70-George WARK, b. before 1776, d. before 1810, Jefferson Co., VA, m. (71) Catherine ____?, b. before 1776, d. after 1810, Jefferson Co., WV. George WARK may have first surfaces in Cecil Co., MD, with a family consisting of 2 males and 3 females. A George WARKER appears in Hartford Co., MD, in the 1776 Census of MD, which the compiler feels is our George, even though the name is listed as WARKER (but looks more like WARKS or WARKES in the original records), and there is some inconsistency in the given names of the family members. No records have been found in MD for their marriage, or in PA to date. It is suspected that they either came directly to this country, or came into MD via PA. There are a a large number of WARKS/WORKS families in the PA counties to the north of Cecil Co., MD. By 1795, he definitely is in Jefferson Co., VA, (then Berkeley Co., VA), where George bought land from Col. Charles Washington, the founder of Charles Town. Throughout his time in Charles Town, he sold various parts of this lot to other parties. In 1800 he is still in Charles Town. Catherine, his wife appears alone in the 1810 census where she continues to sell property until 1819. In various deeds she was not able to travel to the court to sign the deeds, which makes one ponder what might have been her affliction. (MDCE1, WVBEB1, WEBE4, WVJE6) By all available accounts, they had only three children:
70.1-Margaret WARK, b. Jefferson Co., VA, d. probably bef. 1820, Jefferson Co., VA, m. Daniel W. GRIFFITH. Daniel and, brother-in-law, Jacob WARK, were co-administrators of the estate of one James Brown in 1828. Daniel must have married 2nd., Elizabeth _____?, when they obtained from brother-in-law, Jacob WARK, a lot in Charles Town. In his household in 1810 are 4 males and 5 females. The grave marker of their son Jacob W. GRIFFITH, Margaret is identified as "Martha". By all accounts in Jefferson Co., WV, records, her name was Margaret. Only one child has been identified. (WVJE6) Children:
- 70.1a Jacob Wark GRIFFITH b. 13 Oct 1819 d. 31 Mar 1885
70.1a-Jacob Wark GRIFFITH, b. 13 Oct 1819, Jefferson Co., VA, d. 31 mar 1885, of Peritonitis in Oldham Co., KY, m. 18 Sep 1848, Oldham Co., Mary B. OGLESBY, b. 19 Dec 1829, KY, d/o Thomas OGLESBY and Nancy E. (CARTER) OGLESBY, d. 11 Dec 1915, probably in Louisville, Jefferson Co., KY. Jacob was known as "Roaring Jake" or "Thundering Jake" in KY, came to that state at age 21 in 1840. He was apprenticed to two medical practitioners, and soon established his own practice. In all of the census records, he is identified as a farmer. In 1846, he left KY to fight in the Mexican War. In 1850 he joined a 40 mule-team wagon train going to CA. He returned to KY in 1852 to practice medicine and enter politics. He was elected to represent Oldham and Trimble counties in 1854-1855, and again in 1878-1879. He joined the Confederacy at the outbreak of the Civil War. At the Battle of Corinth in TN, unable to mount a horse due to a previous wound, he led a successful charge in a horse and buggy. In the 1880 Census, they are living in Floydsville, Oldham Co. Sometime after the death of Jacob, the family moved to Louisville, Jefferson Co., KY, where Mary and 4 of the children are in the 1900 census. He and his wife are buried in Mt. Tabor Methodist Church Cemetery in Oldham Co., KY. (INT1, 2, KYOLB1, 2, KYOL4, 5, 6, 7) Childen:
- 70.1a1 Anna W. "Mattie" GRIFFITH b. Oct 1856
- 70.1a2 William W. GRIFFITH b. Aug 1857
- 70.1a3 Virginia R. "Jennie" GRIFFITH b. Mar 1860
- 70.1a4 Wheeler GRIFFITH b. c1867
- 70.1a5 Jacob W. GRIFFITH b. Feb 1870
- 70.1a6 David Lewellyn Wark "D. W." GRIFFITH b. 22 Jan 1875 d. 23 Jul 1948 "The Father of Motion Pictures" see below:
- 70.1a7 Albert GRIFFITH b. Jun 1878
70.1a2-William W. GRIFFITH, b. Aug 1857, m. Ann Marie CRUTCHER, b. Aug 1865, KY. In 1900, William was a farmer in Simpsonville District, Shelby Co., KY; in 1910, they moved to Oldham Co., and in 1920, they were in Ballardville, Oldham. Two of their children died young. (KYOL8, 9, KYSH10) Children:
- 70.1a2a Marie GRIFFITH b. Apr 1880
- 70.1a2b Annie Margarette GRIFFITH b. Feb 1885
- 70.1a2c Myrtie S. GRIFFITH b. c1905
70.1a5-Jacob W. GRIFFTH, b. Feb 1870, KY, d. bet. 1910 and 1920, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., CA, m. bef. 1892, Ella B. ____, b. Aug 1874, KY. In 1900, they were living in the 8th. Ward, Louisville, Jefferson Co., KY. Before 1910, they moved to Los Nietas Twp., Los Angeles Co., where Jacob d. before 1920. Jacob is listed in the 1910 census, as a newspaper editor. Ella is listed as a bookkeeper in a news office. After the death of Jacob, Ella m. Clyde Collins, b. c1882 in SC. He is listed in the 1920 census as a printer at a newspaper. (KYJF11, CALA6, 7) Children:
- 70.1a5a Ruth G. GRIFFITH b. Nov 1892
- 70.1a5b Lynn A. GRIFFITH b. Oct 1894
- 70.1a5c Willard C. GRIFFITH b. Jan 1897
70.1a6 David Lewellyn Wark "D. W." GRIFFITH, b. 22 Jan 1875, near Centerville, Oldham Co., KY, d. 23 Jul 1948, Hollywood, Los Angeles Co., CA, m. 1st. 14 May 1906, Boston, MA, Linda ARVIDSON, b. 1884, San Francisco, CA, d. 26 Jul 1949, New York City, NY, a screen and stage actress, and author. They were divorced in 1936. Two days later, D. W., at the age of 61, m. at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY, Evelyn BALDWIN, b. c1910. They were also divorced before his death. D. W. quit school and worked at odd jobs in a dry goods store, and a book store. His acting debut was with the Meffert Stock Co. in Louisville. In the 1900 census in Louisville, while living with his widowed mother, he is listed as an actor. He went to New York City before 1906, where he worked as an extra at Biograph Studio for $5 a day. Executives at the studio taking note of his innovative ideas gave him a chance to direct when one of their directors became ill. This started his career as a director, producing 450 short films while at Biograph. His greatest film, "Birth of a Nation" opened at the Liberty Theater in New York on 3 Mar 1915, still a controversial film, depending which biography you read. Throughout his career as a director, he gave may famous actors their start, including Mary Pickford, Lillian and Dorothy Gish, Mae Marsh, Lionel Barrymore, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Charlie Chaplin, and richard Barthelmess. He influenced many directors, among them, Cecil B. DeMille, Rex Ingram, Erich von Stroheim, and King Vidor to name a few. He often returned to KY for long periods at a time, lavishing his relative with gifts. In 1945 he received an honorary degree from University of Louisville. On 22 Jul 1948, he suffered a brain hemorrhage in his room at the Knickbocker Hotel in Hollywood, and died the next day at Temple Hospital, at age 73. He was buried at Mt. Tabor United Methodist Church in Centerfield, Oldham Co., KY. On 5 May 1875, he was honored with a 10 cent stamp by the U. S. Postal Service. He had on children by either marriage. (INT1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 plus) There is a variety of informaton on D. W. GRIFFITH and family at the following sites; some of these would not link, and you may have to type in the URL:
http://kentuckyexplorer.com/nonmembers/01-03028.html
http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/KY/OL.html
http://www.thehistorynet.com/ah/bldwgriffith/
http://www.gildasattic.com/dwgriffith.html
http://silentgents.com/DGriffith.html
http://www.tvdays.com/biograph.htm
http://alumni.imsa.edu~mitch/directors/griffith.html
http://www.variedtastes.com/encyclopedia/David_Wark_Griffith
http://www.silentsaregolden.com/articles/friffithgrave.html
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