Rev. 28 Sept. 2001, Gen. 893

Moses Graves (1) married Sarah Baker, daughter of Thomas Baker and Joanna Sumner. They probably lived in SC and moved to Midway, Liberty Co., GA.

This is almost certainly part of the Graves family that was associated with the people from Dorchester, Massachusetts. Whether this Graves family migrated from Massachusetts, Connecticut, or directly from England to SC and GA is not presently known. Information was sent by Dr. Sherburne Anderson of Baton Rouge, LA (now deceased), and was published in the 1979 Graves Family Newsletter, pp. 65-68. This discussion is in the next several paragraphs.

HISTORY OF MIDWAY (MEDWAY) CHURCH OF LIBERTY COUNTY, GEORGIA

In the year 1630, a group of Puritan emigrants, principally from the counties of Devon, Dorset and Somersetshire, England, met at the New Hospital, Plymouth, England, Rev. John White presided. They selected Rev. John Warham of Exeter and Rev. John Maverick as their ministers. On 30 March 1630 (3 months before the founding of "Trimontaine" (July 1630) by Govnr. Winthrop, and 6 months before Boston was given its name, September 17, 1630), the Puritan emigrants embarked for New England in the 400 ton vessel "Mary & John", commanded by Captain Squeb. There were 140 passengers. After 70 days sailing, they entered the harbor of Nantasket 30 May 1630, then landed at Matapan. They laid out the town and named it Dorchester, in honor of the many from and hometown of their patron, Rev. John White.

After 5 years at Dorchester they became dissatisfied and the greater portion of them removed in the latter part of 1635 to Connecticut and settled at Mattaneang, now known as Windsor, on the banks of the Connecticut River.

In the year 1695, some went to the shores of Carolina under the leadership of Charles Lord from Charlestown, Massachusetts, Harvard graduate, who was teaching at Dorchester, Mass., and was ordained 22 October 1695. Mr. Lord and his little flock (about 9 men and 1 woman) set sail for South Carolina from Boston on the brigantine "Friendship" (Captain Hill). On 14th December they encountered a violent gale and after 14 days landed at Charleston, South Carolina, Friday, 20 December 1695.

They settled on the banks of the Ashley River and named their place Dorchester (S.C.) which is upriver 18 miles from Charleston, on 14 January 1696. This was called the Carolina Church. In 1746 they had 70 members. There were 300 souls in Dorchester in 1735 (including slaves).

After 56 years at Dorchester (S.C.), known as "The United Church and Congregation of Dorchester and Beech Hill", they decided that their agricultural future was in danger (just as their ancestors in Connecticut and Massachusetts in 1696) - soil burned out - so they first searched 11 May 1752 and set off to the Georgia coast to view land there and liked what they saw. In June 1752 the Savannah colonial seat granted them 22,400 acres. The first attempt at settlement at Medway (Midway) on the Midway River (later to become part of Liberty County) in August 1752 failed due to a hurricane. The first permanent settlement was in December 1752.

On 28 August 1754 the "Original Articles of Incorporation of the Midway Church" were signed. Among the signers were William & John Graves. In the Revolution the British army burned the Midway church to the ground on November 27, 1778. The British also burned the interior completely out at the brickwalled church still then standing in Dorchester, S.C.

The prersent (1977) church was built in 1792 and is now a museum. The Midway Congregational Church prospered and in 1846 boasted of over 400 members. The death blow to the church occurred in Sherman's March to the Sea. His calendar was that he would have Christmas dinner in Savannah in December 1864. Arriving in the environs of Savannah a few weeks premature, some of the Union Troops were quartered in the Midway Church. It is said that shile the Union Troops were so quartered, the local women did not dare take their clothes off and routinely slept with their clothes on with their bedrooms barricaded. So devastating was the pillage and burning of the surrounding homes and barns, the church membership was so impoverished in the reconstruction years, they could no longer support a minister. They also had no horses or mules to get to church, so in 1867 the church leased the building to the colored membership which continued to occupy the church on a lease basis until 1895 when the negroes built their own new church. In 1887 the few remaining members of the Midway Church organized a "Midway Society" dedicated to preserving the Church and cemetery as a Museum. Midway, Georgia and the Midway Church (Liberty County) can be seen today as a small cross roads site on U.S. Highway 17, about 50 miles below Savannah.

SARAH GRAVES: Thomas Hughes married to Sarah Graves 27 Sept. 1768.

MARY GRAVES: Francis Shepard married to Mary Graves 25 Sept. 1793. Thomas Hughes to Mary Graves 5 May 1795.

REBECCA GRAVES: John Gibbons m. to Rebecca Graves, 13 Dec. 1777.

SUSANNA GRAVES: John Stewart m. to Susanna Graves 12 July 1798.

MARY ANN GRAVES: daughter Francis and Mary Shepard bap. 21 Feb. 1799.

ANN GRAVES: died 22 March 1795.

THOMAS GRAVES: signed Midway Articles of Incorporation; pew rent paid, Midway Church, 23 Mar. 1785; married Mary Mitchell (in Carolina) 1779; married Elizabeth Maxwell, 22 May 1787. (2nd?) May be son of William or Thomas.

THOMAS GRAVES: son of Thomas Graves bap. 1758.

REBECCA GRAVES: daughter of Thomas Graves, 15 Mar. 1786, baptized, died 3 July 1790.

MARY GRAVES: wife of Thomas Graves died March 1785.

ELIZABETH GRAVES: wife of Thomas Graves and a child died 8 Sept. 1788.

THOMAS GRAVES: died 28 April 1789.

JOHN GRAVES: 2nd grant of land, Midway Church, Liberty Co., Ga., 500 A, 6 Aug. 1752. Arrived Midway 1756 (along with William Graves). Son Thomas Graves born to John Graves 26 July 1757; daughter born 19 Nov. 1764.

ANN ELIZA SIMMONS: daughter of John and Elizabeth Graves died 21 Sept. 1766.

ELIZABETH GRAVES: wife of John Graves died 30 Aug. 1777.

WILLIAM GRAVES: granted 500 acres in Midway in original land grants, August 1752; arrived in Midway, 1756 along with John Graves; signed original Articles of Incorporation, Midway Church, 28 Aug. 1754; married Rebecca Quarterman, 1756; pew fee paid by Rebecca Graves, Midway Church, 23 Mar. 1785; son, John Graves, born 13 July 1757, bap. 1758, died 21 Nov. 1758; daughter born April 1759; Rebecca (daughter) died 29 Oct. 1759; son, Thomas Graves, born 28 Sept. 1760, bap. 2 Nov. 1760; dau. Sarah Graves born 12 May 1763, bap. 12 June 1763; dau., Nancy Graves, bap. 20 Mar. 1768; Mary (daughter) died 29 Nov. 1769; son, John born 7 Nov. 1772, died Nov. 1775; son, William bap. 16 Dec. 1772; Mary Rebecca, dau., bap. 30 April 1775; daughter of William & Rebecca buried 11 Oct. 1773; Rebecca, wife, died 4 Nov. 1795.

MARY GRAVES: daughter of William and Ann Graves, 15 Jan. 1776; bap. 24 Mar. 1776.

(R-1)

Children - Graves

+2. Thomas Graves, m. ------, d. 28 April 1789.

+3. William Graves, m. Rebecca Quarterman, 1756.

+4. John Graves, m. Elizabeth ------.

CHILDREN OF MOSES GRAVES (1) AND SARAH BAKER

Thomas Graves (2) was born in SC or Midway, Liberty Co., GA, and died 28 April 1789. He married ------. (R-1)

Children - Graves

5. Thomas Graves, b. 26 July 1757, m(1) Mary Mitchell, 1779 (SC), m(2) Elizabeth Maxwell, 22 May 1787. First wife d. March 1785.

William Graves (3) married Rebecca Quarterman, daughter of John Quarterman and Mary ("Marsey") Baker, on 8 June 1756 in Midway, Liberty Co., GA. (R-1)

Children - Graves

6. Rebecca Graves, b. April 1759, m. William Quarterman.

7. Thomas Graves, b. 28 Sept. 1760.

8. Sarah Graves, b. 12 May 1763.

+9. John Graves, b. 7 Nov. 1772, m. ------.

John Graves (4) married Elizabeth ------. She died 30 Aug. 1777. (R-1)

Children - Graves

10. daughter, b. 17 Nov. 1764.

CHILDREN OF WILLIAM GRAVES (3) AND REBECCA QUARTERMAN

John Graves (9) was born 7 Nov. 1772 in GA or SC. He married ------. (R-2)

Children - Graves

+11. Elizabeth Graves, b. 1793, m. Francis Johnson.

CHILDREN OF JOHN GRAVES (9)

Elizabeth Graves (11) was born in 1793 in Marion Co., SC. She married Francis Johnson, son of William Johnson and Celia ------. (R-2)

Children - Johnson

+12. William J. Johnson, m. Margaret Stone.

CHILDREN OF ELIZABETH GRAVES (11) AND FRANCIS JOHNSON

William J. Johnson (12) married Margaret Stone, daughter of Dottson Stone. (R-2)

Children - Johnson

13. Sara Martha Adieu Johnson, b. 25 May 1853 (?).

14. Mary Elizabeth Johnson, b. 15 Oct. 1830.

15. Frances Permilla Johnson, b. 17 Sept. 1832.

16. Celia Graves Johnson, b. 1835, m. William James Grier. He was b. 4 March 1848 and d. 8 Sept. 1917, son of Thomas Rothmahler Grier and Margaret Ann Johnson.

17. Thomas Edward Johnson

18. Francis Johnson

19. William Chesley Johnson

20. Henry F. Johnson

21. Benjamin B. Johnson

22. James Foster Johnson

23. Robert H. Johnson

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