Rev. 13 Aug. 2008, Gen. 166

JOHN GRAVES

1635 Settler of Concord, MA

and His Descendants

GENERATION 1

John Graves (1) was born in England about 1605. It is claimed that he was christened in the Parish of Beeley in Derbyshire, and that he died in 1704 in CT; however, the evidence for both these claims is unknown or nonexistent and therefore the claims (especially for the place of christening) are suspect.

John Graves came to America with his wife in 1635 and settled in Concord, MA. He belonged to the church where Rev. Peter Bulkeley (sometimes spelled Bulkley) was a teacher. He was one of the signers of the petition to the General Court of Massachusetts in 1643 in favor of Ambrose Martin, and in 1644 his name was attached to a document pledging its signers, which included nearly every head of a family in Concord, to the support of the government.

It has also been said that he was master of the "Tryall”, the first ship built in America, in 1648; however, that is not correct. It was Thomas Graves of Charlestown, MA, later Rear Admiral, who was master of the Tryall.

It has been stated by one source (R‑20) that John Graves’ wife was named Joan. R‑62 gives her name as Joan/Ann Bird, and that her father was George Bird. It is also said that he moved to Connecticut where he died in 1704.

It was stated by genealogist John Card Graves, a descendant of John Graves of Concord, that John Graves was a brother of Deacon George Graves of Hartford, CT, and that their sister Sarah married Richard Lord of New London, CT. They were related to widow Ann Graves of Great Minores St., St. Botolph Parish, Aldgate (or Olgate), London, England, who by will proven 20 March 1676 gave annuities to the children of Deacon George in case of failure of issue to her grandson Joseph Hardey.

It seems likely that John Graves and George Graves were brothers, since DNA analyses of their descendants show that they share a common ancestor, although that doesn’t prove that they were brothers rather than cousins.

Another part of the “proof” for John Graves being a brother of Deacon George Graves is a letter dated 27 Feb. 1675 from an aunt, Anna Graves of London, to John Graves of Guilford, CT. She wrote that she was 92 at that time and her only daughter had died Nov. 1674. Based on the present evidence, it seems likely that Anna Graves was a sister-in-law of Deacon George Graves. There is also the possibility that Anna and Ann Graves were the same person. Research needs to be done in London records to further establish the facts.

The reason this letter was cited as proof is that the date was misread as 1645. The letter is actually written to John Graves, son of Deacon George Graves, and not to John Graves of Concord. To establish this, the author examined a photocopy of the actual letter and saw the envelope which is addressed to John Graves of Guilford, CT, and not John of Concord. The brother George mentioned in the letter is not the immigrant Deacon George Graves, but the son of George. This letter and several others were stored in a bank vault in Madison, CT in 1990, and copies were in the possession of members of "The Deacon John Graves Foundation, Inc." located in Madison. The text of the letter is as follows:

"London, Febr'y the 27, 1675 Couzen John Graves in New England

My kind love to your wife and children. Hoping yt these few lines will find you well as I pray ye Lord left me, in considering my age. Couzen having an oportunity of sending caused me to write this being the sixth letter to you since I received yours yt some of those may come safe to yr hand and to inform you yt hath pleased God to take away from me unto himself my deare and only daughter which is a great greafe and heavy burden to me in my great age [93] but considering whither she has gone I am satisfied. She departed this life ye 21st day of ye last November 1674. She had a great desire to hear from you before she died and if she had she would a remembered you at her death. And now couzen I am of great age and cannot expect to live long but have made my will and have left £50 among you as a token of my remembrance after I am dead. I have left £10 to yrself, £10 to yr brother George and yr sister £10 which is £30. The £20 remainder for yr children. If it shd please ye Lord to take me out of this world before ye letter comes I have left to good bondsmen over here in trust my will.

Ye one is Mr. William Griffing, a Merchant in Austin St. and ye other is Mr. James Arbell at ye White Anchor in ye little Minery. So I close commiting you to the protection of ye almighty God who never forsakes any yt wholey put their trust in him.

Your loving Aunt till death.

Anna Graves"

It is possible that John Graves was from Kent, England, since many of the early settlers of Concord were. However, according to Concord, Climate for Freedom, by Ruth B. Wheeler, the places in England from which they came were widely scattered. Hartwell, Bulkeley, and Wheeler were from Bedfordshire; Willard, Stow and Hosmer from Kent; Flint and Wood from Derbyshire; Hunt and Heaward from Yorkshire; and Heald from Northumberland. William Butrick came from Surrey; Edward Wright from Stafford; and Thomas Brown from Lavenham, Sussex.

Concord was the first town carved out of the wilderness. Every other town in America had been close to the ocean or a tidal river, where goods could be transported by boat and natural features would mark the bounds with a minimum of exploration.

There was a constant shift in the population of Concord as newly-arrived immigrants came, stayed a while, then went to Connecticut or returned to the coastal towns, where those with a trade but no knowledge of farming could hope to make a living. Almost every deed to land in Concord listed the buyer as yeoman, except for the few gentlemen, whereas in coastal towns like Charlestown the identifying word would be that of a trade: glover, tanner, brickmaker, mason, etc.

In 1644 there was a split in the church at Concord. John Jones (the other minister in addition to Peter Bulkeley) took his family and 15 Concord men to Fairfield, CT, on Long Island Sound.

The early records of Concord (including land transactions) were largely lost. The town voted in 1664 to order a new leather-bound book and that “... what is useful in the old book be transcribed in the new.” Unfortunately, only a few items were considered worthy.

In addition to the children listed below, one source (R‑20) stated that there was a son Abraham who married Ann Hayward. (R‑62, R‑82, R‑200, R‑203)

Children - Graves

+2. Benjamin Graves, b. 3 March 1645, m. Mary Hoar, 21 Oct. 1668, d. before 23 March 1724.

+3. John Graves, b. 1647, m. Mary Chamberlain, 1 Dec. 1671.

4. Sarah Graves, b.c. 1650 (Concord, MA), m. Joseph Brabrook, 23 April 1672 (Concord, MA), d. 6 Sept. 1694.

GENERATION 2

CHILDREN OF JOHN GRAVES (1)

Benjamin Graves (2) was born 3 March 1645 in Concord, MA, and died before 23 March 1724 (d. 18 March 1715, in Concord, according to R‑39). He married Mary Hoar, daughter of John Hoar and Alice ‑‑‑‑‑‑ (possibly Lisle) of Concord, on 21 Oct. 1668 (Concord Register, Book Y; see Appendix for her Hoar ancestry). He was in the Colonial Wars as a member of Captain Thomas Wheeler's Company and fought against the Indians in July and August 1675. It is also noted that he was a soldier in King Philip’s War in Captain Wheeler’s Company and was in fights at Wicnaboag Pond and Brookfield, on 16 Aug. 1675. He served in Groton in Feb. 1675-1676, and his name appears again on the payroll 24 Aug. 1676.

He and his brother John Graves of Sudbury, MA, with others, purchased on 20 May 1681 from Christopher Hall "all the mines and minerals of one kind or another found or to be found or that may be found on his land in Groton, MA at a place called Cold Spring near William Longby's house, with liberty to dig, delve or use the land and to erect buildings etc." Benjamin Graves did not move to Groton but continued to live at Concord until after 1681, and all his children except the last one were born at Concord (according to Concord Register, Book 1).

Benjamin was apparently still living in Concord in 1684, since on a list of the second order of proprietors (in 1745) is included “David Comee, then living where Benjamin Graves lived in the year 1684.”

He moved to Saybrook, CT and lived at Pattaconke (northern part of Saybrook), where he bought land 25 Jan. 1703. He deeded half of his farm to his son Joseph on 18 March 1715, and certain lands to his son John of Killingworth, CT on 14 Sept. 1716.

The following records were found regarding Benjamin:

November 4, 1716, Benjamin Graves, yeoman, for love and good will to loving son John, now resident of Killingworth, amessuage or tenement at Pottaconk, with all the buildings, etc., bounded westerly by land of Joseph Graves, it being understood that Benjamin is to retain the life use of the same. (John sold the property in 1724.)

March 18, 1715, Benjamin Graves for love and affection to son Joseph deeded one-half the farm where I now dwell the westerly half (R-9).

Old Saybrook was divided into three parts. The northern part was called Pattaconke (also spelled Pataconke and Pattaquonck). "The committee for highway improvements were to lay out a good and sufficient highway to the 'Great River' at the northward side of ye land formerly owned by Benjamin Graves in Pattaconke", action taken at Saybrook, 5 Jan. 1724/5.

Old Saybrook is on the south shore of Connecticut, on Long Island Sound, at the mouth of the Connecticut River. Pattaconke was about 7 miles north of the mouth of the Connecticut River when a part of Saybrook. It is now the town of Chester, CT.

Killingworth is about 5 miles west of Chester, and was originally a part of Clinton, CT until 1836. Clinton is on the south shore of Connecticut about 5 miles south of Killingworth, CT. The land in this area is hilly and rolling, with forests. The births of all the children except John were recorded in Concord Register, Book 1. (R‑1, R‑20, R‑39, R‑62, R‑82, R‑200)

Children - Graves

+5. Mary Graves, b. 18 Jan. 1669/70, m. Benjamin Rice, 1 April 1691, d. 22 Oct. 1736.

+6. Elizabeth (or Mehitable) Graves, b. 25 April 1671, m. Joseph Beebe, 26 Dec. 1706, d. 4 April 1730.

+7. Ruth Graves, b. 25 Nov. 1674, m(1) John Webb, 25 (or 15) Jan. 1699/1700, m(2) William Merriam, 7 Nov. 1711, d. 12 Nov. 1755.

+8. Benjamin Graves, b. 2 March 1676/7, m(1) Ruth Stirling (or Mary Sterling)^[1], m(2) Mary Haynes, d. 30 Dec. 1752.

+9. Joseph Graves, b. 1 Sept. 1679, m. Sarah ‑‑‑‑‑‑, d. after 2 April 1756.

10. Joanna Graves, b. 2 Feb. 1681.

+11. John Graves, b. 1683, m(1) Hannah Farnum, 30 May 1710, m(2) Sarah Chapman, 18 June 1754, d. 29 Dec. 1766.

12. Rebecca Graves, b.c. 1685, m. Jonathan Daniels, 12 Dec. 1706 (New London, CT VR).

John Graves (3) was born 1647 in Concord, MA. He married Mary Chamberlain, daughter of Thomas or Richard Chamberlain and Sarah Bugbee, on 1 Dec. 1671. She was born 30 Jan. 1649. After the birth of their first child, the family moved from Concord to Sudbury, MA. (R‑64^[2], R‑200)

Children - Graves

13. John Graves, b. 8 July 1672 (Concord, MA).

14. Rebecca Graves, b. 7 Nov. 1676 (Sudbury, MA Vital Records, p. 58), m. Edmund Goodenow^[3] (?), d. 6 Feb. 1719/20 (Sudbury, MA VR p. 306). He was son of John Goodenow and Mary ‑‑‑‑‑‑. See Appendix for descendants of Rebecca Graves and Edmund Goodenow.

15. Ebenezer Graves, b. 9 Aug. 1681, d. 28 Dec. 1681 (or 17 Oct. 1730, Sudbury VR, p. 307).

GENERATION 3

CHILDREN OF BENJAMIN GRAVES (2) AND MARY HOAR

Mary Graves (5) was born 18 Jan. 1669/70 in Concord, MA (according to Concord Register, Book 1), and died 22 Oct. 1736 (according to R‑39). She married Benjamin Rice, son of Edward Rice and Anna ‑‑‑‑‑‑ of Marlboro, MA, on 1 April 1691 in Sudbury, MA. He was born 22 Dec. 1666 and died 23 Feb. 1748/9. He deeded to his wife's uncle, John Graves, of Sudbury, a house and 21 acres of land on 20 Jan. 1691. They lived in Marlboro, MA. (R‑200)

Children - Rice

16. Rachel Rice

17. Lydia Elizabeth Rice (This may be 2 daughters.)

18. Priscilla Rice

19. Damaris Rice

20. Azariah Rice

21. Simon Rice

22. Zerubbaber Rice

23. Abraham Rice

24. Matthias Rice

Elizabeth (or Mehitable) Graves (6) was born 25 April 1671 in Concord, MA, and died 4 April 1730 in Lyme, CT. She married Joseph Beebe on 26 Dec. 1706 in New London, CT. He was born about 1681, and died 4 Dec. 1756 in Lyme, CT. “age 70 odd” according to the Hempstead Diary, although he was probably older. Their children were born in New London, CT. (R‑61, R‑149, R‑208, R‑209)

Children - Beebe

+25. Joseph Beebe, b. 4 Dec. 1707, m. Sarah ‑‑‑‑‑‑, d. 20 Jan. 1739.

+26. Jonathan Beebe, b. 2 March 1709, m. Hannah Lewis, c. 1731-35, d. 20 Jan. 1759.

+27. Ephraim Beebe, b. 5 May 1712, m. Thankful Scone, 4 Dec. 1733/34.

28. Stephen Beebe, b. 13 July 1714, bapt. 20 Oct. 1728, m. Elizabeth Fergo/Fargo, 7 Dec. 1737/8, d. 8 Nov. 1760 (Ft. Edward, Washington Co., NY).

29. David Beebe, b. 1716, bapt. 20 Oct. 1728, m. Sarah Lord, d. 27 Nov. 1810^[4] (Lyme, CT)

30. Elisha Beebe, b.c. 1718, bapt. 20 Oct. 1728, d. 16 Aug. 1760. Served in the French and Indian War.

+31. Simeon Beebe, b. 1720, m. Anna Terrill, 1 Aug. 1750, d.c. 1777.

32. Abigail Beebe, bapt. 20 Oct. 1728 (First Church. New London, CT), m. Josiah Smith, Sept. 175‑. He was the son of John Smith.

33. Mehitable Beebe, bapt. 20 Oct. 1728 (First Church, New London, CT), m. Gamaliel Reynolds, 15 Dec., 1745 (Norwich, CT), d. 1746 (Norwich, CT) He was b. 4 Nov. 1725, son of Joseph Reynolds and Hannah Bingham, and d. 7 May 1805 (Norwich, CT).

34. Japhet Beebe, bapt. 20 Oct. 1728.

Ruth Graves (7) was born 25 Nov. 1674 in Concord, MA, and died 12 Nov. 1755. She married John Webb, son of John Webb and Hannah ‑‑‑‑‑‑, on 25 (or 15) Jan. 1699/1700 in Saybrook, CT. He died 28 Jan. 1711. The births of their children were recorded in Saybrook Vital Records, 1647-1834, p. 28. She married second William Merriam, son of William Merriam and Elizabeth Breed, on 7 Nov. 1711. He was born 8 March 1668 in Lynn, MA, and died 26 Feb. 1752 in Bristol, CT. Ruth was William’s fourth wife. (R‑39, R‑84, R‑133, R‑200)

Children - Webb

35. John Webb, b. 4 Nov. 1700, d. 19 Dec. 1702.

36. Hannah Webb, b. 1 March 1702.

37. Mary Webb, b. 19 March 1703/4.

38. Ruth Webb, b. 1 Dec. 1705.

39. Sarah Webb, b. 7 Aug. 1707.

40. Gideon Webb, b. 1 July 1709.

+41. John Webb, b. June 1711, m. Lydia ----, d. 1785 or later.

Children - Merriam

+42. Ruth Merriam, b. 2 Nov. 1713, m. Caleb Matthews, 9 May 1733, d. 3 Nov. 1785.

43. Samuel Merriam, b.c. 1716 (Lynn, MA).

44. Ebenezer Merriam, b. 1718 (CT).

45. Joseph Merriam, b. 1724 (CT).

Benjamin Graves (8) was born 2 March 1676/7 in Concord, MA, and died 30 Dec. 1752 in Colchester, New London, CT, leaving a will. He went with his father who settled in Saybrook, CT about 1681-1683 (or about 1700?). He was described as a resident of New London, CT in a deed to him of lands he purchased in Colchester, CT in 1709. He was admitted inhabitant of Colchester at a town meeting on 8 Jan. 1716. He was chosen lister at town meeting on 11 Dec. 1727.

He married Ruth Stirling (or Mary Sterling), daughter of William Stirling and Mary Blaisdell, in 1698. Ruth was born 17 Dec. 1679, and died in 1710 (see Stirling Genealogy). He married second Mary Haynes. She was born about 1690 in Colchester, CT, and died 24 Nov. 1780. They lived two and a half miles from Colchester on the road to Lyme, CT. They owned the Covenant at Lyme, CT.

The children by Benjamin's second marriage who were baptized 1741-1749 were apparently baptized as adults, since marriage dates were soon after baptismal dates.

The following will of Benjamin Graves was probated 5 May 1753:

“In the name of God Amen. This 11th day of December A.D. 1752 and ye 21st year of ye reign of our Sovereign Lord George of Great Britain &c the King. I Benjamin Graves of Colchester in the County of Hartford and Colony of Connecticut in New England yeoman being sick and weak in body but of sound and disposing mind and memory (and praise be God for ye same) and being desitous to settle my affairs, do make and ordain this my last will and testament in the manner following.

First and principally I resign my soul in ye hands of God Almighty my Creator, hoping and believing in and through ye alone merits of Jesus Christ my only Lord and Savior to obtain everlasting happiness in his eternal Kingdom. My body I commit to ye earth from which it was taken in ye faith of a joyful resurrection, willing ye same to be decently buried at ye discretion of my executive hereafter named.

And as to such temporal goods and estate as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me after my funeral charges and just debts are discharged which my will is that it be done with all convenient speed after my decease by my executrix and executors hereafter named I give and bequeath to my dear wife Mary Graves ye whole use of all my real estate with all ye privileges and appurtenances thereunto belonging during her natural life or so long as she remains my widow for her to use and dispose of in that way that she may think most to her advantage, and be my widow and then to be equally divided to my two daughters viz. Deborah and Abigale, that is to say all my personal estate excepting one gun and that I give to my son Peter and also two cows and them I give to my two daughters Deborah and Abigail and also my will is and I do give unto my children hereafter named five shillings old tenor apiece that is to say, Benjamin, Jedediah, Jonathan, Ruth, and Mary Daniels, James, Hains, Elizabeth, Margret and Mary Hungerford, to be paid to them out of my personal estate by executors hereafter named and I do hereby constitute and appoint and ordain my wife Mary Graves and my son Benjamin Graves of East Haddam executive and executors of this last will and testament and I do hereby utterly disavow revoke and disannul all and every other former testament, will, legacy and executive and executors by me in any way before made, confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament.

In witness whereof I have set my hand and ye day and year as above written.

his

Benjamin X Graves (L.S.)

mark

In presence of Alice Ransom Amy Ransom Jabez Jones” (R‑9, R‑71, R‑74, R‑79, R‑82, R‑84, R‑200)

Children - Graves, by Ruth Stirling (or Mary Sterling)

+46. Benjamin Graves, b.c. 1699 (or 1695), m. Mary Jones, d. 25 March 1770.

47. Ruth Graves, bapt. 25 Oct. 1702 (New London, CT), d. after 1752.

48. Mary Graves, bapt. 29 Oct. 1704 (New London, CT), m. Ebenezer Daniels, 21 Oct. 1724 (New London), died after 1752.

+49. Jedediah Graves, b.c. 1708, m(1) Jerusha Ackley, 1728, m(2) Elizabeth Allen, June 1737, m(3) Ruth Bennett, 27 Dec. 1758, d. 10 Nov. 1800.

+50. Jonathan Graves, b.c. 1711, m. Mary Tisdale, d. after 1752.

Children - Graves, by Mary Haynes

+51. James Graves, b.c. 1712, m. Mary Haskins, 1 July 1743, d. after 1787.

+52. Peter Graves, bapt. 27 Dec. 1741, m. Sarah Wedge, 1 July 1742, d. after 1781.

+53. Haynes Graves, m. Irene Chapman, 27 July 1749, d. after 14 Feb. 1816.

+54. Elizabeth Graves, m. Ebenezer Hyde, 2 June 1741, d. after 1782.

55. Deborah Graves, d. after 1752.

56. Margaret Graves, b. 1724, bapt. 27 Dec. 1741, m. Jonathan Loomis, 28 Oct. 1744 (Lebanon, CT), d. after 1752.

+57. Mary Graves, b. 20 Jan. 1727/8, m. Samuel Hungerford, 23 June 1746, d. 13 March 1793.

+58. Abigail Graves, b. 1726, m. Nathan Dodge, 10 Oct. 1755.

Joseph Graves (9) was born 1 Sept. 1679 in Concord, MA, and died after 2 April 1756. He married Sarah ‑‑‑‑‑‑. She died 16 March 1751. Joseph went with his father to Saybrook, CT about 1700 and bought and sold land there as late as 1735. He next appeared as a resident of New Cambridge, a part of Farmington, CT, in 1743. He owned land there and in a part of Waterbury, CT that later became Plymouth. He was described as "dish-turner" (presumably he was a potter). Abraham Waterous bought land of Joseph Graves at Pattaconke.

According to History of Middlesex Co., Conn., 1635-1885: "The highway from the head of the cove, running north past the town house was probably the first road laid out in Pattaconke.

The Wig Hill Road running from the town house over the hill past Cedar Swamp Pond and northerly by the pond was laid out in 1735, 1736, and 1737 by Samuel Jones, Abraham Waterhouse, Samuel Willard, John Graves, John Whittlesey, and Samuel Lord." In 1953 it was Liberty St. and Wig Hill Road. In 1976 it was Main St., High St., and Ridge Rd. (R‑1, R‑200)

Children - Graves

+59. Benjamin Graves, b.c. 1720, m. Katherine Marsh (?).

+60. Joshua Graves, b. 1723, m. Rhoda Bronson, 5 April 1750, d. 23 Aug. 1803.

+61. Cornelius Graves, b. 1724, m(1) Hannah (Brooks) Clark, 1 May 1751, m(2) Phebe Prindle, 13 Aug. 1761, d. 2 Aug. 1812.

John Graves (11) was born in 1683 in Concord, MA (or Saybrook, CT), and died 29 Dec. 1766 in Walpole, NH. He was known as "Sergeant John Graves." He married Hannah Farnum, daughter of Sergeant Peter Farnum and Hannah Wilcoxen of Killingworth, CT, on 30 May 1710 in Killingworth (see Killingworth Vital Records, vol. 2, p. 192). She was born 23 Aug. 1691 in Killingworth, CT. They first lived in Killingworth, but then moved back to Saybrook, CT about 1724. He was described as a cordwainer and was a deacon in his church. Lands were laid out to John Graves in Saybrook on 3 Jan. 1720, May 1737, 26 Jan. 1728/9, and 14 April 1742.

According to R‑20, John may have married second Sarah Chapman on 18 June 1754. (R‑1, R‑200)