Graf - Groff - Grove - Bowers Ancestry

A Crouch Family Heritage Association Family Tree page


Husband: Hans GRAF Sr. b. 1661 Zurich Switz d. 1730 Lancaster PA or 1746 Groff Dale, PA. Parents unknown, possibly Marx, but had a brother Martin GRAF, born abt. 1665
Wife 1: m. 1687, Alsace, France, Susanna ORNDORFF b. c 1661 SWITZ (may be Susanna ORNDORFF, or maybe Susanna ORNDORFF is another name for Susanna Kendig and the first one was someone else)
Wife 2: m. ca. 1700 Susannah Kendig,(?) b. about 1678, d. after 1746 (other version holds that wife 1 m. abt. 1683 in Alsace, died bef. 1686, and that Wife 2 was m. 1687, Alsace, France, Susanna ORNDORFF. I prefer to believe this version: Orndorff was Wife 2 and m. 1687.).

Child from the marriage of Hans Groff and First Wife (or maybe 2nd):
Children from the marriage of Hans Groff and Susanna Kendig (or Orndorff):
 Other children's descendants, besides John's, can be found at http://searches1.rootsweb.com/usgenweb/archives/pa/lancaster/famhist/graf0001.txt

Biographical Note (I can't personally verify any of it, mind you):

Hans Graf was born in Switzerland in 1661, and during
the persecution of the Mennonites in his native country,
he with others fled to Alsace. In Alsace he bore the
title of Baron Von Weldon. He was a brother - in - law
of Lieut. Col., and Duke of Metzer, who was Governor of
Breda, and it was from him the Grafs or Groves were
entitled to the immense wealth in the fatherland. At one
time none stood nearer in confidence to the throne than
Hans Graf, but owing to this very prominence he became the
target for false accusations from jealous parties. He
was accused of treason against the government and his
wealth confisated. The accusation were proved utterly
false and he was publicly exonerated and given
invitation to return and his wealth and property would
be fully restored to him, but Hans Graft scorned their
overtures and declined to return. He came to America
and became in the new world a man of wealth and prominence.
Hans Graf arrived in Pennsylvania about 1695 and emigrated
to Germantown where he remained several years.

Hans with other Mennonite families moved west and
took up their abode on the northern side of Pequea
Creek. It was not until 1717 however that pioneers found
their way in to Earl Township, Lancaster County. This
honor belongs to Hans Graf, for while in pursuit of his
strayed horses, he found his way into what is familiarly
known as Groff's Thal, within the limits of west Earl
Township. Pleased with the country, he had his wife,
children and chattels conveyed thither and located on the
stream now called Graf's Run, where he soon took up
land. He was the earliest settler in these townships,
so also was he the wealthiest citizen at the time of his death in 1746.

This Hans Graf was a man of more than ordinary force
of character; he was the principal person in the new
settlement that sprung up around him, even to the time
of his death his name frequently occurs in the Colonial
Records; he was one of the persons named to lay out the
King's High Road from Lancaster to Philadelphia in 1733.
Along with many others he was naturalized on Oct. 14,
1720, in the third year of the reign of George the second.
He had already built a mill prior to 1729 and when in that
year the township was organized the citizens honored both
themselves and him in giving his name 'Graf', in its
English equivalent, Earl, to the new district.

The foundation stones of the cabin he built in 1718
are yet to be seen in the barn yard of his lineal
descendant, Levi W. Groff, who owns the residence on the old homestead.

The survey of his land was made on October 4, 1718 and
calls for 1150 acres; on the 28th of February 1724, he
bought 250 acres from Martin Kendrick and Hans Herr, who
had purchased 5,000 acres from Penn on 22nd of November, 1717.
Under these two warrants there were surveyed to him, in a
single tract on a branch of the Conestoga, 1419 acres on
October 10, 1727, for which a deed was made to him by
Thomas Penn on Nov. 18,1737. This deed after citing the
circumstances of the survey, goes on and makes transfer "of
all mines, minerals, quarries, meadows, marshes, etc.
The price paid for this goodly tract of land was L 141,
180 and One English shilling quit rent for every one
hundred acres, to be paid annually on every first of
March in the city of Lancaster, Penn. Ascertaining in
some way that his tract did not contain the full number
of acres called for by his deed he asked for a re-survey,
which was granted October 16, 1742, when 91 additional
acres were given him as shortage.

West Earl also boasts of having had within her bounds
one of the first, perhaps the first Mill in Lancaster
County, Penn. This stood on the south side of the
Conestoga, right at the point where the Concalico unites with the
stream. It was made a corner of Warwick Township when
that district was organized in 1729, and only through
that fact has its existence been preserved from utter
oblivion. How long it was there prior to that date is
unknown. An ancient deed covering this spot was also
found and mentions it as a mill site and speaks of the
mill race, but the mill had even then disappeared. Hans
Graf the first settler in these townships was the builder
and owner of this early mill.

Other evidence of Hans Graf: Rupp's Collection of
Thirty Thousand Immigrants to Pennsylvania page 433 -
"Hans Graf came to Germantown in 1696. Also Hans Graf
was Naturalized October 14, 1729. His brother Martin
Graf, was first constable.



Husband: Hans GROFF Jr. a.k.a. John GROFF, b. 1697 Germantown Phil. Co, PA d. 1780 Sharpsburg, Washington Co, MD or Frederick Co, MD, son of Susanna ORNDORFF and Hans GRAF Sr. (or according to another version, b. about 1715, d. before 10 June 1797, Frederick County, Maryland, son of Susanna Kendig [?] and Hans GRAF Sr.)
m. 1733 Lancaster Co, PA (another version says m. 1716 but I believe it's inaccurate as it doesn't match Carpenter family information)
Wife: Elizabeth CARPENTER b. ca 1711 (another version says ca. 1716) Lancaster Co, PA or Phil. Co, PA d. Sharpsburg MD or Frederick Co, MD, daughter of Henrich Zimmerman and Maria/Salome Rufener
Children:
Three children whose dates are only possible if Hans and Elizabeth were b. ca. 1700:
Biographical Notes on Hans Graff Jr.:


In 1783 Hans sells to his brother David a tract of 197 acres, being part of a
tract of 1419 acres granted to his father. (Recorded Book N. Page 17 of Lancaster
County Penn. Deeds) Indenture, Apr. 15, 1763 between Hans Graf of
Earl Township, yeoman, and Elizabeth his wife of the one part and David Graf of the
same, yeoman of the other part; To David Graf of Earl Township 197 acres, part of a
larger tract granted by a proprietary patent to Hans Graf the father of said Hans Graf,
dated 8 November 1737 and recorded in Philadelphia in Patent Book A, Vol. 8, page 292.

Hans Graf went with his sons into Maryland about 1763, and settled in Frederick
County. A note appended to his will states that his heirs write the name "Grove". Both
Hans and his wife Elizabeth are buried at Keedysville, Washington County, Maryland.
Their graves are simply marked with a slab on which is cut their initials. These were legible in 1912.

Fharf's History of Western Maryland mentions a resurvey made of Groff's Forests,
which had been granted to John Groff; also mentions a survey made of Groff's Content in
1788 to Jacob Groff.

John Grove and his son Jacob sign the Oath of Fidelity and Support to the
State of Maryland at the March Court 1778, Sharpsburg Hundred, Washington
County. (Washington from Frederick in 1776) see Revolutionary Records of Maryland (Rumbough) page 14.


Husband: Dr. Jacob GROFF b. 6/4/1737 Lancaster Co, PA d. 8/13(15)/1819 Sharpsburg, Washington Co, MD, son of Elizabeth CARPENTER and Hans GROFF Jr.
m. 7/15/1758 Lancaster Co, PA
Wife: Catherine STALEY a.k.a. Stalie (a.k.a. Stehli ?) b. 3/3(5)/1742 (1740/41) Lancaster Co, PA d. 9/25(26)/1823(1833) Sharpsburg MD ((poss. dau. of George STEHLI/STALEY?)
Children:
Biographical Notes on Dr. Jacob Grove.:


Jacob Graf the oldest son of Hans Jraf Jr and Elizabeth Carpenter was a
Physician and a man of prominence in the locality in which he lived. He came
to Maryland in 1765 and signed the Oath of Fidelity and support to the State of
Maryland in 1778. (See Brumbaugh's Revolutionary Records of Maryland, Vol.
page 14) He also in 1780 lent the sum of five hundred dollars for the use of
the State of Maryland (See Md. Ar,, Vol. XLLLL, page 520). He names his
children in his will.

Husband: Peter GROVE b. 1/12/1767 Sharpsburg, Wa. Co, MD d. 12/13/1823 Martinsburg, Berkeley Co, WV son of Dr. Jacob GROFF and Catherine STALEY
m.
Wife 1: CATHARINA ANGELBERGERIN
Wife 2: m. 1793 Martinsburg, Bergekley Co, WV, Catherine Aucker/Auchey/Aucher/Acher/Ache/Ocher (spelling variation among many sources) b. 1/113/1776 Dauphin Co, PA d. 12/15/1851 Berkeley Co, WV
Children (presumably all by Wife 2):
Catherine Grove, b. 1797; d. Sept. 12, 1873, m. William Bowers


How to contribute information or links =||= Search within Crouch Family Tree
Crouch Family Heritage Association
Permission granted to copy or use information
Crouch genealogical query page
Crouchmas is May 3
Author: John Crouch, crouch@patriot.net