Person:John Graves (29)

Arrived about 1730 in America on the Ship Alexander and Ann. Went by the name of Johann Sebastian Graff, Probably moved to TN abt. 1800. Lived with grandson John (son of Jacob). Died on his grandson's farm and was buried near the old Presbyterian church in Big Valley, Claiborne Co. TN.

Lived in the German settlement in Berks Co., Pennsylvania about 1740-50, which consisted of Palatines.

The name was originally Graff. When John's sons Jacob and Boston (Sebastian) were born in 1745 and 1747, the name of the parents was recorded as "John Graff and wife." The name was changed to Graves probably after the family moved to North Carolina, though John's son Jacob in 1820 signed his name to his will as "Jacob Graff." In the minutes of the district Court of Salisbury, NC, for March, 1763, appears this entry: "This day came into Court the following persons who proved certificates of their receiving the sacrament of the Lord's Supper .... and was naturalized according to law .... to wit: John Graves, Peter Noe, Anthony Cobble .... (GEP)

   That Jacob Graves (#1) whom we find in North Carolina at the time of the Revolution was born John Jacob Graff, March 8,1746, in Berks County, Penna., the child of John Graff and wife is proved by records including the inscription on his tombstone.  That Boston Graves (#2) was born Sebastian Graff, October 1, 1747, in Berks County, Penna., the child of John Graff and wife is proved by  Boston's pension application, filed in 1832.  It follows that John Graff of Berks county, Penna., and John Graves of Orange County, NC were one and the same person.
  While there are no records to prove that John Graff was born in the German Palatinate, the known facts point to that conclusion and there is no evidence to the contrary.  The date of his arrival in America is uncertain.  The write has carefully examined the lists of arrivals at the Port of Philadelphia between 1727 and 1745 (published in Strassburger's Pennsylvania German Pioneers).  The following record (Pennsylvania Colonial Records, Vol. III, p. 386) is of interest:
  "At the courthouse in Philadelphia, Sept. 5, 1730, a list was presented of the name of forty-six Palatines who with their families making in all about 130 persons, were imported here in the ship Alexander & Ann, William Clymer, master, from Rotterdam, but last from Deal.  In this list of forty-six "Palatines" appears the name of JOHANN SEBASTIAN GRAFF.  It is very possible and I think probable that this is the man whose name is recorded as John Graff, the father of Jacob and Sebastian Graff, born in Berks Co., Penna., in 1746 and 1747.  This may explain the origin of the name Boston, the Anglicized form of the name Sebastian, which "Old John" gave to one of his children, and which has been passed on to members of succeeding generations.
  The following oath was signed by Johann Sebastian Graff and others on the above list:  "We do swear or solemnly declare that we deny all obedience to the Pope of Rom; and further swear or solemnly declare that no prince or person whatsoever hath any right or title to the Crown of Great Britain but his Majesty George II and his lawful issue."
  "In what is now Alamance County but until 1848 Orange County, N.C., was a settlement of Pennsylvania Dutch and the prevailing sect was the German Reformed Church, and services continued in German until about 1800.  On Stinking Quarter Creek, not far from the present Burlington, was the Graves Curch about where 'Old John of Stinking Quarter' lived."  (WHT)  In the 1750s many "Pennsylvania Dutch" migrated to western North Carolina.  Old John moved there prior to 1757, and settled on Stinking Quarter Creek, a branch of the Alamance.
  His name does not appear on the tax list for Orange county prior to 1757.  In that year he purchased 640 acres of land from Hugh Dobbins.  In 1762 he purchased 190 acres; in 1764 he bought 459 acres, and in a large landowner, and one of the earliest settles in the county."  (GEP)
  The name of John's wife is unknown.  The list of arrivals mentioned above contains nothing to indicate whether he was married or had children prior to his arrival in America.
  "Many of the early North Carolina histories of the German settlement on the Alamance refer to John Graves as "Old John of Stinking Quarter.'  It is therefore likely that he was not a  young man when he settled in North Carolina."  (GEP)
  In North Carolina prior to the Revolution there was a constant struggle between the people and the representatives of the Crown over questions of Government, of commerce, of finance and of religion.  "In the 'back country' extortionate fees, excessive taxes, and the oppressive manner of collecting them brought about a popular uprising, known as the Regulation.  Violence followed the refusal to pay taxes and in 1768 the Royal Governor was forced to lead a military expedition against the Regulators.  Now outbreaks followed and on March 16, 1771, with a force of about 1,000 men and officers, the Governor met twice that number of Regulators on the banks of the Alamance, where, after two hours of fighting, with losses on each side nearly equal, the ammunition of the Regulators was exhausted and they were routed.  About fifteen were taken prisoners, and these seven were executed."  (Encyclopedia Britannica, 14th Ed.)
  The name of John Graves appears on a list of Regulators of the Alamance in 1768.  Whether he participated in the battle of March 16, 1771, is not known.  After the battle all members of the Regulation were compelled to take an oath of loyalty to the Crown.
  W. C. Graves says that John came from North Carolina to East Tennessee when he was quite old.  "Some of his children had preceded him and settled in Big Valley on the north and south side of the Clinch River, now Union County."  Records in Orange county, N.C., show that John deeded property in Orange County to his son Jacob, Nov. 22, 1799, so that it is probable that he moved to Tennessee about 1800.  (GEP)
  Old John lived in Tennessee with his grandson John.  He and his grandson both died on the latter's farm, and Old John was buried near the old Presbyterian church in Big Valley.  (WCG)
  It is believed that Old John had a large family; one historian said he had 17 children.  (GEP)  We have the names of only five; Jacob, Boston, Barbara, Peter and John (WBG).  Since we have birth dates only for Jacob and Boston, we do not know whether they were born in the order in which they are listed here.     

Source: http://content.ancestry.com/Browse/print_b.aspx?dbid=18562&iid=dvm_GenMono003972-00004-0 8/10/2006. Ancestry.com John Graves (1703-1804) and his descendants. Provo, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2005. Original data: Stockwell, Roy,. John Graves (1703-1804) and his descendants. Geographical index Index of names John Graves and his descendants Front matter Title page, Kansas City, Mo: unknown, 1954.