6th Great Grandparents; Richard and Elizabeth Griffiths

Elizabeth Griffith (1727-1793)

When Elizabeth Griffith was born on October 11, 1727, in Wales, her father, Thomas, was 32, and her mother, Jane Foxtroth Griffith, was 33. Her father was a theatre manager. 

According to Wikipedia, "The family settled in Dublin, where they brought up Elizabeth to be a sociable child, cheerful and at ease among the theatrical community".[2] In addition to giving her access to the theatre-world, Thomas Griffith educated Elizabeth in French and English literature. Her father died in 1744, which led to economic hardship for the family. Her Dublin acting debut took place on 13 October 1749, when she played Juliet to a considerably older Romeo played by Thomas Sheridan at the Smock Alley Theatre. Griffith specialized in tragic roles, such as Jane Shore in Nicholas Rowe's The Tragedy of Jane Shore and Cordelia in King Lear.She married her first cousin, Richard Griffith in 1751. They had five children during their marriage. She died on January 5, 1793, in Kildare, Ireland, at the age of 65.Elizabeth Griffith was born in Glamorgan, Wales, to Dublin theater manager Thomas Griffith and Jane Foxcroft Griffith on 11 October 1727.[2] "The family settled in Dublin, where they brought up Elizabeth to be a sociable child, cheerful and at ease among the theatrical community".[2] In addition to giving her access to the theatre-world, Thomas Griffith educated Elizabeth in French and English literature. Her father died in 1744, which led to economic hardship for the family. Her Dublin acting debut took place on 13 October 1749, when she played Juliet to a considerably older Romeo played by Thomas Sheridan at the Smock Alley Theatre. Griffith specialized in tragic roles, such as Jane Shore in Nicholas Rowe's The Tragedy of Jane Shore and Cordelia in King Lear.

Elizabeth met her kinsman and future husband, Richard Griffith, in 1746.[2] On 12 May[3] 1751, they married in secret. Elizabeth gave birth to two children, Catherine and Richard. Through her son, her descendants included Australian politician Arthur Hill Griffith, who was her grandson, and French-Canadian actress Jessica Paré.[3]

Elizabeth and Richard's five year courtship provided the basis for her first publication, A Series of Genuine Letters Between Henry and Frances, published in six volumes between 1757 and 1770. The letters include many references to "literary and philosophical subjects of mutual interest, like the letters of Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope or Cicero's Offices"; Griffith valued the opportunity to build upon her education.[4] Letters between Henry and Frances was an immediate success that generated fame but not wealth for both writers. Richard traveled after the couple married and was absent for extended periods. He borrowed a large sum of money to develop a linen manufactory, which went bankrupt in 1756. During this time, and while Richard was avoiding debtor's court, income generated by Griffith's writing sustained the family. Griffith continued her acting career at Covent Garden, in London, from 1753 to 1755,[5] though she never played more than minor characters.

Capitalizing on the initial success of the Letters, Elizabeth translated many French works and plays. Between 1764 and 1769, she wrote four plays with varying degrees of success. Griffith's third play, The Double Mistake (1766) was well received at Covent Garden, which emboldened her to approach David Garrick for help staging her next play. Griffith collaborated with Garrick to produce her most successful comedy, The School for Rakes, in 1769.[3] While the two had a tumultuous relationship, Garrick's influence on Griffith was clear. After his death, in the advertisement for the print publication for The Times, Griffith attributed the "first idea of this piece" to the late Garrick. While she praised Garrick as a primary influence, the connections she made at Smock Alley Theater in Dublin contributed more to the play's production. Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the son of her acting mentor Thomas Sheridan, produced The Times, at Drury Lane. While her fame was not the direct result of her acting career, Griffith's theatrical connections were invaluable to her success.

Elizabeth Griffith's literary production was steady from 1760 to 1779, garnering her significant notoriety in the literary circles of London. She published essays, epistolary novels, novelettes, translations, and literary criticism. As a hard-working professional writer she produced a large body of diverse works. The last decade of her life was free of the financial struggles she and her husband had endured throughout their marriage.

Griffith's son worked for the East India Company as an accountant, and returned to Ireland in 1786 a wealthy man. He settled at Millicent House in Kildare, and Griffith and her husband lived out the rest of their days at this residence. Griffith died at Millicent House in 1793."

Richard Griffith (1704-1788)

Richard Griffith(1704 - 1788)     Richard Griffith was born in 1704 in Ireland. For further details see http://www.pgileirdata.org/html/pgil_datasets/index.htm.  He was the son of Edward Griffith and Abigail Handcock. Richard Griffith married his first cousin Elizabeth Griffith(Griffith) on 12 May 1751 in Ireland. Richard traveled extensively, and Elizabeth helped to support their family with her writing career. They were the authors of "A series of genuine letters between Herntry & Frances" (see attached below). Richard Griffith lived at 'Maidenhall', Bennetsbridge, Kilkenny, Ireland.  Richard died in 1788 in Naas, Kildare, Ireland. Children of Richard Griffith and Elizabeth Griffith (Griffith) Richard Griffith+ b. 10 Jun 1752, d. 1820 Catherine Griffith (Buck) b. 1756. Awarded lord lieutenant of Ireland by the Duke of Bedford.  He died at Millicent House (then belonging to his son).

Biography Elizabeth Griffith from Dictionary of National Biography Volumes 1-22