther Lawrence Griffin was named for his great-uncle, General Lewis Lawrence Griffin, who settled Griffin, GA in 1840, and for whom it was named. Luther Lawrence Griffin died October 24, 1941, and is buried in Jeffersonville City Cemetery in plot with wife, Gillie Myrick Griffin, and his father and mother, the Rev William and Mary Elizabeth Lingo Griffin. * According to Historic Georgia Families, Rigsby, Mary E. Lingo was born Nov 26, 1832 and died Jan 11, 1910 - Page 134. Her mother was listed in the same article as being Mrs. Lucinda Humphries Clements Lingo, (b. in 1803; d. 1883) of Baldwin County, GA. Richard Taliaferro Lingo and Lucinda married Nov 12, 1827. This was the second marriage for Richard Taliaferro Lingo. His first wife, Mary Frances Slaughter of Baldwin Co., (b. 1808; d. 1826); had one son, William Slaughter Lingo (b. April 20, 1826 in Twiggs Co, GA - Page 130, Historic Georgia Families, Rigsby) According to a group of papers from Gloria Jackson Stanley Thompson, Mary E. Lingo's death date was listed as Jan 11, 1912. According to an undated letter written by Luther Lawrence Griffin, he listed himself as the youngest son of Rev. William and Mary Lingo Griffin. He wrote the following about himself: Luther Lawrence Griffin youngest son of Rev. William and Mary Lingo Griffin married Gilly Myrick of Wilkinson County, daughter of ?. J. Myrick. In public life Luther L. Griffin constituted a post office near 'Old Marion' in Twiggs County and named it Solomon in honor Judge Billy Soloman (This post office is not in existence now). He served as tax-receiver of Twiggs County the years 1913-14-15-16 and 1920-21-22-23. He was elected to the Georgia Legislature from Twiggs and served 1925-26-27-28. He was appointed a member of the State Executive committee and served the years 1933-34-35-36. He constituted a Masonic Lodge at Bullard Georgia, no. 673 in 1920, and had the pleasure of conferring the Master's Degree of 52 members. His children are Mary, Minnie, Henry, Reba, Agnes, Johnnie, R. S., Luther, and Marie. Luther Lawrence Griffin is now living in Jeffersonville, Georgia. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/twiggs/bios/bs261griffin.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 14.1 Kb