[1] Born on July 16, 1748, to the former Mary Anne Bertrand and her husband Col. Leroy Griffin in Farnham Parish (now Farnham), then in Lancaster County (which became part of Richmond County in his lifetime), Colony of Virginia, British America,[2][3] He was a descendant of an Englishman named Thomas Griffin, who settled to the Virginia Colony in the early 1600s, and received land grants including from Edward Bradshaw of Lancaster County.

[6] Clearly, this Griffin was a patriot and also had two older brothers as well as a sister who married Col. Richard Adams of Richmond County.

[7] Another slightly older brother Samuel Griffin also became a Virginia lawyer, and Continental Army officer before beginning a political career that included service in the U.S. House of Representatives.

[13][3] He aligned with the Federalist party and served as United States Commissioner to the Creek Nation in 1789.

[17] He returned to Virginia and died on December 14, 1810 at Yorktown, in York County, probably at the home of his daughter or of Dr. Griffin as referenced in that letter.