Thomas and Ellen (LYNCH) GRIFFIN
Submitted by Connie Griffin Bennett
Ellen Lynch Griffin
1810 - 1889
Photograph made in Ireland
The following passage is found on page 127 under the heading of “Syracuse, New York”; the passage contains information about Thomas Griffin, 1805-1876.
Welcome as a mother’s arms to a sick child is his native land to the suffering man. In his illness, exile becomes a distressing circumstance. Thomas Griffin (1805-1876) and his wife, Ellen Lynch Griffin (1810-1889), and their nine children came to Syracuse from the town of Tralee, County Kerry, in 1847. After several years, Thomas fell sick, and in his misery vowed a vow that he would return to the land of his fathers. He kept his vow in 1852 but, later, returned to Syracuse with children and grandchildren. Two sons, John and James remained in Liverpool, England. One son, Thomas Dominic Griffin, Jr. (1833-1909), went south. His daughter, Mary, married John, son of John and Margaret Gallavan McDonald of Tralee, and came with him to Syracuse. The other children who reached maturity are Bridget, Michael, and Ellen.
Thomas was a grocer in Tralee, but here he engaged in the clothing business at the corner of Clinton and Water Streets. Some of his patronage was from travelers on the packet-boats.
One day two Irish boys bound for the west were put ashore at the packet-dock to die victims of ship fever. Father Heas came to administer the last rite of the Church. There was no shelter for the unfortunates, for no one dared to receive them. Thomas McManus as messenger for the priest found Thomas Griffin ready to construct a shed in the rear of his premises for the reception of the dying youths.
Source: 28 July 1998 letter from Connie Griffin Bennett to Pamela A. F. Priest
The 1876-7 Syracuse City Directory shows Thomas and Ellen Griffin living at Number Twelve South Clinton Street. Their occupation is listed as clothing.
Thomas died in Syracuse on August 8,1876 at age 70. His funeral was from Number Twelve South Clinton Street and St. John the Evangelist Church. Ellen died in Syracuse on April 21, 1889 at age 79. Her funeral was from St. John the Evangelist Church.
Their son, Thomas, "who went South”, traveled to Cuba to help build railroads for the Spanish government. In 1861 he turned up in New Orleans. Shortly after that, he enlisted in the Confederate Army on June 6,1861 at Camp Moore, Louisiana. He became a private in Company I, 7th Louisiana Infantry. He was wounded twice...once with a saber across the face and once in the knee by a miniball. He served until the end of the war and was paroled at Lynchburg, Va., April 13, 1865.
Thomas Griffin, Jr. then moved on to Guntersville, AL where he married Fannie Ennis and had four children. His oldest son, Thomas Benjamin, was my grandfather. Thomas Griffin, Jr. died on February 1, 1909 and was buried in Guntersville Cemetery.
I am including three letters that Thomas Griffin, Jr. wrote to Ellen Lynch Griffin, his mother, and Michael Griffin, his youngest brother, in Syracuse during the winter of 1885-1886 when a tornado and crop failure just about wiped him out. You will notice the reference to Dennis McCarthy and to the Herald and Standard newspapers of Syracuse. I enjoyed the USGenWeb biographies of Dennis and Thomas McCarthy along with Dennis’ advertisement. I suspect that the Griffin family attended St. Mary’s Church in the early days. Father Haes and Thomas McCarthy turn up again in the USGenWeb article on St. Mary’s church. St. John the Evangelist broke off from St Mary’s in 1853. Ellen Lynch Griffin had family that immigrated to Syracuse from Ireland. The name “Lynch” turns up over and over again in the USGenWeb articles on the various Catholic churches. Thanks so much for what you are doing. I feel “connected” because of your efforts.
Thomas Dominic Griffin, Jr.
(1833 - 1909)
Letters Written
During the Autumn and Winter of 1885 - 1886
HARD TIMES IN GUNTERSVILLE, ALABAMA1
1These letters were written by Thomas D. Griffin (1833-1909) to his mother, Ellen Lynch Griffin (1810-1889) and his brother Michael (born August 12, 1849). Their pictures are included. They are rather old pictures.
Dear Mother and Brother,
You must think I am verry ungratefull or neglectfull in not answering your more than welcome letter. The reason I did not, I was absent from home. I did not expect to be absent so long and was waiting to return home as I was in expectation of sending to Mother and you a photograph of myself and family. I am not able to do so at present in consiquence there is no Artist in this town. This town is two small to Support a resident Artist, and we have to depend on those travling Fellows who call around about 2.. a year. I will Send you our photograph as soone as posible. On my return home yeasterday. I was hardley Seated, when I was precented By my Wife with Mothers and your Photograph. I had not seen them before, as my Wife valued them so much she would not send them to me fearing they would be misslaid in the mails and be lost to her for ever as She Says. We are all rejoiced to learn that Mother, yourself, and Wife are enjoying good health and simpitize with you in the loss you Sustained by the Death of your little Daughter, Nelly. Dear Brother it seems to me from the tone of your letter, that there is a misunderstanding between you and Sister Mary and Brother Pat. I wish you would let me know the cause of it. You wish to know how we are. We are all in verry good health, and I hope this will find you all the Same. Financiley. we are at a verry low ebb at present. My Speculation in Colorado and the Huricane that past through this County on the 11th of March 1884 has compleatley broke Me for the present. I am here with 120 Acres of land and not able to Cultivate 5 acrs of it in consiquenee of not haveing Means to finance it. If I had it under fince I could make about 1000 bushels of corn and 20 bales of cotton per year beside small grain and vegetables for use of the Familey. it is impossible to borrow money here at present as every one here are injured like myself. Those who have money to lone, and they are very few, demand such a high rate of interest tor it that it would be runess to pay it. If I had $150 or $200. I could relize next fall $1,500 from the Produce of my Farm. I must now close Hoping this will find you all well as I wish you.
* This fellow would be Aunt B's grandfather. The one who came with his mother and father from Southern Ireland; he fought with the south during the civil war. If anybody wants to join the Daughters of the Confederacy, we are eligible. Connie.
Dear Mother and Brother,
I wrote to you 3 months
ago in answer to your Kind letter containing yours Photagraph but have
not recieve no answer up to this time. My Familey as well as muself are
very anxious to hear from Grand-Ma and Uncle Michael. You and Mother are
the general topick of their Conversation Since they received your’s Photagraphs.
I hope those few lines will find you Wife & Mother in as good health
as we wish you to injoy. We are all well here with the exception of Myself
I have been Suffering with rheumitism for the last 6 weeks. I am able to
Set up now but Suffer a great deal yet. Times are harder and money scarcer
here than I ever Seen it before. It is the Consiqunce of the distructive
Tornados that past over this Country in 1884 folowed up the present
year with distructive rain through the Summer Months The Crops are almost
a compleat failure (both Corn and Cotton) So mych so that within the last
6 weeks 15 famileys have left their land in this neighborhud and gone God
Knows Where to Seek a livelihood for themselves for the present for it
is more than they can do here for the present time.
Dear Mother and Brother, you can form some idea of the circumstance I am in with a Family of 6 persons and I not able to work and if I was I could not get employment at the present time in this Country so dishartined the People are. All here have their Provisions to purches; they have nothing to Sell. I maid No Crop this year with the exception of 3 acres of Corn on which I have lived on up to this time . At present time, I have not 50 pounds of Bread Stuf in My house and when that is gone God Knows where I will get more, for I dont. It is a nough to make a person crazey to think of. Dear Brother my oneley hope and dependence is on you, if you would be as Kind as to advance Me a little Money to Fince My Farm that I may be inabled to cultivate in Next year. I would be able to pay you back with interest Next Christmas and My Wife and Children would bless you and God would also. if I had $ 150, I could get 30 acres under Fence and get a Nough of Provisions to make a crop. My 2 sons can plough verry well and by Myself Superentind it we can Make a very good crop ol Cotton without much expense. I hope you will answer this as Soone as you can Conventliy and let Me Know if you Can asist Me for the Sooner you do so the better as we begin Farming here the 1 Feb., and it would Take Me to that time to get ready. My Wife and Children joyne with Me in wishing you all a happy Christmas and hoping you will never feel or know the truble and anxiety I feel at this time. If I had the Means, I would send you our Photagraph. I have not a cent to through to a dog.
P.S. I wish you would Sen Me Brothers John address as I would be glad to hear from him if you have heard from lately,I hope you will mention it in your next. T.D.G.
M.D. Griffin
Dear Brother I write you those few lines, hoping they May find you, Wife, and Mother enjoying as good health as they leave us at present. thanks to God I received the papers you sent me 9 days ago. they gave me great satisfaction to read the Syracuse papers. On looking over the advertisemnts of the Standard and Herald. I find there are few if any of the Business men of my days now in Buisness in Syracuse. They must have retired from Business or are gone to rest like Dinnes McCarthy. I find his Death recorded in bothe Standard & Herald. I have been at work every day since revieved the Money from you getting My Farm in Ship Shape. I have progressed so far as to have 30 acres under fince and the timber that was blown down with the Storm removed. I intend to Set my Plows to Brakeing up the kind day after tomorrow. I hope you will continue to send me a fiew papers ocasenialey as it is imposible for me in my present condision to Subscribe for any and oblige your afectnet Brother.
My copies of these letters were typed.
I assume that Harold D. Griffin copied the original manuscript. The spelling,
capitalization, and punctuation are pretty much like the copies I have
in my possession.
Connie