GRAVES FAMILY BULLETIN

A Free, Occasional, Online Summary of Items of Interest to Descendants of all Families of Graves, Greaves, Grieves, Grave, and other spelling variations Worldwide

Vol. 6, No. 4, Oct. 27, 2004

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Information on how to start a free subscription to this bulletin and how to be removed from the subscription list is at the end of this bulletin. If you received this bulletin directly, then you are already subscribed.

Visit the GFA web site at http://www.gravesfa.org

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CONTENTS:

** General Comments

** Receiving this Bulletin and E-Mail Addresses

** Graves/Greaves DNA Study

** GFA Website

** Graves/Greaves Family Books

** Queries

** To Submit Material to this Bulletin & Other Things

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GENERAL COMMENTS

It has been a while since the last issue of this Bulletin (July 11). Sarah and I had a great time in Alaska. We did the cruise along the coast of Alaska, plus land excursions. One excursion was a long ride on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad from Carcross, Yukon Territory to Skagway, Alaska. It was interesting to see that the ceremonial golden spike for this railway was driven on July 29, 1900 in Carcross by Samuel H. Graves, the president of the railroad. I think he was probably descended from immigrant John Graves of Concord, MA, but I can’t find the specific connection. Can anyone help?

As mentioned in the July Bulletin, on October 30 of this year, I will be attending a conference in Houston, TX, sponsored by our DNA testing laboratory, Family Tree DNA. I will be arriving in Houston early afternoon, Friday, Oct. 29 (two days from today), will be attending the conference Friday evening and all day Saturday, and will be leaving Monday morning, Nov. 1. I will have a little time on Friday afternoon and most of the day Sunday, if anyone would like to meet with me. Some of you have already contacted me, but I can still arrange to meet with any others of you who are interested. I’m sure we could even arrange DNA testing for family members if desired.

Most of the promised changes to the Graves Family Association website have not yet been made, but I still plan to work on that before the end of this year.

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RECEIVING THIS BULLETIN AND E-MAIL ADDRESSES

When you change your e-mail address, please be sure to let us know your new one. I also need to have your postal mailing address, so I will at least be able to write or call you if I need to get in touch. Otherwise, we will lose track of you. I have had many experiences of finding a person’s ancestry but not being able to let the person know because I had no current contact information.

An increasing number of online newsletters (including this one) cannot be received because of attempts by service providers such as AOL to reduce spam. The only alternative people have now is to read the Bulletin on the GFA website. In the future, however, we will probably also make the newsletter available from a web log (usually called a Blog), which should avoid this problem.

To read this Bulletin or others on the GFA website, go to http://www.gravesfa.org, click on the link at the top of the page for GF Bulletin, and then click on the link for the desired Bulletin.

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GRAVES/GREAVES DNA STUDY

GENERAL

The DNA study is still progressing, but at a much slower rate. Many Graves/Greaves family groups do not yet have any participants in the DNA study. Without being part of the study, descendants may NEVER find out which Graves ancestor they are descended from. I urge you to take part in the study (if you are a male with the Graves surname and no one from your immediate line has participated) or to find someone else from your family line to participate.

MORE PARTICIPANTS NEEDED

If you have not yet returned your DNA samples, PLEASE do so as soon as possible.

If your part of the Graves, Greaves, or other spelling, family is not yet included in the DNA study, it would be very helpful if you could either volunteer to participate (if you are a male with the Graves, etc.) surname or find someone else in your part of the family who would be willing to take part.

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THE STUDY & HOW TO GET ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

To sign up for the study, go to the Graves Family Association website at http://www.gravesfa.org, click on the DNA study link at the top of the main page, then click on the link in the large red box on that page, and complete the requested order information.

Alternatively, you can go to the Family Tree DNA website at http://www.familytreedna.com, enter Graves or Greaves in the surname search at the top right of the main page, click on the link to the Graves project (NOT the “ordering” link), and complete the ordering form. As long as you use one of these two procedures, you will get the group discount for the Y-DNA tests or any of the other tests you choose to order. (When you order, you will see the word GROUP after the price. If you do not see that, go back and be sure you have used the correct procedure.)

PARTICIPANTS OUTSIDE THE U.S., ESPECIALLY IN ENGLAND

It is important for families in the U.S. to have participants from England (or from families in Australia and elsewhere who know their ancestry in England) so that a link with English ancestors can be made. However, it is just as important for family members in England to take part in the DNA study so that the various families in England can be linked with each other. Tradition of connection with an ancient family is nice, but DNA proof of that connection is much more meaningful.

RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS IN ENGLAND

I am tentatively planning to travel to England next summer to gather Graves/Greaves genealogical information and DNA samples. This will be an expensive way to get information, but it may be the only way to find the connections we are looking for. I will welcome any help, especially from those in Great Britain.

FINANCIAL HELP STILL NEEDED

All contributions toward the DNA study will be much appreciated. Many thanks to those of you who have already contributed. We especially need funding for testing of descendants in the British Isles, some of whom may be less willing or able to pay the cost. You may also want to consider sponsoring a relative as a way to get a test for your part of the family.

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GFA WEBSITE

Graves/Greaves genealogies on the website are continuing to be updated. I have recently been reviewing all the genealogies. Through research in census and other records, I have been able to find the ancestry of about 20 of the close to 900 genealogies that are on the site. Those will soon be combined with the appropriate genealogy.

As mentioned in the General Comments, the promised changes to the website have not yet been made, but will be before the end of the year.

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GRAVES/GREAVES FAMILY BOOKS

All previously published books are still available. More description and ordering information is on the GFA website. The seven books published so far are:

** Robert Graves of NC & SC (a branch from Capt. Thomas Graves)

** Samuel Graves of Lynn, MA

** Thomas Graves of Hartford, CT & Hatfield, MA

** Rear Adm. Thomas Graves of Charlestown, MA

** Deacon George Graves of Hartford, CT

** Graves Families of the World

** John Graves of Concord, MA

The book on the Graves families of Randolph Co., NC is being worked on diligently, and is expected to be ready by the end of the year. As soon as that is completed, I will begin finalizing the Capt. Thomas Graves of VA book, which will be published in 2006.

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QUERIES

Since the printed Graves Family Newsletter is no longer being published, queries will be included in this Bulletin if you submit them to me. I will no longer be creating queries from the non-query information you send me.

Douglas (“Doug”) M. Graves, PO Box 92, Graves Mill, VA 22721, 540-948-3306, dugmill@aol.com, wrote that he and the owner of the Graves Mill Grist Mill in Graves Mill, VA are trying to get the structure listed as a Virginia Landmark and with the National Registry of Historic Places. The building is in a critical stage (meaning it is about to fall down). They hope to get the historical designation in order to get tax incentives for restoration.

If anyone has any information, photographs, documentation, milling receipts, etc., regarding the Graves Mill, please contact Doug at the above address or by phone. This would be extremely helpful for them in the formal application process.

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ABOUT THIS BULLETIN:

This bulletin is written and edited by Kenneth V. Graves, ken.graves@gravesfa.org. Ken Graves is also editor of the Graves Family Newsletter, the official publication of the Graves Family Association. This bulletin will contain announcements and news of special interest to Graves descendants with Internet access. It will not contain queries, genealogies, photos, and the kind of in-depth articles that appear in the Graves Family Newsletter.

TO SUBMIT MATERIAL TO THIS BULLETIN:

Send any material you would like to have included in this bulletin to ken.graves@gravesfa.org. The editor reserves the right to accept, edit or reject any material submitted.

TO JOIN THE GRAVES FAMILY ASSOCIATION:

If you do not already belong to the GFA, you can join by sending $20 per year to Graves Family Association, 20 Binney Circle, Wrentham, MA 02093 (more details on GFA website). Payment may also be sent electronically via PayPal by going to www.paypal.com and sending payment to gfa@gravesfa.org. Benefits include access to the “members only” section of the website, membership directory, and help with learning more about your Graves/Greaves family. The purpose of the GFA is to bring together as many descendants as possible to work toward learning more about the Graves/Greaves families, to help other descendants, and to instill pride in our ancestry.

COPYRIGHTS:

Although the contents of this bulletin are copyrighted by the Graves Family Association and Kenneth V. Graves, you are hereby granted rights, unless otherwise specified, to re-distribute articles to other parties for non-commercial purposes only. Do not re-distribute the newsletter in its entirety.

TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE TO THIS BULLETIN:

To subscribe to this bulletin, send an e-mail message to ken.graves@gravesfa.org. Please include your full name. Your postal mailing address and information on your Graves/Greaves ancestry would also be appreciated, although not essential.

To remove your name from this subscription list, send an e-mail message to ken.graves@gravesfa.org asking to be removed.