Bond 930 & 931

930. Martin Griffin & 931. Elizabeth Smithwick [NC]


1660 Martin born.
1669 Elizabeth born in Shaftesbury Prct., Chowan, Albemarle Dist., NC, d/o 1862. Edward Smithwick & 1863. Elizabeth Lydia Shearing.
Elizabeth married 1st ? Wimberley.
~1695 in Chowan, Albemarle Dist., NC, Martin married Elizabeth. They lived on “ye N. side of Morattuck river betwixt Chuthucknah pocoson and a branch of Rockquis”. (S) NC PB3, P5.
5/8/1713, Martin was assigned as an appraiser of the estate of Thomas Jones. (S) NC Exec. Council Minutes.
6/3/1718, Martin “Grifon” wrote his will. (S) Family notes. Elizabeth named executor.
6/1718, Martin died in Chowan Co., NC.
7/15/1718, John Smethwick and others proved Martin’s will in open court in Chowan Co.
7/16/1718, Henry Speller … ordered to appraise the estate of Martin Griffin, deceased.
1722, Bertie Co. formed from Chowan Co.
Aft. 1723 Elizabeth died in Bertie Co.

Family notes:
• In the name of God Amen, I send greetings in our Lord God Everlasting, Know ye that I, Martin Grifon of North Carolina, Plantor, being week in body but of perfect mind and memory, praise be to Almighty God for the same, and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die and calling to mind the uncertainty in life and the mortality of my body, do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament, and I do hereby revoke all former Wills bye me heretofor made. Therefore, principally, and first of all, I committ my soul in to the hands of Almighty God, my Maker, hoping through his mercies and the merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ, to obtain remission for all my sins. And as for my body, I commit it to the ground to be buried in a deasant like manor at the discretion of my Executrix hereafter named. And as for my worldly goods which it hath pleased God to endow me with, after my just debts are paid and discharged, I give and bequeath in manner and form following: Item: I give and bequeath to my well beloved son Edward Grifon my plantation or tract of land lying and being on the North Side Cissai River with housing, foresting or Chards, hunting, hawking, fishing and fowling and every of the apportanances, thereunto belonging freely to enjoy the premises of the said land, at the age of twenty one years. Item: I give and bequeath to my well beloved son Martin Grifon a certain parsel or tract of land lying and being on the south side of the southern branch of Rokquis Creek with all and every of the apportanances to the land belonging. Item: I give and bequeath to my well beloved son Edward Grifon, my Indian Slave, to be delivered to him at the age of twenty one years, except the said slave shall be unruley or take to runing away, and if so the said Slave shall be sould and the money laid out to buy puter dishes or plates or basons or sum brass or oirn potts and equally devided between him the said Edward Grifon and the said John Grifon, his brother. Item: I give and bequeath two my well beloved son John Grifon one gun and one pare of mill irons and two cows and calves and their increas male and feamail, two his only sole and propor use two be delivered to him next May. Item: I give and bequeath two my well beloved son Martin Grifon two puter dishes and six puter plates and two cows and calves, two go-- male and feamail to his only sole and propor use two be delivered two him next May. Item: I give and bequeath two my well beloved daughter Sarah Grifon two cows and calves two be delivered two her in May 1720, two run on male and feamail to her only sole and propor use. All so I give and bequeath two my daughter Sarah Grifon, two puter dishes and six puter plates and one iorn pott, two be delivered to her at the age of sixteen years or the day of marrage. Item: I give and bequeath two Elizabeth Grifon two cows and calves two be delivered to her in May in the year of our Lord 1721. All so I give and bequeath two my daughter Elizabeth Grifon two puter dishes and six puter plates two be delivered to her at the age of sixteen years or the day of marrage. Item: I give and bequeath two Mary Stansill daughter of Mary Stansill, one cow and calf two be delivered to John Stansill in May in the year 1720 to go on male and feamail to her only sole and propor use and if the said Mary Stansill dies, then to William Stansill, son of John Stansill and Catherine Stansill to enjoy the said cow and calf or cattoll. Item: I give and bequeath to John Rodgers, son of Thomas Rogers and Frances Rogers, his wife, one yearling hefer to be delivered to him next May, two run on male and feamail to his only soul or and propor use. And Lastly: I nominate and appoint my everloving said wife Elizabeth Grifon my whole and soul Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament. In Wittness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and fixed my seal this third day of June in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighteen. /s/ Martin Grifon. Sined, sealed and delivered in the preasants of us the subscribers Test: Thomas Rodgers (his mark "T") Richard Pickeron (his mark "X") John Smethwick.

Children of Martin and Elizabeth:

i. Edward Griffin, born ?.
6/3/1718, Edward named in the will of his father.
1753, Edward died in Trrell Co., NC.

ii. Martin Griffin, born ~1699 in NC.
6/3/1718, Martin named in the will of his father.
3/1/1719, Martin 230 acres “ye N. side of Morattuck river joining ye S. most branch of Rocquiss and Chuthucknah pocoson” [the family property]. (S) NC PB8, P201.
12/3/1720, John Hodlbrooke joining Martin Griffin. (S) NC PB3, P42.
4/1/1723, Edward Moseley joining Martin Griffin. (S) NC PB3, P155.
2/1/1725, Thomas Betterley joining Martin Griffin and Edward Smithwick (s/o No. 1862) in Bertie Co. (S) NC PB3, P188.
10/9/1725, John Harloe conveyed to William Coward 600 acres of land on Moratock Creek, joined land of … Martin Griffin, on branch of Roquish Creek, in Bertie Co.
2/9/1729, John Coward sold 100 Acres adjoining Martin Griffin. (S) DB-C, P175.

iii. Elizabeth Wimberley Griffin ( 465), born ~1705 in NC.
6/3/1718, Elizabeth named in the will of her father.

iv. John Griffin, born ?.
6/3/1718, John named in the will of his father.

v. Sarah Griffin, born ?.
6/3/1718, Sarah named in the will of her father.