He was born to John and Ann W Griffith, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1815/18. [sources: date: 2 (40 in 1861), 15 (74 at death in 1890), 16 (62 in 1880), 17 (53 in 1870), 19 (75 at death), 20 (26 in 1850). place: 2, 15, 16, 17, 20. parents: 19]
He married Rebecca [unknown family name]. She was born in November 1821, in Pennsylvania. They seem to have had thirteen children, including:
[sources: 12, 16, 17, 20, 21 (13 children, 4 living, in 1900), 24, 25]
In 1850, he was living in ward 5, Moyamensing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was living with Rebecca (presumably his wife), John, Samuel, and Anne (presumably their children), and four others. He was a gardener. [source: 20]
In 1860, he was living in the first ward of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a hotel keeper, and owned $300 in personal property. He was living with Rebecca (presumably his wife), with John, Samuel, Anne, Sarah, Rebecca, and William (presumably their children), and with William McIlvain, Lewis Brophey, and Charles Davis. [source: 12]
When he enlisted, he was a vender. [source: 2]
His son, John Griffith, also served in the 91st Pennsylvania.
When he enlisted, he was 5 feet 7-1/2 inches tall, had a light complexion, blue eyes, and dark hair. [source: 2]
He enlisted and was mustered into service on 20 August 1861 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a sergeant in company E. He was enlisted by Captain Lentz, and mustered into service by Colonel Reiff. He was appointed sergeant on 10 September 1861. [sources: 1, 2, 3, 9, 26 [sgt]]
In the 1861 election, he was part of a group taken to vote by Alderman Lentz, apparently on Dickerson Street, between Seventh and Eighth, in the Eighth Precinct, First Ward. [source: 18]
He seems to have had a son Samuel Griffiths, who was badly injured in an explosion in an ammunition factory in March 1862. [source: 13]
Starting 10 February 1863, he was absent on furlough for ten days. On 21 February 1863, he had returned. [sources: 6, 7]
He fought, as a sergeant, in the battle of Gettysburg. [source: 5]
On 2 September 1863, he had returned to the regiment from hospital. [source: 8]
He mustered out on 1 September 1864 when his term expired, at Weldon Railroad, Virginia. He was a sergeant, in company E. [sources: 1, 2, 3, 4 (9 September), 9, 11, 26]
In 1870, he was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was living with his wife Rebecca and children Rebecca and Emma. He was a butcher, and owned $6,000 in real estate and $500 in personal property. [source: 17]
In 1880, he was living at 1149 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was living with his wife Rebecca, and children Rebecca and Emma. He was in the livery business. [source: 16]
On 26 February 1890, he died, of capillary bronchitis. He died at, or was buried from, 1515 Federal Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was buried in Woodlands Cemetery, on 3 March 1890. Members of Post 5 Grand Army of the Republic, and butchers and dealers of the Federal Market, were invited to attend the funeral. [sources: 15, 19, 23]
In 1890, his widow, Rebecca Griffith, was living in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. [source: 9]
On 27 September 1890, his widow, Rebecca Griffith, applied successfully from Pennsylvania for a pension. [sources: 10, 14]
In 1900, his widow, Rebecca, seems to have been living at 1515 Federal Street, ward 26, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was living with her son-in-law Rubin Phillips, his wife Emma (born March 1861), their son William, and two boarders. [source: 21]
His widow, Rebecca Pole Griffith, seems to have died on 9 April 1902. She was buried, from 1515 Federal Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Woodlands Cemetery. [source: 22]
1 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233. (In the roster) (Samuel S Griffith)
2 company E descriptive roll, number 5 (Samuel C [?] Griffith)
3 list of non-commissioned officers, company E (Samuel S Griffith)
4 company E, register of men discharged, number 20 (Samuel S Griffith)
5 Pennsylvania Memorial, 91st Pennsylvania plaque, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (Samuel S Griffith)
6 consolidated morning report, 10 February 1863
7 consolidated morning report, 21 February 1863 (Sergt Griffith)
8 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 2 September 1863 (Sergt Griffith)
9 1890 US Census, veterans' schedule, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, supervisor's district 1, enumeration district 582, page 2 (image 1896 on Ancestry) (Samuel Griffith)
10 pension index, by name (Samuel S Griffith)
11 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 10 September 1864 (Sergt Griffith)
12 1860 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, ward 1, microfilm series M653, film 1151, page 445 = 185 handwritten (Samuel Griffith)
13 'City affairs'. North American and United States Gazette (Philadelphia PA) 2 April 1862 (son Samuel Griffiths)
14 pension index, by regiment, 91st PA Infantry, company E (Samuel S Griffiths)
15 death certificate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Samuel S Griffith, 26 (?) February 1890 (Samuel S Griffith)
16 1880 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, supervisor's district 1, enumeration district 553, microfilm series T9, film 1185, page 552 = 8 D handwritten (Saml S Griffith)
17 1870 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, microfilm series M593, film 1413, page 284 = 43 handwritten (Samuel S Griffith)
18 'The Sheriff contested election case', Philadelphia Press Monday 23 June 1862 page 4 (Samuel Griffe [sic])
19 death notice, Philadelphia Inquirer 1 March 1890, page 5 (Samuel S Griffith)
20 1850 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Moyamensing, ward 5, microfilm series M432, film 809, page 459 verso = 914 handwritten to 460 recto = 915 handwritten (Saml Griffiths)
21 1900 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, ward 26, supervisor's district 1, enumeration district 626, microfilm series T623, film 1468, page 146 = 4 B handwritten (Rebeca Griffith)
22 death notice, Philadelphia Inquirer, 9 April 1902, page 15 (Rebecca Pole Griffith)
23 Find a grave, memorial 35934885, created by margaret orthodox, 16 April 2009, accessed 14 January 2012 (Sgt Samuel S Griffith)
24 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, death certificates, 1803-1915, 4 May 1870 (James Evans Griffith)
25 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, death certificates, 1803-1915, 31 October 1866 (Jane Griffith)
26 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (Samuel S Griffith)
| line | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Dwellings visited | 98 | |||||||||
| Families visited | 159 | |||||||||
| Name | Saml Griffiths | Rebecca " | John " | Saml " | Anne " | Sarah Griffiths | Anna Ranken | Otis Stimmell | Mary McCarty | Edw. Flanagan |
| Age | 26 | 25 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 2 [?] | 17 | 25 | 20 | 20 |
| Sex | M | F | M | M | F | F | F | M | F | M |
| Color | ||||||||||
| Occupation of males over 15 years | Gardener | Gardener | Carter | |||||||
| Real estate owned | ||||||||||
| Birthplace | " [sc. Penna] | " | " | " | " | Penna | Ireland | Penna | Scotland | Penna |
| Married within year | ||||||||||
| Attended school within year | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Over 20 & can't read/write | ||||||||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| Dwelling number | 1319 | ||||||||||
| Family number | 1510 | ||||||||||
| Name | Samuel Griffith | Rebecca " | John " | Samuel " | Anne " | Sarah " | Rebecca " | William " | William McIlvain | Lewis Brophey | Charles Davis |
| Age | 42 | 35 | 20 | 17 [could be 14 or 19] | 13 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 50 | 28 | 15 |
| Sex | m | f | m | m | f | f | f | m | m | m | m |
| Color | |||||||||||
| Occupation | hotel keeper | Butcher | " " | Iron moulder | " | Butcher | |||||
| Value of real estate owned | |||||||||||
| Value of personal estate | 300 | ||||||||||
| Place of birth | Penn | " | " | " | " | " | " | " | Ireland | Penn | N Jersey |
| Married within year | |||||||||||
| Attended school within year | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Cannot read & write | |||||||||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| Dwelling-house number | 286 | |||
| Family number | 316 | |||
| Name | Griffith Samuel S | - Rebecca | - Rebecca | - Emma |
| Age | 53 | 45 | 14 | 9 |
| Sex | M | F | F | F |
| Color | W | W | W | W |
| Occupation | Butcher | Keeping house | Attending school | Attending school |
| Real estate value | $6000 | |||
| Personal estate value | $500 | |||
| Birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| Father foreign born | ||||
| Mother foreign born | ||||
| Birth month if born within year | ||||
| Marriage month if married within year | ||||
| Attended school past year | 1 | 1 | ||
| Can't read | ||||
| Can't write | ||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. | ||||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old | 1 | |||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old who can't vote ... |
| line | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
| street name | South 15th | |||
| house number | 1149 | |||
| dwelling visit # | 65 | |||
| family visit # | 65 | |||
| name | Griffith Saml S. | " " Rebecca | " " Rebecca | " " Emma |
| color | W | W | W | W |
| sex | M | F | F | F |
| age | 62 | 54 | 22 | 18 |
| month born if born in year | ||||
| relationship | Wife | Daughter | Daughter | |
| single | 1 | 1 | ||
| married | 1 | 1 | ||
| widowed/divorced | ||||
| married during year | ||||
| occupation | Livery Buisness [sic] | |||
| months unemployed | ||||
| currently ill? | ||||
| blind | ||||
| deaf/dumb | ||||
| idiotic | ||||
| insane | ||||
| disabled | ||||
| school this year | ||||
| can't read | ||||
| can't write | ||||
| birthplace | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna |
| father's birthplace | Wales | English [sic] | Penna | Penna |
| mother's birthplace | Wales | Penna | Penna | Penna |
| line | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 |
| street | Federal St | |||||
| house number | 1515 | |||||
| dwelling number | 78 | |||||
| family number | 81 | |||||
| name | Philips, Rubin | Philips, Emma S | Phillips William | Griffith Rebeca | Noble Sarrah | Noble John |
| relationship | Head | Wife | Son | Mother in Law | Boarder | Boarder |
| color | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| sex | M | F | M | F | F | M |
| birth date | Feb [?] 1871 [sic] | March 1861 | Oct 1884 | Nov 1821 | Nov 1871 | Jan 1879 |
| age | 49 [sic] | 39 | 15 | 78 | 28 | 21 |
| married? | M | M | S | Wd | S | S |
| # years married | 18 | 18 | ||||
| mother of how many children? | 1 | 13 | ||||
| # of children living | 1 | 4 | ||||
| birthplace | Maryland | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penan | Penna |
| father's birthplace | Maryland | Penna | Maryland | England | Penna | Penna |
| mother's birthplace | Maryland | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna |
| immigration year | ||||||
| # years in USA | ||||||
| naturalized citizen? | ||||||
| occupation | Train Bag Porter [??] | Errand [??] Body | Trains [?] Nurses | Clerk | ||
| # months not employed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| # months in school | ||||||
| can read | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| can write | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| speaks English | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| owned/rented | O | |||||
| free or mortgaged | F | |||||
| farm/house | H | |||||
| # of farm schedule | ||||||
GRIFFITH.--On the 26th ult., Samuel S. Griffith, son of the late John I. [?] and Ann W. Griffith, aged 75 years. The relatives and friends of the family, also survivors of 91st Pennsylvania Volunteers, Post 5, G.A.R., and butchers and dealers of Federal Market, are respectfully invited to attend the funeral, on Monday, at 2 o'clock, from his late residence, 1515 Federal street. To proceed to Woodlands Cemetery.
GRIFFITH.--On April 6, 1902, Rebecca Pole Griffith, wife of James S. Griffith, aged 80 years. Funeral on Wednesday, at 2 o'clock, from 1515 Federal street. Members of the Broad Street M.E. Church are invited. Interment at Woodlands Cemetery.