MAFRANKL-L Archives

Archiver > MAFRANKL > 2002-06 > 1023660036


From: helen graves <>
Subject: [MAFRANKL] GRAVES, James & Wealthy JONES
Date: Sun, 09 Jun 2002 15:00:36 -0700


Have found more info on James GRAVES (1764-1845) who married 1. Wealthy
JONES c. 1782.

James GRAVES (Jr.) was born 1 May 1764, probably in East Haddam,
Middlesex Co., CT (not far from Colchester). About 1770, his father
James Graves, Sr., moved his family to the Shelburne-Colrain area of
Franklin Co., MA. I do not know if James Sr.'s wife was alive at that
time or if she had died in CT prior to the move.

James Jr. served in the Am Rev. 1779-1780 and prob married Wealthy JONES
about 1782 after he was discharged from service (in Rhode Island).

Wealthy JONES was born in 1754 (per one source; I have not documented
this 1754 date.) I do not know where Wealthy JONES was born nor who her
parents were, but I suspect she belongs to a JONES family living
somewhere in Franklin Co. around 1780. She might be related to David
JONES, Ezekiel JONES, Joshua JONES, Rhoda JONES, or Caleb JONES. (See
deeds below.)

Only one child for James and Wealthy (JONES) Graves has been documented
-- Erastus A.B. GRAVES born 5 Dec 1787.

James Graves, Jr., lived and was taxed in Shelburne 1785-1787. He
appears on the 1790 Colrain census with a wife and 1 male (prob son
Erastus born in 1787). In 1798, he moved his wife and son to Blenheim,
Scoharie Co., NY. His wife Wealthy JONES died in Blenheim in 1825. He
then married #2 - widow Jemima ACKHORN in 1828 or 1829. He moved to
Green, Chenango Co., NY about 1830 and died there in 1845.

LAND CONNECTIONS James Graves, Jr. to various JONES:

1. In 1788, Ezekiel JONES, of Colrain, sold to James GRAVES and Joshua
JONES, both of Colrain, 50 acres of land in Colrain as "an absolute
estate of inheritance in fee simple forever". Under the seal of Ezekiel
Jones was the signature of David JONES. (why? I do not know what the
relationship of Ezekiel Jones to David Jones was. Were they brothers? I
could not tell who owned the land prior to the sale of Ezekiel Jones
(and David Jones?).

Witnesses to the 1788 deed were: Rhoda JONES and Caleb JONES.

On 23 april 1791, Ezekiel JONES appeared in person and acknowledged that
that the instrument of conveyance (the deed) was his. This deed was
recorded on Sept. 5, 1806.

2. In 1790, James GRAVES and Joshua JONES, yeomen of Colrain, sold the
same 50 acres of land in Colrain to John ALLIN of Conway.

Can anyone identify who these JONES people were and how/if related to
Wealthy JONES ?

Could this Ezekiel JONES be the same person as an Ezekiel JONES born 22
March 1729, who was the son of Isaac JONES and Hannah WELES (or was it
WELLS?) who married in 1717 in Colchester, CT?

Could the David JONES who signed the Ezekiel JONES 1788 deed be the same
David JONES who was son of Jabez JONES of Colchester? Genealogies of
Colchester says that Jabez' son David JONES was of Shel. and Deerfield
1775-1784 then went to Blenheim, NY.

In 1789, Ezekiel JONES and David JONES bought land in Colrain from
Timothy MIXER. I have this from the deed index, I did not abstract this
deed so don't have a description of the land involved.

Could the Joshua JONES, to whom Ezekiel JONES sold 50 acres in Colrain
in 1788, be also Jabez' son Joshua, "of Deerfield in 1775, of Shel.
1780" ? (Colchester info on Jabez JONES said he had 14 sons, but did not
list them all. Sounds like some of them moved to Deerfield, Shelburne,
and Colrain - and then they or their sons moved to Blenheim, NY, after
1790.

Hope someone on the Franklin list can straighten out the who these
JONES men are who seem to have roots in Colchester, CT, and who may be
related -- brothers, cousins or?

Any help would be appreciated.

-- Helen Graves

This thread: