My Genealogy Home Page:Information about John Jacob Graves
John Jacob Graves (b. 08 March 1746, d. 04 April 1820)
Notes for John Jacob Graves:
2. JOHN JACOB GRAVESwas born on 8 Mar 1746 in Greenwich Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. He appears on tax list in 1780/81 in Orange County, North Carolina. He signed a will on 24 May 1790 in Guilford County, North Carolina. He died in 1820 in Orange County, North Carolina. He was buried in 1820 in Alamance, North Carolina. Buried in Stoner's Cemetery, Belmonty, Alamance County, North Carolina. He signed a will on 9 Apr 1820 in Orange County, North Carolina. He had an estate probated in Guilford County, North Carolina. John Jacob Graves was called Jacob. He was naturalized as John Graves about 1763.
Jacob Graves (Graff), born Mar 8, 1746 in Greenwich Township, Berks County, Pa.; died in Orange County, N.C. in 1820, in his 74 year. He married Turley Coble, daughter of Anthony, who refers to her as Thorley Graves in his will dated May 24, 1790 and probated in November 1793.
The following was taken from a book written by Roy Stockwell on the History of the Graves family.
Jacob was apparently under suspicion as being a Tory by the military in his community because of his activities during the Revolutionary War. It is not clear whether he was a willing or unwilling sympathizer with the British during the War. The North Carolina State Records contain the following concerning him.
Thursday, April 24, 1783, the House met...Received from his excellency the Governor the following message: To the Honorable the general assembly, Gentlemen: I hereto send you...petitions in favor of Jacob Graves who is now under sentence of death in Hillsboro jail for high treason, who is to be executed the 16th day of May. I request the sense of the Hon. the general assembly as to the fate of this person.
Signed; Alexander Martin
Received from the Senate the resolve of this house for extending mercy to Jacob Graves now under sentence of death in Hillsboro jail. Endorsed in Senate Apr 24, 1784, read and concurred with.
A possible explanation of his plight is found in the following letter from Jesse Benton to Col. Thomas Hardy, dated March 23, 1783, which gives a glimpse of the way the Tories were treated even after the British were driven out of North Carolina...Scoundrels under cloak of great Whigs cannot bear thought of paying the unfortunate wretches whom fame and ill call Tories (though many of them are probably honest, industrious and useful men) for plundered property, but on the other hand think they together with their wives and children (who now beg for mercy) ought to be punished to the utmost extremity. I am sorry that Col. O'Neal and his brother Pete, 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 & was taken to the British Army, escaped from the guards, came and surrendered himself to Gen. Butler, about the last of last month and went to his family upon parole. Col. O'Neal having information of this armed himself with a 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 was at stake, took his brothers gun which happened to be at the house & 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 are 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 or where it is to end but I wish it was over. At the Guilford Febr court Peter O'Neal & others armed with clubs in the face of the court...beat some men called Tories so much that their lives were despaired of, broke up the court and finally have stopped the civil laws in that county...Rowan County court I am told, was also broke up.
The first record the writer found in Orange County concerning Jacob Graves was an indenture between John Noe and Jacob Graves made May 12, 1770...half part of my grist mill and mill seat including 10 acres of land to be laid out in a square making the mill the center...situate on both sides of Stinking Quarter Creek and being part of a larger tract of land which Pete Noe purchased from Henry McCollogh, containing 110 acres. Signed: John Noe.
Jacob Graves' name was mentioned in the following indenture made June 25 "in the 12th year of our Sovereign Lord King George the third and in the year of our Lord Christ 1772," between John Noe and Catharina his wife and John Graves, planter...part of land granted to John Noe by Henry E. McCollogh, dated Apr. 20, 1764...116 acres, except 5 acres which he sold to Jacob Graves, a son of said John, containing 111 acres... The name of Jacob Graves appears on the 1780-1 Orange County tax list assessed on 312 acres of land.
WILL OF JACOB GRAVES
9 April 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 has 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 Betsy 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 said Daniel part of my 206 acre tract all on south side of the creek. Said Daniel Graves is to pay to my estate of 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 my estate $500, $100 within year of my death and balance within 2 years 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 fork 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 land attached to it, to be sold among my children to the highest bidder also the negro girl and her increase to be sold among my children after my wife's death. It is my wish and desire what 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 to my last will...
Signed: Jacob Graff
Recorded 1820
Witnesses:
Jacob Graves
C. Hale
Martin X
Jacob Anthony
The date of Jacob's death appears in the Stoner Church Records, which state he was buried in Stoner's Churchyard. The old cemetery is now located on the farm of Sidney Russell, a descendant of Jacob Graves (1952). It is on a high bluff, not far from Stinking Creek, and is so overgrown with trees, bushes, weeds, etc., that it is inaccessible. Many of the tombstones are lying on the ground and it has been very badly neglected.
On tax lists for Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Counties, Tennessee 1800-1820, there is a Jacob Graves, and also a John Graves (Graff)
He was married to TURLEY COBLE (daughter of ANTHONY COBLE and MARIA ________). TURLEY COBLE was born between 1746 and 1750 in Alamance County, North Carolina. She was buried in Stoner's Cemetery, Alamance County, North Carolina. JOHN JACOB GRAVES and TURLEY COBLE had the following children:
More About John Jacob Graves and Turley Cobble:
Marriage: Abt. 1771, Pennsylvinia/Norh Carolina.760
Children of John Jacob Graves and Turley Cobble are:
- +John Graves, b. 08 March 1772, Orange County, North Carolina760, 761, d. 06 December 1847, Claiborne County, Tennessee762.
- Barbara Graves, b. 24 April 1772, Almance County. North Carolina763.
- +Milly Graves, b. 24 December 1772, Alamance, NC, USA764, d. 16 March 1839, Alamance, NC, USA764.
- +Bostain Graves, b. 01 October 1777, Alamance, NC, USA764, d. 06 September 1850, Sharps Chapel, Union, TN, USA764.
- Danial Graves, b. Abt. 1778, Orange County North Carolina, d. 07 October 1838, Orange County North Carolina765.
- Catherine Graves, b. Abt. 1781, Orange County North Carolina,d., Orange County North Carolina.
- David Graves, b. 1787, Orange County North Carolina,d., Orange County North Carolina.
- Sarah Graves, b. 1789, Orange County North Carolina,d., Orange County North Carolina.
- Elis Graves, b. 17 February 1794, Orange County North Carolina, d. 10 September 1846, Orange County North Carolina.