Samuel C. Griffith   

SAMUEL C. GRIFFITH. Samuel C. Griffith was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., Nov. 28, 1795. When young his father moved to Washington township, Fayette Co., and located upon the farm which his son afterwards owned, and upon which his widow now resides. Mr. Griffith’s early years were spent in farm-work, factory-work, and attending the district schools.

When seventeen years of age he engaged in school-teaching. For forty years he continued in this work during the winter season, only missing one winter. He was one of the best and most widely-known surveyors in the county, and spent much of his time, when not engaged in teaching, in surveying. His father, William Griffith, becoming involved by indorsing for some of his neighbors, the farm was sold by the sheriff; and Samuel bought it; that was in 1822. He was married March 27, 1823, to Esther Farquhar, of Washington township, Fayette Co., Pa. They had seven children, six of whom are living, Mary, married to Levi B. Stephens; Elmira, married to David P. Stephens; Emlen B., married to Margaret A. Guffey, and again to Elizabeth Crouch; Euclid C., married to Martha Stephens; Sarah, married to Thomas Watson; and Esther F., married to Thomas C. Griffith.

Mr. Griffith was a member of the Quaker meeting till the time of his marriage. He was turned out for marrying out of the Society.
He was a justice of the peace for many years, and was a general business man, wrote and acknowledged many deeds, married people, wrote articles of agreement, etc.

His widow thinks his father’s people came from Wales. His moral status, like that of all Quakers, was good. He was a jovial man, and a valuable and respected citizen. He was industrious, always engaged in some useful work. He was much above the average in intelligence, a great student of mathematics and history. He was a careful workman. His penmanship was elegant. All of his work was done well. He died July 11, 1873, mourned by the entire community. His remains rest in Little Redstone Methodist Cemetery.

History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men Philadelphia: L.H. Everts & Co., 1882, page 826. View the image of this page online - Free Trial  Search Hundreds of 1880s-1890s Pennsylvania County History Books for biographies and historical information on your ancestors.  View the book page images on line and print them out for your genealogy file!  Free Access to the old history books - plus birth & death records, census images and ALL other records at ancestry.com.