Virginia

1891-1899: Virginia

(More Entries and Links Are Forthcoming)

--Oct. 1891 begins studying at Richmond Theological Seminary http://www.vuu.edu/Uploads/images/union%20hotel%20rti.jpg

--11/28/91 E. W. D. Isaac writes Griggs a letter of recommendation for Richmond Theological

--12/9/91 Rev. N. Wolverton, President of Bishop College, writes Griggs a letter of recommendation for Richmond Theological that alludes to his dismissal from Bishop

http://ontarioplaques.com/Plaques/Plaque_Oxford20.html

--10/13-10-16/93 In San Antonio, R. H. Boyd participates in the founding of the separatist General Missionary Baptist Convention of Texas (an organization opposed to the efforts of both A. R. Griggs, who was Superintendent of Texas Missions for the New York-based American Baptist Home Mission Society at a salary reported to be $1000 a year, and E. W. D. Isaac) and is appointed to the Committee on Missions, according to the Minutes of the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Texas for 1893 (written by the organization's Secretary, the educator C. H. Griggs of Cuero, TX) p. 14 (Despite some published accounts to the contrary, there is no evidence that Sutton Griggs, pursuing his B. D. in Virginia at the time, attends this meeting; however, in 1899, he will start working for Boyd at the National Baptist Publishing Board in Nashville) http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/morris/ill277.html

--3/12/94 Represents Richmond Theological and argues the affirmative in a public debate—“it is expedient for the colored people of the U.S. to cease voting with the Republicans and vote with the Prohibitionists,” according to a 3/3/94 Richmond Planet article http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1894-03-03/ed-1/seq-4/

--4/21/1894 The Virginia Baptist, a four-page newspaper published on Saturdays that costs $1 a year and has a circulation of less than 1000 (according to Rowell's American Newspaper Directory), is founded with Griggs as one of the directors and editors http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1894-04-28/ed-1/seq-4/

--4/27/94 Receives his B.D. degree from Richmond Theological Seminary and speaks on “The Attitude of the Colored People towards the American Home Mission Society” at the commencement ceremony, according to a 5/5/94 RP article http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1894-05-05/ed-1/seq-4/

--5/5/94 Delivers a public lecture in Richmond, according to RP http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1894-05-05/ed-1/seq-4/

--May 1894 A. R. Griggs attends the annual session of the Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas as a visitor (Journal of the SBC annual session, p. 63)

--Mid-Sept. 1894 Representing the VB, attends and is elected secretary at the Afro-American Editors Conference in Richmond, according to a 9/22/94 Washington Bee article

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025891/1894-09-22/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1894&index=4&rows=20&words=Afro+American+EDITOR+Editors&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1898&proxtext=Afro-American+Editors&y=16&x=13&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

--Fall 1894 Defends the Richmond-based Missionary Board against charges of mismanagement, and, along with L. M. Luke and A. W. Pegues, develops “the form, structure, and machinery of an organization”--i.e. the National Baptist Convention--that would unify three major black Baptist confederations, according to A History of Black Baptists by Leroy Fitts

--10/15/94 In Houston, the Executive Board of the separatist General Baptist State Convention of Texas elects Boyd "Supt. of state missions at a salary of $800 per annum with expenses, not to exceed $200," according to the Minutes of the 1894 General Baptist State Convention, p. 32

--The Jan. 1895 issue of the National Baptist Magazine features a portrait and a biographical sketch of A. R. Griggs, which includes the following statement, "His eldest son, Sutton, taught school at Dallas, graduated at Bishop College, and Richmond Theological Seminary, and is the able editor of the Virginia Baptist" (49), and a few pages later, in its Editorial section, the NBM declares, "The Virginia Baptist is a vigorous organ, with an editorial staff second to none in the country. The cause is safe with such men as Revs. Griggs, Graham, Lewis, Hayes, and the scholarly Dr. J. E. Jones to defend it" (52)

--2/3/95 Preaches at the Fourth Baptist Church in Richmond, VA

--3/26/95 Attends a meeting in support of Richmond Planet editor John Mitchell at the Planet offices http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1895-03-30/ed-1/seq-1/

--5/8 and 5/9/95 Participates in the Baptist State Convention at Suffolk, VA http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1895-05-11/ed-1/seq-1/

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1895-05-18/ed-1/seq-1/

--7/7/95 Preaches at the Manchester, VA, First Baptist Church http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1895-07-13/ed-1/seq-1/

--Sept. 1895 Attends the meeting in Atlanta that results in the formation of the National Baptist Convention, representing Virginia (Richmond), according to a 10/1/95 Atlanta Constitution item

--9/30/95 and 10/7/95 Participates in the “great denominational debate” (Baptists v. Methodists), according to the RP

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1895-09-21/ed-1/seq-1/

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1895-10-05/ed-1/seq-6/

--Nov. 1895 Attends the Afro-American Press Association meeting in Atlanta, representing the VB

--Jan. 1896 Serves as “pastor of the Mount Herman [Hermon] Baptist Church of Norfolk Co. [likely in Portsmouth, VA],” according to a 1/25/96 Personals and Briefs item in the RP

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1895-05-18/ed-1/seq-1/

--5/13-5/14/96 Participates in the Baptist State Convention at Norfolk, VA, where he makes a successful motion concerning contributions to the NBC's Foreign Mission Board, according to Black Baptists and African Missions by Sandy D. Martin, pp. 146-47; see also http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1896-05-23/ed-1/seq-1/

--9/13/96 Participates in the installation of H. H. Mitchell as the pastor of Norfolk’s Bank Street Baptist Church http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1896-09-19/ed-1/seq-4/

--10/11/96 Becomes pastor of the First Baptist Church of Berkley, VA, according to the RP http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1896-10-10/ed-1/seq-4/

--4/25/97 Preaches the Recognition sermon for Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Berkley, VA, according to a 4/17/97 article by A. E. Robinson in the IF

--5/7/97 Marries Emma J. Williams of Portsmouth, VA, in a ceremony in Berkley, VA, according to Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940

--Early June 1897 Griggs's father meets in Nashville with other NBC Executive Board members, according to a 6/10/97 Nashville American article

--9/23/97 Preaches at Suffolk, VA’s Antioch Christian Church, according to a 10/2/97 RP item

--Fall 1897 Allen R. Griggs, Jr., begins taking the Academic (college preparatory) Course at Roger Williams University in Nashville, according to the school's Annual Catalogue

--12/16-12/17/97 Attends and serves as statistical secretary for the meeting at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., at which the Lott Carey Convention, a group composed largely of Virginia and North Carolina Baptists that broke away from the NBC, was founded, according to Martin, pp. 150-51; see also a page-two 12/17/97 Washington Times article

--January-April 1898 Engages (as VB editor) in a feud with RP editor John Mitchell; the first installment of Mitchell's eight-part series of attacks on Griggs was published in the 12 February 1898 issue of the Planet:

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1898-02-12/ed-1/seq-2/ see also

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1898-02-19/ed-1/seq-2/ and

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1898-02-26/ed-1/seq-2/ and

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1898-03-05/ed-1/seq-2/ and

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1898-03-12/ed-1/seq-2/ and

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1898-03-19/ed-1/seq-2/ and

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1898-03-26/ed/-1/seq-2/ and

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1898-04-02/ed-1/seq-2/ as well as

http://www.lva.virginia.gov/exhibits/mitchell/ajax.htm

--The Oct. 1898 issue of NBM asks, "What has become of the Virginia Baptist," suggesting that the periodical had ceased publication by that time

--10/22/98 Loses a $100 court judgment involving the VB, according to the RP http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1898-10-29/ed-1/seq-1/ see also

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1899-07-01/ed-1/seq-1/

--Spring 1899 Publishes Imperium in Imperio (Editor Publishing Co., Cincinnati) http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/GriImpe.html see also

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86071779/1899-04-05/ed-1/seq-2/

--6/24/99 Goes "up" to Charleston, WV, according to a Huntington, WV, item dated 6/27/99 in the RP's 7/8/99 issue http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/1899-07-08/ed-1/seq-5/