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103. John Jacob Graves (Married: Anna Dorothea "Turley"Coble (#104) in 1771 in North Carolina.[Source for the gray information is research done by Michael Cavenaugh (Glass family genealogist denoted on the Guilford County Genealogy Association Website] (Source of green: ancestry.com U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 lists John Jacob Graves marrying Turley AKA Thorley Coble.)He married Turley Coble, daughter of Anthony and Anna Maria (Emig) Coble. (WCG. )(Source of orange type is John Sharpe in e-mail to webmaster on March 24, 2022)

Born: 8 March 1746 in Greenwich Township, Berks County, PA of Johann Sebastian "John" Graff (#205/387/447) and Maria Magdalena Fuchs (#206/388/448) (His name appears in the Dunkel Church Birth and Baptism Records, Greenwich Township, Berks County, Pa., as John Jacob Graff. (GEP).

Died: 10 April 1820 in Orange County, North Carolina; he is buried in Stoner Cemetery, Alamance County, North Carolina.

 

[His siblings include:

a) John Graves: (Married: Mary Coble, sister of Anna Dorothea "Turley" Coble (#104) and daughter of Anthony Coble (#247) and Anna Maria Amick (#248).) Miscellaneous: Michael Cavenaugh note: information on this marriage is from Billy E. Green bgreen@trib.com. Born: 1746 in Orange County (Now Alamance), North Carolina. Died: 1844 in Morgan County, Indiana,

b) Maria Philipena Graves (#194/224): (Married: about 1765 Isaac Sharp (#193/223)) Born: 15 Aug 1751 in Berks County, PA; Died: 4 Mar 1815 in Orange County, NC; Buried: in Old Stoners Church, Guilford County, NC.[Note: one of John Jacob's daughters, Mary Graves (#52), married George Glass (#51). George and Mary's daughter was Ellen Glass (#26). Maria Philopena Graves and her husband Isaac Sharp Jr. had a son Sebastion Sharp (#97) who married Catherine Garrett (#98). They had a son, William Sharp (#49), who married Lizzie Albright (#50). Their son, Henry Sharp (#25) married Ellen Glass (#26). To sum up, Maria Philopena's great grandson (Henry Sharp) married her brother (John Jacob's) granddaughter, Ellen Glass].

c) John Peter Graves: (Married: Mary Coble, daughter of Anthony Coble (#207) and Anna Maria Amick (#208)) Miscellaneous: Michael Cavenaugh note: information on this marriage is from Billy E. Green bgreen@trib.com] Born: 13 July 1753 in North Carolina, Died: 13 November 1794 in Sharp's Chapel, Tennessee; [Note John Jacob Graves and his brother John Graves married sisters Anna Dorothea "Turley" [Thorley] Coble and Mary Coble.]

d) Barbara (Barbary) Graves: (Married: Henry H. [Heinrich] Sharp about 1760); Born: 1740/44 in Greenwich Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania; Died: 1796 1795/1805 in Union County, Tennessee; Barbara Graves:

e) Boston (Bostian or Sebastian) Graves: (Married: Sarah Efland in 1769 in Orange County, North Carolina, sister of Mary Efland (#200) and the daughter of Peter Efland (#399) and Catherine Pickard(#400).) Born: 1 October 1747 in Greenwich Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Died: 1 April 1840 in Knox County, Tennessee; Miscellaneous: He was a patriot of the Revolutionary War. Michael Cavenaugh note: This family moved to Tennessee about 1795.

f) William B. Graves: Born: ?; Died: after 1790 ].

 

Miscellaneous:

[Note: Both John Jacob and his sister, Maria Philopena, are direct ancestors of Susan Snyder, webmaster for this genealogical study.]

[Note: The Graves who donated the land to build the St. Paul's Lutheran Church may have been John Jacob's family.]. According to a St. Paul's Lutheran Church history document, although worship was conducted there as early as 1745, the earliest documented date for the organization of the church is 1770. The church was originally called "Graves Church." In 1800, the German Reformed members moved to Old Steiners (Stoner's) Church and to Der Klapp Kirche (Brick Church).

John Jacob and Anna Dorothea "Turley" Coble had 11 children: Elizabeth "Lizzie", John "Clinch John", Barbara, Boston, Maria (Mary) (#52), Daniel, Eli Elias, Catherine, Nelly, David, and Sarah.

He [John Jacob Graves] appears to have served for a time in the British Army during the Revolutionary War. This may be explained by the fact that the Royal Governor Tryon forced those whom he defeated at the battle of Alamance in 1771 to sign an oath of allegiance to the Crown, and many of these men were loyalists through religious conviction when the Revolution broke out. (WHT) In this connection it is to be noted that Jacob’s brother Boston served in the Continental army.

The following letter from Jesse Benton2 (father of the great Missouri Senator) to Col. Thomas Hart, dated Mar. 23, 1783, is published in Theodore Roosevelt’s The Winning of the West (New Library Ed., vol. II, part I, p 203): “I cannot help mentioning to You an Evil which seems intailed upon the upper part of this state, to wit, Mobbs and commotions amongst the People. I shall give you the particulars of the last Work of this kind which lately happened, & which is not yet settled; Plunder being the first cause. The Scoundrels, under the cloak of the great Whigs cannot bear the thought of paying the unfortunate wretches whom Fame and ill will call Tories (though many of them perhaps honest, industrious and useful men) for plundered property; but on the other hand think they together with their Wives and Children (who are now begging for Mercy) ought to be punished to the utmost extremity. I am sorry that Col. O’Neal and his brother Peter who have been useful men and whom I am in hopes are pretty clear of plundering, should have a hand in Arbitrary measures at this Day when the Civil Laws might take place."

“One Jacob Graves, son of John of Old Stinking Quarter, went off and was taken with the British army, escaped from the Guards, came & surrendered himself to Gen’l Butler, and about the middle of last month & went to his family upon Parole. Col. O’Neal being informed of this, armed himself with gun and sword, went to Graves’ in a passion, Graves shut the Door, O’Neal broke it down, Graves I believe thinking his own life at stake, took his Brother’s gun which happened to be in the house and shot O’Neal through the Breast."

“O’Neal has suffered much but is now recovering. This accident has inflamed and set to work those who were afraid of suffering for their unjust and unwarrantable Deeds, the Ignorant honest men are also willing to take part against their Rulers & I don’t know when nor where is it to end, but I wish it was over. At the Guilford Feb’y Court Peter O’Neal & others armed with clubs in the Face of the Court then sitting and in the Court house too, beat some men called Tories so much that their lives were despaired of, broke up the Court and finally have stop’d the civil laws in that County. Your old friend Col. Dunn got out at Window, fled in a Fright, took cold and died immediately. Rowan County Court I has told was also broke up."

“If O’Neal should die I fear that a number of unhappy wretches called Tories will be Murdered, and that a man disposed to do justice dare not interfere, indeed the times seem to imitate the commencement of the Regulators.”

Evidently Jacob was in real trouble, because he had shot the Colonel, or because he was under suspicion of being a Loyalist which to some people in those turbulent times was the same as being a traitor. In the North Carolina State Records, vol. 19, p 260, we read:

“The house met according to adjournment. Received from his Excellency the Governor the following message: To the Honorable, the General Assembly, Gentlemen: I herewith send you sundry petitions in favor of Jacob Graves who is now under sentence of death in Hillsborough Gaol for high treason, who is to be executed the 15th day of May. I request the sense of the Honorable the General Assembly as to the fate of this person. Alexander Martin. Resolved: It is the opinion of this House that Jacob Graves, now under sentence of death in the Gaol of Hillsborough, is a proper subject for the mercy of Government to grant him a pardon for the particular offense of which he is convicted."

“Received from the Senate the resolve of this House for extending mercy to Jacob Graces, now under sentence of death in Hillsborough Gaol. Endorsed in Senate 24 April 1784, read and concurred with.”

 

Jacob’s name appears on the 1780-1 Orange County tax list assessed on 312 acres of land. (GEP)

 

His will is recorded in the Archives, Raleigh, N.C., as follows:

WILL OF JACOB GRAVES, date April 9, 1820
………. wife Turley shall enjoy full possession of my house with my daughter Betsey to live also with her mother as long as she lives single and also my wife to have my Negro girl Rainey as long as she lives, also 2 horses and gears ………. give and bequeath to Mary Glass $50 which she had instead of a horse; also give unto Catherine Glass the like sum of $50 instead of a horse which she received. I give unto Nelly Neace $50 instead of a horse she having received $11. I give unto Barbara Graves $50; I give and bequeath to Betsey and Sarah Graves $150 each; to son Daniel Graves tract of land whereon he now lives not to cross Stinking Creek above the mill at the fork or junction of the two creeks or to interfere or have any part of the mill tract. Also give to Daniel part of my 206 acres tract all on the south side following the creek. Said Daniel Graves is to pay to my estate or executors the sum of $500, paying $100 within a year after my death and the balance within 2 years thereafter clear of interest which shall be his part of my estate. My son Elias Graves the balance of 206 acre tract ………. pay to my estate $500, $100 within year of my death and the balance within 2 years thereafter clear of interest which shall be his part of my estate; son David my old tract and the same he lives on and that part of 206 acre tract which lies in the form of the two creeks heretofore reserved for my said son David to pay $500 to estate, $100 within 2 years and balance 2 years thereafter as his share ………. I wish my wife to enjoy my mill and the land contained in the mill tract and I wish for the mill to be kept in repair out of my estate, my sons, Daniel, Eli and David aiding in getting the timbers ……….furnishing the same off their tract of land. It is my wish after the death of my wife for my mill, together with the Negro girl and her increase to be sold among my children after my wife’s death. it is my wish and desire that property or part of my estate which may be left after the death of my wife to be equally divided among my two sons Bostion and John Graves and all my daughters share and share alike my other 3 sons named having received their parts in their land ……….Nominate George Isley, Bostion Graves and David Graves to act as executors of my last will ………. (signed) Jacob Graff.”

Jacob was a member of the Moravian (Reformed) Church (DIO) He died in 1820 and is buried in the Stoner cemetery, Alamance County, N.C. The inscription on his gravestone (partially illegible) is as follows: “Jacob Graves died in his LXXIVth TH L Year X AP. 1820.” 11 children: John, Boston, Daniel, Eli, Catherine, Milly (or Nelly), David, Barbara, Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary.

Note: Thomas Hart was an officer in the North Carolina militia under Gov. Tryon. He was beaten by the Regulators, and he and his militia company from Orange County actively aided Tryon in suppressing the Regulator uprisings in 1768 and 1771. Thomas Hart Benton, senator from Missouri, was named in his honor. See The Regulators in North Carolina, 1971.

Children:

John (“Clinch”), b Mar. 8, 1772, Orange Co., N.C., m 1st Sarah “Sallie” Sharp (John and his wife Sarah were cousins, his father and her mother were siblings), m 2nd Roseanna Cortner, settled at Lead Mine Bend on Powell River, Tenn.
Daniel, b c.1776, m 1st Sophia Clapp, mother of John Graves, m 2nd Mary Noah, July, 1814
Boston, b before 1780 North Carolina, m Rosanna Courtner, d after 1840 Claiborne Co., TN
Elias (Eli), b c 1751, m Delila Shoffner Mar. 31, 1820
Catherine, b unk, m Philip Glass, d unk
Milly (Nellie), b unk , m John Neese (b Dec. 24, 1772) on Nov. 26, 1811
David, b c.1776, m (1) ----- Fogleman, Aug. 15, 1818; (2) Dolly Shoffner, (sister of Delila). Said to have lived to age 120!
Barbara, b unk, m George Isley
*Elizbaeth, m John Albright (?)
Sarah, m Daniel Isley
Mary, m George Glass
*Genevieve E. Peters thinks Elizabeth may have been Jacob Graves’ sister rather than
daughter.

Contributor: Katie (49184959)

 

In 2006, when the photograph below was taken by this webmaster at Old Steiners (Stoner's) Church, the tombstone was covered in orange lichens and was difficult to read. The stone is small. Old records of the cemetery show that Jacob died in his 74th year 10 Apr. 1820. Seventy- fourth is written LXXIVth on the stone.

 

Lifetime Events Summary for John Jacob Graves:

Event	Date	John Jacob's age
Birth	1746	0
Marriage	1771	25
Birth of his children	~1770 - at least 1794	24 - 48
Revolutionary War	1775 - 1783	29 - 37
Birth of Maria (Mary) Graves (#52)	1777	31
War of 1812	1812 - 1815	66 - 69
Death	1820	74

 

The webmaster's DNA has matched no less than 23 other members in a John Jacob Graves DNA Circle in ancestry.com.

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Contact person for this website is Susan Snyder: susanleachsnyder@gmail.com