Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/446

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GRIFFITH


GRIFFITHS


188G); Matthew C'albraith Perry, a Typical American Kaval Officer (1887); The Lily amoHij Thorns, a Study of the Sony of Solomon (1889); Brace Little Holland (1894); The lleliyions of Japan (1895); Townsend Harris: First American Envoy in Japan (1895); The Pilgrims in their Three Homes, Eng- land, Holland and America (1898); The Stndent's ilotley (1898); liomance of Discovery (1898); Bo- manee of American Colonization (1898); liomance of Conquest (1899); America in the East (1899); The American in Holland (1899); Young Peoiile's History of Holland (1903). and contributions to magazines. Many of his writings have been trans- lated into Japanese and republished in Japan.

GRIFFITH, David, clergyman, was born in New York city in 1743. He was graduated in medicine in London, England, returned to America in 1763, practised his profession in New York and returned to England in 1770 to receive ordination in the Church of England at the hands of the bishoj) of London. He was missionary in Gloucester county, N.J., 1770-71; rector of Shelburne parish, Loudoun county, Va., 1771-76; was chaplain of the 3d Virginia regi- ment, 1776-79; and rector of Christ church, Alexandria, Va., 1779-89. He was a deputy to the first Virginia convention of the Protestant Episcopal church at Richmond, May, 1785, dele- gate to the general convention, September, 1785, and to the second Virginia convention. May, 1786. At the latter convention he was elected bishop and was to have accompanied Doctors White and Provoost to England for consecration, but was not able to meet the expense of the journey. In the general convention of 1789, held in Philadelphia, Pa., he formally resigned the appointment. He had AVashiugton as a parish- ioner at Alexandria and was, while in the army, his intimate friend. He is credited with having warned the commander-in-chief of the perfidy of Gen. Charles Lee the night before the battle of Monmouth. He received the degree of D.D. from the University of Pennsj'lvania in 1786. He died in Pliiladelphia, Pa., Aug. 3, 1789.

GRIFFITH, Francis Marion, representative, was born in Switzerland county, Ind., Aug. 21, 1849; son of Joshua and Caroline (Vernon) Grif- fith; and grandson of William J. GrifRth. He was educated in the Vevay high school and at Franklin college: studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1877, and practised his profession at Vevay. He was a state senator, 1886-94. He was elected a representative in the 55th congress at a special election lield Aug. 10, 1897, to fill the vacancy made by the death of William S. Holnian, his op- ponents being the Rev. C. W. Lee, Repulilican, and the Rev. M. W. Broader, Populist. He was re- elected to the .")Oth, 57tli and 58th congresses, 1897- 1905, and served on the committee on public lands.


GRIFFITH, Robert Eglesfeld, physician, was born in Philadelpliia, Pa., Feb. 13, 1798; son of Robert Eglesfeld and Maria Thong (Patterson) Griffith; grandson of John and Catharine ( Living- ston) Patterson; and great-grandson of Robert E Livingston, third lord of Livingston Manor on the HuiLson river. New York. His father came to the United States from Whiteliaven, England, and settled in Philadelphia about 1790. Robert Eglesfeld, Jr., was graduated from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1830 and practised in Philadelphia. He was appointed physician to the Society of the Sons of St. George, April 33, 1833; was physician to the board of health of Philadelphia, 1833-36; was professor of materia medica and jurisprudence in the University of Maryland, 1836-38, and pro- fessor of medicine in the University of Virginia, 1838-39. when his health broke down and he retired from active practice. He was elected a member of the Academy of natural sciences of Philadelphia, May 38, 1815, and vice-president, Dec. 36, 1849; a member of the College of phar- macy, June 30, 1831, and honorary memler, Dec. 9, 1836; a member of the Society of the Sens of St. George, Oct. 33, 1834, of which his father was president for thirty years; lionorary member of the West Point lyceum, 1834; a member of the board of managers of Franklin institute in 1837; a member of the American philosophical society, Jan. 18, 1838; one of the founders in 1838 of " The United Bowmen," of which he was made an associate member, Nov. 13, 1831; was elected physician to the " Musical Funa Society," May 5, 1839; trustee of the Philadelphia mu.seum, Jan. 5, 1839; member of the Historical society of Pennsylvania, Feb. 3, 1834; of the Maryland academy of science and literature, Nov. 3, 1836, and of the College of physicians of Philadelphia, May 4, 1836. He was married, Feb. 5, 1829, to Mary, daughter of Manuel Eyre, a merchant of Philadelphia. He was an eminent botanist and conchologist and presented his collection of shells to the Academy of natural sciences of Philadel- phia, of which he was elected a member in 1815 and vice-president in 1849. He is the author of: Chemistry of the Four Seasons (1846); Medical Botany (ISiT); Universal Formularity (1848); and at the time of his death was engaged upon an extensive work on Conchology and A Botany of the Bible. He edited Dispensatory Chriteson and Griffith; Medical Jnrisprudence, by Taylor; Taylor on Poisons; Principles of Physics by Mnller (1847); Medical Jurisprudence by Eyan and Chitty, and 3Ia- teria Medica by Ballard and Garrod. He died in Philadelphia. Pa., June 36. 1850.

GRIFFITHS, John Willis, naval architect, was born in New York city, Oct. 6, 1809; son of John Griffiths, a well-known shipwright, with