Thomas Graves (bef. 1590 - 1662)

Born before 1590 in Hertfordshire, England [uncertain]

Husband of Sarah (Scott) Graves — married about 1621 in England

Descendants

Died Nov 1662 after age 72 in Hatfield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Thomas Graves of Hartford is associated with the Puritan Great Migration Project, because of the presence of other Puritan Great Migration profiles with the same name.

Biography

Thomas Graves is related to US President Grover Cleveland. Here is the trail.

This profile is part of the Graves Name Study.

Thomas Graves, whose parents are not known, was born around 1590, probably in the vicinity of Hertfordshire, England since records for his family are found in Thundridge, southern Hertfordshire and DNA studies link the Graves' families to this area of England.^[1]

Thomas married Sarah Scott in England by 1621. She was born about 1599; the daughter of Christopher Scott of Hatfield Broadoak in Essex England. The Scott family lived in eastern Hertfordshire along the River Stort. No baptismal records have been found for Sarah since the records at Hatfield Broadoak begin in the year 1650.^[1]

Several members of the family of Thomas Graves were named in the will of Christopher Scott of Hatfield Broadoak, Essex, England since he was Thomas' father-in-law. The will, dated April 1,1640 and proved August 23, 1640 can be seen on page 109 of the Graves research paper, "Origin of Thomas and Sarah (Scott) Graves of Connecticut and Massachusetts."^[1]Here follows the portion of said will that is applicable to this profile:

"The will of "Christopher Scott of hatfild reges al[ia]s hatfild Brooadoke in the County of Essex..."

"... Item I geve my Dafter Sara the wife of Thomas Grave the some of fife pounds to be Equally Devided Amoung she and her Children mary grave Isaake John Elzebeth and Nathanell when thay come of the Age of xxj years to be paid within One yeare after my Desese."^[1]

This will indicates that Christopher Scott was the father of Sarah, wife of Thomas Graves; and that Thomas Graves and Sarah (Scott) Graves had children Mary, Isaac, John, Elizabeth, and Nathaniel - delineated below.

Children of Thomas Graves and his wife Sarah (Scott) Graves; all born in England:^[1]

1. Mary Graves was born about 1622. She is mentioned in the 1640 will of her grandfather Christopher.
2. Isaac Graves was baptized at Thundridge, Hertfordshire on February 16, 1623/4. He married Mary Church who was the daughter of Richard and Anne (_____) Church of Hadley. During the Pequot War, at Hatfield, Massachusetts he was killed by Indians on September 19, 1677.^[2]
3. John Graves was baptized at Thundridge on December 26, 1626. He was married twice; 1st marriage to Mary Smith the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Smith) Smith who was baptized at Whatfield, Suffolk, England on October 9, 1628. 2nd marriage to Mary (Bronson) Wyatt the daughter of John and Frances (Hills) Bronson and widow of John Wyatt. Mary was baptized at Earl's Colne, Essex, England on December 12, 1627. He was also killed at Hatfield during the Pequot War.^[2]
4. Elizabeth Graves was born about 1628. She is mentioned in the 1640 will of her grandfather Christopher Scott.
5. Nathaniel Graves was born about 1630. He married Martha Betts, daughter of John Betts and Mary (_____) Betts at Wethersfield, Connecticut on January 16, 1655. She was the "schooldame" of Hartford. Nathaniel died at Wethersfield, on September 28, 1682.^[3]

Note: The Graves Genealogy includes a son Samuel as their third child^[4] (so born about 1625). He is not mentioned in the list of Sarah (Scott) Graves children in the will of Christopher Scott,^[1] If Samuel did exist, he would have died before then.

The family migrated sometime prior to 1645, settling in Hartford, Connecticut where he was a farmer.^[2]However, he was not a proprietor of Hartford.^[5]The first record found in New England was at Hartford, Connecticut in that year when "Tho: Graues is freed fro[m] Trayneing, watching & warding," as he was an elderly man by that time.^[5][6] An additional record was entered on March 14, 1649/50 indicating the lands he owned; the first being a three acre lot with a dwelling house on it.^[7]and he had two additional pieces of property.^[8] and there is also a record dated November 23, 1659 when John Winthrop Jr. treated "Graves Tho[mas] his wife above 60 y[ears].^[1]His family was intricately involved in political and religious activites; being respected citizens they served on juries, were surveyors, fence viewers, and set boundary lines between the local towns.^[8]

In 1661 he moved to Hadley, Massachusetts along with his wife and sons John & Isaac.^[1]John Card Graves in his work "Genealogy of the Graves Family in America" speculates that a schism in the church at Hartford is what precipitated his move to Hadley. The practice had arisen of allowing persons who had been baptized, (if not having a "scandalous character,") to consent to the covenant and thus be permitted to have their children baptized. Thomas Graves, being a uncompromising Puritan, would have been strongly adverse to this practice, so just as they had left England for the new world, they were now willing to leave Hartford to settle in the newer wilderness of Hadley.^[8]

Hadley had been formed as a place to inhabit in 1659, and an agreement was made by the townsmen that those "inhabiting there in houses of own by Michaelmas next" September 29, 1661. Twenty eight people signed the agreement - which did not include Thomas Graves. Before March 25, 1661 Thomas was one of twenty-five additional people indicating they wished to establish homes on the west side of the river, a location which became known Hadley, Massachusetts^[9]

Thomas died in November 1662.^[10] His son Isaac administered his estate in Massachusetts, and his son Nathaniel performed the same service in Connecticut. His wife, Sarah, survived him for four years, and Isaac administered her estate. ^[11]

Thomas Graves was buried at Hadley in November of 1662; his widow Sarah was buried there as well on December 17, 1666.^[1]

Research Notes

Disambiguation: This profile is for Thomas Graves the farmer of Hartford and Hadley who was first recorded at Hartford in 1645 with his wife Sarah (Scott) Graves and 5 children, apparently all born in England and migrated together. Do not confuse or muddle this profile with Admiral Thomas Graves or Engineer Thomas Graves.

Disputed Parents: A previous version of this profile claimed parents Thomas Graves and Alis (Unknown) Graves citing a christening record 90 miles from where Thomas married and christened his children.^[12]. But we have not confirmed these are the same Thomas Graves and current research (see biography) says parents are unknown. As well, do not add John Graves and Sarah Malter as this person's parents.

Wife not Sarah Whiting: Previously Sarah Whiting was attached as the wife of Thomas Graves. She has been detached because current scholarly research indicates the wife of Thomas Graves was Sarah Scott. Please see biography for research and source citations.

George Graves is probably a cousin, not brother: Colonists George Graves and Thomas Graves were probably distant cousins, not brothers since Thomas was not mentioned in George's will.^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8} Mahler, Leslie. "The English Origin of Thomas and Sarah (Scott) Grave(s) of Hartford, Connecticut and Hadley, Massachusetts." The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus,) vol 82 (2007), pp 107-110. American Ancestors subscribers ($) (see also snippet at googlebooks)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Graves, Germont. "Graves Genealogy Traced from Thomas Graves, of Hartford Connecticut..." Pub. Free Pr. (1911). p. 9. see at archive.org and also at[American Ancestors subscribers$
3. ↑ William F. J. Boardman. "The Ancestry of William Francis Joseph Boardman" privately printed, Hartford, Connecticut. 1906. pp 25, 26.see at archive.org.
4. ↑ Genealogy of the Graves family in America, by John Card Graves, pg. 7.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Mary Lovering Holman. "Ancestry of Colonel John Harrington Stevens and his wife Frances Helen Miller" privately printed at The Rumford Press, Concord, New Hampshire: 1948. p. 367, 368.see at hathitrust
6. ↑ Trumbull, J. Hammond. (transcriber). The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut Prior to the Union with New Haven Colony May 1665. (Hartford: Brown and Parsons, 1850.) AKA Colonial Records of Connecticut. Volume I. 1636-1665 https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Public_Records_of_the_Colony_of_Conn.html?id=X8VSAAAAcAAJ Google Books p134
7. ↑ Jacobus, Donald Lines & Waterman, Edgar F. "Hale, House and Related Families" Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore: 1978. p. 577[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89066151523&view=1up&seq=599 see at hathitrust
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} John Card Graves. "Genealogy of the Graves Family in America." Baker, Jones & Co., Buffalo, N. Y.: 1896. Vol. 1, pp 1 - 7. see at archive.org
9. ↑ Judd, Sylvester. History of Hadley H. R. Huntting & Co., Springfield, Mass. 1905. p. 15.see at archive.org
10. ↑ Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001,'8 database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DRM3-M2?cc=2061550&wc=Q4DL-L29%3A353350301%2C353372901%2C353372902 : 13 July 2016), Hampshire > Hatfield > Births, marriages, deaths 1655-1843 > image 51 of 94; town clerk offices, Massachusetts.
11. ↑ Graves, John Card. Genealogy of the Graves Family in America Buffalo, NY: Baker, Jones & Co. 1896. p. 7
12. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JWJ7-F9X : 11 February 2018, Thomas Graves, 19 Oct 1598); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 919,614.
13. ↑ Graves, Eben W. "Notes on the Family of Deacon George Grave of Hartford, Connecticut." The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, Vol. 161 (2007), pp 245 - 249. American Ancestors subscribers$

See Also: CAUTION - The following sources may or may not apply to this Thomas Graves-172.

• Cary Family History Author: Joiner, Rev. Darrell and Sallyann (email address removed for privacy)
• Graves Family Association Page: Thomas Graves entry
• Graves, Gemont. Graves Genealogy Traced from Thomas Graves (Free Press Printing Co., Burlington, VT, 1911) Page 9
• Judd, Sylvester & Boltwood, Lucius Manlius. History of Hadley (H.R. Hunting, Springfield, Mass., 1905) Page 59
• Buried:Center Cemetery, Whately, Franklin County,Massachusetts, USA. The information for Thomas comes from his Grave marker
• England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JWJ7-F9X?from=lynx1&treeref=LJ22-2XL
• Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 22 August 2019), memorial page for Thomas Graves (19 Oct 1585–11 Nov 1662), Find A Grave: Memorial #31733533, citing Center Cemetery, Whately, Franklin County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Dave Graves (contributor 46543307). Appears to be a cenotaph, not contemporaneous gravesite.