Several Griffing families settled in Table
Rock, Nebraska Territory. Rev. James S. Griffing's older sister, Clarissa
Griffing Giddings, and his younger brother Osee Griffing were two of the
settlers. But there were three other Griffings -- the children of William Martin
Griffing -- who also settled in Table Rock. These three siblings were Rev. George
Lane Griffing, his brother Joseph Griffing, and sister Ruth Griffing Parrish. Is
it possible that these two branches of the Griffing family could have settled in
the tiny little territorial village of Table Rock and not have been related?
It is known that William Martin Griffing was
born in Guilford, Connecticut -- the same town that James Griffing's father
(John Griffing) and
grandfather (Capt. Jasper Griffing) had been born. It is also known that William's mother was Ruth
Pierson but the identity of his father is not revealed in town records. Family
tradition of William's descendants is that he was raised in the household of
either Jasper Griffing -- the Commodore -- or his son, Capt. Jasper Griffing.
Was William the illegitimate son of either of these men or did he simply take
the Griffing name when he came of age? Family genealogists have only been able
to speculate until now.
In November 2003, descendants of William Martin
Griffing and of Capt. Jasper Griffing (see below) decided to have their DNA
tested to see if their "Y" chromosomes matched. Results received in
January 2004 indicated a virtual match, confirming that William Martin Griffing was fathered by Capt. Jasper
Griffing, by one of his three younger brothers, or by the Commodore himself. It
is conjectured that William Martin Griffing was fathered by Capt. Jasper
Griffing, who was approximately the same age as Ruth Pierson. It is further
conjectured that William was taken in by the Commodore who raised this
illegitimate grandson as his own. The 1790 census shows four individuals living
in the Commodore's household -- the Commodore, his wife Rachel, his slave John
(soon to be manumitted according to Connecticut Law), and an unidentified white
male under 16 years of age, possibly William.
The following diagram should help
to visualize the genealogical relationship between William Griffing and Bruce
Griffing who had their DNA tested to prove their genetic connection.
(click on image to enlarge it)
The
following chart reveals the probable relationship between the five Griffing
families that settled in Table Rock, Nebraska between the years 1856-1860.
(click on image to enlarge it)
