Samuel GRAVES I (1594 – 1654) was Alex’s  11th Great Grandfather, one of 4,096 in this generation of the Shaw line.

Samuel Graves - Coat of Arms - Meaning: steward, manager of property

Samuel Graves was born in, possibly King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England.  His parents may have been John GRAVES and Sarah MALTER.   DNA analysis of descendants has shown that Samuel Graves was from the same family as Herbert Fletcher Graves of Lincolnshire. That family lived at Chapel Hill and New York, Lincolnshire, about 8-10 miles northwest of Boston, Lincolnshire.  There has also been speculation that Samuel Graves was from King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England based mainly on the supposition that Lynn, MA was named for King’s Lynn by one or more of the early settlers. That connection is now supported by the Graves DNA results. King’s Lynn is about 25 miles southeast of Boston.

Samuel came to America about 1630 with his wife,  and three children, possibly as part of the Endicott group of 1628 or the Winthrop fleet of 1630. According to one account, he sailed from Southampton, England in the early spring of 1630 to New England.  Samuel died 1 Dec 1654 in Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts.

Children of Samuel and [__?__]:

Samuel Graves was a farmer and a man of wealth. In 1635 he gave about 300 pounds for the support of the Colonial Government.

Samuel took up residence at Lynn, Mass., on the turnpike west of Floating Bridge, and the neighborhood in which he lived was called “Graves End” or “Gravesend” for more than 200 years. It was later known as Glenmere.  Google Maps of Graves Ave in Lynn

The first homestead was taken down in 1648 and the present one [as of 1900] erected, which has been from time to time remodeled, but still retains the appearance of old-time architecture. The house was still occupied by descendants of the original settler, and Mrs. Jane Mansfield, a granddaughter of Rand Graves, celebrated her 99th birthday in the old place on 3 Dec. 1900.

Children

1. Thomas Graves

Thomas was a mariner as well as farmer. Thomas and Mark Graves testified at a session of the Court in 1653 to making several voyages in the boats of the Iron Works at Saugus to Boston, Weymouth, Braintree and Hingham, and in 1658 he testified that his boat carried seven tons of bar iron and delivered it to Mr. Hutchins. The iron works were in operation in 1643, the first in America.

2. Mark Graves

Mark’s first wife Amy [__?__]

Mark’s second wife Elizabeth Knight was born about 1642 in Andover, Essex, Mass. Her parents were William Knight and Elizabeth Lee. She first married about 1661 to John Farrington (b. 1624 in Olney, Bucks, England – d.2 May 1666 in Lynn, Mass.) Elizabeth died about 1705 in Lynn, Essex, Mass.

1665 – “Marke Graves, aged about 45 years, deposed [to the Ipswich Court] that on 10:6:1665, about an hour before sunset, Hanah Hutchinson came to his house, his daughter only being home, and asked to borrow some strong liquor for the toothache.  His daughter did not consent, and said Hanah told her that a cow of her father’s was running away from their pasture, and she ran to tell her father who was at a neighbor’s house, not far off, leaving said Hanah in the room where there was a bottle of liquor.  Deponent found that his cow was in the pasture and the bottle was nearly empty.  His wife said there was a quarter of a pint there, etc.  Sworn 12:6:1665 before Mark Graves, aged about fifty-five years, and Elizabeth, his wife, aged about thirty-seven years, deposed that since Hannah, wife of Mr. John Blaine died, said Blaine and six of his children came from Mr. Ralph King’s to dwell at the farmhouse where deponents and they lived under one roof. When the children came they were decently clothed, but during the three quarters of a year that they lived there, he did not provide for them and they suffered very much, and had it not been for their friends through pity taking some of them from him and relieving them, they might have perished. They suffered both for food and raiment, and what money Blaine received for wood or timber or for the work of his team was spent in drink, he coming home late at night in a quarrelsome mood and distempered with drink. He had only one cow to provide for the family, etc. Amy, daughter of Mark Graves, aged about seventeen years, deposed the same. Sworn in court. Simon Bradstreete.  Hanah Hutchinson said that the girl told her there was vinegar in the bottle, etc.  Also that she would kill the child or herself, etc.”  Hanah was severely whipped for lying, cursing and stealing.

Jun 1677 – Samuel’s son, “Mark Graves, aged about fifty-five years, and Elizabeth, his wife, aged about thirty-seven years, deposed  [to the Salem Court] that since Hannah, wife of Mr. John Blaine died, said Blaine and six of his children came from Mr. Ralph King’s to dwell at the farmhouse where deponents and they lived under one roof.  When the children came they were decently clothed, but during the three quarters of a year that they lived there, he did not provide for them and they suffered very much, and had it not been for their friends through pity taking some of them from him and relieving them, they might have perished.  They suffered both for food and raiment, and what money Blaine received for wood or timber or for the work of his team was spent in drink, he coming home late at night in a quarrelsome mood and distempered with drink.  He had only one cow to provide for the family, etc.  Amy, daughter of Mark Graves, aged about seventeen years, deposed the same.  Sworn in court.”

Jun 1682 – Samuel’s son Mark lost a suit in Salem Court from a relative of his second wife: “Mathew Farrington, Sr. v. Mark Graves.  Verdict for plaintiff.  Appealed to the next Court of Assistants. Defendant bound, with Henry Bailey and Phillip Fowler as sureties.  Writ: Matthew Farrington, Sr. v. Mark Graves, living at Mr. Hubard’s farm at Ipswich; for not allowing him disbursements upon the tide mill and housing amounting to £20, for his part of said mill and housing being so much better at the end of the lease than when he entered upon it; signed by John Fuller, for the court and town of Lynn; and served by Henery Skerry, marshal of Salem, by attachment of a table and great chair of defendant…”

3. Samuel GRAVES II (See his page)

Sources:

http://www.gravesfa.org/gen083.htm

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bettysboneyard/NewEnglandFamilies.html