| Notes |
- Wm. P. is the son of Mary Talbot Hancock b 14 Feb 1783, Fincastle Co., VA & Dr. John Geo. Caswell Griffin, b 1781 Virginia.
1st wife: married c 1831 to Christine Alexander Wm. Kean, 1812 New York. (Kean is pronounced Cane);
2nd wife: married 1838, Mary Lawrence, b 1811 Burlington, NJ.
Portrait: William P Griffin is a young officer with dark hair, in a naval uniform with gold braiding.
William Preston Griffin was born in Fincastle, VA, the second son of John Caswell Griffin & Mary Hancock Griffin.
Both his parents died in 1826 when he was 16. A year later, he joined the Navy at the age of 17. He became an officer of distinction with the rank of Lieutenant.
. In 1838 he married Mary Neill Lawrence, the only surviving child of Capt. James Lawrence, who gave the Navy its battle cry, "Don't Give Up the Ship" during the War of 1812, & Julia Montaudevert Lawrence.
Mary died shortly after the birth of their only daughter, Mary Lawrence Griffin Redmond in 1843, & was buried in Cimitero Accatolico, Florence, Italy.
. 1849 he married Christine A. W. Kean, daughter of Peter Philip James Kean & Sarah Sabina Morris Kean. Sadly, he died just t2 years later, on December 4, 1851.
. 1877 Dec 27 - Annual repot of the Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small children in NY just issued, shows that $10,000 have been disturbed the past year, The expenses of the Society have been only a few dollars. The present officers of this worthy charity which has been in existence 80 years are: Mrs. Wm. Preston Griffin, first Directress.
Ref: Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspaper.
. 1879 May 8 - Robbery the Street
It was reported at Police Headquarters yesterday that Mrs christiania K Griffin, widow of the the late Lieut. Wm. Preston Griffin, US Navy, & a sister of Mrs. Hamilton Fish, was robbed near Union Square on Tues. afternoon. Mrs. Griffin is an elderly lady, & resides at 208 East 15th St. She was out shopping on Tues. & when on 17th near 4th Ave. she was confronted by a well dress & powerful man, who wrenched her pocketbook from her grasp. Her astonishment render her speechless but his companion raised the crow of "Stop thief!". The throng on the street gave change bu the thief turned up Broadway & made good his escape.
Ref: NY Tribune Newspaper of 1879.5.8
Research & transcriptions by PJ Ahlberg. Thank you. - - -
|
1810 - 1851 (41 years)