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. 8, No. 2, Feb. 18, 2006

 

===============================================

 

Copyright © 2006 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

 

===============================================

 

CONTENTS:

 

** General Comments

** Successful Gathering in Annapolis, MD

** Graves Gatherings in the Southeastern U.S. in Early 2006

** Planning for 2007 Reunion in Williamsburg, VA

** Reservations for 2007 Reunion in Williamsburg Ahead of Expectations

** Back Copies of the Graves Family Bulletin

** Planning and Discussing Graves Family Association Activities and How We Can Be More Helpful

** New DNA Study Results

** To Submit Material to this Bulletin & Other Things

 

===============================================

 

GENERAL COMMENTS

 

Happy Valentine’s Day (several days late)!  I had hoped to send this on February 14 from my rented condo in Florida through my dialup ISP.  However, there were a few problems, so I had to make some changes to my usual procedure.  Not easy!

 

According to most authorities, Valentine’s Day is an outgrowth of a pagan Roman tradition in the third century or before.  As Christianity became more prevalent, church officials changed the name to St. Valentine’s Day, in honor of one or perhaps as many as seven men named Valentine.  Pope Gelasius declared February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day around 498 A.D.

 

I will also be trying, for the first time, to update the Graves Family Association website while I’m away from home.  I have just downloaded the necessary software to my laptop.  Several sets of DNA results have been reported in the last week, and I’m sure some of you would like to see the updated results.

 

If I don’t get everything done that I want to get done here in Florida, it’s because I’m spending time playing tennis, bicycling, swimming, and other fun stuff.  Temperatures in the 70’s are much nicer than the 15 degrees and 18-20 inches of snow we recently had at home.

 

===============================================

 

SUCCESSFUL GATHERING IN ANNAPOLIS, MD

 

ATTENDEES

A group of Graves descendants ate dinner together at the Red Lobster restaurant in Annapolis, MD, on Feb. 1, 2006, and then continued the interesting discussion afterward.  Attending were John F. Graves of Hampstead, MD (gen. 231), Tina (Graves) Norwood of Vienna, VA (gen. 169), John J. Martin and Sandra Martin of Laurel, MD (gen. 168), Richard ("Rick") King and Katherine King of Alexandria, VA (gen. 169), Ken Graves (gen. 169) and Sarah Graves (gen. 69), both of Wrentham, MA.

 

REGIONAL GFA CHAPTERS

The most important outcome of the meeting was the suggestion to start regional chapters of the GFA. John Graves volunteered to help start one in the Maryland-northern Virginia area, possibly with help from Tina Norwood and John Martin.  A second chapter that has already unofficially started is one in the Texas area, with the reunion in San Antonio last summer.

 

The purpose of starting regional chapters would be to help people get to know other Graves/Greaves descendants in their area, and to otherwise further the goals of the Graves Family Association.  If you (or a relative) are interested in helping in any way, including helping start a chapter in another area, or if you have any ideas about this, please let me and others know.

 

===============================================

 

GRAVES GATHERING IN SUBURBAN ATLANTA, GA IN MARCH 2006

 

SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 1 PM: Reunion at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, 4278 Chamblee Tucker Rd., Doraville, GA.  It is a little northeast of Atlanta, just a short distance from the intersection of Routes 85 and 285.

 

Vicki Watkins is the one organizing the gathering.  She can be contacted at vmartine@bellsouth.net or on her cell phone at 770-841-7571.

 

To contact me with questions or to let me know you want to attend or help, you can send email to ken.graves@gravesfa.org, or call my cell phone number, 508-369-5217.

 

This gathering will be a good opportunity to share family information, learn more about your Graves/Greaves ancestry, learn about the DNA study and even take a DNA test, and ask me questions.

 

POSSIBLE FLORIDA GATHERING:

I may still organize a gathering in Florida while we are there, perhaps in a private room at a restaurant. Can anyone help find a place for that and help organize it?  If I don’t get a volunteer, I will probably not try to do it all myself.

 

===============================================

 

PLANNING FOR 2007 REUNION IN WILLIAMSBURG

 

After our overnight stay in Annapolis (mentioned above), we drove down the Delmarva Peninsula (so called because it consists of parts of the states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia). We had a very interesting visit with Rev. Robert Johnson, pastor of both Hungars Church and Christ Episcopal Church. He took us to Hungars Church and to the Glebe House (the former parsonage for the church). It is now obvious to me that we need to put the tour of that area either at the beginning or at the end of the Williamsburg reunion, since it will take most of a day.  Perhaps we can get an historian or archaeologist to act as our tour guide on the bus.

 

Rev. Johnson did not know the exact location of the first church or the cemetery, nor where Capt. Thomas Graves lived, but we may be better able to determine those locations before the 2007 reunion.

 

===============================================

 

RESERVATIONS FOR 2007 REUNION IN WILLIAMSBURG AHEAD OF EXPECTATIONS

 

On January 15 I wrote about the Patrick Henry Inn being selected for our reunion on the weekend of June 15-17, 2007. I was told on January 25 that 11 of the rooms in our block of 75 had already been reserved! As of Feb. 14, 25 of the 75 rooms had been reserved.  Wow! At this rate we may have to increase the number of rooms and maybe even consider reserving rooms at another nearby hotel (since there may be a limit on the number of rooms the Patrick Henry Inn wants to dedicate for our function). It might be a good idea to make your reservation soon.  You can always make changes later.

 

The block of rooms has been reserved at a group rate of $85, plus 10% tax and $2.00 occupancy tax, for a total of $95.50 per room per night.  When making your reservation, mention that it is part of the Graves Reunion block of rooms.  An advance deposit of the first night's room rate will be required when making reservations, and you will be able to cancel for a full refund up to 72 hours before the event.

 

For information and reservations, contact Best Western Patrick Henry Inn, York and Page Sts., Route 60E, PO Drawer 3678, Williamsburg, VA 23187-3678; phone (757)229-9540 or toll free (800)446-9228; Fax (757)220-0657.  Email is sales@wmbgva.com and website is www.wmbgva.com.

 

===============================================

 

BACK COPIES OF THE GRAVES FAMILY BULLETIN

 

All back copies of the Graves Family Bulletin are available on the Graves Family Association website.  Just go to the website and click on the link at the top of the main page for the GF Bulletin.  Then select the issue of interest.

 

===============================================

 

PLANNING AND DISCUSSING GRAVES FAMILY ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES AND HOW WE CAN BE MORE HELPFUL

 

It is important that we have your help, suggestions, and feedback to make the Graves Family Association as beneficial to you as it can be.  The more input we have and the more people who take part, the more we will all be helped.

 

A new Yahoo group has been started for discussion of all Graves Family Association activities, including promoting and publicizing the Association, increasing membership and interest, traditional research, the Graves/Greaves/Grieve DNA study, publications, the website, trips, reunions, and any other programs of the Graves Family Association. We are looking for your thoughts on what we should be doing, how it can be done, who will do it, etc. To join the group and participate in the discussion, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gravesfamilyassociation/ and follow the instructions to join.

 

This group is not for queries about finding specific Graves/Greaves ancestors, since that is covered by other mailing lists, bulletin boards, etc.

 

We need your help and input to be successful and to do what you want to have happen.  Join the discussion group and give us your opinions!

 

===============================================

 

NEW DNA STUDY RESULTS

 

In the past week or so (since we have arrived in Florida) there have been 7 new sets of DNA test results reported.  Findings include the following:

(1) Genealogy 935, John Graves and Narnetta ------ of NC & Giles Co., TN, is an exact match for me and others in my part of the Capt. Thomas Graves of VA (gen. 169) family.  The line of descent may be Thomas1, John2, Thomas3, John4, Thomas5, William6, Thomas7, John8.

(2) Genealogy 56, John Graves of VA & Orange Co., NC, is an exact match to genealogies 94 and 152 and, like them, is probably descended from Francis Graves of Gloucester Co. & Essex Co., VA (genealogy 220).

(3) Genealogy 74, Alexander Graves of NC & GA,, matches genealogies 220, 166, 28, etc., 34 of 37, and is probably also descended from Francis Graves (gen. 220).

(4) The ancestral haplotype of genealogy 70, Richard Greaves of Bradfield, Yorkshire & Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, has been confirmed.  This family does not closely match any other that we have tested so far.  We now need to find other branches and descendants in England.

(5) Genealogy 934, Robert Greaves of Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire, England, has no known matches in our study.  We will be trying to find and test others descended from this family.

(6) The test results from genealogy 208, Beala Curtis Graves and Dorothy Wallace of VT, NY, OH & IL, match 10 of 12 with both gen. 376 (Richard Graves and Sarah Jane Hills of IA & KS) and gen. 919 (Leon Graves and Rosella ------ of Quebec, Canada & Worcester Co., MA).  However, that is not a close enough match (without testing more than 12 markers) to have confidence that the families are closely related.

(7) A new branch of the Capt. Thomas Graves family (genealogy 169) has been tested that matches samples 10598, 21091, 31933 and 2233, all descendants of Thomas2, Thomas3, John4, John5, and either John6 or Isaac6.

 

If your part of the family (any spelling, including Graves, Greaves, Grieve, etc.) has not yet been tested, now is the time to find a male descendants with the Graves/Greaves/Grieve surname and get them to take part.  See the GFA website for instructions.

 

===============================================

 

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.