Lake County Ohio GenWeb
This was written and submitted by Judy Stebbins. She says, "There are a number of Griffith families in the 1840 Census for Lake, Geauga and Trumbull Counties. I have identified the separate Griffith lines as the families were not all related. My husband's Stebbins family line is related to Dr. Samuel Griffith. (Almosina Flavia Griffith married Dr. Loren Clark Stebbins.) In my researches for Dr. Samuel Griffith, I discovered information on the other Griffith families."
We know that Samuel Griffith was born in 1796 in Washington Co., Pennsylvania. (Northeastern Ohio Biog. Sketch of Dr. Loren Clark Stebbins, and birthdate calculated from age at death from Evergreen Cem. Burial record. Also, a Washington, Pa. newspaper article mentions Dr. Griffith's death and that he was originally from that locality.) From the research I have done in Washington Co. Pa., records, I believe Samuel Griffith's father was David Griffith who married Elizabeth Major. They lived in Washington, Washington Co., Pa.
There were other children: Martha born 1802, Margaret abt. 1803, Albert B. 1805 and Napoleon B. Griffith b. 1809. Samuel in 1823/23 was working as a blacksmith with James McCoy in Washington Township, Washington Co. (Tax List) I believe he was apprenticed to him. In 1819, David Griffith publishes in the newspaper that his wife Elizabeth, with the minor children Martha, Margaret, Albert, and Napoleon, has left him and he will not pay her debts. In 1820, Elizabeth is living in East Bethlehem, Washington Co., Pa. probably with relatives. By 1830 they were living together again based on the ages in the 1830 census. It is interesting to note that Samuel Griffith named his first son, Albert; and I find that Albert Griffith named his first son, Samuel. Samuel Griffith, also, named a daughter Elizabeth and one, Martha; probably after his mother and oldest sister.
Samuel Griffith left Washington Co., Pa., and came to Ohio I believe about 1822/23. He is crossed off the tax list that year and and "R" is written for "Removed." The family of Jacob Lockman (Loughman) lived in Washington Twp., Washington Co., Pa., also. Jacob Lockman married Mary Wilmot. They both were from New Jersey. Mary Wilmot Lockman had a relative in Painesville, Ohio, name Amos Wilmot (who was from New Jersery). He was a harness maker. In Geauga Co. in 1831, Stephen O. Lockman the son of Jacob Lockman, deceased, chose Samuel Griffith to be his guardian. Later Samuel Griffith arranges an indenture for Stephen O. (Oliver) Lockman, working with Amos Griffith in his harness shop.
It could be that Samuel Griffith and the Jacob Lockman family traveled together to Painesville, Ohio. Jacob Lockman is buried Washington Co, Pa. and died before 1831. His son, Stephen O. Lockman, married Mary Ann Bennington about 1840; later moves to Indiana. Jacob Lockman's daughter, Cynthia Lockman married John Perkins Jr., May 28, 1835, in Geauga Co.
Jacob Lockman's widow, Mary Wimot Lockman remarried to Joseph Rider, of Painesville, in 1832. Joseph Rider had been married to a Widow Castle for a year, and she must have died as he was single again in 1832. In 1832, we find Widow Castle Rider's son, Horace Castle, being a ward of Samuel Grifith and, also, set up in and indenture with Amos Wilmot. For some reason, the indenture was cancelled after 4 months.
When Samuel Griffith came to Painesville, Geauga Co., Ohio he was a blacksmith by profession. There are several notices in the Painesville Telegraph regarding his blacksmithing business. After a number of years (1832) he became a Thompsonian doctor and sold out his blacksmith business. In those days, one could become a doctor by paying $20 and buying a book which listed herbs and their cures. These doctors were the Thompsonian doctors. I do not know if Dr. Griffith had other medical training later in life, but he was one of the early pioneers of medical reform. At one time as printed in the Painesville Telegraph, charges were being brought against him because of the death of a woman and child who were his patients. He was examined and acquitted as he had not seen the patient for a week or more before they had died. The issue of the Painesville Telegraph with the details is missing; there never was a court case regarding it.
Dr. Griffith lived in Montville, Geauga Co., for a while and met Loring Clark Stebbins, of Hambden (son of Rodolphus Stebbins and Polly Clark) and taught him the medical profession. (Dr. Stebbins did continue his medical training at Western Reserve Medical College in Cleveland and obtained an honorary degree from the Pittsburgh Medical College.) Later in life, Dr. Loren Clark Stebbins would marry Dr. Samuel Griffith's daughter, Almosina Flavia Griffith, from Samuel's first marriage to Emeline E. Roper. Dr. Samuel Griffith died in 1863 at the age of 67. At first, he was buried in the Washington St. Cemetery in Painesville. When that land was sold to build the school, his remains were moved to Dr. Stebbins' plot in Evergreen Cemetery. Dr. Griffith's old tombstone was left at Washington St. Cemetery and later buried with the other remaining stones that were left.
Dr. Samuel Griffith married his first wife, Emeline Roper March 30, 1826 in Geauga Co., Ohio. She was born in 1805 at Sterling, Worcester, Mass., the daughter of John Roper and Flavia Stebbins. (From Ropers of Sterling and Rutland.) Emeline Roper Griffith died July 1, 1842 in Painesville, Lake Co., Ohio. Her name is engraved on the Stebbins monument in Evergreen Cemetery at Painesville, Lake Co., Ohio, but there is no record of her burial there.
The children born to Dr. Samuel Griffith and Emeline Roper were:
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