NOTES ABOUT GEORGE GRAVES' WILL

I received the will of George Graves on the weekend. The good news is it confirms that George Graves was married to Catherine (assume Percy from her grave marker) and they had children together that are still alive and living with her on the 1852 and 1861 Census of Canada.

The confusing part is there are more children than I thought and they don't seem to fit anywhere. And it's not entirely clear if this is the George Graves who went to Sorel, Quebec in the 1780's.

It would seem that the will was written on 24 March 1847. It was registered by Henry Graves on 14 January 1848, so I assume that's the time when George Graves died.

He asked for the best of care for his wife Catherine after his death "accounting to her condition in life". When I first read that, I thought that perhaps she had a medical condition, but it could also mean that she be kept at the same standard of living that her husband had maintained for her.

George Graves mentions the following children:
Elizabeth, Henry, Michael, Hanah, Susan, Sarah Bryant, John and William. I believe these children are also children of Catherine. They are living near each other on the 1852 and 1861 census of Pittsburgh. Elizabeth was a spinster and he asked that Henry and Michael take care of her until her death. Susan, Sarah Bryant and Hanah were to be given a bed, a cow and six sheep when they turned 21 or got married, so they were younger than 21 in 1847 (this is consistent with the 1852 and 1861 census). Michael and Henry got the land at Concession 1, Lot 11&12. Sons John & William each would receive 50 pounds when they turned 21.

There are three other children, Elenora Graves, Jane Graves who married James Reunil and George Graves. He keeps these three children separate from all the others. I'm not sure how they would fit with the family, but it makes me wonder if they were from a previous marriage. Elenora and Jane only got one shilling sterling. Father George says that son George already got land and therefore wasn't going to get any more in his will. Unfortunately he doesn't say where the land is, but Instrument Number N122 registered in 1839 has George Graves the Elder and his wife Catherine giving land to his son (it's not clear if he's also her son) George Graves the younger on C1 Lot 12&13. If son George was receiving land, I think it's safe to say that he must have been 21 or older at the time. It also says that this son George was the eldest son of George Graves, so why was Henry the executor in the 1847 will?

At the end of the will, George Graves signs his name and the abreviation for Lieutenant. This I think is the biggest question of all. Is this the same George Graves who was the Lieutenant who recieved his land in 1797? He also calls himself "George Graves the Elder" at the beginning of his will, so why would he do that if his father's name was George? Would not his name be then George Junior? Or would it have changed to "Elder" when his own father George died? If it is the same man, he would have been 60+ when having children with Catherine Percy in the 1840's. While that's not impossible, it makes more sense to me that Lieutenant George who got his land in 1797 is not the same Lieutenant George who married Catherine Percy, but that both the father and the son were a Lieutenant. I'm not sure how to confirm this information. There must be early Canadian military records, but I don't know how to access them yet. On the 1891 census, Michael Graves says his father was born in the USA, and if it is the same George Graves who got land in 1797 then I think it's the same George Graves who came from Maryland to Sorel in 1783. If that George Graves had a son who is in fact married to Catherine Percy, how could he be born in the USA if his father left the states in the 1780's?

As for census information, the 1852 census for Kingston is lost so it's difficult to know where the other three children might have lived. There are three George Graves in Upper Canada over the age of 20 on the 1852 census, but it would seem that he was given land in 1839 in Pittsburgh Township. He must not have been living on that land in 1852. The three choices for George Graves from the 1852 census do not appear to be a good match as a possible son of George Graves who did in the 1840's.

George Graves age 39 of Camden East Township, Addington County
George Graves age 27 of Pickering Township, Ontario County
George Graves age 29 of Markham Township, York County

These three locations are east of Kingston. I would have expected George's land to be somewhere between Kingston and Sorel. I think it's more probable that George lived in Kingston Township where the 1852 census is lost. Perhaps there are tax assessment records for earlier years than 1852 for Kingston Township; there are for Pittsburgh Township in 1844 and 1846.

I also searched the 1852 census for James & Jane Rennil but no luck. I tried variant spellings such as Renil and Renal. There is not an Elenora Graves on the 1852 census.

None of these names match the children of George Graves and Agness Wilson from the Sorel Christ Church Anglican Baptism register.

I have to contact the land records office in Toronto to find the patent of George Graves in 1797. Perhaps that will have more information.

And did his children apply for land as a DUE or SUE? I will also need to explore that avenue.