Catherine Griffith

Catherine Griffith||p2099.htm|Griffith ap Evan||p2102.htm||||Evan R. Lewis|d. 1668|p2103.htm|Jane ferch Cadwaladr ap Maredudd||p2104.htm|||||||

5th great-grandmother of Louise Underwood.
7th great-grandmother of Laura Jane Munson.
Family Background:
Underwood and Allied Families
Appears on charts:
Pedigree for Louise Underwood
     Catherine Griffith was born in Wales. She was the daughter of Griffith ap Evan.1 She married first Morris Cadwaladr, son of Cadwaladr Maurice and Ann, on 6 January 1684/85 in Llanfor, Merionethshire, Wales.2 She married second Alexander Edwards, widower, before 6 10m 1703 (6 December 1703), the date on which she witnessed the marriage of Alexander Edwards Jr. to Gwen Foulke.3 She married third John William 12 3m 1714 (12 May 1714) in Haverford Monthly Meeting, Gwynedd, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.4,5 Her will was proved on 21 January 1748/49 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.6
     
     Catherine's name has never been found on a passenger list, but her brothers Hugh and Robert were among the passengers on the "Robert and Elizabeth" that arrived in Philadelphia 17 July 1698. Forty-five persons died on the voyage, including Robert. Two other brothers, Edward and David, died in Wales. The only other known sibling was Catherine. Because women and children were often not named on passenger lists unless they were traveling alone, it is quite possible that Catherine and her son Cadwalader were traveling with Hugh or Robert. This is all conjecture, but because of the obvious close relationship between Catherine and Hugh, the known fact that both settled in Gwynedd in 1698 (Bean), and that no other mention has been found of Morris Cadwaladr, it seems probable that Catherine was widowed in Wales and came to America with her brothers.

     It is believed that Cadwalader was Catherine's only child, but it's important to note that no document has been found that calls her "mother" or him "son." The relationship is confirmed only by Catherine's will in which she calls the children of Cadwalader and Elizabeth (Morgan) Morris her grandchildren. There is supporting evidence, however, in that she was a subscribing witness to the marriage of Cadwalader and Elizabeth, signing in the place usually reserved for the parents of the groom.1

Additional Data
All places mentioned have been in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, since 10 September 1784 when it was formed from Philadelphia County.

Catherine Edwards witnessed the marriage of Cadwalader Morris and Elizabeth Morgan on 24 3m 1710 (24 May 1710) in Gwynedd Meeting House, Gwynedd, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.7,5 Click to view image

Catherine Edwards was co-executor of her husband Alexander Edwards's will dated 9 3m 1712 (9 May 1712) in Montgomery township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.8

Catherine William was named as one of the forty-eight resident freeholders of Gwynedd on a 1734 list returned by the constable at the request of Thomas Penn. It is estimated that all but six were Welsh.9

Catherine William was co-executor of her husband John William's will dated Wife: Catherine. Children: William, Ann Foulk and Theopholus. Son-in-Law: Hugh Foulk. Exec: Catherine, William and Theopholus William and Hugh Foulk. Preparative meeting at Gwynedd for Poor People. Grandchildren: Children of sons William and Theopholus, and daughter Ann Foulk. Overseers: John Jones, Cadwalader Evans, George Lewis and William Morgan (3 September 1735) in Montgomery, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.10

Catherine William made her will 7 10m 1745 (7 December 1745) in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. John Jones was named sole executor; Owen Evans and John Evans, overseers. She signed her mark in the presence of four witnesses, Go-- Giorje (illegible, probably surname George), Garret Peters, Aubrey Roberts, and John Robert.6 Click to view image An inventory of the estate was taken on 28 December 1748, and filed 21 Feb 1748/49.6

Child of Catherine Griffith and Morris Cadwaladr

Citations

  1. [S365] Thomas Allen Glenn, Welsh Founders of Pennsylvania (Oxford: Fox, Jones and Co., 1911-1913; reprint Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1991), 99.
  2. [S359] Letter from D.E. Williams (The National Library of Wales) to unknown recipient, 8 October 1976; William H. Morris (Leesburg, Florida).
  3. [S313] William Henry Egle, ed., Notes and Queries Historical and Genealogical Chiefly Relating to Interior Pennsylvania, Annual Volume 1897, vol. IV (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: n.pub., 1897; reprint Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1970), 224.
  4. [S360] Edwards-William marriage, 12th day of the 3rd month anno 1714, in Minutes of the Haverford Monthly Meeting, unpaginated, arranged by date, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
  5. [S356] Howard Malcolm Jenkins, Historical collections relating to Gwynedd, a township of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, settled, 1696, by immigrants from Wales, with some data referring to the adjoining township, of Montgomery, also settled by Welsh (Philadelphia: Howard Malcolm Jenkins, 1897), Chapter 12, online. <http://www.gwyneddfriends.org/jenkinschapter12.htm
  6. [S363] Catherine William will (1745), Philadelphia County Wills no. 28: 1748, Clerk of the Orphans' Court, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  7. [S357] Morgan-Morris marriage, 24th day of the 3 month 1710, in Minutes of the Haverford Monthly Meeting, unpaginated, arranged by date, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
  8. [S361] Inc. Lineages, comp., Philadelphia County Wills, 1682-1819 (Philadelphia: Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1900; reprint <http://www.ancestry.com>: Ancestry.com, 2000), citing C: 298.
  9. [S362] Theodore Webber Bean, History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1884), 856.
  10. [S361] Inc. Lineages, Philadelphia County Wills, 1682-1819, citing E: 377.