GRAVES FAMILY BULLETIN

 

A Free, Occasional, Online Summary of Items of Interest to Descendants of all Families of Graves, Greaves, Grieves, Grave, and other spelling variations Worldwide

 

Vol. 7, No. 2, Feb. 10, 2005

 

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Copyright © 2005 by the Graves Family Association and Kenneth V. Graves.  All rights reserved.

 

Information on how to start a free subscription to this bulletin and how to be removed from the subscription list is at the end of this bulletin.  If you received this bulletin directly, then you are already subscribed.

 

Visit the GFA web site at https://gravesfa.org

 

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CONTENTS:

 

** Graves Gatherings in Virginia and Florida

** DNA Presentation by Me in Chicopee, Massachusetts

** Graves/Greaves DNA Study

** Graves/Greaves Family Books

** To Submit Material to this Bulletin & Other Things

 

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GRAVES GATHERINGS IN VIRGINIA AND FLORIDA

 

VIRGINIA:

As I mentioned in the previous Bulletin, my wife, Sarah, and I will be in Bradenton, Florida from the middle of February until the middle of March.  On the way to Florida we will be meeting with Byron Graves and some of his family (descendants of Capt. Thomas Graves of VA) at the student union of Randolph Macon College, 304 Henry St., Ashland, VA.  The time will be 11 a.m., Sunday morning, Feb. 13.  Anyone from any Graves family who would like to join us there is welcome.

 

FLORIDA:

Several people have expressed an interest in visiting us while we are in Florida.  If you are interested in getting together to talk about your Graves family and possibly even taking part in the Graves DNA study sometime between Feb. 15 and March 15 in Bradenton, and have not already contacted me, let me know.

 

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DNA PRESENTATION BY ME IN CHICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS

 

I will be making a presentation on the subject of DNA testing for genealogy to the Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts on Thursday, March 31, 2005, at 6:30 p.m.  This will be at Elms College, 291 Springfield St., Chicopee, MA, 3rd floor of Berchmans Hall.  This will be an open meeting, and there will be no charge.  Anyone is invited to attend.  Although I won’t be talking specifically about Graves genealogy, I will use some of our DNA research as examples, and will be happy to answer any questions about our experience and results.  If any male with the Graves surname would like to attend and take the DNA test at the meeting, that would be of interest.

 

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GRAVES/GREAVES DNA STUDY

 

ADDITIONS TO DNA SECTION OF THE WEBSITE

(1) The master DNA results table has been updated a couple of times recently.

(2) Also updated and enhanced are some of the charts, including the ones for genealogies 169 (Capt. Thomas Graves of VA), 168 (Thomas Graves of Hartford, CT), and 83 (Samuel Graves of Lynn, MA).  The updates to the charts for genealogy 169 are especially significant.  Anyone who is or may be descended from that family should take a look at the charts.  They now more clearly show how the DNA study is revealing relationships and the lack of relationships.  There will be more about this in the next Bulletin.

 

MORE PARTICIPANTS NEEDED

If you have not yet returned your DNA samples, PLEASE do so as soon as possible.

 

If your part of the Graves, Greaves, or other spelling, family is not yet included in the DNA study, it would be very helpful if you could either volunteer to participate (if you are a male with the Graves, etc.) surname or find someone else in your part of the family who would be willing to take part.

 

The test is very easy to take.  It just involves swabbing the inside of your mouth with 2 plastic applicators, putting the applicators in plastic vials, and returning them to the testing company.  If you want to take the test but are concerned that you can’t afford it, let me know and we may be able to provide the money.

 

WHO CAN TAKE PART IN THE DNA STUDY?

Participants must be males who are descended in a direct male line from a male Graves ancestor.  This means the participant must have the Graves/Greaves surname unless there was a name change in the lineage.

 

PARTICIPANTS OUTSIDE THE U.S., ESPECIALLY IN ENGLAND

It is important for families in the U.S. to have participants from England (or from families in Australia and elsewhere who know their ancestry in England) so that a link with English ancestors can be made.  However, it is just as important for family members in England to take part in the DNA study so that the various families in England can be linked with each other.  Tradition of connection with an ancient family is nice, but DNA proof of that connection is much more meaningful.

 

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THE STUDY

Go to the GFA website at www.gravesfa.org, click on the DNA link at the top of the main page, then click on the link in the red-outlined box near the top of the next page.  This will take you to a page on the Family Tree DNA page.  Then just fill out the requested information, and your testing kit will be mailed to you the next day.  The 25-marker test is recommended, and the 37-marker test is even better (for most participants).

 

FINANCIAL HELP STILL NEEDED

All contributions toward the DNA study will be much appreciated.  Many thanks to those of you who have already contributed.  We especially need funding for testing of descendants in the British Isles, some of whom may be less willing or able to pay the cost.  You may also want to consider sponsoring a relative as a way to get a test for your part of the family.  In response to questions asked about the total amount of money needed over the next couple of years to sponsor this testing program, the need is in the thousands of dollars, but any contribution will be appreciated.

 

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GRAVES/GREAVES FAMILY BOOKS

 

All previously published books are still available.  More description and ordering information is on the GFA website.  The seven books published so far are:

** Robert Graves of NC & SC (a branch from Capt. Thomas Graves)

** Samuel Graves of Lynn, MA

** Thomas Graves of Hartford, CT & Hatfield, MA

** Rear Adm. Thomas Graves of Charlestown, MA

** Deacon George Graves of Hartford, CT

** Graves Families of the World

** John Graves of Concord, MA

 

The book on the Graves families of Randolph Co., NC will be ready sometime this spring.  It is expected to be a print-on-demand book, which means it may be less expensive to buy.  It will definitely be much less expensive for me, since I will not have to print many more books than can be sold and then have most of them sit in my attic for years.

 

The book on Capt. Thomas Graves of VA will be the next book to be completed, and will be ready in late 2006 or early 2007 (definitely before the 400th anniversary celebration at Jamestown, VA).

 

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MISSING PERSON

 

In the previous GF Bulletin I mentioned that Mrs. Linda Crabtree wanted to locate a distant cousin, Evelyn Rees (Mrs. Martin L. Rees), previously of Shreveport, LA.  Graves descendant Vern Paul informed me that she died in 1996 (per Social Security Death Index).  Thanks.

 

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ABOUT THIS BULLETIN:

This bulletin is written and edited by Kenneth V. Graves, ken.graves@gravesfa.org.  Ken Graves is also editor of the Graves Family Newsletter, the official publication of the Graves Family Association.  This bulletin will contain announcements and news of special interest to Graves descendants with Internet access.  It will not contain queries, genealogies, photos, and the kind of in-depth articles that appear in the Graves Family Newsletter.

 

TO SUBMIT MATERIAL TO THIS BULLETIN:

Send any material you would like to have included in this bulletin to ken.graves@gravesfa.org.  The editor reserves the right to accept, edit or reject any material submitted.

 

TO JOIN THE GRAVES FAMILY ASSOCIATION:

If you do not already belong to the GFA, you can join by sending $20 per year to Graves Family Association, 20 Binney Circle, Wrentham, MA 02093 (more details on GFA website).  Payment may also be sent electronically via PayPal by going to www.paypal.com and sending payment to gfa@gravesfa.org.  Benefits include access to the “members only” section of the website, membership directory, and help with learning more about your Graves/Greaves family.  The purpose of the GFA is to bring together as many descendants as possible to work toward learning more about the Graves/Greaves families, to help other descendants, and to instill pride in our ancestry.

 

COPYRIGHTS:

Although the contents of this bulletin are copyrighted by the Graves Family Association and Kenneth V. Graves, you are hereby granted rights, unless otherwise specified, to re-distribute articles to other parties for non-commercial purposes only.  Do not re-distribute the newsletter in its entirety.

 

TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE TO THIS BULLETIN:

To subscribe to this bulletin, send an e-mail message to ken.graves@gravesfa.org.  Please include your full name.  Your postal mailing address and information on your Graves/Greaves ancestry would also be appreciated, although not essential.

 

To remove your name from this subscription list, send an e-mail message to ken.graves@gravesfa.org asking to be removed.