Dwayne, I'm not surprised to learn of material that doesn't coincide with facts, since the books are written from collected materials and/or reminiscences of various family groups. They might be a place to start for someone beginning work on a branch of the family, backed up by research in public and/or private records. Since you are a thorough family historian, it's possible you may yet uncover some evidence regarding your Jacob Graff. I hope you do. Sharon -------------- Original message -------------- From: "Dwayne Wrightsman" <dwayne55@comcast.net> > Sharon, > The accounts in the two volumes of Groff books does not substantially jibe > with the material in the Ephrata Brethren Death Registers and in the > Lancaster County Deed Book entries for my particular East Cocalico Township > Graff family. There are two many Graffs/Groves in the whole of Lancaster > County to account for all of them. Seems that the various Groff articles > and Groff books on the Groff families of the whole county are revised over > and over. That is why I have narrowed my search, doing my own research on > my own particular Graff family using only documented sources. I am finding > that the accounts of Richard W. Davis on his mennosearch.com comes fairly > close to my own documentation as far as the Ephrata/Cocalico Graff family is > concerned. Davis has Jacob Graff the son going to Virginia and dying in > Frederick County in 1794, but I have evidence that Davis plugged in a Jacob > Graff from Philadelphia County rather than from Lancaster County. I > believe, but cannot prove, that Jacob Graff the son from Ephrata/Cocalico > ended up with the North Carolina Brethren. > Dwayne > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: > To: > Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 6:23 PM > Subject: Re: [BRE] Graff Info > > > > I've got Vol I and 2 of the Groff book, if anyone has an interest in what > > is said there. It appears to be the work of Clyde L Groff, Walter B Groff > > and Jane Evans Best, first vol published in 1985 by the Groff History > > Associates. Book one is about Groffs in Lancaster Co for the "first > > hundred years." Jane Evans Best continues with Vol 2, printed by Mastof > > Press. > > > > Sharon Mills > > > > -------------- Original message -------------- > > From: "William Thomas" > > > >> I have some additional information on Graff family. > >> > >> > >> > >> The earliest Graff in Lancaster County appears to be Hans Graff who was > >> Mennonite and came to Pennsylvania in 1704. He died in 1746 in Earl > >> Township, having warranted property there but did not take it up. His son > >> Jacob stayed in Europe. The Mennonites had a huge land warrant from the > >> Penn Family in the late 17th Century, and had a number of small > >> migrations > >> after that. Then the great Mennonite Migration of 1717 promoted by Martin > >> Kendig included the families of Hans Graff, and Martin Graff. Hans Graff > >> Sr. and Jr. are found in 1717 Lancaster County tax records, and he had a > >> son > >> Jacob that died in 1771 in Cumberland County, PA. Hans Graff Jr. died in > >> 1749 in Lampeter Township. Martin Graff is found on a 1729 Lancaster > >> County > >> naturalization list. (Source: January 1994 Mennonite Family History) > >> > >> > >> > >> You find the name Graff quite a bit in the list of early Lancaster County > >> warrants: In 1733 you have John Jacob Graff on Cocalico Creek (actually > >> Middle Creek a tributary), Andreas Graff on Conestoga Creek; 1734 George > >> Groff on Mill Creek (actually Tulpehocken); Martin Graff in Earl Township > >> later surveyed by Joseph Graff in 1762 with neighbor Jacob Graff (survey > >> D-82-41, which was property of Hans Graff warrant undated), Andrew Graft > >> in > >> Tulpehoken Township (Berks County), Peter Good in Earl Township surveyed > >> by > >> Peter Graff, Hans Groff Leacock Township; In 1735 Martin Graff warranted > >> property from a large tract warranted in the name of Martin Kendig and > >> John > >> Herr (survey A-79-156) and was between Mill Creek and Conestoga Creek, > >> and > >> had neighbor Henry Bear. In 1737 George Groff on Quittaphilla Township > >> (??); 1738 Martin Graff on Quittaphilla Creek; 1739 Andreas Graaf in > >> Bethel > >> Township at Blue Mountain; John and Christopher Graaf Bethel Township at > >> Blue Mountain, Stephen Graff on Conwango Creek, Jacob Graff in Cocalico > >> Township. Then on Feb. 19, 1741 Daniel, Mark, Samuel and Hans Graff each > >> had warrants in Earl Township. Hans has no survey, but it is noted as on > >> a > >> branch of Mill Creek). Three of these properties are adjacent, with > >> Mark's > >> survey noting it was in right of Hans Graff. An adjacent property was > >> that > >> of Jacob Bowman, which the survey shows was on Conestoga Creek. > >> > >> > >> > >> The Ephrata listing of 1770 includes the following names: Mark Graff, > >> Maria > >> Graff, Jacob Graff and wife, Joseph Graff, and John Bowman. > >> > >> > >> > >> Comparing the land surveys with the Ephrata listing, we have Joseph Graff > >> and neighbor Jacob Graff circa 1762, with Jacob's property previously > >> owned > >> by Hans Graff. The Mark Graff survey also shows that it was previously > >> warranted by Hans Graff, and his neighbors are Daniel and Mark. However, > >> Joseph's property was previously warranted by Martin Graff. One would > >> assume Daniel, Samuel and Mark are brothers, and likely sons of Hans > >> Graff > >> the immigrant. Joseph would appear to be a son of Martin, and Martin > >> likely > >> another son of Hans. Peter is also likely tied to this group. > >> > >> > >> > >> We also could have three Martin's. The warrantee of the Kendig land is > >> likely immigrant Martin Graff. Martin of Earl Township appears to be a > >> son > >> of Hans the immigrant. Then there is Martin on Quittaphilla Creek > >> (Lebanon > >> County). > >> > >> > >> > >> Martin of Quittaphilla is likely related to George of Quittaphilla. > >> George > >> of Mill Creek (actually Tulpehocken) owned property adjacent Christopher > >> (Stophel) Stump in Heidelberg Township, now Lebanon County. George Graff > >> Jr. owned property in Berks County that was also adjacent to Christopher > >> (Stophel) Stump, as well as German Baptist George Beshore. The property > >> of > >> George Graff Jr. was originally warranted by John and Christopher Graff. > >> The property of Andreas Graff was patented by Daniel Beshore, son and > >> neighbor of George Beshore. George of Quittaphilla and George of Mill > >> Creek > >> appear to be the same person, as is Andrew and Andreas of Bethel. A Jacob > >> Graff, also lived in this area, and is likely a descendent of George or > >> Martin. So George, Andreas, John, Christopher as well as Martin of > >> Quittaphilla, are likely related. > >> > >> > >> > >> The other missing people are Andrew of Conestoga, Stephen, who owned > >> property in what became York County, Hans of Leacock, Jacob of Cocalico, > >> and > >> John Jacob also of Cocalico. > >> > >> > >> > >> So I see five groups in later records. You have Hans the 1704 immigrant > >> that seems to be tied to the Ephrata group. You have Martin the 1717 > >> immigrant with unidentified ties. You have Hans the 1717 immigrant with > >> unidentified ties. You have the Lebanon/Berks Graff's group, and then > >> Andrew of Conestoga, Stephen of Conewango, Hans of Leacock, and the > >> Jacob's > >> of Cocalico left over. > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> Bill Thomas > > > ------------------------ > Search the Archives at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/BRETHREN > ------------------------ > Support Our Sponsoring Agency > The Fellowship Of Brethren Genealogists (FOBG) > For further information contact Ron McAdams mailto:McAdamsr@hotmail.com > ------------------------ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BRETHREN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in > the subject and the body of the message