George Ancil Clark Griffith

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George Ancil Clark Griffith

Birth
Washington County, Pennsylvania, USA
Death
31 Mar 1869 (aged 48–49)
Marysville, Yuba County, California, USA
Burial
Marysville, Yuba County, California, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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George was the son of Alexander M. GRIFFITH (1789-1821) and Sarah DAVIS (1801-1877). George's father died before George was two years old. His mother married again, and, in about 1840, George moved to Indiana with his mother, stepfather (Henry Harvey MULLAN) and half-siblings. George married Eliza Jane KITTS on March 27, 1845, in Ripley County, Indiana.

Four children were born to the marriage: Sarah Jane, Jacob, Henry, and George Andrew: 1846, 1847, 1848, and 1850. (Sarah Jane married William Stokely GRAY and had 11 children; Jacob never married; Henry married Evaline HUKILL and had nine children; George married Clara Bell DAVIS and had two children. There is DNA proof for George's children Sarah Jane, Henry, and George.)

Sometime after 1860, George left for California to mine for gold and to build a new life for his family.

Three of Eliza's brothers already were in the Yuba County area of California:
(1) Eliza's brother James, b. 1827, was in Butte County, CA, by 1860. Butte Co. is adjacent to Yuba Co. James remained in the area until his death in 1901. He was in Nevada County, CA, in 1900 (also adjacent to Yuba Co.).
(2) Eliza's brother George, b. 1831, was in Yuba Co., CA, by 1860. He remained in the area until his death in 1876 in Nevada Co., CA (a county adjacent to Yuba Co.).
(3) Eliza's brother Joseph, b. 1834, was in Plumas Co., CA, by 1860. (Plumas Co. is adjacent to Yuba Co.) Joseph remained in the area until his death in 1916 in Nevada Co., CA.

George was in Yuba County by 1862 when he affiliated with the Star of Peace Division of the Order of the Sons of Temperance, in Marysville, Yuba County, California. Also in 1862, George was named in the will of William ASHLOCK who had died on December 6, 1862 in Linda Township, Yuba County. George was named to assist William's widow Julia, as executor, if Julia so wished. The connection between George and the ASHLOCKs is unknown.

In 1867, George was a registered voter in Yuba County, California. In 1868, George contracted for the purchase of farm land. Preparations were made for Eliza to move to California to join him. She, and likely their two youngest sons, would travel to California via the Isthmus of Panama. In March 1869, George became ill. He died on March 31, 1969. Word arrived of his death as Eliza was preparing for the move.

George's personal property was sold. Probate records list the following:
brown horse: $90
2nd horse: $65
gray mare & colt: $50
bay horse: $40
cow & calf: $30
wagon: $30
80 bushels of shelled corn: $44.80
23 chickens: $11.50
$119 (Apparently, George held an IOU note from someone.)
TOTAL: $480.30

Four horses, one colt, a cow, a calf, one wagon, 23 chickens, and 80 bushels of corn. George had not been mining gold; he had been eking out survival as a farmer.

After George's death, his estate was billed for the following:
room rent: $45 (unclear for what purpose)
room bill for illness: $115
port wine for pain during final illness: $4
payment to someone to wash him daily for his last 6 days: $12
sugar & oil: $0.88
doctor's bill: $20
burial clothes: $6.50
E. Hamilton's bill for burial: $50
total of clerk's fees, probate court: $76.88
sheriff's fee, probate court: $2.50
appraiser's fee: $15
to administrator for costs on farm: $131
various administrator fees totaling $291.10

George had very little at his death. What was left after paying the costs of his final illness and his burial went to court costs and to the administrator of the estate, Richard E. WEMPLE. About a year before George's death, he had entered an agreement to purchase farm land from Mr. Wemple. George had no equity in the farm, and the land went back to Wemple. The will that was presented to the court likely was written by Wemple himself.

Below is George's will as accepted by the probate court:

Yuba County, California, March 16th, 1869
Feeling the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death and being now much afflicted yet enjoying my faculties properly to feel myself on the performance of this my last request, which is this, That my friend Richard E. Wemple of the City of Marysville Cal. be and hereby is legally authorized by own appointment and free and voluntary consent, act as sole administrator on my estate in case of my death prior to any of my family coming to this State or not known to be on their way thither, if they be known to be on their [missing word?] he shall have full charge over every thing until they come as my principal indebtedness is to him for which he holds everything I own as security to him for his money until every cent be duly paid him his principle debt being four hundred and sixty dollars paid for me on my Ranch on the fifth day of April one thousand eight hundred and sixty eight, Greenbacks being there worth Seventy two cents on the dollar making out in gold coin three hundred and thirty one dollars and twenty cents for which I pay him two per cent per month until all be paid also other money for seen not here noted but kept in account. for this also I agree to two per cent per month. I desire that he as soon as practicable after my death with regard to the foregoing request respecting my family coming out here that he sell all my stock with the grain that may be on hand and apply the same to the payment of his debt it. it will be unnecessary to offer the stock at public sale, also that he have David Woods note and apply the proceeds of the same also to his account, also the rents of Woods be also applied to his account. For the performance of these he shall not be compelled to go to law in any matter neither be allowed or compelled to give security for the faithful performance of these duties for he shall be permitted to sell as though he were sole proprietor which this makes him by my own consent, and may God bless you in my prayer for Jesus sake.
Witness my hand and seal.
Geo. A. C. Griffith
Witness:
A. J. Cumberson
Jacob Striker (signed with an X, his mark)
Witnessed in presence of the above named testator by his consent and wish. March 25, 1869. All corrections and inter[****]s made in presence of and by consent of Testator, he being too feeble by illness to write at the time and date of these witnesses.


NOTE: George's name frequently appears in records as "Geo. A.C. Griffith."

SIBLINGS:
The name of George's full sibling is unknown.
His maternal half-siblings were the following:
Rev. Henry Clay Mullan, 1830-1894
Elias Davis Mullan, 1832-1912
Nancy Mullan, b. 1834
Pvt. James B. Mullan, 1836-1862
Sarah Ellen Mullan, 1839-1906
Mary Lindsay Mullan, 1841-1924
Archibald Lindsay T. Mullan, 1842-1899
Pvt. Wm. Alex. Hamilton Mullan, 1844-1863

PARENTS:
Alexander Major GRIFFITH: b. 1789, Pennsylvania; d. bef 11-Nov-1821, Washington Co., PA.
Sarah "Sally" DAVIES: b. 28-Feb-1801, Pennsylvania; d. 27-Oct-1877, Indiana. (After death of 1st husband, she married Henry Harvey MULLAN.)

PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS:
David GRIFFITH
Elizabeth MAJOR: b. abt 1771 Abington, Montgomery Co., PA; d. bef. 1872, Washington Co., PA.
George was the son of Alexander M. GRIFFITH (1789-1821) and Sarah DAVIS (1801-1877). George's father died before George was two years old. His mother married again, and, in about 1840, George moved to Indiana with his mother, stepfather (Henry Harvey MULLAN) and half-siblings. George married Eliza Jane KITTS on March 27, 1845, in Ripley County, Indiana.

Four children were born to the marriage: Sarah Jane, Jacob, Henry, and George Andrew: 1846, 1847, 1848, and 1850. (Sarah Jane married William Stokely GRAY and had 11 children; Jacob never married; Henry married Evaline HUKILL and had nine children; George married Clara Bell DAVIS and had two children. There is DNA proof for George's children Sarah Jane, Henry, and George.)

Sometime after 1860, George left for California to mine for gold and to build a new life for his family.

Three of Eliza's brothers already were in the Yuba County area of California:
(1) Eliza's brother James, b. 1827, was in Butte County, CA, by 1860. Butte Co. is adjacent to Yuba Co. James remained in the area until his death in 1901. He was in Nevada County, CA, in 1900 (also adjacent to Yuba Co.).
(2) Eliza's brother George, b. 1831, was in Yuba Co., CA, by 1860. He remained in the area until his death in 1876 in Nevada Co., CA (a county adjacent to Yuba Co.).
(3) Eliza's brother Joseph, b. 1834, was in Plumas Co., CA, by 1860. (Plumas Co. is adjacent to Yuba Co.) Joseph remained in the area until his death in 1916 in Nevada Co., CA.

George was in Yuba County by 1862 when he affiliated with the Star of Peace Division of the Order of the Sons of Temperance, in Marysville, Yuba County, California. Also in 1862, George was named in the will of William ASHLOCK who had died on December 6, 1862 in Linda Township, Yuba County. George was named to assist William's widow Julia, as executor, if Julia so wished. The connection between George and the ASHLOCKs is unknown.

In 1867, George was a registered voter in Yuba County, California. In 1868, George contracted for the purchase of farm land. Preparations were made for Eliza to move to California to join him. She, and likely their two youngest sons, would travel to California via the Isthmus of Panama. In March 1869, George became ill. He died on March 31, 1969. Word arrived of his death as Eliza was preparing for the move.

George's personal property was sold. Probate records list the following:
brown horse: $90
2nd horse: $65
gray mare & colt: $50
bay horse: $40
cow & calf: $30
wagon: $30
80 bushels of shelled corn: $44.80
23 chickens: $11.50
$119 (Apparently, George held an IOU note from someone.)
TOTAL: $480.30

Four horses, one colt, a cow, a calf, one wagon, 23 chickens, and 80 bushels of corn. George had not been mining gold; he had been eking out survival as a farmer.

After George's death, his estate was billed for the following:
room rent: $45 (unclear for what purpose)
room bill for illness: $115
port wine for pain during final illness: $4
payment to someone to wash him daily for his last 6 days: $12
sugar & oil: $0.88
doctor's bill: $20
burial clothes: $6.50
E. Hamilton's bill for burial: $50
total of clerk's fees, probate court: $76.88
sheriff's fee, probate court: $2.50
appraiser's fee: $15
to administrator for costs on farm: $131
various administrator fees totaling $291.10

George had very little at his death. What was left after paying the costs of his final illness and his burial went to court costs and to the administrator of the estate, Richard E. WEMPLE. About a year before George's death, he had entered an agreement to purchase farm land from Mr. Wemple. George had no equity in the farm, and the land went back to Wemple. The will that was presented to the court likely was written by Wemple himself.

Below is George's will as accepted by the probate court:

Yuba County, California, March 16th, 1869
Feeling the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death and being now much afflicted yet enjoying my faculties properly to feel myself on the performance of this my last request, which is this, That my friend Richard E. Wemple of the City of Marysville Cal. be and hereby is legally authorized by own appointment and free and voluntary consent, act as sole administrator on my estate in case of my death prior to any of my family coming to this State or not known to be on their way thither, if they be known to be on their [missing word?] he shall have full charge over every thing until they come as my principal indebtedness is to him for which he holds everything I own as security to him for his money until every cent be duly paid him his principle debt being four hundred and sixty dollars paid for me on my Ranch on the fifth day of April one thousand eight hundred and sixty eight, Greenbacks being there worth Seventy two cents on the dollar making out in gold coin three hundred and thirty one dollars and twenty cents for which I pay him two per cent per month until all be paid also other money for seen not here noted but kept in account. for this also I agree to two per cent per month. I desire that he as soon as practicable after my death with regard to the foregoing request respecting my family coming out here that he sell all my stock with the grain that may be on hand and apply the same to the payment of his debt it. it will be unnecessary to offer the stock at public sale, also that he have David Woods note and apply the proceeds of the same also to his account, also the rents of Woods be also applied to his account. For the performance of these he shall not be compelled to go to law in any matter neither be allowed or compelled to give security for the faithful performance of these duties for he shall be permitted to sell as though he were sole proprietor which this makes him by my own consent, and may God bless you in my prayer for Jesus sake.
Witness my hand and seal.
Geo. A. C. Griffith
Witness:
A. J. Cumberson
Jacob Striker (signed with an X, his mark)
Witnessed in presence of the above named testator by his consent and wish. March 25, 1869. All corrections and inter[****]s made in presence of and by consent of Testator, he being too feeble by illness to write at the time and date of these witnesses.


NOTE: George's name frequently appears in records as "Geo. A.C. Griffith."

SIBLINGS:
The name of George's full sibling is unknown.
His maternal half-siblings were the following:
Rev. Henry Clay Mullan, 1830-1894
Elias Davis Mullan, 1832-1912
Nancy Mullan, b. 1834
Pvt. James B. Mullan, 1836-1862
Sarah Ellen Mullan, 1839-1906
Mary Lindsay Mullan, 1841-1924
Archibald Lindsay T. Mullan, 1842-1899
Pvt. Wm. Alex. Hamilton Mullan, 1844-1863

PARENTS:
Alexander Major GRIFFITH: b. 1789, Pennsylvania; d. bef 11-Nov-1821, Washington Co., PA.
Sarah "Sally" DAVIES: b. 28-Feb-1801, Pennsylvania; d. 27-Oct-1877, Indiana. (After death of 1st husband, she married Henry Harvey MULLAN.)

PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS:
David GRIFFITH
Elizabeth MAJOR: b. abt 1771 Abington, Montgomery Co., PA; d. bef. 1872, Washington Co., PA.

Gravesite Details

Estate accounting shows cost for burial clothes and for the grave digger; however, there is no cost for grave stone. Likely there never was a grave stone.