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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

GRAVES from Maryland part II

If the GRAVES family is from Maryland, this is some background information on Maryland that might be useful. These are all answers I received after sending an email to the MDWASHING rootsweb mailing list.

This is the message I sent. I got three responses.

I'm new to these lists and I hope that I have the right ones; there are a lot of choices for the state of Maryland. I am looking for resources available for my ancestors who may have lived in Maryland during the revolutionary war.

I had hit a dead end with my 4x great grandfather George GRAVES (b. abt 1800 in USA died before 1851 in Ontario, Canada) but recently through another rootsweb mailing list have found that there is a GRAVES family association and it has George's ancestry back 2 generations. I would like to verify the information as none of it is sourced AND there are no dates so all I've got to go on now is names.

According to the book American Migrations 1765-1799, Lt. George GRAVES & Capt. Adam GRAVES were brothers who were alive in the 1780's living in Frederick County, Maryland. They were loyal to the British and were trying recruit men to their cause when they were captured, condemned to die but instead they were reprieved on condition of being transported to France. They escaped to New York, then sailed to England on 10 Sep 1783.

If these are my ancestors, they eventually received land in 1797 in Pittsburgh Township, Frontenac County, Upper Canada just north of the St. Lawrence River, east of present day Kingston, Ontario.

Again from the book American Migrations, George & Adam GRAVES made a claim for 428 acres of land in Frederick, Washington Co in 1783. The last bit of information from the book is that George GRAVES died in Canada in 1789 (if he died in 1789 how was it that he received land in 1797? did he have a son also named George who got his land?)

Does anyone know if Frederick, Washington County has good land records that far back? If yes, any suggestions where I could start to find the land claim records by Adam & George GRAVES?

Does anyone know if there are British Revolutionary war military records in Maryland?

Apparently Adam GRAVES brother, Joseph GRAVES was an Admiral for the British and his sister (no name) owned a plantation worked by slaves. Was Maryland a state that had plantations? I would have thought that plantations would have been farther south than Maryland but I don't know much about early American history or the eastern states geography.

It looks like there is a lot of information for the Maryland area on the LDS familysearch catalog so I will also start with those films but if anyone on the list has some helpful hints, I would be grateful for the information since I haven't done any genealogy searching outside of Ontario, Canada!

Response #1

(re: Adam & Joseph GRAVES sister owned a plantation worked by slaves, assumed in Maryland)

Maryland was a slave state. Anything below the Mason & Dixon line (separating Md. De.,Va. and Pa.) was considered a slave state. They were also found in the northern states too. Maryland was considered a English state as it was originally settled mainly by the English, so when the American Revolution came along the citizens of the State were greatly divided on which side to take. Mine are mainly French Hugenots and Ulsterscots so we were 100% for the revolution.

Response #2

Washington County Maryland county evolution:
Washington from Frederick in 1776
Frederick from Prince George in 1748
Prince George from Calvert and Charles in 1695.
Records prior to 1776 will be in Frederick Co.

You need to check with the Frederick County website to get a more full response. Many of us work back and forth between surrounding counties because people moved around, but I believe your best responses will be from those who have resources for Frederick County.

One resource for Frederick County that I have is Rice's THIS IS THE WAY IT WAS, Excerpts from the Judgment Records of Fred. Co. MD 1848-1765. On page 183:
[during the August Court of 1758] "Ordered that bench warrant issue for searching Thomas GRAVES' house." There is a marriage license record for a Thomas GRAVES to Elizabeth CARTNAIL Oct. 9, 1783 in Myers, MARRIAGE LICENSES OF FREDERICK CO MD. 1778-1810.

There are 7 GRAVES grooms is Morrow & Morrow's WASHINGTON COUNTY MARYLAND MARRIAGES, 1799-1860. One is for Joseph GRAVES/Catherine BROSIUS on 1/9/1817. That is the earliest - the latest is in 1857.

The Washington Spy (Hagerstown)
October 5, 1796
"Tract for sale, 400a., adj Pennsylvania line and lands of Samuel GRAVES, 2 miles from Hancocktown - William TONG."

In 1808 there was a petition to straighten a road near Hancock and this location tied to Samuel GRAVES is mentioned. In 1815 a mention is made of a John GRAVES living 1/2 mile from Hancock.

Maryland land records are online and you might investigate those.

In Clement's and Wright's, THE MARYLAND MILITIA IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR six GRAVES patriots fought in the Maryland Militia - some from St. Mary's County, Kent, and Montgomery.

In Ridenour's WASHINGTON COUNTY MD OBIT LOCATOR, 1790-1940 there are some GRAVES obits running from 1896-1940.

In Morrow & Morrow's WILLS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, the only entry for GRAVES is for George who had estate documents in 1858.

From Passano's SOURCE RECORDS OF MARYLAND:
"Graves. Md. tombstone rec. Md. Geneal. Rec. Com., 1937, Parran, p. 3 Mss. DAR.
Thurman, Graves, Jones. Descendants of John Thurman of Va., William Graves of Va., and John Jones of Sc., J.D. Humprihes, 1938. DAR."

From INVENTORY OF MARYLAND BIBLE RECORDS, The Genealogical Council of MD.

GRAVES Bible, eb. 1713, em 1841, on STANSBURY, BOYD, COLGATE, MERRITT; res. Baltimore Co. Md. dep. MHS/FCA

GRAVES Bible eb 1749, on THOMPSON, JONES, BAKER, res. Westmoreland, Wales; Baltimore, MD. dep. MHS/FCA.

MHS = Maryland Historical Society
FCA = Filing case A.

Response #3
Frederick county has wonderful land records. I have not used the
on-line database but I have researched there in person. To use the on-line
records go to:
http://www.mdlandrec.net/msa/stagser/s1700/s1741/cfm/index.cfm?CFID=13965908

Response #4

Sorry for the delay. I checked the land record indexes for Frederick Co., MD 1778-1803 and also Washington Co. and did not find any listing for an Adam or George Graves, or any other Graves in that time frame.

Now to follow up on their leads.

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???
   

Notes on LAC film C-11818, C-11835, C-11839, C-11844, C-11866, C-11870

I ordered film C-11818 etc of military records from the Library and Archives Canada. There were a number of GRAVES family living in Sorel, Quebec (aka William-Henry).

Unfortunately I haven't figured out what to do next. I would have thought that number "C.694" was the LAC film number of the complete information, but when I look at the list of records, the numbers don't seem to match what I wrote down from the index.

NAME
Summary of the information
Place, Date
LAC Film number to find the information, page number

SOREL is located on the South side of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec and was also called William Henry
CHAZY is located on the South side of the St. Lawrence River in New York

GRAVES, Adam
arrears of cons & rentee in the Seigniery of Sorel due to the 11 Nov 1797
Sorel, 22-12-1797
C.279 p. 41

GRAVES, Adam
lot sold to Robert Jones in Sorel Seigniery
14 Sep 1798 (date blured, guessing the year)
C.278 p. 103

GRAVES, Adam
transfer of a lot in Seigniory of Sorel to L. Rainville
1797-1806
C.279 p. 78

GRAVES, Adam, Captain
Annual rent paid for land in Sorel Seigniery
1802
C.279, p. 60 (page number blurry)

GRAVES Adam
lot sold to P. Smith in Sorel Seigniery
19 May 1803
C. 279, p.107

GRAVES Adam
difference between General & Annual rent for year ending
11 Nov 1806
C. 279 p. 83

GRAVES Adam
arrears of cens & rentes in Seigniery of Sorel remaining due 24 Mar 1806
Sorel, 24-3-1806
C. 279 p. 81 (page number blury)

GRAVES Adam
certificate as to Martin Dunnavan's character
Sorel 30-4-1814
C.279 p. 239

GRAVES Benjamin M.D.S. Plattsburgh, N.Y.
certificate of facts contained in petition of George and requests his prayer be granted
10-8-1813
C.505, p.163

GRAVES Charles F. Lieutenant & Quartermaster
longue point division
2-11-1812
C.1695, p.84

GRAVES Charles F.
Lieutenant in the 1st or Grendi Cr Co of Col. Deschmanbault's Corps Sedantary Inc.
Militia Div of Blainville
Beauharhois, 23-11-1813
C.1894, p.5

GRAVES Charles F
certificate of services
Montreal, 1-4-1824
C.1694, p.35

there are other GRAVES but the dates are later and the given names are unfamiliar

GRAVES Elisabeth
Twp of Drummond, Bathurst, District C.W.
married Alexander Thomas by William Bell Presbyterian, 9-1-1832

GRAVES George
from Hugh Finlay, D'ty Post Mr. Gen'l to point a mode that would effectively remedy the inconvenience in conveying mail between Berthier & Sorel
Quebec 10-9-1798
C.278, p. 154

GRAVES George Junior
to Hugh Finlay D'ty post Mr. General
Sorel 24-9-1798
C.278, p. 156

GRAVES Geo Jr
witness to signing contract between 2 men to supply hard wood
5-1-1810
C.549, p. 88

GRAVES George
Quartermaster St. Ours Batt'n L.C. Militia
1812-1812
M.661, p. 30 (M.661 wasn't clear, could be N.661 or W.661)

GRAVES George
certificate as to Mary Tilson's character
Sorel 14-4-1812
C.279, p. 203

GRAVES George
recomends Sarah Leach to be admitted in Sore Asylum
Sorel 27-4-1812
C.279, p.207

GRAVES George
Lieutenant and QM St. Ours division
1-9-1812
C.1695, p.131

GRAVES George
Lieuntenant 7th Batt'n or Deachambault's L.C. Militia
1812-1816
M.661, p.30

GRAVES George
R.O. Member of a court inquiry to assemble on Oct 24 at Major Mondelet's quarters for deciding a ration of bread for Captain Brown's Company
Pointe de Lac 23-10-1813
C.1203 1/2 Q, p. 25

GRAVES George
R.O. member of court martial for inquiring into the conduct of David Petty, Issac Proctor & Sylvester Hill of Capt'n Browns Company
Prentice Point 3-11-1813
C.1203 1/2Q, p.55

GRAVES George
C.1203 1/2Q, p. 63

GRAVES George
details of his duty for company at Prentice Point
18 Nov 1813
C.1203 1/2Q, p. 75

GRAVES George
details of his duty for company at Prentice Point
22 Nov 1813
C.1203 1/2Q, p.96

GRAVES George
certificate as to Martin Dunnavan's character
Sorel 30-4-1814
C.279, p. 288

GRAVES, George
Concering claim of Messurs. Linthorne & Jelliffe against Engineer Dept. Sorel.
William Henry, 23-3-1815
C.389 pp.218-219

GRAVES, George
Possessor of Town lot in Sorel.
John K. Welles, agnt for the Deigniery.
Sorel 16-11-1829
C. 634 p.91

GRAVES, George F
General Order. Appointing him to be Ensign to the 89th Regt. vice Graves promoted.
Kingston 7-6-1813
C.1170 p.251

GRAVES, George F. Ensign, 89th Foot.
General Order. To be Ensign in 5th Regt vice Ensign Jame Oughton who exchanges. April 15th 1813.
Adjt General Baynes. Montreal, Oct 17 1813
C.1171 p.73

GRAVES, George, (D.S.) Churchwarden, William Henry L.C.
Affidavit of Rebecca Hall of her marriage to V.L. Hall late Lieut. 99th Regt. and that she is in receipt of no pension, etc.
29-7-1822
C.195 p.50

GRAVES, Henry
Claim for losses, sustained through H.N. Troops, Chasy 1-11-1814
C.85 pp234-235

GRAVES, Henry
makes affidavit re peaceable conduct of Jerooneaue Seyer toward Sir. Geo Provost
Chasy 8-11-1814
C.85 p.232A

GRAVES, John
King's American Dragoons
1782-83
C.1901 p6 10 37 41 51 54 67 76 77 85

GRAVES, John
Lot promised him in Seigniory of Sorel, but remained unimproved.
Sorel 9-7-1810
C.279 p. 20

GRAVES, John
to receive wages of Wm. Graves artificer at the Kingston dockyards.
Quebec 7-12-1813
C.681 p216b

GRAVES, John
position of lockmaster on Rideau Canal 27-6-1837
C.82 p.227

GRAVES, John Pte 14th Regt
Volunteer from 32nd Regt claim fr winter cloting against that corps.
N. Everand, Lt. Col Con'dg'
Kingston 29-11-1841
C.838 p.70

GRAVES, Joseph
Sergeant - Volunteers of Ireland
1779-80-81-82
C.1886 p.20-37-43-63
C.1887 p.5-14-27-39-47

GRAVES P Graham Ensign USA
his parole of honor H.H.C. "Malabar"
Quebec 10-6-1813
C.689 p.92

GRAVES, Seth
makes depositions re peaceable conduct of certain inhabitants of Chasy towards Sir George Provost
Chasy, N.Y 2-11-1814
C.85 pp. 224A 225A 226, 229, 230A, 231

checked for GREAVES and GROVES but the names there did not seems to match what I'm looking for.

C-11835
MILTON, John has a number of entries but no MILTON, Thomas

C-11839
McLEAN
Private - Vernonis Troup
1782
C.1884 p 32-73
C.1885 p.52

McLEAN _____
Maryland Loyalists
1779
C.1904 p.44

McLEAN
relative to a letter addressed to Judge Posell supposed to have been mislaid
Captain Porter to Major LaMaistre
Kingston 8-8-1791
C.930 p.92

McLEAN _____ Wood Contractor
H. Mackenzie to James Green
Kingston 20-10-1801
Contract for fuel for the garrison at Kingston
has agreed to supply wood at 8/6? per cord.
Capt. A Mackenzie 41st Regt to the Mil'y Sec'y
C.107 p.194

McLEAN Joseph
born in Ireland, Montreal 1765. Clerk
M.96 p.13

McLEAN Jospeh
Private, Loyal American Regiment
12-11-1777
C.1867 p.2

McLean Joseph
Private, Loyal American Regiment
27-6-1778
C.1867 p.47

McLEAN Jospeh Act'g Seurgon?
Naval Establishment, L. Erie
16-10-1815
C.736 p 31b

*** get film for MacLEAN***

C-11844
no PERCY that looks like the right time period

C-11866
Vanhorne/Van Horn or Vanhorn/Van Horne
no William

C-11870
Willmot
Willmott
Wilmot

no John Wilmot (he must not have been an officer???)

An Update on the GRAVES Family

When I decided that I'd try genealogy as a hobby I looked at my family tree and set a goal to get each of my family lines out of North America. As I studied the information, the biggest gap was on my mother's paternal grandfather's 4-generation chart and since they all lived in the same area on the St. Lawrence River, I thought it would be easy to find out where they came from. I was sure that after only a few months I would be looking for family lines across the Atlantic. (That was before I talked to Ellen, who is also searching for family in Eastern Ontario who looked for one relative for 30 years). Here I am 15 months later still working on the family lines in Pittsburgh Township. There are just two more families that I don't know enough about to know where they came from. The families are the ancestry of George GRAVES & Catherine PERCY and Joseph McLEAN and his wife (whoever she may be).

As for George GRAVES and Catherine PERCY a few weeks ago I was ready to give up on them. Since there are no dates on their tombstone nor church records (I think they were Methodist if they were anything) there really isn't a lot to go on for BMD's. My last good option is land records and George GRAVES is talked about as owning land in the book Lilacs and Limestone. However, when I tried to look at the land records, I could not find him in the index. As a last resort I sent an email to the Frontenac mailing list to see if anyone there knows more about how to access land records for information. If no suggestions came back from the mailing list I was going to put this family aside for the time being and move onto a different family line. But, as I said in my original post about George & Catherine, this is genealogy and miracles do happen.

This is my email message regarding the Ontario land records:

I have a question about land records for Upper Canada. I have gone through the UPPER CANADA LAND PETITIONS INDEX (Library and Archives Canada Finding Aid 1802) looking for my ancestor, GEORGE GRAVES but he's not in the index. I would have expected him to be on film C-10820 but the only George Graves on that film was for the year 1843. In the book Lilacs and Limestone An Illustrated History of Pittsburgh Township 1787-1987 by William J. Patterson Appendix One Part One is a list of Patent Holders (Crown Grantees) and GEORGE GRAVES was given (purchased?) Concession 1 Lot 11 in February 1797. This is the same Concession and Lot that my ancestor, HENRY GRAVES was living on in 1878 and I'd like to see the original record for George Graves, if I can find it. The source for Appendix One is FCLRO, Land Title Abstract Index - Pittsburgh Township. Does anyone know how to obtain a copy of this index?

I received two responses from Joanna, the same Joanna who helped me with determining who the minister was for Albert Bower Wilmot & Mary Agnes Graves wedding. She has been very helpful to do for me what she has done and I so appreciate the time that she took. These were her responses to my question.

Response #1

If you don't live near Kingston, you can look at the abstract Index of Deeds through the LDS FHC library by borrowing the film. You can see the film # on their catalogue. The index will give you the instrument #'s for the land transactions you are interested in for that lot and you can also check if there were any wills registered on title at the same time. It gives a history of the land transactions.

There is also an Index to the Upper Canada Land Books published by the OGS which does include 2 Graves men in Pittsburgh:

Graves Adam (Captain) Residence - not given, Location Pittsburgh, Date 2 Dec 1803 Book E p324 Petition R19

Graves George (Lieutenant) and exactly same details

Response #2

Hi Jill, I took a look at your blog where you discussed Adam and George Graves. Peter Wilson Coldham in his book American Migrations 1765-1799 mentions a Captain Adam Graves and his brother Lieutenant George Graves. They were loyalists from Maryland who were imprisoned and escaped to NY. George is supposed to have gone to Canada. I'll send you a copy.


The book says the following: "“Graves, Adam & George, and Andres, Nicholas of Frederick Co. Memorials 1783; by Adam Graves 1784; by Adam and George Graves 1784. The claimants were freeholders in Frederick Co. [Maryland] and being loyalist officers were condemned to die for enlisting men to the British cause. After being in gaol for seven weeks in irons, they were reprieved on condition of being transported to France aboard a French warship but then imprisoned in the hold of the Romulus, a former English man-of-war on York River fore three months before escaping to NY. They were awarded a free passage to England and sailed on 10 September 1783. They are in the utmost distress in London. The Graves brothers are natives of High Germany who emigrated to America many years ago: Adam was commissioned a Capt in 1779 and appointed George as his Lieut. Together they went about making recruits to the Army on a promise of three guineas bounty, pay and clothing, and 150 acres each on the conclusion of the war. Claim by the Graves brothers for 428 acres in Frederick, Washington Co. Supporting affidavits signed in NY: undated by Hugh Kelly, Barrack Master at Brooklyn, late of MD; 11 August 1783 by Thomas Stewart of Washington Co., MD; 4 September 1783 by Joseph Sands late of MD; 5 September 1783 by Joseph McCoy of Washington Co, MD. Note dated June 1789 that George Graves has died in Canada (12/8/1 & 15, 100/3, 109/72 & 150; 13/40/41-53, 60(II)/204-226, 137/272-273). See also under Andres.”

Unfortunately I don't know what the numbers in brackets mean. When I first read this, I wondered if this description of George and Adam GRAVES were possibly the same two men talked about in the book Lilacs & Limestone. I immediately emailed Joanna back to find out more about this book. This is what she sent back to me.

The book American Migrations is all about evidence of loyalist claims. The title is a little misleading. I thought since the date for the land was so early, the family might be loyalists.

After I sent that page, I found another reference to these 2 brothers on the Graves Family Association website. So it is definitely the same family that went to Pittsburg. http://www.gravesfa.org/gen043.htm

I don't think the Abstract index is available through the LAC or the AO. The AO has a good description of Ontario land records. http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/guides/rg_299_family_sources.htm#registry

I am more familiar with using the LDS films since it is easier for me. The film # would be 199690.

For the land books, the index is just a finding aid. All the petitions are different. Some have family information. Others are brief. The land petitions you can order from LAC. I didn't give you the bundle number from the book. It is bundle 6. The book said "Land petitions were filed within "bundles", therefore it's important to know the bundle number for your ancestor's petition. Note the Date and Book of your entry of interest and consult the Table of Concordance on page 6. Once you've obtained the bundle number, insert this number within the petition number. For example, petition number W29 in bundle number 5, will look like W5/29. "

So I think the film # to order from LAC is C-2741 Vol 425 Bundle R 6 Petition#1 to 22 1803-1804

This may also be a group petition since the Letter is R not G for Graves.

Another index to look at is explained in the AO guide - the Ontario Land record index. It names the patent owner for each lot and you can check this for Pittsburg.

If you do look at the Abstract index of deeds for con 1 lot 11, also check for Con 1 lots 12, 17, 18 and in con 2 lots 11 &12, con 2 lots 17 &18. I have a list in a book by Linda Corupe "Land Board alphabetical schedule of the granted land in the township of Pittsburgh, district of Mecklenburg 1789". It names Greaves, Graves George Lieutenant for 800 acres all in con 1 lots 11&12, con 2 11&12 and for Captain Greaves, the 800 acres of Con 1 lots 17&18 and con 2 lots 17 &18.

Good luck
Joanna

I had no idea there is a Graves Family Association website. I went to check it out. Apparently Jean Graves (who is Clifford Roy Wilmot's first cousin) submitted this information in the 1980's. According to the host of the Graves Family Association website NO ONE has ever contacted him about that particular page of Graves family genealogy. Unfortunately Jean did not include dates or sources but at least I have names and it is a lead. I am not giving up on the GRAVES family quite yet...

Now that I've been in contact with the website administrator I'm trying to update Jean's information with the sources that I know. When I've got it all together I'll include what I send him on this blog. I'm also going to have to check out the LDS film of the land records, or try the LAC films again. There is also a chance that I might find some information on these brothers (or was Adam the father and George the son?) in military records, but there are so many films I don't know where to begin. I also could look for information of early Maryland records and perhaps there is a church there that might have kept records, I don't know. I'm also still hoping the United Church Archives finds Methodist records for Pittsburgh Township and I'll have birth dates or christening dates for George GRAVES and Catherine PERCY's children. Let the search begin!

1891 census results

So it would appear that I can attach a picture and movie but I can't see how to attach an XL spreadsheet. If I copy and paste the information it just makes a mess, so I guess for now I'll include the most pertinent information that could possibly extend family lines.

Elizabeth McLean's father and mother were born in the USA. That does start to make me think he could have been a loyalist or a son of a loyalist ~ the birth place and time period were right (Elizabeth was born in 1810, so her father would have been born between 1770-1790). As for her mother it's possible that Elizabeth's parents were married in the USA and then came to Pittsburgh. Perhaps she also has loyalist roots?

Michael Graves' (Henry's brother) father was born in the USA. Their mother was born in Canada. I've recently been in contact with the host of the GRAVES family website and I have some more information on Henry and Michael's father.

GEORGE GRAVES & CATHERINE PERCY

An alternate title for this post could be "Finding a needle in a haystack" or "They obviously don't want to be found because if they did, they would have left better clues."

The question is, "Who were Henry Graves parents?" I believe they were George Graves and Catherine Percy but that's only a guess. Granted it is an educated, probable guess but at the end of the day it's still just a guess. I suspect if there were Methodist Church records from the Pittsburgh area for the early 1800's I could find their marriage date but it's not very likely. The Methodist church merged into the United Church in the early 1900's and at the time all the churches were supposed to send their existing records to the central headquarters. In 2008 the United Church is relocating their records so they are unaccessible for the moment, so I'm hoping for a miracle that as they move the records in Toronto, they will come across Methodist Church records for Pittsburgh Township that they did not previously know existed and I will find my missing family. This is genealogy. Stranger things have happened.

I want to be very careful with my sources for this post. Everything I know about Henry's family growing up and everything I assume needs to be carefully documented in case I don't find them and at some future date a relative takes up the search I don't want he or she to reinvent the wheel. And that's why I'm putting all this on the internet.

The oldest known record is the 1851 census. Don't be fooled by the date because this census was officially completed in 1852.  The age column is the "age next birthday" so to determine the birth year, I've subtracted their age from 1852 not 1851. William Germain was the enumerator for the area of Pittsburgh, district #1 and he wrote the following about his work for the census.

"Enumeration District No 1 Township of Pittsburgh County of Frontenac is [bounded] as follows,

            On the South side by the River St. Lawrence a distance of about ten miles, on the East by the surveyed lines running between lots No 15 and 16 across the broken Front, and five Consessions a distance of about Eight Miles. On the North and West sides by the Rideau Canal a distance of about 14 miles. The District is intersected by three leading Roads. One follows the Banks of the St. Lawrence River over a rugged, hilly Country in rainy weather almost impassable. 

            The second called the middle road takes a north easterly course for about four miles, then due East and forms a junction with the above described road, about ten miles for Kingston, after passing through a fine level country, it is capable of being made an excellent road with small outlay. The third is called the Perth Road and takes a north Easterly direction following the Banks of the Rideau Canal, and is generally speaking in a wretched state, a great Portion of this part of Pittsurgh is nothing but a barren rocky wilderness with but very few cross roads open.

             I beg most respectfully to state for the consideration of the gentlemen Composing the Board of Statistics, that owning to the unprecedented fall of Snow, and the Ruggedness of this part of the country, coupled with the very limited number of cross roads open I experienced great difficulty in procuring the required information, twenty-four days is the amount of time I spent in completing the census of this District.

In this Enumeration District there are

One English Church

Three Sawmills

Six Schoolhouses

Six Taverns

William Germain, Enumerator"

What a priceless description of the land at the time and the work that Mr. Gemain went to to enumerate the township.

The website automatedgenealogy.com has transcribed a portion of the 1852 census and made it easy to search by name. There are 153 GRAVES' in Canada West on the 1851 census and 17 live in Pittsburgh Township, Frontenac County. They appear to be split into three families. Two of the families live in District #1 which was west of lot 15 and one in District #2 which was east of lot 15.

 The columns are as follows: Name, Profession, Born, Religion, Age, Gender, Married or single

Family #1 District 1, Page 47 or 24a (William Germain wrote No 24 on this page) Lines 48-50, living in a log house, 1 story, 1 family

<1807> Cath Graves, Widow, Canada West, English Church, 45, female, widow
<1827> Henry Graves, farmer, Canada West, English Church, 25, male, single
<1832> Michael Graves, farmer, Canada West, English Church, 20, male, single

Family #2 District 1, Page 53 or 27a (William Germain wrote sheet no 27 on this page) Lines 45-50, living in a log house, 1 story, 1 family

<1822> Elizabeth Graves, Canada West, Presbyterian, 30, female, single
<1834> John Graves, Labourer, Canada West, Roman Catholic, 18, male, single
<1837> William Graves, Labourer, Canada West, Presbyterian, 15, male, single
<1839> Hannah Graves, Canada West, Presbyterian, 13, female, single
<1844> Sarah Graves, Canada West, Presbyterian, 8, female, single
<1846> Susan Graves, Canada West, Presbyterian, 6, female, single

Family #3 District 2, Page 93 (19a) (Hugh Cowan wrote page 19) Lines 22-27, log house, 1 story, 1 family

<1814> James Graves, farmer, born Canada, Church of England, 38, married, male
<1826> Jane Graves, born Canada, Catholic, 26, married, female
<1847> Maria Graves, born Canada, Catholic, 5, single, female
<1849> Julia Graves, born Canada, Catholic, 3, single, female,
<1850> James Graves, Labourer, born Canada, Catholic, 2, single, male
<1851> George Graves, Labourer, born Canada, Catholic, 1, single, male, born in 1851

Summary and questions resulting from the 1851 census:

Based on ages alone, James Graves and family could have been a brother or cousin to Cath Graves' dead husband.

The family names directly above and below these families on the census' are

1. Taylor, Balsh, Cath Graves, Taylor, Irwin
2. Carter, Garde, John Graves, Babcock
3. Livingston, McIntyre, James Graves, Marceline Lapage, Bryant, Taylor

Why does unmarried John Graves seem to be the head of the household when there are so many young children in his house? The most likely explanation are these are his siblings. Was his mother also Cath Graves? Did they have two homes? Or were they all living in the same home but Cath, Henry & Michael were visiting friends when the enumerator came to the door and recorded with the wrong household? They are both said to be living in a 1 story log home. Perhaps it was the same house.

If John's household is part of Cath's family the religions are diverse with Cath, Henry & Michael going to the Church of England, John is a Roman Catholic and the rest of his household are Presbyterian. I found no record of the Graves family as baptized Presbyterians on LDS film #1307512 Registers of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Kingston, 1821-1869 and no GRAVES as a last name on the Catholic baptisms on LDS film #1298763.  We didn't find any GRAVES family names at the Anglican Diocese either. I've also been looking for spelling variants such as GREAVES.

The 1861 census only creates more questions. Unfortunately this census is not yet online, but I used LDS fiche 6117145 which is a transcription, not the actual image.

District 18, Page 4 Lines 40-50 and continues on page 5, line 1-5

Name, Age, married, born, religion, Occupation

<1799> Mrs Catherine Graves, 62, widow, Canada, PM (PM = Primitive Methodist?)

<1839> Hannah, 22, none, Canada, PM

<1843> Sarah, 18, none, Canada, PM

<1846> Susan, 15, none, Canada, PM

<1832> Michael, 29, married, Canada, Church of England, farmer

<1831> Margaret, 30, married, Canada, Church of England

<1856> George, 5, Canada, Church of England

<1858> Thomas John, 3, Canada, Church of England

<1860> Eliza, 1, Canada, Church of England

<1829> Henery, 32, married, Canada, Church of England, farmer

<1831> Sidney, 30, married, Canada, Church of England, farmer (should be Citney)

<1855> Sarah, 6, Church of England

<1857> William, 4, Church of England

<1860> Mary E, 1, Church of England

<1835> John, 26, Church of England

The 1861 census has the same names as the 1851 census except for Elizabeth Graves and William Graves. All of their birth years match or are within one year of each other except for Catherine (1799-1807).

Cath is not mentioned on the 1871 census, so I assume she died before then. I need to review the 1871 census to see who could have been living with Michael. I think there was a woman named Elizabeth Graves living with Michael and family. She was 60 years old, her birthplace was Quebec and was Anglican. Being that her birth year is calculated as 1811, it's not very possible she could be the same Elizabeth Graves on the 1851 census born calculated 1822 so perhaps she is a cousin or an aunt who came to live with Michael.

The 1881 census has Henry and Michael and their families living next door to each other. Their other neighbors are Butch's, McLean's and Moore's.

Henry died before the 1891 census, but Michael was still alive. On that census, they asked the birthplace of your father and your mother. Michael said that his father was born in the USA, but did not give a state. 

 The next clue is cemetery transcriptions. In the Milton Cemetery is a stone with the following written on it:

GEORGE GRAVES his wife CATHERINE PERCY their children ELIZABETH, HANNAH DEVENPORT, MICHAEL GRAVES 1832-1892 MARGARET MCFADDEN his wife 1823-1902.

If this Michael Graves is the same Michael Graves who is Henry's brother, then it stands to reason that George Graves and Catherine Percy are their parents. On the tombstone their children Elizabeth and Hannah match names from the censuses.

One other small support that they are the parents of all the children is the Wesleyan Methodist Baptism Register. There are two Graves entries in Pittsburgh Township. One is for Michael & Margaret's son, Edwin, and the other is for a daughter, Sarah Bryant Graves, born March 19, 1843 to George and Catherine Graves. Again, this name and birth year are consistent with the 1851 and 1861 census.

The last clue is land records. I haven't got all the land records yet from the Library and Archives Canada, but they are on order so hopefully soon. In the County Atlas of Frotenac in 1878, Michael Graves lives on Concession I, Lot 11 and Henry Graves lives on Concession I, Lot 11/12. There is no other information for Henry, but Michael settled his land in 1832. That's the year he was born, so it would seem to me that probably that was the family land and that George would have passed the land down to his son, Michael.

At the back of the book Lilac's and Limestone An Illustrated History of Pittsburgh Township 1787-1987 Appendix One Part One lists patent holders of Crown Grantees with the date and location of their land. Concessions I, II & III, Lots 17/18 was granted to Captain (navy?) Adam Graves. Concessions I, II,  Lots 11/12 was granted to Lieutenant (navy?) George Graves in February 1797. Their names are repeated in Appendix Two Grantees receiving 400 or more acres. Being that there was a George and Adam Graves receiving land in 1797, and that George Graves owns the same land that my ancestor Henry lived on in 1878, I assume that Henry's grandfather was named George and it was this George who received the land in 1797. Being that this George was a lieutenant, I'm going to try and check the navy records for England from that time period and the Canadian (British) records of the War of 1812.

In summary Henry's father could be George Graves who was born about 1800 and died between 1846-1851. He probably got married about 1820 to Catherine Percy and they could have had at least eight children:

• 1822 Elizabeth
• 1825 Henry
• 1832 Michael
• 1834 John
• 1837 William
• 1839 Hannah Devenport
• 1843 Sarah Bryant
• 1846 Susan

Henry's grandfather could be George or Adam Graves. Clues to his grandmother's maiden names could come from Hannah's middle name of Devenport or Sarah's middle name of Bryant (there were Bryant's in the Pittsburgh area; I have not heard of any Devenport's).

To date I haven't tried to find out anything about the Percy family. There is no one with the last name of Percy on the 1851 census in Frontenac. There are 47 individuals in Upper Canada in the following counties: Elgin, Hastings, Lanark, Leeds, Lennox, Ontario, Stormont, Wellington, and Wentworth. The only possibility of her parent(s) being still alive (if she was 45-50, her father would be about 65-70) is Robert Percy age 81 of Fredericksburgh Twp in Lennox County, J Percy (age 61) of Richmond Township, Lennox County or Thomas Percy of Pickering Twp, Ontario County.  Fredericksburgh and Richmond Townships are close to Pittsburgh, so perhaps she was from there.

I've also found a Michael Ryan Percy (1795-1886) who apparently was the son of John Percy, UEL. in Portland. There was a Portland Township in Frontenanc. Perhaps this is Catherine's brother and her father was also John? She will be very difficult to find parents for.