Friday, September 19, 2008

GRAVES from Maryland?

Well, from the information on the Graves Family Site and the book American Revolutions it's possible that my GRAVES family lines were British loyalists in Maryland and went to Montreal before coming to Pittsburgh. So I'm exploring my options. I don't know how or if I will verify any of it, but it's interesting none-the-less and if it is provable or not maybe someone in the future will be able to find something I didn't.

The Graves Family Site does not have dates for any of the people. Jean Graves who submitted the information only included names. Jean never married and died in 2003. I wonder what happened to her genealogy notes; perhaps she has a nephew or a niece alive in Kingston who knows what became of it. It frustrates me to think that five years ago I could have talked with someone who knew my relatives when they still lived in the Kingston area. Her name and phone number are included in a notebook that my great-grandfather took to Kingston in the 1960's. Since she was his first cousin they must have visited together.

Anyway, I want to include the information I got from the Graves Family Site and add the notes or questions and comments I have. The information I received is in regular print and my additions are italicized in blue.

The father (1) of Adam Graves married. Based on their living in Maryland and the connection with the British Navy, it seems likely that this family is descended from the Graves family of Mickleton, Gloucestershire, England (gen. 68). It may also be part of or closely related to the family of John Graves, that settled in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (gen. 247). (R 1)
Children - Graves
+2. Adam Graves, m. .
3. Joseph Graves; an Admiral in the British Navy. Commanded a ship, the Pauley (could not find a reference to this ship on the internet). He is said to have had a consultation during the American Revolution with British General [John] Burgoyne (1722-1792) on the subject of the necessity of preventing a store of ammunition from falling into the hands of the revolutionaries. Evidently, before it was moved to a safer place, it was seized by Paul Revere (1735-1818) and stored in an old cellar for use by General [George] Washington's (1732-1799) troops.
4. daughter; owned a plantation worked by slaves.

CHILDREN OF GRAVES (1)
Capt. Adam Graves (2) married ?. He and his family moved to Canada with the U.E.L. (United Empire Loyalist) migration, and settled in Montreal where his son George is said to have attended McGill University (McGill University did not begin offering classes until 1829; George was having children before 1829 so it’s doubtful he went to McGill) and studied to be an engineer. When the government machinery was set up for granting land to the Loyalists, Adam went with a negro slave to Pittsburgh Township, where according to the Crown Records Dept. in Toronto, he received a grant of land in 1816, on the St. Lawrence River. (need to check land records).

Names and generations of the GRAVES family from Ken Graves

(1) GRAVES, M
1. (2) Adam GRAVES, M (m) unknown
2. (5) George GRAVES, M, (m1) Betsy, (m2) Catherine PERCY
3. (6) Ellen GRAVES, F
3. (7) George GRAVES, M
3. (8) Henry GRAVES, M, (m) unknown
4. (17) George GRAVES, M, (m) Sitney Van HORNE
5. (23) Sarah GRAVES, F, (m) Robert BRASH
6. (34) Howard BRASH, M
6. (35) William BRASH, M
6. (36) George BRASH, M
6. (37) Maude BRASH, F
6. (38) Tina BRASH, F
6. (39) Emma BRASH, F
5. (24) William GRAVES, M
5. (25) George GRAVES, M, (m) Elizabeth MILTON
6. (40) Stanley GRAVES, M
6. (41) Annette Marie GRAVES, F
6. (42) Harvey GRAVES, M, (m) Mary BARKER
7. (46) Nancy GRAVES, F
7. (47) Alan GRAVES, M
7. (48) John GRAVES, M
7. (49) Ted GRAVES, M
7. (50) Mary GRAVES, F
7. (51) James GRAVES, M
6. (43) Dorothea GRAVES, F
6. (44) Jean GRAVES, F
5. (26) Catherine GRAVES, F, (m) HARDING
6. (45) Alden GRAVES, M
7. (52) Hugh GRAVES, M
7. (53) Marjorie GRAVES, F
5. (27) Joseph GRAVES, M
5. (28) John GRAVES, M
5. (29) Minnie GRAVES, F, (m) Bauer Wilmot
5. (30) Alfred GRAVES, M, (m) Hattie Van Horne
5. (31) Anne GRAVES, F, (m1) unknown, (m2) unknown
5. (32) Frank GRAVES, M
5. (33) Herbert GRAVES, M
3. (9) Michael GRAVES, M
4. (18) George GRAVES, M
4. (19) Charles GRAVES, M
4. (20) Tom GRAVES, M
4. (21) John GRAVES, M
4. (22) Edward GRAVES, M
3. (10) John GRAVES, M
3. (11) William GRAVES, M
3. (12) Jane GRAVES, F, (m) TAYLOR
3. (13) Mary GRAVES, F
3. (14) Sarah GRAVES, F, (m) HILTON or MILTON
3. (15) Hannah GRAVES, F, (m) DAVENPORT
3. (16) Susan GRAVES, F, (m) STEVENSON
1. (3) Joseph GRAVES, M
1. (4) GRAVES, F


Did Adam have a brother named George who would have been the Lieut. George Graves to receive land in Pittsburgh Township in 1797?

• American Migrations has Adam & George Graves as brothers, not father & son
• American Migrations states that George Graves died in Canada in or before June 1789
• Lilacs & Limestone Adam & George received land in Pittsburgh Township in 1797; Jean Graves’ date is 1816

If George Graves died in 1789, is it possible that his son (who may have been also named George) could have received the crown land in Pittsburgh Township on behalf of his deceased father and it was the son George Graves (nephew of Adam) that was married to Catherine Percy?


Based on Henry Graves and Michael Graves birth years in the 1820’s, and Catherine Percy’s birth date between 1799-1807, it would make sense that her husband was born no earlier than about 1780 and more likely that he was closer to her age and born about 1800. If he was born as early as 1770, that would make him about 27 years old in 1797 when he received land for his loyalist efforts, but he would have been a young boy when the beginning of the Revolutionary War begun in the late 1770’s.

However, if Catherine Percy was his second marriage, he might have had a very young second wife (but then he would have been a very old man when they had eight children together before his death between 1844-1851).


On one page Catherine Percy is called "LADY" Catherine Percy. That sounds like an awfully big title for a woman born in British North America. Perhaps that's a clue to her ancestry.

Before I knew about the Graves Family Site the following is what I know/believe to be true about the Graves family. The numbers in brackets are the corresponding numbers to the Graves Family site above.

GRAVES, M
1. Adam GRAVES, M (believe that the George & Adam that received land in 1797 are brothers, not father & son)
1. George GRAVES, M (is this the George that married Betsy and his son George married Catherine Percy?)
2. (5 or 7) George GRAVES, M, b. abt 1800, d. aft 1842, (m) Catherine PERCY
3. (no #) Elizabeth GRAVES, F, b. abt 1822
3. (8 or 17 ) Henry GRAVES, M, b. 01 Feb 1825, d. 21 Jan 1891, (m) Citney Ann VANHORN
4. (23) Sarah Jane GRAVES, F, b. 10 Aug 1856, d. 24 Aug 1933, (m) Robert BRASH
5. (37) Alice Maud BRASH, F, b. 08 Apr 1877, (m) John Henry MILLIONS
6. (no #) Percy MILLIONS, F, b. 20 Oct 1902
6. (no #) Sarah Alma MILLIONS, F, b. 28 Apr 1904
5. (39) Emma Citney BRASH, F, b. 05 Apr 1879
5. (38) Christina BRASH, F, b. 19 Jan 1881
5. (34) William Howard BRASH, M, b. 24 Dec 1882
5. (35) William Graves BRASH, M, b. 20 Mar 1887, (m) Maud Elise BELL
5. (36) George BRASH, M, b. 08 Mar 1896, (m) Eva Alice THOMSON
4. (24) William Henry GRAVES, M, b. 13 Oct 1858
4. (no #) Elizabeth Anne GRAVES, F, b. 20 May 1860, d. 12 Dec 1880
4. (25) George Alexander GRAVES, M, b. 28 Nov 1861, (m) Elizabeth MILTON
5. (40) Stanley Milton GRAVES, M, b. 12 Sep 1901, d. 23 Jan 1928
5. (41) Marie Anita GRAVES, F, b. 02 Apr 1903, d. 14 Apr 1903
5. (42) Harvey Allan GRAVES, M, b. 07 Apr 1904, d. 1956
5. (43) Dorothy GRAVES, F, b. Jun 1905, d. 1982, (m) G. Ronald ADAMS
5. (44) Jean GRAVES, F, b. May 1909, d. 2003
4. (26) Catherine Susan GRAVES, F, b. 27 Aug 1863, (m) Harding
4. (27) Joseph Charles GRAVES, M, b. 02 Oct 1865
4. (28) John Thomas GRAVES, M, b. 02 Jun 1868, d. 18 Mar 1882
4. (29) MARY AGNES GRAVES, F, b. 08 Aug 1870, d. 20 Aug 1950, (m) Albert Boyer WILMOT
5. (no #) CLIFFORD ROY WILMOT, M, b. 04 Sep 1898, d. 26 May 1991, (m) RHUEMMA OVARD
6. (no #) , M, (m)
6. (no #) Lyle Harvey WILMOT, M, b. 19 Mar 1931, d. 26 Jan 1978, (m)
5. (no #) Roscoe Harvey WILMOT, M, b. 11 Dec 1902, d. 12 Sep 1957, (m)
4. (31) Citney Ann GRAVES, F, b. 13 Dec 1871
4. (30) Henry Alfred GRAVES, M, b. 13 Dec 1871, (m) Hattie Louise PATTERSON
5. (no #) Vera GRAVES, F, b. 20 Sep 1896
5. (no #) Audrey GRAVES, F, b. 15 Sep 1900
5. (no #) Katherline GRAVES, F, b. Sep 1904
5. (no #) Alfreda GRAVES, F, b. Oct 1907
5. (no #) Philippe GRAVES, M, b. Feb 1910
4. (32) Michael Francis GRAVES, M, b. 08 Sep 1873
4. (33) Herbert Douglas GRAVES, M, b. 14 Mar 1875, d. 25 May 1876
3. (9) Michael GRAVES, M, b. abt 1832, d. 27 Oct 1892, (m) Margaret MCFADDEN
4. (18) George GRAVES, M, b. 10 Aug 1857, d. 1932
4. (21) Thomas John GRAVES, M, b. abt 1859, d. 29 Oct 1930
4. (no #) Eliza GRAVES, F, b. abt 1860
4. (20) Thomas GRAVES, M, b. 1862
4. (19) Charles GRAVES, M, b. 04 Mar 1865, d. 1940
4. (22?) Edwin James GRAVES, M, b. 11 Dec 1868
3. (10) John GRAVES, M, b. abt 1834
3. (11) William GRAVES, M, b. abt 1837
3. (15) Hannah GRAVES, F, b. abt 1839, d. aft 1911, (m) Devenport
3. (14) Sarah Bryant GRAVES, F, b. 19 Mar 1843
3. (16) Susan GRAVES, F, b. abt 1846

As for my questions, I contacted McGill University, and they do not have a record of George Graves attending (that's not a surprise based on my dates).

I looked at Canadian Military records, and there are a lot of Adam Graves and George Graves living in Sorel, Quebec (near Montreal) at the right time period. I ordered a film from the LDS FHC of Sorel baptisms. Perhaps at that time they were still Church of England/Anglican and bapitized their children as such.

I used Yahoo groups to find out how Catherine Percy could be called a "Lady". I got an answer that I think is pretty good and at least gives a direction to start looking. If George Graves lived near Montreal at some point in time, it's possible she wasn't born in or near Pittsburgh Township and they were married near Montreal. So far I haven't found any Percy families in Pittsburgh Township.

I ordered the land film from the LAC that Joanna said to check out. It should arrive at the public library in a few weeks.

So now to do:

  1. Search Canadian land records for Adam & George Graves in Sorel, Quebec
  2. Search Maryland land records for Adam & George.
  3. Other possible Maryland records???

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