John Graves was born 26 December 1626 in Thundridge, Hertfordshire, England to Thomas Graves (1598-1662) and Sarah Steadman (1602-1666) and died 19 September 1677 Hatfield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts of unspecified causes. He married Mary Smith (1628-1668) 1633 in Norfolk, England.
Biography
1646 Immigration to America
John Graves and his parents immigrated from England and first appear on American records in Hartford, Connecticut in 1646.
1661 Move to Hatfield
In 1661 there was a significant split within the church and community and the Graves Family left their prosperous home and joined others in a big move to settle Hatfield, Massachusetts where they spent the remainder of their years.
Life of John Graves
John Graves (3) was born about 1622 in England, and died 19 Sept. 1677. He first married Mary Smith of Wethersfield, daughter of Lieut. Samuel Smith and Elizabeth Chileab, probably about 1652. She was born about 1630 in England, and died 16 Dec. 1668 (or 1665) in Hatfield, Mass. She came from Ipswich Co., Suffolk, England to Watertown, Mass. in 1634.
He secondly married Mary Wyatt of Haddam, Conn., daughter of John Bronson, and widow of John Wyatt of Haddam, probably on 20 July 1671. (Either the date of his first wife's death is too early or the date of his marriage to his second wife is too late, since his last child was born between these two dates.) Mary thirdly married Lt. Willis Allis in 1678. She married Samuel Gaylord as her fourth husband on 16 March 1681.
John Graves owned land in Hartford and Wethersfield, which he retained when he moved to Hatfield, Mass. in 1661. He was a man of probity and education, and was employed in 1655 and again in 1659 to run the boundary line between Wethersfield and Mattabessett (now Middletown). He exchanged land with John Goodrich about 1645. He bought the land of John Coultmans and also that of Gregory Gibbs.
He and his brother, Sergeant Isaac Graves, were killed by Indians in an attack on Hatfield, 19 Sept. 1677. After his death, his widow thirdly married Lieut. William Allis on 25 June 1678. She fourthly married Samuel Gaylord.
John's first five children were born in Wethersfield, Conn. and his last five children were born in Hatfield, Mass. (R‑1, R‑200
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Benjamin Graves (1645-1724) | 3 March 1645 Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts | 23 March 1724 Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts | Mary Hoar (1647-1697) |
| Mary Graves (1654-1727) | 7 May 1654 Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States | 21 May 1727 Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States | Samuel Ball (1648-1689) Benjamin Stebbins (1658-1698) James Warriner (1641-1727) |
| Isaac Graves (1655-1730) | |||
| Samuel Graves (1655-1692) | |||
| Sarah Graves (1655-1700) | 6 April 1659 Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States | 12 June 1700 Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States | Edward Stebbins (1656-1712) |
| Daniel Graves (1664-1724) | |||
| Ebenezer Graves (1666-1748) | |||
| Bethiah Graves (1668-1668) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Isaac Graves (1620-1677) | |||
| Elizabeth Graves (1625-) | |||
| John Graves (1626-1677) | 26 December 1626 Thundridge, Hertfordshire, England | 19 September 1677 Hatfield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts | Mary Smith (1628-1668) |
| Samuel Graves (1625-) | |||
| Nathaniel Graves (1629-1682) | |||
| Mary Graves | |||
References
- Thomas Graves (1598-1662) List of Famous Descendants
- Graves Family Genealogy - Biography of John Graves