Military Films

I think I might have gotten back on track. At least I figured something out.

In September 2008, I ordered the films with the index of names for military records. It had a reference, but I didn't know what to do with the reference.

I decided to order LAC film C-11790 to see if there was any explanation and there is. On page two of the image to the right it says, "Unfortunately, the use of this C series prefix can be misleading for researchers and archive staff because the microfilm reels also use a C prefix."

Doesn't that just make more sense? On film C-11790 there is a Microfilm Conversion list that's only 17 pages long. I copied all the pages and now I know that I need LAC films C-2860 and C-2861. I'm going to order them today.

Lower Canada Land Petitions

Apparently there isn't an Upper Canada Petition for land by Adam Graves or John George Graves. There was a Patent granted in Upper Canada however, so I ordered it. Unfortunately it doesn't say much that's useful (but it was interesting).

The Lower Canada Land Petitions are searchable online, however, the ones that I'm interested in looking at do not have an image attached. I phoned the Library and Archives of Canada and the person I talked to didn't really know why it's like that. So to the microfilms I go. Again. I just want to get these brothers figured out. It's been over a year that I've spent on them, and I'm not sure I'm any farther ahead than I was a year ago.

Is it possible a petition was made in Lower Canada and granted in Upper Canada? I think it was if the petition was made before 1791 because there wasn't Lower and Upper Canada yet. All of the Lower Canada petitions I'm looking at are from 1792 or later. It's not looking good for me.

If they owned land in Maryland, would it have been confiscated and sold when they were sentenced? If it was confiscated, would there be a record of that?

Lower Canada Petitions for Adam Graves, John Graves, George Graves, Nicholas Andrews, Hugh Kelly .

Nicholas Andrews and Hugh Kelly are the other two men who weren't hung in Maryland and escaped. I think Hugh Kelly went to England so I'd be surprised if it's the same Hugh Kelly on the Lower Canada list, and I'm not sure where Nicholas Andrews ended up.

FOUND SOMETHING... BUT WHAT CAN I DO WITH IT?

On January 22, 2010 I thought I'd try again to find something about the GRAVES brothers. I'm getting fed up with trying to find the land records in Upper Canada or Lower Canada, but I thought I'd give it one last go on the internet to see if I missed anything about the GRAVES brothers. Google found a blog written by a descendant of Peter Suman who was executed for the same reason as John George Graves and Adam Graves left Maryland. So while it doesn't add any information to figure out who they were, it at least gives me hope that I can find out more about them.

But where to look? Peter Suman lived in Burkittsville, Frederick County Maryland. Peter went to the Pleasant View Church of the Brethren. Maybe they went to church with each other? Maybe they were neighbors? Being that only seven men were convicted, they must have a common link between them, but what is it?

The men were convicted on 25 July 1781. Peter and two others were hanged on 17 August 1781.

In 1783 they were in New York writing letters trying to prove they were freeholders in the Frederick County in Maryland. But what part of Frederick county?

BREAKING THE RULES

There's a possibility I will have to change my ISP. That means I also have to change my email address. Of all the things I could have done, I should have never signed up for a mailing list or added my name/email to a website for information if I intended to change my email address. If someone researches the same family lines as me, and they only have my old email address, they might not be able to get in touch with me. Unfortunately, it's a risk I'm going to have to take...

It's been awhile

After taking the summer off (from the beginning of June to the end of September) I'm finally back at the genealogy. Here's where I'm at.

The GRAVES family continues to allude me. Other than George Graves' will, and some best guesses, there really isn't a lot about him or his family. The will only left me frustrated with more questions than answers. A researcher in Toronto did some lookups for me through the Methodist records at the United Church archives last week, and found nothing about the GRAVES family.

I said I'd work on the GRAVES until the end of the summer, find whatever I could and then move on to another family line. Since I didn't really do much I spent September and October trying to figure out where else I could look, and thought the United Church archives might have something. I think that at some point I will get the information required to extend this line, but I'm not sure where to look so it's time to move on. I still haven't found the document of how the GRAVES brothers got their original land in Pittsburgh. That might be a lead to follow up on.

I had an interesting experience this summer. My mom got a phone call from my Dad's uncle who lives about 30 miles away from me. This uncle had got a phone call from a lady named Lorraine in Ontario who shares a common MILTON ancestor with me. She had seen my first middle and last name on the internet attached to a family tree (I thought I had been more discreet about who I was; I can't even find the website that she's talking about) and started phoning people with the same last name in my area. It was my maiden last name, not my married name so that made it a little tricky for her. Luckily the first person she picked was my great-uncle. I don't know him very good, and he doesn't really know who I am, but through the conversation remembered that his nephew had married a Wilmot girl and thought maybe that was the link she was looking for. Luckily he has done his own genealogy and got her name and email address. He passed it onto my Grandpa (his brother) who passed it onto my mother and she to me.

I sent Lorraine an email and she mailed me pages of genealogy that she had got from another lady in BC quite a few years ago. I was pretty excited to get it. Some of it is stuff I already know but I'm going to try and see what else I can find out. Thanks to Lorraine, the next family line I'll work on is the Milton's.

I've also had someone contact me about the Dunlop family. I wasn't sure if one of the sisters of my great-great-great grandma, Ann Dunlop Wilmot was married to Mr. McAdoo, but from some obituaries that were sent to me by a man named Preston, it would seem that they are. I'm excited to have this information, and I'm wondering if I should have the obituaries checked at the Queen's University library (or just another reason to go back, right?) It's been really neat to have complete strangers send information that has answered questions that I didn't know how to get the answers myself.

I still have a lot of wills and land documents to try and read and type out to find the useful information. I think it's easier to have someone read it and someone else type it at the same time. I find it's easier to figure out what some of the words are when it's being read out loud. My trouble now is to get someone to sit with me to do just that.

And so on it goes. I never expected that it it would take this long to get all of my great-grandpa Wilmot's ancestors out of North America. But one day I will, I'm sure.

What next?

I feel like I'm really stuck.

In the Abstract Index of for Pittsburgh Township (LDS film #199690) George Grave and Adam Graves were given land via a patent. From what I understand, if there was a patent, there should be a petition from the patent holder.

However, there is not a petition for this George Graves in the Upper Canada land petitions. So the question becomes: How did George Graves get his land from a patent if he never made a petition?

If he petitioned before 1791, could the petition have been made in Lower Canada? And if the petition was made before 1791 in Lower Canada (Upper Canada did not exist before 1791 and it was all Lower Canada) would land have been granted in what is now Ontario? It would seem that the patent was granted in February 1797, but a petition could have been made years before the patent was given.

So I'm trying to get a hold of the petitions of Lower Canada from the Library and Archives Canada website. Some of them are on line, but not all of the records. I believe I can write the Library and Archives Canada and they will mail me a photocopy of the document.

Was it possible that there could be a patent without a petition? Or could the petition be lost?

And how do I get a copy of the patent? If I can get a copy, will it provide more information? I ordered film MS1 Reel 6 of series RG 53-2 from the Archives of Ontario that should be an index to Land Patents so hopefully that will turn up more clues.

Deed of George Graves and wife to George Graves

Concession I Lot 12&13: Instrument Number N122 (Microfilm 5145) Written and registered in 1839

On March 27 1839 George Graves the elder of Pittsburgh and Catherine his wife and George Graves the younger of Pittsburgh sold Lots Number Twelve and Thirteen in the first Concession on the River Saint Lawrence.

This could have been when George Graves the younger got married to Mary. He was married by the time George sold the land in 1848.

Is this the George Graves I'm looking for?

Could my George Graves have fought in the War of 1812?

This George was working for the Lower Canada Militia.

Was he a Quatermaster? And what is a Quartermaster?

Did he have a brother, cousin, nephew, uncle named Jacob?

Deed of George Graves and wife to Samuel Chestnut

So I had transcribed the deed of George Graves and wife to Samuel Chestnut, but then decided I was probably breaking a copyright law to have it on the internet, so I'm just going to summarize it.

George and Mary Graves lived in Kingston Township and sold Concession I Lot 12 in Pittsburgh Township to Samuel Chestnut on 7 April 1848 for 237 pounds.

This is the George Graves who is the son of George Graves and perhaps Catherine Percy. He got the land from his father in 1839. His father would have died about January 1848. I wonder why he sold the land just after he died, and I wonder why he didn't sell it to one of his four brothers.

Samuel Chestnut was married to Mary Dunlop, the sister of my 3x great grandmother Anne Dunlop Wilmot.

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.

Will of George Graves

Microfilm #5153 (from Queen's University; I'm not clear if this is a microfilm number from Queen's or if this film number could also be used at the Library and Archives Canada)
Frontenac County Abstract Index Book, Instrument Number A32, (familysearch.org film #199690)

To the Register of the County of Frontenac. A memorial to be registered of a will in the following words. In the name of God Amen. I George Graves the Elder of the township of Pittsburgh in the Midland District of the Province of Canada Yeoman do make publish and declare this my last will and testament as follows.

In the first place I order that all my just debts and funeral expenses shall be paid by Executor and executrix hereinafter named, I hereby charge all my real estate and hereditaments whatsoever with the payment of the several legacies and sums of money hereinafter mentioned, and also with the maintenance and support of my wife Catherine Graves and of such of my children as I shall hereafter make such provision for and I hereby expressly exempt my personal estate from the payment of such legacies, and such charges of maintenance as aforesaid, and charge the same wholly and solely on my said real estate.

I do further order and devise that my said wife Catherine Graves shall be supported and maintained in a decent and respectable manner according to her condition in life by my sons Henry Graves and Michael Graves, in consideration of the lands by one to them respectively devised and charged with such maintenance. Further I do will and devise that my daughter Elizabeth Graves shall be decently supported and maintained during her natural life, or until her marriage, by my said sons Henry Graves and Michael Graves and I hereby make such maintenance chargeable on the said lands hereby devised to them.

To my daughter Elenora Graves I bequeath one shilling Sterling. To my daughter Jane Reunil wife of James Reunil I bequeath one shilling sterling. To each and every of my daughters Hanah Graves, Susan Graves and Sarah Bryant Graves I devise and bequeath one bed and bedding, one cow and six sheep, the same to be given to each of them when they shall respectively arrive at the age of twenty one years or marry. I do further give devise and bequeath unto my son Henry Graves and his heirs and assigns the easterly one fourth part of lot number eleven in the first concession western boundary of the Township of Pittsburgh in the said Midland District and also the westerly half of lot number twelve in the said first concession of the said township of Pittsburgh, to hold the same unto and to the use of him the said Henry Graves his heirs and assigns for ever, subject nevertheless to payment of the legacies and other charges herein bequeathed and made chargeable on the same and half of my personal estate not herein otherwise dispersed of.

I do further give desire and bequeath unto my son Michael Graves the westerly three fourth parts of lot number eleven in the said first concession of the said township of Pittsburgh to hold the same to him the said Michael Graves his heirs and assigns to the use of him the said Michael Graves his heirs and assigns for ever, subject nevertheless to the [?] [?] of the legacies and other charges herein bequeathed and made chargeable on the same, and half my personal estate not herein otherwise disposed of. To my son George Graves I bequeath one shilling sterling, having already given him lands for his advancement.

To my son John Graves I do give and bequeath the sum of fifty pounds to be paid to him, when he shall arrive at the age of twenty one years by [my said sons Henry Graves and Michael Graves. I also give and bequeath to my son Wil]liam Graves the like sum of fify pounds to be paid to him when he shall arrive at the age of twenty one years by my said sons Henry Graves and Michael Graves and chargeable on the said lands devised to the said Henry and Michael. And I do further will order and devise that in case anyone or either of my said children excepting Eleonora Graves, Jane Reunil and George Graves shall happen to die in my lifetime or shall happen to die after my decease under the age of twenty one years or being daughters or a daughter shall die after my said decease not having married, then all such share or shares of my said real estate or personal legacy or bequest as shall have been herein by me devised or bequeathed by me to any such of my said children or either of them as shall happen to die as herein before mentioned shall be go and remain unto and to the use of the survivor or survivors of them my said sons Henry, Michael, John and William and my daughters Hannah Susan and Sarah Bryant and to their heirs and assigns according to the nature and description thereof respectively share and share alike. And I do hereby nominate and appoint my said son Henry Graves Executor and my said wife Catherine Graves Executrix of this my will written on five pages of paper. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the twenty fourth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fourty seven.

Signed George Graves Leut (L.S)

Signed sealed published and declared by the said George Graves the Elder the Testator in the presence of us who in his presence at his request have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses
Signed Arch. John Macdonell
Signed Geo. A. Cumming

Which will is witnessed by Archibald John Macdonell and George Alexander Cumming both of Kingston, Esquires and this memorial thereof is required to be registered by me Henry Graves one of the Devisees. As witness my hand and seal at Kingston this thirteenth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty eight.

Henry Graves

Signed and sealed in the presence of G.A. Cummings & H Smith Jr
by the oath of George Alexander Cumings within named the 14th day of January 1848
Register

One line appears to be missing from the photocopy. The italics are the line that I think should be there.

Ordinary Genealogy Miracle

Remember I said that genealogy is full of miracles? Well this week I felt like I was a part of one.

Sometime in January I was contacted via email by a man who said he had seen my post on Rootsweb about John Wilmot & Sarah Milton. He had purchased an old photo album off of ebay and it had photos of Wilmot's and Milton's. He sent me a list of names in the photobook and they weren't exactly my direct line Wilmot's or Milton's, but I could see how they tied in to my family tree. He scanned in and emailed me all the photos. The photos are very interesting. I love the old photographs. But for me personally the photos are not at all relevant to who I'm looking for. I almost didn't keep them, but i use ifamily for Mac, and I have never tried to add photos to the program and I wanted to see how easy it is, so I kept all the photos on my computer.

This past week I was contacted by a woman who was interested in the Alexander McIntosh & Isabella Graham family also of Pittsburgh Township. I had some information on this couple because two of their daughters had married Milton brothers. I did a look up for her of the Milton Cemetery Transcriptions and searched for family names in the Index of the book Lilacs and Limestones. After I sent the last email to her I remembered the pictures I received about a month ago and thought to check them for her family names. Of the 25 photos sent, over 1/2 were members of the Alexander McIntosh & Isabella Graham's family, so I forwarded those pictures as well.

It was very special for me to read of her joy at receiving the pictures. Since starting genealogy almost two years ago I have had a lot of people help me. People who seemed to be in just the right place at the right time so that the required information gets to the right place. Some were friends and some were strangers. I'm not sure there is a way to repay someone in that situation because the information is priceless and they aren't interested in a monetary payment. I have wanted to be able to help someone in that way, but up until a few months ago I'm not sure that I was confident enough to be able to say to someone try this or try that. After this week, I feel like I have been a part of someone else's success and I'm glad the pictures are with someone who has a family tie to them all together.

Christ Church Anglican Records

In November 2008 I looked at the LDS film #1430819 of Christ Church Baptisms, Marriages and Burials. I found 19 people with the last name of Graves who could possibly be related.

On 15 July 1784 they buried a woman they called Widow Graves age 77. Whoever she is, her husband died before her. Not much to go on.

Captain Adam Graves and his wife Christina start appearing in the register in 1789. They were the witnesses for a number of infant baptisms. They had a son baptized in the church as well. Jacob Graves was christened on 19 July 1789. There is no other mention of Jacob except there was a man named Jacob Graves as the sponser for the christening of a son of George & Agness Graves, James Hare, in 1812.

Adam was buried on the 26 Dec 1805 at the age of 54. That makes his birth about 1751. The witnesses to the burial are hard to read, but it looks like Adam Graves and George Graves Junior.

Christina was buried on 15 Nov 1826 at the age of 82. That makes her birth about 1744. In the register was the following description, "wife of the late Adam Graves, Esquire of this place. Formerly a captian in the service of his majesty in a Corps raised in what are now called the United States. The deceased was aged about 82 years." Interesting to note is that no one with the last name of GRAVES witnessed her burial.

She could have also been a sponser at the christening of George & Agness' son, William Henry in 1810. For any of the christenings she was a sponsor for, she only left her mark, and did not write her name. Adam wrote his name. Unfortunately I did not take my digital camera with me so I don't have a picture of his signature.

George Graves married Agness Wilson in 1803. They both signed their own names on the in the register. He was a merchant and she a spinster. If they were 20 to 25 years old, they may have been born between 1778 and 1783. I did not check the film for a baptism of Agness Wilson in those years.

George and Agness Graves had eight children baptized in the church

• 11 Jun 1804 Christina
• 30 Oct 1805 George Olivier
• 27 Sep 1807 Maria Jane
• 19 Jun 1809 Julia
• 10 Jun 1810 William Henry
• 5 Jan 1812 James Hare
• 29 Sep 1816 John Mortimer
• 12 Feb 1819 Caroline Sarah

None of the children appear to be married in Christ Church. The only other entry for any of the children could be a burial for Miss Julia Graves on 1 Jun 1832 aged 21 years (she would have been 24 if it's the same woman). It would seem to me that the Graves moved from William Henry or they fell out of favor with the Church of England.

George Olivier baptized 30 Oct 1805 could be the George Graves I'm looking for who is the husband of Catherine Percy and father of Henry born in 1825 in Pittsburgh. He does seem a little bit too young, however, by about five years.

Another Graves family in the register was John Graves and his wife Mary. They had two daughters christened in the church. Martha was christenend on the 19 Feb 1786 and Ann was christenend on 19 Oct 1788. It appears that John as an adult was christened on 17 Sep 1786.

There is mention of one other Adam Graves. He was buried on 23 Aug 1823. It doesn't say his age, but "present at the burying" was George Graves, "brother to the deceased". It's possible that this George Graves could be the George married to Agness.

So my next steps are trying to see what I can find out from Pittsburgh Township land transactions (which I think I will have to hire someone who lives in Kingston) and creating a timeline of the events described in this law suit from 1862. Then I think I will look for land and probate records of William Henry (Sorel) for the Graves family.

Is the James Graves born in 1811 residing in Pittsburgh on the 1852 census be the same James Graves who was born to George & Agnes in January 1812?

Quebec Research - Graves Family

I was reminded this weekend about the website MARY'S GENEALOGY TREASURES and thought I should use it for Quebec Research.

I've searched the following links using the surnames GRAVES, GREAVES and GROVES. Unfortunately I can't link to the search results, but these thoughts on the search results.

Non-Catholic marriages in the Montral area, 1766-1899

It would seem that William Henry (Sorel) must have been out of the Montreal region since none of the names seem to match who I'm looking for. According to Google maps, it was a fair distance away.



View Larger Map


PRDH - Repertory of vital events-1621-1799

I'm not sure what this site is, but it also does not seem to match the names of people I'm looking for. It also changed GRAVES to Gravet.

Index des mariages de la region de Sorel, Qubec, Canada

This index looked very promising since Sorel is the area that I'm looking in, but it would seem that the only marriages included are Catholic marriages. I did not find an entry for GRAVES but the time period is right and I know there were GRAVES getting married in the same time period.

Yourfolks.com

Has the right names, but I'm not quite ready to pay for the information until I think I know a wife's name. There is not a George Graves and a Catherine Percy listed.

Non-Catholic Burials in Montreal Area 1768-1875

Again, I checked this with no luck, so Sorel must not be close enough to be considered part of Montreal. I was hoping it was since the information prepared by Jean Graves said that the Graves family went to Montreal (she never talked about Sorel).

That's My Family

There are a number of Lower Canada Land Petitions for Adam Graves, but only one for George Graves. The time period looks correct for the Adam and George Graves I'm looking for. It would seem I could order the films from the Library and Archives Canada through inter-library loan.

Quebec and Eastern Townships Genealogy Research Page

This website looks like it could be the jackpot of links from Mary's Genealogy Treasures. I'm going to contact the website administrator about purchasing information for the following names.

• Adam Graves
  
• George Graves
• James Graves
  
• Agnes Graves
  
• Christina Graves
  
• Mary Elizabeth Graves
  
• Catherine Percy (no matches but there are 135 Percy names)

More work to do for the GRAVES family

Watching what's happening in Ottawa this week makes me remember driving on Sussex Drive before going to the airport in April and I realize that I'm desperate to get back to Kingston. While it is was a trip of a lifetime and I hope to take my son there sometime because of the military history, the money spent on the cost of a trip could be spent other ways to get the same information I could get if I lived in Kingston, so it's not likely that I'm going back anytime soon.

I think over the past months, the best piece of advice I got was to look at film #199690 from the LDS FHC. What a jackpot of information. I'm going to keep it for a permanent loan at my local FHL. The film is an index of who owned the land by Concession and Lot. It lists who too and who from, how it was owned (i.e. patent, purchase, will, mortgage) how much was paid for it. I think I've got some good leads as to how the GRAVES family fits together and maybe that Elizabeth's McLean's parents were Joseph McLean & Mary Anderson. I think 199690 is an index to films #199634 to #199646 and #199691 to #199695.

Right now the GRAVES are my number one priority. I'm confident that brothers Adam Graves & George Graves who were in Maryland in 1781 are my ancestors. After they were traitors to the newly formed USA, they escaped to Canada and went to Sorel, Quebec with other Loyalists of the time. I found what I think is Adam's death and a number of other GRAVES family life events on the film #1430819 , but I'm not yet sure how they all fit together.

I also Googled Adam and George GRAVES and got the following interesting websites:

A description of why Adam and George GRAVES were tried for treason. This story is consistent with the information from the book American Migrations talked about in a previous post. What I find ironic about the story is that the new government (which wanted to be rid of the British) used the British laws as to determine the traitors punishment to hang and quarter the seven men convicted of conspiracy. It does call to the men Adam Graves and John George Graves, not as George Graves.

This capture of the conspirators must have been a big deal. A book called The Loyalists of Pennsylvania by Wilbur H. Siebert also talks about George & Adam Graves very briefly on page 15.

The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies has a few letters that talks about Adam Graves, George Graves and Nicholas Andres and, if I'm reading it correctly, allowed them to get land in Canada since their land and possessions were confiscated and sold.

George and Adam Graves are listed as part of the index to The Old United Empire Loyalist List.

The details of a legal battle between James Graves and residents of Pittsburgh who supposedly owned the land. It looks like it took place in about 1862. Unfortunately the notes did not always include the first names of those involved so it was a little confusing. From what I understand, James Graves pretened to the heir to the land because he hadn't heard from his brother, George Graves, who was the legitimate heir, in over 7 years (was George a sailor?). Then George returned from England and was upset that James had his land, but in the meantime they figured out that it wasn't James or George's land because their father Adam had sold it without ever going to Pittsburgh Township, so really there was nothing anyone could do about it. Apparently Adam exchanged it for land in Sorel, Lower Canada, so I should find out how to look at those land records as well.

I also found a Maryland books look up page, but I can't find it again. I emailed some of volunteers and got one response.

From the book Inhabitants of Frederick County, MD

"Fees received by Mr. Martin [Frederick County Clerk?] from the Sherrif [sic] of Washington County, and paid to C. Edelson, Sherrif of Frederick County, November 1781: ...Jno. Geo. Graves, Adam Graves..." (p. 185)

"Frederick County Subpoena Docket 1781: ...July 26, 1781: The State of Maryland vs. Doct. Woolse. Witnesses: Mary Elizth, Graves the wife of Jno. Geo. Graves, Christena Graves the wife of Adam Graves, notation "Washington [County] for both." (p. 188)

"Judicial Writs Returnable 29th October 1781: ... State of Maryland vs. Jno. Geo. Graves, Washington [County]; State of Maryland vs. Adam Graves, Washington [County]." (p. 189)

"Recognizances to the Especial Court Begun and Held at Frederick Town ..6th of July 1781: July 4 1781 [sic]: Philip Erehart, to testify for the State vs. Adam Graves." (p. 191)

The Christ Church Sorel film mentions the death of Christena, wife of Adam Graves, so that's consistent with this information, so from this it could be that George Graves wife's name was Mary Elizabeth. That is if the man I called George Graves is the same man as John George Graves mentioned in this book.

This article gives information on the Loyalists of Sorel. It's interesting background information.

I think it would be helpful if the Graves named their children something other than George. And if I could find a marriage for George Graves who married Catherine Percy about 1820. Unfortunately, there appeared to be no such information in the records of Christ-Church at Sorel. So somewhere, I'm assuming between Sorel and Pittsburgh Township along the St. Lawrence, George Graves met and married Catherine Percy of Upper Canada. There is a Percy Township originally named for a Percy family, but it is seems very out of the way from the St. Lawrence so I'm hesitant about searching in that area.

What I need to do is figure out how George & Adam link with my Henry Graves born in 1825. Right now the best information I will have is the land records since it appears that Henry and his brother Michael were given their land in their father George Graves' will. I'm back to waiting for films..... #199634 should be on it's way from Salt Lake.

Directions to the Milton Cemetery

Today I realized that there were comments to some of my posts. Someone asked "How do you get to the Milton Cemetery?"

As far as I know, the Milton Cemetery is on private land but from what we were told when we went there, the landowner allows access to the cemetery.

To get to Milton Cemetery from Kingston drive east along Hwy 2. After the road "Glen Lawrence Crescent" there are two large lions on the south side of the road and I think a sign that says "Pineledge". Drive through the two lions towards the St. Lawrence River. Stay to the right. There's a small sign that says CEMETERY and a small parking area. From there you have to walk west into the brush for about 5 minutes but the trail was very good. There's a map at the entrance of the cemetery marking the tombstones. If you get to the Milton subdivision on Highway 2 then you've gone too far.

GRAVES of Sorel?

It's very possibly the the Graves family lived in Sorel, Quebec before coming to Pittsburgh Township.

Today I was looking at LDS FHL film 1430819 and there is a George Graves born in Sorel and christened in the Anglican Church called Christ Church. He was born in 1805 which is the right age to have been the George Graves who married Catherine Percy.

I've been doing some seaching on the internet about Sorel, Quebec. There is an article called The Loyalists of Sorel that says when the time came to divide the land in Sorel among the Loyalists, they were given a small amount of land in Sorel and then the remainder due to them was given at Cataraqui which became Kingston.

Sorel to Kingston is a fair distance, but from other things I've read, the British government was anxious to inhabit their side of of North America to protect it from the Americans.


View Larger Map

I did not find a marriage or a death on the film for this George Graves so if it the man who married Catherine Percy, they did not get married at Christ Church in Sorel.

On the 1852 and 1861 censuses Catherine says her birthplace is Upper Canada. There is a Percy Township in Upper Canada so maybe her family originated from that township, but the township is west of Kingston. Is it likely that someone born as far east as Sorel would meet and marry someone as far west as Percy Township? They would have married about 1820. It makes sense that if this is the George Graves who married Catherine Percy, that they would have been married at her church. I will try to search the neighboring counties to Pittsburgh for Percy names. Perhaps I will get lucky and find what I'm looking for. She could have been a Methodist or Anglican.

In the meantime, I've now got film 199690 of Pittsburgh Township land abstracts ready to go. With any luck I will be able to find something about the Graves family from the land records.

Notes to self about Pittsburgh Township

I finally got a copy of Tracing your Ancestors in Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Counties by Barbara B. Aitken and H. Dawn Broughton (ISBN 1-55034-007-7) from my public library. I wish I had a copy of this book before we went to Kingston, but now I have more reasons to go back. The book was written in 1987 so I hope the information is still valid.

These are my "notes to self" of additional things I could search for. Comments in parenthesis are for my benefit.

Family Research (page 5-7)

• best general handbook for Ontario genealogical research is Genealogy in Ontario: Searching the Sources by Brenda D. Merriman (look at a copy of this book from the library or amazon.ca)
  

Examples of "Primary Sources" (previous to this I thought a Primary Source was only a life event i.e. birth, marriage, death. Obviously some primary sources are better than others, but I'm glad the list is longer than I thought)

• Birth records (used ancestry.ca for civil birth registrations; Anglican Diocese for earlier christening records)
  
• Marriage records (used ancestry.ca for civil marriage registrations; Anglican Diocese for earlier marriages)
  
• Death records (ancestry.ca again)
  
• Census records (ancestry.ca)
  
• Wills & Probate records (have found some in 2 different indexes; need to figure out how to get a copy of them)
• Land records (ordered LDS film 199690 to get the Instrument for the Concessions & Lots of my ancestors)
  
• Tax assessment records
• Military records (exploring this option; a lot of films to go through from the LAC)
  
• Church records
• Cemetery records (used these)
• Funeral home records
• Burials and transport permits
• Court records

Secondary sources (not acceptable as proof but provide valuable information)

• Bible records
• Obituaries
• Newspaper clippings
• Published family histories
  
• Published county histories (i.e. Lilacs and Limestone)
• Directories
• Personal papers
• Tombstone inscriptions
• Atlases and land ownership maps (1878 Atlas of Frontenac)

REPOSITORIES p. 8-9 (I'm only mentioning the ones that I still need to do)

• Contact the Frontenac County Registry Office for copy of the wills I would like (613-548-3230).
• Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston (613-542-2261) for early records of... shipbuilding companies (check here for John Wilmot b. 1790 since he worked in the Kingston dockyard)
• Queen's University Archives Guide (get a copy of this if we ever go back to Kingston)

Find out what a Tweedsmuir history is for Pittsburgh Township?

CHURCH REGISTERS: p. 12

• Free Methodist - Pinegrove Free Methodist, Pinegrove Road, Pittsburgh Township register 1905-1966 (dates are too late for who I'm looking for)
• Methodist - Early Methodist Records 1805-1853, Methodist Episcopal Chruch includeing Smith's Creek, Bay of Quinte & Napanee circuits (looks like can get a copy from the Kingston OGS)
• There are other Methodist Churches listed under the UNITED Church, but the earliest dates are not early enough. There is a guide to the United Church Archives by Neil Semple from the Kingston OGS that might be helpful in determining if I should contact the United Church Archives. The oldest dates for Methodist are from the Sydenham Street Methodist/United Circut Register marriages from 1831-1850 but a church in that location would have been very far away from where my ancestors lived on Concession 1 Lot 11/12 of Pittsburgh Township (I think it would have been almost closer to go to Ganonoque since they didn't have to go to Kingston Mills to get across the Cataraqui River?)

CIVIL REGISTRATIONS

• More notices from Methodist Newspapers 1830-1857 (Graves family? looks like the Kingston OGS has a copy)

CEMETERIES

• Pine Grove, Concession VIII, Lot 33 (I think the Pine Grove church was a Methodist church. Depending on the dates, perhaps the Pine Grove cemetery might have some GRAVES family names).

LAND RECORDS

(I think I have this one finally figured out but if not I will have to get this book out of the library again)

WILLS

• All wills prior to 1940 are at the Archives of Ontario. (how do I order a film from the AO to look at the will???)

MILITARY RECORDS (page 41)

• The key to obtaining information is finding out the regiment or corps to which the man belonged. I need to find a copy of Searching for a Soilder in the British Army or Canadian Militia by John Grenville. There was once a copy at the Kignston OGS.

On page 61 there is a map of Pittsburgh Township

So basically I've got some clues of where to go for probate and military records which after I get my land records sorted out, is all I think I can do at this point.

GRAVES in Lower Canada (Quebec)

H-1161
Lower Canada Land Petitions 1637 - 1842

Lower Canada Land Index for the land Petitions in HG1, L3
QUEBEC and LOWER CANADA land petitions and related records 1637-1842

Volumes 1-210

Petitions for land grants submitted to the Land Comitte of the Executive Council in Quebec and Lower Canada, 1764-1841, together with related and supporting documentations, 1637-1842, form a relatively unified series. Included are many reports and schedules prepared by the Surveyor General, documents relating to the administration of the Jesuit Estates, draft and duplicate minutes and reports of the land Committee, and regulations of the land granting office, 1780-1840. Petitions submitted after 1841 are to be found in series L3. The land Books (series L1) generally give only a brief mention of the decision taken on the application for land. Thus they have very limited value for genealogical and biographical research.

The original order of the petitions has not been preserved. The petitions (volumes 29-209) were reorganized into an alphabetic sequence by name of petitioner or group leader in the early 1960's. Acess is to be had through the Index.

FINDING AIDS
The nominal card index in the Reference Room provides the name of individuals and the pages of the petitions which refer to each. In the case of group petitions, the page references are to the whole file and not to mentions of specific individuals.

The original arrangement of the petitions was essentially geographic, by the township in which the grant or lease was made. Finding Aid 619 provides lists according to the original order, alphabetically arranged by township and by name within each township. It can be used in conjunction with the nominal index to obtain page reference for all settlers ina specific township.

Finding Aid 876 is a copy of the "list of Lands Grnated by the Crown in ... Quebec", 1763-1890, for which the records are held by the Service de l'enregistrement des documents de l'Etat at Quebec. The published list is in two parts, arranged alphabetically by township and by name of grantee.

USE OF THE INDEX

1. Consult the Index under all possible Variant spellings of the names of interest. Note page numbers given there.
2. Consult the shelf list to determine the microfilm reel on wich the pages will appear. RESEARCHERS MUST USE THE MICROFILM.
3. Consult the microfilm in the Self-Service Reading room. The reels may also be borrowed through the inter-library loan arrangement.

MICROFILM

The complete series has been microfilmed. Reel numbers are given in the Slef List which follows this description. An earlier version of this shelf list was microfilmed (as reel C-623). The nominal card index will be microfilmed in 1981.

PHOTOCOPIES

Since the series has been withdrawn from circulation for conservation purposes, xerox copies cannot be made. Reader printer copies will be supplied at the standard charge of rxerox. When special cpies are required for pulication or exhibition, photographs can be supplied at the standard charge for such copies. Please specify the reel number as well as page numbers w3hen ordering photocopies.

CITATIONS

The recomended format is as follows:

PAC, RG 1, L3L vol. 201, pages 94801-94802; on reel C-2568

or

PAC, Lower Canada Land Petitions, vol. 201 pp 94801-802; reel C-2568

1822-1828
Graves, ---
Lower Canada Land
23846-23863
Shelf list 23765-24265 C-2511 (Bowen Hugh - Breyner, David) No dates

1792
Graves, Abner
Lower Canada Land
pp46314-46326
Shelf list 45933-46403 C-2529 (Gilman, Moses - Gongere, Joseph) No dates

1792
Graves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
3206-3211
shelf list 3108-3336 C-2495 (Minutes & reports of the land committee: drafts and extracts of minutes etc) 1792

1792-1797
Graves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
pp 47576-47588
shelf list 47246-47656 C-2530 (Grant, Donald - Grant, Thomina) no dates

1792-1821
Graves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
pp. 46771-46834
shelf list 46404-46866 C-2529 (Goodfellow, Robert - Goupille, Louis) no dates

1797
Graves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
p. 406
shelf list 374-449 C-2493 (Lists of petitons for land: Petitions &c for land and reference to the land committee with index) 1796-1799

1799
Graves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
pp. 58-64
shelf list 58-64 C-2493 (List of petions laid before Council) 1799

1799
Graves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
pp. 4522-4527
shelf list 4493-4706 C-2496 (Minutes & Reports of the land committee drafts and extracts of minutes) 1798-1800

1801-1802
Graves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
pp. 35733-35788
shelf list 35645-35916 C-2521 (Davidson, James - Desjarlais, Marie J.) no dates

1802-03
Graves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
pp. 756-759
shelf list 629-787 C-2493 (Lists of applicants who had taken the oath of allegiance) 1795-1806

1802-1825
Graves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
p. 1540
shelf list 1410-1616 C-2494 (lists of the Patentees in the Townships for which Patents have been issued) 1802-1825

1805-1806
Graves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
pp. 16603-16610
shelf list 16312-16931 C-2505 (Allsopp, James - Antrobus, John) no dates

1806
Graves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
p. 1309
shelf list 1239-1409 C-2494 (List of Patentees... Book 1 duplicates pp 1217-1264) no dates (1809)

1806
Graves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
p. 2118
shelf list 1962-2299 C-2494 (scrip book listing grants with index) 1796-1832

1792
Graves, Adam & others
Lower Canada Land
pp. 170
shelf list 141-273 C-2493 (Memorials &c for land and references to the land committee with dates of warrants of survey) 1792-1793

1787-1829
Graves, George
Lower Canada Land
pp. 24766-24769
shelf list 24511-24777 C-2512 (Briand, Thomas - Brooks, John) no dates

Other GRAVES names like Agnes & Edward, John, John Jr, Josiah, Levinah, Lydia, Martha, Mary, Nancy, Nathaniel, Randel, Peres, Richard, William also but I'm not sure how or where they might fit in the family tree.

1792
Greaves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
pp 11-26
shelf list 11-26 C-2493 (orders for specific quantities of lands in Sundry Township) 1792

1801
Greaves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
p. 1651
shelf list 1617-1738 C-2494 (orders of the govenor in council specific quanties of land with index) 1801

1799
Greaves, Adam
Lower Canada Land
2352-59
shelf list 2345-2365 C-2494 (lists of names of grantees proposed to be published in the Gazette) 1799

1800
Greaves, Adam & Others
Lower Canada Land
47807-47810
shelf list 47657-48227 C-2530 (Grant, William - Green, James) no dates

1837
Groves, George
Lower Canada Land
pp. 48659-48666
48546-48666 C-2531 (Green, John - Groves, George) no dates

no other Groves (this one doesn't match the year I'm looking for)

Trying to find the right land records

While trying to find land information for Adam and George Graves, I thought that LAC film C-2741 might have what I was looking for, but no such luck. There was mention of George & Adam Graves, but it has more to do with a question about Adam & George's land. I copied the letter because I thought it was interesting. Some of the spelling mistakes are my transcription errors and some of the spelling mistakes are the way the word was spelled, so I've left it the way I typed it originally; unfortunately I didn't have time to proof read and compare to the film.

Bundle 6 Claim 19B page 10 is a letter with the names of a number of people and the description of their land

Entered in land book No 5 pages 305 & 306

Inspector Generals Office

York 26 October 1803

Sir

In obedience to your Excellencys Commands to make Examination with respect to the privilages and fees payable on Patents for Land remciming in the Secretarys Office, that had been signed during the Administration of Mr President Rufsell

I have the honor to Report, that for Seven of the Patents mentioned in the minutes of Search herewith transmitted the half fee appears to have been paid by Government. Two hundred and sixty four appears intitled to receive their Deeds free of expence, but of this number ten of them are stated as not to have buss seen by the secretaery or have paper the great seal. Five hundred and five are subject to prepayment of full fee. Three of these have not the paped the seal: and one is stated to have been cancelled. One has been resinded on account of Onstarory. One for which a Patent has been made out was relinquished in a petition to the land board of the Midland District. For fifty two, I have no document to direct me to decide of this number there are six for whom no Patents have paper the seal. One is not privlidged to the extend of land mentioned in the Patent. Two are misnomers. Two require further authority. Five ought not to ifree owing in some instances to the grantee having died long before the date of the Patent. For Two the land was granted to the wife and the deed made in the name of the husband. Eight are subject to the order in Council of the 11 June 1799, and one on account of his Father having been suspersded the UE list is uscroed for Enquirey. Making in the whole Eight hundred and fifty one Patents or suppossed Patents that are now reported upon.

I have the honour to be very Respectfully

Sir

Your Excellencys

Most Obedient

and Most humble servant

______ Gill

Insp Genl

His Excellency Peter Hunter Esq

Liuetenant Govonor of Upper Canada

and Lieutenant General Comnanding

His Majestys Forces in both the Cannadas

page 6

Report of a committee of the whole of the executive councin on the report of the inspector general on Examinations made by him in regard to priviledge on 851 grants of land.

Council Chamber York 2nd December 1803

The Honorable Henry Allcock Esquire Chief Justice

The Honorable Peter Sussell Esquire

The Honorable Erneas Shaw Esqure

The Honorabel John McGill Equire

To his excellency Peter Hunter Esquire Lieuntenant Govonver of His Majesty's Province of Upper Canada and Lieutenant General Commanding His Majesty's Forces in the Province of Upper Canada and Lower Canada.

May it please your excellency

Your excellency having by order dated the first day of November 1803 been pleased to refer to the consideration of the board the report of the inspector general on examinations made by him in regard to priviledge on 851 grants of land signed by his excellency Lieutenant Govonor Simcoe and Mr. President Anssell as received by the said inspector genreeal for mthe Auditor General (Mr Russell) 23 July 1803 and which said 857 grants are stated to be now in the possession of the secretary of the Province or his deputies. The baord took the said report to the said inspector general into considerant and after examingin discussing and deliberating on the same on many days to which they from time to time adjorned. Thie board has agreed to report to your excellency as follows:

That they find that there are 851 grants that are now in the hands of the secretary and his deputies. Two hundred and seventy three of the grantees in which are entitled or claim to be intitled to privlidge on which two hundred and seventy three the board submits toe following observations:

page 8

Fourty nine deeds are without description of Grantees and the six next following are without deed or description of the respective grantees (continues to list 6 names)

page 9

The remainder of the said 49/Viz/43 want further description the names of the said 43 are what next follow and for the land hereafter next specified (viz:)

page 10

Lieut George Graves Nos 11 & 12 in the 2nd Con & Broken Fronts Nos 11 & 12 in the 1st Concession 670 acres in Pittsburgh

Captain Adam Graves Nos 17 & 18 in the 1&2 Concessions with Broken fronts 980 acres in Pittsburgh