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Gridley Ancestry |
1630, THE WINTHROP FLEET:
Eleven vessels brought ' the Great Emigration' of this year,viz:
ARBELLA (the flagship), AMBROSE, WILLIAM AND FRANCIS TALBOT ,
HOPEWELL, JEWEL, WHALE, CHARLES, SUCCESS, MAYFLOWER, & TRIAL.
The first five ships sailed April 8 from Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, and arrived at Salem June 13 and following days. The other half of the fleet sailed in May and arrived in July at various dates. Altogether they brought about seven hundred passengers of whom the following are presumed to have been on these ships. (To save space on this page I have deleted the hundreds of passenger list names and have only included those associated with the lines that I am researching. TM)
. . . . . . . . . . .RICHARD GRIDLEY of Groton, Suffolk Boston Mrs. Grace Gridley, Joseph Gridley, Abraham Gridley, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ROBERT SEELY Watertown . . . . . . etc.
1. Captain Richard GRIDLEY b. abt 1600. Levenham, Suffolk, England. Landed in Boston in 1630-32, m. 25 Jul 1626 Grace Surrey. d. 19 Aug 1674, Boston, MA. 11 children.
2. Joseph GRIDLEY c. 20 May 1629 Boston, MA m. Lydia Flood, 24 Jun 1654 d. 1687, Boston, MA. 6 Children.
3. Captain Richard GRIDLEY b. Apr 1650 Boston, MA. m. Hannah Downs 27 Feb 1694. 2 children.
4. (Deacon) Samuel GRIDLEY b. 5 Jan 1696. Boston, MA m. 26 Mar 1747, Pomfret CT, Abigail Baker. d. 4 Mar 1776. 14 children by 2 marriages.
5. Samuel GRIDLEY b. 14 Jun 1750, Roxbury, MA, m. Martha Bliss of Springfield, MA on 22 Feb 1781. d. 1825 Onondaga, NY. had twin, Lois. d. In 1810 the family belonged to Valley Presb. Church Onondaga, (Syracuse) NY. 2 children.
6. John GRIDLEY b. 26 Sep 1781 Springfield, MA m. Nancy Seely of S.Salem NY, 4 Jul 1809, in Onondaga, NY. d. 8 Apr 1872, Lake Co. IL. 11 children.
7. Mary Ann GRIDLEY, b. 3 Sep 1823. Onondaga, NY, m. William Davison 4 Apr 1821 in Lake Co., IL. d. 31 Aug 1908, Contra Costa Co. CA. 3 children.
More information here:
Persons Known To Be Buried In The Gridley Graveyard:
1. Here lies ye body of Mr. Wally Leonard, who died of small pox, June the 14th, 1764, in the 44th year of his age.
2. Here lies ye body of Mrs. Mary Leonard, and her new born babe, the wife and child of Ensign Nathaniel Leonard, who died of small pox, June ye 14th, 1764, In the 39th year of her age.
3. Here lies the body of Mary Billings, daughter of Mr. William and Mrs. Mary Billings, who died of small pox, June 8, 1764, in the 18th year of her age.
4. Scarborough Gridley, died December 16, 1787, son of General Richard and Hannah Gridley.
5. Hannah Gridley, died October 17, 1790, wife of Richard Gridley.
6. General Richard Gridley, born in Boston on January 3, 1710, died June 21, 1796 of blood poisoning. He was buried here on June 23, 1796. The General was reinterred at Canton Corner on October 28, 1876. His wife and son still remain here.
The Gridley Graveyard is a sad little cemetery. It represents a sad but not uncommon period of our history, Small Pox Epidemics. There are no official records of the cemetery, just folklore and "The History Of Canton."
There are no head stones here, just weeds. The Town mows the grass once and a while, the neighbors encrouch on it, it is only marked by a wooden fence and no sign. It is rumored that years ago some area residents took the stones and made back steps out of them. When the Town started looking for them, the residents discarded the stones, never to be seen again. There are probably more people buried here, but we will never really know. (Curator)
Biography of: John Gridley
of Springfield, Massachusetts
by George Newton Gridley (grandson of John Gridley)
John Gridley was born at Springfield, Massachusetts, on September 26, 1781. He settled at Onondaga Hollow, Onondaga County, New York in 1807. On July 4, 1809 he married Nancy Seely, (daughter of Gideon Seely and wife, Mable Todd.) Nancy died near Half Day, Lake County, Illinois, on October 28, 1847. John then married, Lora Amelia Ormsby, (aka Ruth) on September 5, 1849. She died in 1855. (There were no children by this marriage.)
Pictured above: Onondaga Hollow, 1814. The Gridley house with its step-gabled roof may be seen at left-center in this painting by George K. Knapp. The state arsenal is on the right. Marching columns on the pike are Red-coat prisoners, en route from Lundy's Lane for exchange. Photo courtesy of Onondaga Historical Society.
THE GRIDLEY HOUSE (Photo taken in 1997)
Built in 1812 by John Gridley, 205 East Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse New York.
From 1807 until the spring of 1835, he lived at Onondaga Hollow, New York. There he owned and operated a "Tannery and Boot and Shoe Shop", where he employed a number of men. Following the "Panic of 1833", he was obliged to give up this business, more perhaps because of what was owing him, than because of what he owed. He brought with him to Illinois a bushel basket full of notes and bills, due him, hoping some of them would be paid after a while, but he waited many years without realizing anything on any of them, and finally took them all out doors one day, touched a lighted match to the pile, and burned them up.
His first "dwelling house" in Illinois was a log building "shingled" with slough, or prairie hay, and the family moved into it November 19, 1835. The calf of his first cow was raised on "hay tea" to give the family the use of the cow's milk. In 1836 he was one of the "Viewers" appointed by the Commissioners of Cook Co., Ill., to lay out a road from Bang's Lake (now Wauconda) to Half Day; at that time, Lake Co. was a part of Cook Co. and this road is said to be the first one laid out in the present Township of Fremont, Lake Co., Ill.
John Gridley was about 5 feet 8 inches in height; had sandy hair and blue eyes, and was of slender build. He was an active, energetic man, and athletic. When about seventy years old, while the farm hands were resting at noon, he would throw his feet up into the air and walk around the outside of the house on his hands, with agility and perfect ease.
John Gridley was a great reader of standard books and papers; a lover of music, especially the Church songs in vogue in his younger days, and fond of dancing. Blessed with unusual vitality and full possession of all his facilities, he was able to participate in, and enjoy these pleasures up to, practically, the end of his life. The land he selected in 1835 was divided among his sons, from the first, but his home was always on some part of it and he died at the home of his son George, April 8, 1872, aged 90 years, 6 months, and 12 days.
ONONDAGA VALLEY CEMETERY
Nedrow, Onondaga Co., New York
The burial place of five of the children of John and Nancy Gridley.
The children of
John Gridley and Nancy Seely Gridley, all born at Onondaga Hollow, New
York:
Daughter: b. 27 Mar 1810. d. 20 Apr 1810
1. Gideon Seely b. 27 Dec 1811. d. 24 Jan 1814 (drowned in a "Tan Vat".)
2. Mary b. 20 Oct 1813. d. 14 Sep 1816.
3. John Seely b. 2 Nov 1815. d. 2 Sep 1816
4. Elisha b. 1817 m. Charlotte Sawyer. d. 7 Jan 1881, Lake Co. IL
5. Elizabeth b. 23 Jul 1819. m. Joseph H. Mason d. 22 Aug 1848.
6. George b. 9 sep 1821. m. Harriet Hunnewell. d. 17 Sep 1907, Lake Co. IL
7. Mary Ann b. 3 Sep 1823. m William Davison. d. 31 Aug 1908, Antioch, CA
8. Henry Christened 28 May 1826. (Died young)
9. John Taylor b. 1 Nov 1829. m. Susan Ellen Seeley. d. 2 Jan.
10. Louisa Amelia Christened 24 Mar 1833. m. Joseph Mason.
The Gridley family cemetery in Illinois is located on the west side of Route 83, south of Diamond Lake, in Lake County. This land was for many years owned by the Gridley family. The cemetery is in a stand of trees that rise above the road. An iron picket fence surrounds it, with a gate secured by a rusted padlock. A memorial monument was erected years ago which reads:
This monument honors the pioneers John and Nancy Seeley Gridley
who in 1835 came from Onondaga, New York with their sons,
Elisha, George and John and daughters Elizabeth, Mary and Louisa,
and on an adjacent tract of several hundred acres,
acquired from the U.S. Government, built their log dwelling.
A fellow genealogist stopped by the cemetery in 1996, took photos and wrote the following:
"I was able to find and stop at the cemetery you were interested in. That area in general is growing, lots of new construction, and I wasn't sure I would find it. It's a bit further south out of town than I expected. It's on the west side of Rt.83, in a stand of trees that rises above the road.There is an iron picket fence around it, just as you said, and there is a rusty padlock locking the gate." The stones read:
(marker)
John Gridley 1781-1872
Nancy Seeley wife of John Gridley
(side one)
John - Apr ??
Nancy - Oct ??
Elizabeth Gridley wife of Joseph H.M.
Margaret d aged 2 mo.
Joseph Owen
(side 2 )
Elisha Gridley died Jan 7, 1881 AE 63 yrs 7 mos 14d's
Charlotte S Hunnewell Died wife of Elisha Gridley Oct 9, 1874 AE 47 yrs 21 days
Parents of
EDWIN Died Aug 12, 1856 AE 9 mo 13 days
CHARLOTTE EMMA Died Aug 1, 1863 AE 2 yrs 27 dys
ALBERT E Died Sept 21, 1868
(side 3)
George Newton Gridley 1851-1931 son of
Elisha & Charlotte Gridley
husband of Annah Bilinski 1859-1918
(marker)
Elizabeth wife of J.H. Mason died Aug 18, 18?8 at 29 yrs
Onondaga County in 1855
*The following information was gleaned from the Onondaga County, New York Webpage.
This information comes from the 1855 New York State census for Onondaga County and may help give a snapshot of life at that time. The county had 60 stone dwellings; 762 brick;13,175 frame; 498 log. There were 6,336 farms.
In addition, Onondaga County had: one bakery; 53 blacksmiths; 53 boot/shoemakers; 5 breweries; 9 brick makers; 15 cabinet makers; 12 carpenters; 45 coach/wagon makers; 38 coopers; 36 gristmills; 26 harness and saddle makers; 4 hat/cap makers; 9 machine shops and 2 marble cutters.
Population of the county in 1845 was 70,175 and 85,890 in1855, according to the same census data.
Gridley Obituaries
George Gridley
George Gridley, brother of J. T. Gridley of Lunt Ave., and father of Mrs. John Marshall of Estes Ave., died at his home in Libertyville, Ill., Sept. 17, age 86 years. He was born at Onondaga Valley, N.Y., and with his father's family came to Illinois in 1835, settling near Half Day, Lake County, and excepting a few years spent in California in the Early 50's, he has lived in that section continuously for seventy-two years. He still owned his share of the land purchased under a patent signed by "Martin Van Buren, President." The funeral services were held at his residence Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 2 p.m., where he had lived for over half a century.
John Taylor Gridley
John Taylor Gridley died at his home, 1645 Lunt Ave., Sunday evening, January 2nd. Mr. Gridley was born at Onondaga Valley, N.Y., Nov. 1st, 1829. In 1835 he came to Illinois with his father's family, they settling near Half Day in Lake County. In the spring of 1850 he went with his brother, the late George Gridley, to California. Returning in 1861 he was for a time located at Sherburne, N.Y. but came to Chicago immediately after the great fire, entering the commission business on South Water Street. He had been a resident of Rogers Park nearly twenty-seven years, and for some time had been in failing health. The burial was at Diamond Lake, Illinois.
Elisha Gridley, 1876, eldest son of John Gridley
father of George Newton Gridley
John
Gridley was an avid writer. I have not yet learned of his educational
background, but from his writings one can surmise that he was indeed an educated
man. The following is a sample of his writing:
Illinois, Lake Co.
Half Day, Nov. 14th 1869.
This is a beautiful Sunday morning. Summer has ended, fall months near. There has been an uncommon long spell of dry, good weather. Ever since harvest us the farmer could desire to secure his crops. All this time I have been constantly at work (and I loved the labor well, preparing for the coming winter). Well cold, and snow has come, and I have retired to my sanatorium to enjoy the fruits of my labor.
Apology for crooked, bad writing. A few years ago a cow met me face to face on a full run-- a dog and dutchman behind her, injuring one of my eyes, which is constantly flooded with water, so that I cannot see any ruling lines on my paper, or read my own writing. I am past eighty eight years of age, dimness of sight may be expected, am now writing by the naked eye without spectacles. I have used a pen, but very seldom lately. Thought I would not attempt to write anymore, and to come to the decision am now experimenting. What say you readers, (I know not who you will be), shall I continue to go it blind, or quit writing forever?
This may be the last opportunity afforded me, and I will leave this with my friends as my last memorial. All other papers and writings I destroy, as of no use to the present or the coming generation. If my advice, counsel or capacity has not been listened to, or appreciated, I never did, nor never would, let it disturb the calm tranquility of my mind.
John Gridley
Illinois,
Vernon, Lake Co., Half Day - May 5, 1864
Mr. Wm and Mary Davison and Children,
I expected to meet you again, ere you set on your pilgrimage to parts distant and unknown - but we know not what the morrow may bring forth. I find myself unable, or, rather deem it imprudent, to go and see you before your departure. George will explain. And I feel to thank God, that I am alive and able to write you a few lines. Instead of farewell shaking of the hands, you have my best wishes and prayers for a safe journey. And if William can recover his health by change of climate, it will fully compensate for all the losses and sacrifices you are making. Health is the greatest blessing we can enjoy here on earth.
It is not probable we shall ever meet again here on earth, but I hope to meet you in heaven, where sin, sorrow, disease and sickness, are unknown. Where all is peace and harmony, joy and gladness. Where all can unite in praising and worshiping God throughout endless ages, may this be our happy lot.
From your affectionate father,
John Gridley
Continued research on the Gridley lines has revealed that many documents and letters from John Gridley still exist ,and are located with a direct descendant in Lake County, IL. Of special interest is a family bible, which seems to have a handmade leather cover, possibly made by John Gridley, who was a tanner by trade. The Gridley sons, George and John Taylor, during the years 1850-1854, set out in seek of their fortunes in the California Gold mines. Their travels and travails are documented by letters home, and are located in the Bancroft Library on the UC Berkeley Campus in Berkeley, CA.
