GRAHAM-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: Michael Graham
Date: Sat, 15 May 1999 21:14:35 EDT

Hello D Carey and List,

I am a descendant of one Michael Graham of Salisbury Township, Chester
County, PA; now Lancaster County, Pa. My Michael was the son of Jared Graham
who was born ca. 1700 in North Ireland and died in Lancaster County, PA in
1772. Jared is listed in the Abridged Compendium of American Genealogy,
Volume I, The Standard Genealogical Encyclopedia of the First Families of
America. According to this record, "he fled Scotland to Ireland, thence came
to America ca. 1729 and settled in Lancaster County (then Chester County),
Salisbury Township, Pennsylvania where he died in 1772. His wife was
Susannah. "

Jared, in his will of 1772, named his son, Michael as his heir; also naming a
son, James, who was living on land that Jared had received from two of
William Penn's sons, Richard and Thomas. The land was located in Cumberland
County, PA.

Michael died within three years of his father's death, in 1775; and named his
son, John Graham, my ancestor, as one of his three executors. The other two
were "good friend Michael Graham(yes another one) and "Jason Cloud".

It is this Michael Graham, who I believe, was the Michael Graham who settled
from PA in Randolph County, NC, not but one county away from the part of
Orange County, NC(now Alamance County) where my ancestor, John Graham,
settled with his family. The Grahams belonged to Old Paxtang Church in PA
under the care of Rev. John Roan who was teacher of a son of this Michael,
William, before and after he attended Princeton. William graduated in 1773
and returned to PA for a short time. He and several brothers moved to
Rockbridge Co.VA. This William is credited with the establishment of the
school which eventually became Washington and Lea University. Michael
Grahams' Bible is part of a permanent collection of historical data there at
Washington and Lea. As I recall, William Grahams' grave, or at least a
marker, is on the campus.

You mentioned in your posting about an Elizabeth Graham who married a Robert
Armstrong ca. 1750-60. This is interesting in that a distant cousin recently
shared some information on her Armstrong lineage: >>Christopher Armstrong,
(b. 1523) in Scotland married Catherine Graham. His mother was also a
Graham: Elizabeth Graham married John Armstrong(b. 1490) of Gilknockie - the
one about whom Robert Burns and others wrote ballads.

Johnny of Gilnockie was the ggggrandfather of Mary (Mollie) Bird's husband,
James Armstrong; he was the brother of the well known Reverand Gustaveous
Armstrong of Ireland (an Ulster), and Uncle of Brigadier General James
(Trooper) Armstrong of Knoxville. <<

I am also a Bird descendant, from James Bird, brother to the Mollie Bird who
married James Armstrong above. The Birds were of the area of present Olde
Swedes Church in Delaware, which at the time was part of PA. James Bird's
daughter, Mary, was my ancestress who married 15 October 1782, my ancestor,
John Graham, as his second wife. John Graham was first married to Frances
Mebane, sister to Alexander Mebane who married the granddaughter of Mollie
Bird Armstrong, Mary Armstrong. It would seem that these families did not
venture too far from each other, especially in these early days. The Mebane
family was also of Chester County, PA before making the move to NC.

I will enjoy hearing from anyone who may connect with these families.

Best regards,

John Fox
Winston-Salem, NC

I am aware of another Michael Graham, son of James Graham, of Honey Brook
Township, Chester County, PA. This Michael was married to Margaret Kittera
March 16, 1769

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