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" <wbtst2@atlanticbb.net> > 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

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: <s.m.mills@comcast.net> To: <brethren@rootsweb.com> 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" <wbtst2@atlanticbb.net> > >> 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