This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: jantrevor Surnames: Griffin, Mississippi Territory, metis, Indian Countrymen Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.griffin/6658.1.1.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hi Kathy, I'm familiar with the book you've referenced. I do however think there were two Rev. Thomas Griffin circuit preachers. The Rev. Thomas Griffin of which I posted left behind a journal/diary wherein he names his parents and their children and when I ran across the Magnolia Terrace book during my research, there appeared to be a disconnect somewhere. Here is a bit of reference information regarding Rev. Thomas Griffin born 24 Sep 1787 ---------- Mississippi Department of History and Archives Z 2079.000 GRIFFIN (THOMAS) JOURNAL 1832-1850 Original journal is restricted; reference photocopy must be used instead Biography/History: Thomas Griffin was born in Cumberland County, Virginia, on September 24, 1787. He was the youngest child of John and Mary Andrews Griffin of Virginia. John Griffin moved his family to Oglethorpe County, Georgia, in 1792, settling about ten miles from Lexington. Thomas Griffin worked on his father's farm until he became a Methodist circuit rider. The Methodist Conference sent him to the Carolinas where he traveled and preached for several years before being sent to the Mississippi Territory along with ministers Lewis Hobbs, Richmond Nolley, and Drury Powell. At the end of his first year of preaching in the Mississippi Territory, the Reverend Thomas Griffin reportedly earned one-and-a-half dollars from his congregation and eight dollars from the Mississippi Methodist Conference. Griffin rode the Red River circuit in 1813, encountering hostile Indians, malaria, and rough terrain. He attended the first Mississippi Methodist Conference in Jefferson County in November of 1813, and he rode the Natchez circuit during the next year. Griffin was the presiding elder of the Louisiana district in 1815. He was a delegate to the general conference of Methodists in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1820. However, Griffin's anti-abolitionist speech during a debate on slavery drew some attention and was noted in several Baltimore newspapers. Griffin married Ann Ford Ervin (1796-1852) of South Carolina on August 8, 1820. She was the daughter of the Reverend John Ford and the widow of Hugh Ervin. The Griffins had six children: John Wesley (1822-1892), Mary Ann (b. 1826), Susan, Martha, Eliza (1838-1917), and Thomas M. Although Griffin traveled widely as a Methodist circuit rider throughout much of the rest of his life, seeing expanses of countryside from the Carolinas to Texas, he also farmed in order to provide for his family. He began farming near the Pearl River, probably in Hinds County, Mississippi, in 1823, but he was unsuccessful two years in a row due to droughts and floods, so he transported wooden rails to supplement his farm income. Despite some local opposition, Griffin brought one of the first regularly organized Methodist worship services to Port Gibson, Claiborne County, Mississippi, in 1827. However, he eventually left Port Gibson because of continuing opposition to his preaching. In 1832, Griffin moved near Canton, Madison County, Mississippi, where he planted cotton. He continued to preach and preside over the Mississippi Methodist Conference, sometimes traveling to camp meetings and religious conferences. Griffin died in 1851. ------ This is not to say that these two Thomas Griffin's were not related (cousins perhaps) and that one was influenced by the preaching of the other possibly. I think Methodism was spreading like wildfire. From reading on the time period, prior to the arrival of the Circuit Preachers, the Mississippi Territory was described as being inhabited by a very wild "unchurched" lot who played hard, drank hard, etc. It was a ripe territory for hell-fire preachin' so to speak. Anyway, Thomas as a first name at least is very common in our line and our folks seemed to really like repeating family names on multiple lines (to our confusion). The other thing of note about this Rev. Thomas Griffin is that two of his brothers (David and Jesse ...they were twins) were killed in the Baschi Skirmish which was an event around the Fort Mims massacre/Creek Indian War. See: http://books.google.com/books?id=SUDVCLiZ0-AC&pg=PA219&lpg=PA219&dq=bashi skirmish&source=bl&ots=ToPdH3y0Hp&sig=naAOT0ynq33tKeLocR_VnygRRgY&hl=en&ei=9NZETKXtNoecsQP9k6z-DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=bashi skirmish&f=false In any event, I'm glad this post has attracted so many folks attention. Perhaps with all of us looking we can find some more clues to share with each other. I do think all the secrets are hidden in the Mississippi Territory/Creek Nation period though and it's a fascinating puzzle for us all to sort out and rediscover. There is not alot written in history books about this period. But searching in Google Books and library archives under (Indian Countrymen, Metis, Mixed-Breed Indians, Half-Breed Indians, early fur trappers and traders) seems to help retrieve a variety of sources that help bring this whole period into focus as quite different than what was put in most history books. It seems the politics of the period and later prejudices sortof swept the "melting pot" of the early frontier under the carpet so to speak. Anyway, no need to continue that legacy in 2010. I would encourage anyone with a direct living Griffin male descendant to do their Y-DNA testing and join the Griffin surname project as that may be another way we can connect these confusing Griffin lines of the Mississippi Territory era. Anyway, hope this helps. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.