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?

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.


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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 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???)