Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

Graves Family Papers, 1731-1863. Accession 20563, Personal papers collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Mrs. William Butler Bonham, Gordonsville, Virginia, 23 March 1933.

Biographical/Historical Information

The Graves family was among the earliest settlers of what is now Madison County, Virginia. Captain Thomas Graves first settled there about. 1732 and built the family home, "Spring Hill," near the present community of Graves' Mill. Asa W. Graves (d. 1840) served as postmaster.

Scope and Content Information

Papers, 1731-1863, of the Graves family of Madison County, Virginia, consisting of: deeds for property in Madison County, Virginia, including when it was part of Spotsylvania, Orange and Culpeper Counties, Virginia, as well as deeds for property in Rockingham and Shenandoah Counties, Virginia, and in Arkansas; land grants for land in Spotsylvania and Culpeper Counties, and in Arkansas; receipts for the purchase of land and for the purchase of slaves; receipts for bank deposits; receipts for tuition for school; surveys and plats for tracts in Madison, Culpeper, Orange, and Spotsylvania Counties; correspondence concerning land in Arkansas, the price of tobacco, and the Virginia General Assembly; slave deeds of sales, including the names of the slaves purchased; lists containing the names, ages, and value of slaves owned by various members of the Graves family; militia roster of Captain Francis E. Graves' Company, 82nd Regiment, Virginia militia; business accounts; accounts for the estate of Asa W. Graves; accounts and costs for Sarah Graves in regard to the suit Lindsay and wife vs. Sarah Graves; and miscellaneous notes.

1) Land grant, 26 June 1731, 400 acres in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, from Governor William Gooch to Thomas Stanton of Spotsylvania County; 2) deed, 24 March 1747, land in Orange County, Virginia, from Henry Downs, Sr., to Richard Downs, both of Orange County; 3) bond and deed, 8 October 1759, from Joseph Edens and Thomas Graves, both of Culpeper County, Virginia, to John Buckner, Samuel Buckner, and Mary Buckner for 2 tracts of land in Culpeper County; 4) deed, 2 May 1760, 601 acres in Culpeper County from Thomas and Sarah Graves to Joseph Edens; 5) deed, 6 February 1762, 160 acres in Culpeper County from William and Ann Stowers of Culpeper County to Thomas Graves; 6) deed, 16 February 1781, 51 acres in Culpeper County from Michael and Mary Snyder to Edward Graves, all of Culpeper County; 7) deed, 1 March 1791, 100 acres in Culpeper County from John and Sarah Crigler of Culpeper County to Edward Graves; 8) deed (incomplete), n.d., 50 acres in Madison County, Virginia, from Adam and Milly Snyder to George Bailey, all of Madison County; 9) deed, 26 June 1806, 2 acres in Madison County from Paschal Early and others to Thomas Graves, Sr., Joseph Eddins, and others representing the Baptist Rapidan Meeting House; 10) bond, April 1808, from Asa Graves to Thomas Graves, Sr., with condition for Asa Graves receiving 639 acres in Madison County; 11) Deed, 20 December 1808, 639 1/2 acres in Madison County from Thomas Graves, Sr., to Asa Graves; and 12) deed, 6 October 1815, tracts of land in Rockingham and Shenandoah Counties, Virginia, from James Clerk, executor of Thomas Graves, Sr., to Benjamin Graves, Thomas Graves, and Asa Graves.

13) Deed, 20 January 1826, 160 acres in the Arkansas Territory from Reuben Berry and others to Asa Graves, all of Madison County; 14) Military bounty land grant, 17 January 1825, 160 acres in the Arkansas Territory to Reuben Berry and other heirs of Philemon Berry; 15) copy of deed, 5 June 1795, land in Madison County from Adam Banks to John Graves; 16) receipt, 7 August 1819, from Asa W. Graves to William Thornton; 17) survey, 16 April 1835, 30 acres of land in Madison County for Asa W. Graves; 18) Memorandum, n.d., concerning the rights of Sarah Graves, widow, and her deceased husband's estate; 19) plat and survey, 1 May 1756, of 280 acres in Culpeper County by Zachary Taylor by order of the General Court in Thomas Morris and others vs Buckner and others; 20) survey notes, 1749, of properties in Culpeper County, incomplete; 21) Survey, 14 and 15 April 1803, tracts of land owned in Madison County by Thomas Graves, Sr., (incomplete) 22) survey, 31 August 1840, of land in Madison County formerly owned by Asa W. Graves, deceased; 23) fragment of plat, n.d., of 644 acres for Thomas Graves, Sr.; 24) copies, n.d., of surveys made of property conveyed first by Isaac Smith to Benjamin Smith, 18 September 1754, and second by Benjamin Smith to Adam Banks, 19 October 1778; 25) survey, 12 August 1819, of 268 1/4 acres in Madison County owned by Asa W. Graves; 26) copy, 15 December 1825, of a survey, 14 and 15 April 1803, of 639 acres in Madison County owned by Thomas Graves, Sr.; 27) receipt, 5 January 1826, for $420 from Joel S. Graves to Asa W. Graves for the sale of a slave; and 28) receipt, 22 April 1826, for $10 from Morgan Sisk to Asa W. Graves for his profit from sale of land.

29) Receipts, March-April 1826, for $10 each from Rhodes Berry, John C. Sisk, Rowland Berry, and Susannah Berry to Asa W. Graves for their profits from sale of land; 30) deed of sale, 27 September 1804, for four slaves sold by John Hisle to James Pulliam, both of Culpeper County, for $1000; 31) deed of sale, 1 October 1804, for three slaves sold by James Pulliam to Asa W. Graves for 190 pounds; 32) deed of sale, 23 October 1815, for one slaves sold by John and Elizabeth Sampson to John Glassell, all of Madison County, for $400; 33) bond and condition, 10 January 1833, from Lewis T. Cropp of Rockingham County to Asa W. Graves for property in Page County, Virginia; 34) deed of sale, 13 February 1816, for one slave sold by Simeon Graves of Orange County, Virginia, to Asa W. Graves for $550; 35) deed of sale, 11 November 1816, for two slaves sold by James Booker of Shenandoah County to Asa W. Graves for $600; 36) deed, 20 August 1831, for a tract of land in Madison County from Adam Snyder to John Keister, both of Pendleton County, (West) Virginia; 37) receipt, 27 August 1863[?], from Joseph B. Willis to Francis E. Graves; 38) deposit slip, 7 February 1863, for $7914.70 deposited by Francis E. Graves in the Farmers Bank of Virginia; 39) receipt, 25 January 1854, for $12 from William A. Banks to Francis E. Graves for George M. Bohannon for payment of tuition for Bohannon's son; 40) order and receipt, 31 March and 7 April 1863, for sugar from Clark and Mayo of Knoxville, Tennessee; 41) letter, 7 April 1835, from Joseph Watson of the General Land Office to Asa W. Graves concerning taxes on Graves' land in Arkansas; and 42) letter, 2 March 1839, from James Whitcomb of the General Land Office to Linn Banks and letter, 2 March 1839, from Banks to Asa W. Graves concerning Graves' land in Arkansas.

43) Letter, 17 March 1837, from Linn Banks to Asa W. Graves concerning property Graves owns, the price of tobacco in Richmond, Virginia, and the session of the General Assembly; 44) Land Office Treasury Warrant, 2 January 1830, to James Clark for 200 acres, includes Clark's transfer of that acreage to others; 45) letter, 19 January 1825, enclosing patent for military bounty land in the Arkansas Territory for Reuben Berry from George Graham of the General Land Office; 46) letter, 24 August 1825, enclosing patent for military bounty land in the Arkansas Territory for Reuben Berry from the General Land Office; 47) Roster, 1858, of Captain Francis E. Graves' Company, 82nd Regiment, Virginia militia; 48) accounts of sale, n.d.; 49) account and receipt, 17 May 1847, for $243.89 from Sarah Graves to pay court costs in Lindsay and wife vs Graves and others; 50-51) account, 1845-1848, of Sarah Graves with Angus R. Blakey for legal costs in Lindsay and wife vs. Graves; 52-53) list, n.d., apparently of slaves received by various members of the Graves family possibly from the estate of Asa W. Graves and includes value; 54) account, 19 December 1843, of the estate of Asa W. Graves, including list of slaves with ages and value; 55) list, n.d., of slaves, including ages and value, belonging to Francis E. Graves and Sarah Graves; 56) account, 1863-1864, of Strickler and Graves with Moore, Payne and Company; and 57) account, 1863, of sale of slaves for Francis E. Graves as attorney for the legatees of Asa W. Graves by Hill, Dickinson and Company.