Eighth Generation

84. Benjamin GRIGGS Sr. (*) was born on 2 December 1667 in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America.^{17,82,86,128,142,144,173,174,175,176,177,178} (His birthdate may have been 8 March, 1668.)

Biographical Sketch: "Benjamin Griggs was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts and was one of a group of thirteen that actually founded the town of Woodstock, Connecticut, which is where he died and is buried.

Among other things, he also helped to survey the roads and various properties in the town, originally called New Roxbury, as those roads were built and the properties (land) were divided up among the citizens coming there to live.

His wife is Patience Sabin (1682-1754) and he is the son of Joseph Griggs and Hannah Davis. He died at age 57.

The signature photo is from an original document from 1693. The blue sign with his name as one of the thirteen town founders is located across from Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, CT."

He is the only one in his immediate family known to have moved from Massachusetts. He is the family ancestor of the branch of Griggs descendants (via his son Solomon) that moved first to Connecticut, later to Vermont, and eventually to Wisconsin. He was christened on 8 March 1669 in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America.¹⁴⁴ He lived at his home in Woodstock Township, Windham County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America after April 1686.^179,180 Biographical Sketch: "In 1682, Massachsetts bought a tract of land from the Mohegan nation. A group of thirteen men from Roxbury, Mass. volunteered to settle New Roxbury. Those men were: Peter Aspinwall, John Gore, Thomas Bacon, Benjamin and George Griggs, Matthew Davis, John Marcy, John Frizzel, Henry Bowen, Ebenezar Morris, Nathaniel Gary, Benjamin Sabin, and Jonathan Smithers. They arrived in New Roxbury on April 5,1686, and held their first town meeting on August 25,1686.

On March 12,1690, Judge Samuel Sewall changed the name from New Roxbury to Woodstock " . . . because of its nearness to Oxford." In 1749, Woodstock became a part of Connecticut.

In the eighteenth century, Woodstock was mainly an agricultural community. However, after the War of 1812, industry began to boom. By 1820, there were 2 distilleries, 2 wheel wrights, an oil mill, fulling mill, carding machines, grist mills, saw mills, a goldsmith, and twine and cotton batting operations. Woodstock Valley was known for its shoe factories.

By the mid-nineteenth century, industry had slowed. Woodstock then became a summer residence for the affluent of New York City and other large cities."

From the "Genealogy of The Griggs Family": "Benjamin Griggs moved to Woodstock from Boston at the age of nineteen, married Patience, and died in 1724. His will was filed September of that year." About 1686 Benjamin was a surveyor in Windham County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America.¹⁴⁰ Biographical Sketch: "In April 1686, he with John Marcy and eleven others took possession of Quotasset, Woodstock County, Conn (granted 1663 by the Colony of Massachusetts to the town of Roxbury.) These thirteen men and their families were the first settlers of Windham County." He died on 19 August 1724 at the age of 56 in Woodstock Township, Windham County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America.^{17,86,140,175,180,181} (He may have died August 12th.)

Obituary Notes: "Benjamin Griggs was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts and was one of a group of thirteen that actually founded the town of Woodstock, Connecticut, which is where he died and is buried. Among other things, he also helped to survey the roads and various properties in the town, originally called New Roxbury, as those roads were built and the properties (land) were divided up among the citizens coming there to live.

His wife is Patience Sabin (1682-1754) and he is the son of Joseph Griggs and Hannah Davis. He died at age 57."

He was buried in Woodstock Township, Windham County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America.^142,182,183 in the Woodstock Hill Cemetery. He has two gravestone markers.

Benjamin GRIGGS Sr. (*) and Patience "Patty" SABIN (*) were married on 18 June 1701 in Woodstock Township, Windham County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America.^{43,86,140,142,184} Patience "Patty" SABIN (*), daughter of Benjamin SABIN and Sarah PARKER, was born on 3 May 1682 in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America.^{17,174,178,185} (This is a picture of the Woodstock Hill Cemetery, where she is reportedly buried.) She died on 4 October 1754 at the age of 72 in Pomfret Township, Windham County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America.^17,174 (After the death of her second husband, she may have gone to live with her son Solomon or her daughter Patience, both of whom had moved to Pomfret Township.) She was buried in Woodstock Township, Windham County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America.^183,185,186 The research of Bill Griggs indicates that she is buried in the Woodstock Hill Cemetery on Route 169 in Woodstock, CT. She has no gravestone marker, but she is believed to be buried in an empty site to the left of her husband's marker.
(This is the Woodstock Hill Cemetery in Windham County, CT, where she and her husband are buried.

Benjamin GRIGGS Sr. (*) and Patience "Patty" SABIN (*) had the following children: