Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 23.djvu/250

Rh and Jewellers' Annuity Institution Asylum, Hackney, 1853 (the exterior view engraved); planned additions and alterations to the Clerkenwell Vestry Hall, 1857 (given in, p. 175); designed many parochial and ragged schools 1858-62; and adapted Melrose Hall, Putney Heath, for the Royal Hospital for Incurables 1864-5 (given in Builder, 1865, p. 118). He directed the erection of Messrs. Rivington's printing-office, St. John's House, Clerkenwell, 1866, and the repairs to and partial renewal of the tower and porch of the church of St. Sepulchre, Holborn, 1873; designed the House of Detention, Kingston-on-Thames; and the repairs to the tower of Kingston Church. Griffith was keenly interested in the antiquities of Clerkenwell, made a special study of the old priory of St. John of Jerusalem, and spared no pains to avert the threatened destruction of St. John's Gate, helping to raise a public subscription for its restoration. Relics of both priory and gate, some of which he brought to light, were deposited in the Architectural Museum, and at South Kensington (see, Clerkenwell, pp. 227, 228, 242, 243, 247; Illustrated London News, 1856, p. 133). A view of the gate, as restored by Griffith, is given in Pinks, p. 270. In his writings he mainly endeavoured to show that 'the geometrical proportions pervading Greek and Gothic architecture are in principle based upon nature's works' (Suggestions for a more Beautiful Period of Gothic Architecture, p. 6), and that 'by the employment of regular figures and their multiples in architecture, we always ensure an equal distribution of parts, which also exists in the vegetable kingdom' (Ancient Gothic Churches, pt. ii. p. 26). Griffith died a poor man at 3 Isledon Road, Highbury, N., 14 Sept. 1884.

He published: 1. ‘The Geometrical Proportion of Architecture,’ 1843. 2. ‘The Natural System of Architecture,’ 1845. 3. ‘Ancient Gothic Churches,’ 3 parts, 1847-8-52. 4. ‘Architectural Botany’ (extracted from part iii. of ‘Ancient Gothic Churches’), 1852. 5. ‘Suggestions for a more Perfect and Beautiful Period of Gothic Architecture,’ 1855. 6. ‘Proposed Nomenclature and Eras, forming an Index to George Godwin's Tabular History of Architecture in England,’ single card, n. d.

[Private information; authorities quoted in text; Pinks's Clerkenwell, pp. 53, 175, 178, 246, 248, 281, 319, 330, 627, 691, 692; Builder, 1847 p. 287, 1884 p. 387; Graves's Dict. of Artists; Royal Academy Catalogues, 1839-40; Catalogues of Society of British Artists, 1840-2; Proceedings Soc. Antiq. Lond. 1st ser. iii. 248, 255, iv. 206, 2nd ser. i. 259; Archæological Journal, 1846, ii. 80; Cat. of Drawings, &c. in Library of R.I.B.A.; Transactions of R.I.B.A.; Architectural Magazine, 1836, pp. 496, 562, 563, 564, 565; Proceedings of Coll. of Freemasons of the Church, pp. 23, 25, 27, 36, 62; Associated Architectural Societies' Reports and Papers, iii. 151; Transactions of Surrey Archæological Society, 1854-5, vol. i. pt. i. p. xv; Times, 16 Sept. 1884, p. 1; Cat. of Library of R.I.B.A.; Brit. Mus. Cat. of Printed Books.]  GRIFFITHS, ANN (17801805), Welsh hymn-writer, born in 1780, was the eldest daughter of John Thomas, a respectable farmer, living at Dolwar-fechan, Llanfihangel yn Ngwynfa, Montgomeryshire. She received a fair education, and was able to read English and to write. In her early youth she is said to have been of a lively disposition, fond of a dance and a song, and supposed to make little of religious customs. A great change came over her somewhat later, through hearing a sermon by the Rev. Benjamin Jones, the independent minister at Pwllheli. She attached herself to the independents, but eventually cast in her lot with the Calvinistic methodists. She possessed a retentive memory, and could generally repeat oft-hand any sermon she heard, and is said to have written out several of those of John Elias [q. v.] in full. Her hymns and religious verses are often lacking in rhythmic smoothness, but they are spirited, and indicate a deep piety and warmth of emotion. Her biographer says her songs, hymns, and letters are all worthy of preservation. She committed very few of her hymns to paper, and most of them have been preserved from the memory of the servant-girl to whom they were recited. They may be found to-day in the hymn-books of most of the popular churches. Her literary remains, with memoirs, have been published. She died in August 1805.

[Memoir in Traethodydd, 1846; Methodistiaeth Cymru, ii. 416; Jones's Geiriadur Bywgraffyddol, i. 434.]  GRIFFITHS, DAVID (1792–1863), missionary, was born at Glanmeilwch, Llangadoc, Carmarthenshire, 20 Dec. 1792. He became member of the neighbouring congregational church at Gwynfe in 1810, and soon after began to preach. He conducted a school of his own at Cwmaman in 1811-12; entered the college at Neuaddlwyd 1812, that at Wrexham 1814, and in 1817 or early in 1818 left Llanfyllin, whence the Wrexham College had been meanwhile removed, for the missionary college at Gosport. He married in May 1820, and in June received the appointment of missionary to Madagascar, as colleague of the Rev. D. Jones, who had gone