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. 4, May 24, 2005

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

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CONTENTS:

** GFA Website Revision and How You Use the Site

** Graves Gathering in Texas, July 29-30, 2005

** Other Graves Reunions

** Graves/Greaves DNA Study

** Book Available for Descendants of Humphrey and Jane Baker Graves

** To Submit Material to this Bulletin & Other Things

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GFA WEBSITE REVISION AND HOW YOU USE THE SITE

Work has now started on a complete revision of the Graves Family Association website. You will begin seeing major design and content changes very soon. One important factor that I am trying to better understand is why people visit the website, why they keep coming back, and what features would increase the usefulness of the site.

I would appreciate your input. Why do you visit the GFA website? What do you look at when you are there? Do you find what you are looking for? What would you like to see that would make the site more helpful?

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GRAVES GATHERING IN TEXAS, JULY 29-30, 2005

A Graves Family Reunion will take place in San Antonio, TX on Friday and Saturday, July 29 and 30 of this year. Descendants of all Graves families are invited. For more information about this exciting event, contact the organizer, Ron Graves, at gravesronn@cs.com. Ron has been working very hard to make this a success. He wrote: “We have Graves or related to Graves from all over Texas on the list plus from Canada, Spain, Michigan, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, and Arizona. Many in and around San Antonio.”

I will be there and will be talking about our DNA study and the exciting results from it. I may also be talking about the Association, the GFA website, our future plans, and some of our famous family members. In addition, other attendees plan to have family information on display.

The reunion will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in San Antonio, rates $89 per night double or single when you mention Graves Family Reunion. Reservation number is 800-535-1980.

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OTHER GRAVES REUNIONS

Sunday, May 29, 2005, Richland Community Center, Richland, MO. This is the 6th annual Graves Cousins Family Reunion (for descendants of Launcelot Graves of Northampton Co., VA, genealogies 276 and 126, and especially for the descendants of Joseph Lilburn Graves, Launcelot’s great-grandson). All family and friends are welcome. Come and plan to spend the day with us. A short church service will start at 10 a.m. with a covered dish lunch following at 12 noon. Bring your favorite foods to share. We hope to see you all there. Bring your family histories, pictures, and old stories to share with us all. For information, contact Kathy Graves, katg51@jobe.net.

July 4, 2005, McCrory, Woodruff Co., AR. This reunion has been taking place for 50 years or longer, and is for the descendants of Gilbert James Graves and Nancy Ann Tanner of AR. There are usually 125-200 people attending. For information, contact Bonnie Graves, bgraves34@texoma.net.

July 16 & 17, 2005, Siler City, NC - The 3rd annual reunion of the descendants of Enos Graves and his siblings of Randolph Co., NC (genealogy 789). For information, contact Mary Cunningham, mary.cunningham@med.va.gov.

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GRAVES/GREAVES DNA STUDY

DNA RESULTS SHOW ERROR IN SAMUEL GRAVES OF LYNN, MA GENEALOGY (GEN. 83)

A set of test results (31921) has just been received for a descendant of Samuel Graves through Mark2, Abraham3, Samuel4. When those were put on the descendant chart that is on the GFA website, it could be seen that something was wrong. After looking at the genealogy, it was apparent that the branch of the family descended from Mark2, Abraham3, William4, Joseph5 was probably in the wrong place. It looks as if William4 (in the following paragraph) was probably not a son of Abraham3.

The way I was able to tell that William was incorrectly positioned (other than his documentation looking a bit suspect) is that the samples from Mark2, Abraham3, William4 all had a mutation value of 15 at position 6. New sample 31921 and the other samples (1954, 1366, and 1959) from Mark2, Abraham3 all had a mutation value of 30 at position 12, but not 15 at position 6. This indicates that the misplaced group belongs with the descendants of Thomas2, Samuel3, since they also have a mutation of 15 at position 6. Exactly where the line should be repositioned I don’t know, and your thoughts will be welcomed.

William Graves (65) was apparently a younger brother of John Graves, based largely on baptismal records of their children in the First Church of Falmouth, Maine, and accounts of Rev. Charles N. Sinnett and others. He apparently married Elizabeth Bean, daughter of Captain Joseph Bean and Joanna Treethy of York, Maine, about 1727.

Children - Graves

+165. Joseph Graves, b. 1728, m. Jane Adams, published 5 Nov. 1754, d. 11 June 1797.

+166. Charles Johnson Graves, b. 8 Feb. 1732, m(1) Sarah Staples, 10 Sept. 1757, m(2) Susanna Hobbs, d. 18 Jan. 1824.

167. John Graves, bapt. 1735, died young.

+168. Joanna Graves, bapt. 1737, m. Joseph Storer, 15 March 1767.

+169. John Graves, bapt. 1739, m. Sarah Boynton, 31 Aug. 1769.

+170. Crispus Graves, bapt. 1742, m. Susannah Merrill, 2 May 1765.

MORE PARTICIPANTS NEEDED

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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BOOK AVAILABLE FOR DESCENDANTS OF HUMPHREY AND JANE BAKER GRAVES

An updated book of “Descendants of Humphrey and Jane Baker Graves” is now finished and ready for mailing. Anyone interested should send a check or money order for $65 to Kaye Graves Vanfleet, 619 Auburn Ave., Chariton, IA 50049. The book is spiral bound and just over 200 pages.

(This part of the family has been determined by our DNA study to be part of the Quaker family of Thomas Graves of New Castle Co., DE.)

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ABOUT THIS BULLETIN:

This bulletin is written and edited by Kenneth V. Graves, ken.graves@gravesfa.org. Ken Graves was also editor of the Graves Family Newsletter (no longer published). 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 used to 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.