Piers Griffith

Piers (Pierce) Griffith, pirate, was buried somewhere in the south transept of Westminster Abbey but his gravestone no longer remains. In Henry Keepe's book on the Abbey inscriptions, published in 1683, the inscription is given as:

Here lyeth the body of Peeres Gruffith Esquire, sonne & heire to Sr. Ree. Gruffyth & grandchild to Sr William Gruffyth chamberlaine of North-wales, who dyed the 18 of Aug. 1628.

Above this were coats of arms. That for Griffiths is given as "Gules, a chevron ermine between three old mens heads coped proper, their periwigs or", which was quartered with eight other coats of arms. In Keepe's manuscript in the Abbey Library the arms are painted.

Piers was a son of Sir Rees Griffith of Penrhyn, who was High Sheriff of Carnarvonshire in 1567, and his second wife Catherine (daughter of Pierce or Peter Mostyn). Piers equipped and sailed a privateer and later cruised with Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh. In the time of King James I he was accused of piracy by the Spanish Ambassador, who pressed the charge so strongly that Piers was compelled to sell his estate to obtain a pardon. He married Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas Mostyn, and had several children - two sons who died fairly young and 5 daughters. Griffith's estate was acquired by John Williams, who was Dean of Westminster 1620-1644 and cousin of Lady (Mary) Mostyn. This may explain why Piers was given burial in the Abbey.

A nephew, Sergeant William Griffith, was buried on the south side of the church in 1637 but no gravestone remains for him. He was sergeant at arms to James I and Charles I. His wife Margaret appears to have been buried at St Margaret's Westminster in 1634. His sons were Charles, Thomas and Robert and daughters Katherine, Bridget and Frances.

A John Griffith "scion of an ancient Welsh family" was buried in the north transept in 1597 according to William Camden's 1600 guide to the Abbey.

Further reading for Piers

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2004

"Piers Griffith - pirate of Penrhyn..." by Glenys Mair Lloyd, 2015