Thomas Graves (c. 1580–1635) was one of the original Adventurers (stockholders) of the

Virginia Company of London The Virginia Company of London (sometimes called "London Company") was a Division (business), division of the Virginia Company with responsibility for British colonization of the Americas, colonizing the east coast of North America between 34th ...

, and one of the very early Planters (settlers) who founded

Jamestown, Virginia The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent British colonization of the Americas, English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James River, about southwest of present-day Willia ...

, the first permanent English settlement in North America. He was also the first known person named Graves in North America. Captain Thomas Graves is listed as one of the original Adventurers as "Thomas Grave" on page 364, ''Records of the Virginia Company of London'', vol. IV.

Arrival in Virginia

Graves arrived in Virginia in October 1608 on the ship ''Mary and Margaret'' with Captain

Christopher Newport Christopher Newport ( – ) was an English seaman and privateer. During the war with Spain Newport was one of the most successful ' Elizabethan Sea Dogs' to venture to the Spanish Main, making large profits. Newport is best known as the c ...

's second supply. He paid 25 pounds for two shares in the London Company and thereby was entitled to . Captain Thomas Graves settled at

Smythe's Hundred Smith's Hundred or Smythe's Hundred was a colonial English settlement in the Province of Virginia, in the modern United States of America. It was one of the original James River plantations named after the treasurer of the Virginia Company, Sir ...

, situated on the north shore of the James River ten miles from Jamestown. Governor

George Yeardley Sir George Yeardley () was a Planter class, planter and colonial governor of the colony of Virginia. He was also among the first slaveowners in Colonial history of the United States, Colonial America. A survivor of the Virginia Company of London's ...

placed Graves in charge of Smythe's Hundred on May 30, 1618, after one man killed another in a fight.McCartney, Martha W. (2007)
''Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary''
p. 337. Genealogical Publishing Co.

As a representative and early settler

Capt. Thomas Graves was a member of the First Legislative Assembly in America, and, with Mr. Walter Shelley, sat for

when they met at

on July 30, 1619. His name appears on a monument to the first

House of Burgesses The House of Burgesses () was the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly from 1619 to 1776. It existed during the colonial history of the United States in the Colony of Virginia in what was then British America. From 1642 to 1776, the Hou ...

which stands at Jamestown today. Smythe's Hundred was abandoned after the Indian uprising of 1622. The next record of Captain Graves showed him living on the

Eastern Shore of Virginia The Eastern Shore of Virginia is the easternmost region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It consists of two counties (Accomack County, Virginia, Accomack and Northampton County, Virginia, Northam ...

by February 16, 1624. On February 8, 1627, Captain

Francis West Francis West ( – ) was a Deputy Governor of the Colony of Virginia. Early and family life Born in Salisbury, Wiltshire on 28 October 1586, West was one of four sons of Thomas West, 2nd Baron De La Warr (1556–1602) of Wherwell Abbey in ...

, Governor of Virginia, ordered that Thomas Graves have a commission to command the Plantation at Accomac. Graves was the second Commander. As an "

ancient planter "Ancient planter" (sometimes called ancient colony men) was a term applied to early colonists who migrated to the Colony of Virginia when the settlement was managed privately by the Virginia Company of London. A colonist received a land grant ...

" he received one of the first patents there on March 14, 1628, consisting of . He lived on Old Plantation Creek, now in

Northampton County, Virginia Northampton County is a county (United States), county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 12,282. Its county seat is Eastville, Virginia, Eastville. Northampton and Acco ...

, and served as Commissioner for

Accomac Shire Accomac Shire was established in the Colony of Virginia by the House of Burgesses in 1634 under the direction of King Charles I. It was one of the original eight shires of Virginia. The shire's name comes from the Native American word "Accawmack". ...

in 1629. Captain Graves and three others represented the Eastern Shore in the Assembly of 1629‑30. He served again as a burgess in 1632. Because he was designated as "Esquire" on January 6, 1635, he may have been a member of the Council. Captain Thomas Graves, Esquire, was recorded as being a Justice at a court held for Accomac on April 13, 1635.

Death and descendants

He died between November 1635, when he witnessed a deed, and January 5, 1635/6, when suit was entered for Mrs. Graves concerning theft by a servant. He was survived by his wife, Katherine, and six children: John, Thomas, Ann, Verlinda, Katherine and Francis. His daughter, Verlinda, eventually married governor of Maryland, William Stone, and his daughter Anne married

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...

's headmaster

Nathaniel Eaton Nathaniel Eaton (before 17 September 1609 − before 11 May 1674) was an Anglican clergyman who was the first President of Harvard University#Presidents of Harvard, Headmaster of Harvard, Chairperson, President designate, and builder of Harvard ...

, and had at least one son named James Eaton. A descendant of Gov. Stone and Verlinda was Founding Father

Thomas Stone Thomas Stone (1743 – October 5, 1787) was an American Founding Father, planter, politician, and lawyer who signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a delegate for Maryland. He later worked on the committee that formed the Arti ...

, a signatory of the declaration of independence, and nephew of Founding Father

Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer (1723 – November 16, 1790) was an American politician and Founding Father who was one of the signers of the Constitution of the United States. He was active for many years in the Province of Maryland's colonial gov ...

. "Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Stone, Barton Warren">Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, ''The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ'',

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company is a religious publishing house based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1911 by Dutch American William B. Eerdmans and still independently owned with William's daughter-in-law Anita Eerdmans as presi ...

, 2004, , , 854 pages, entry on "Stone, Barton Warren"

References

External links

Descendants of Captain Thomas GravesAMERICA'S OLDEST LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY and Its Jamestown Statehouse Edited by Charles E. Hatch. Jr. Revised 1956Graves Family Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graves, Thomas, Captain 1580s births 1635 deaths House of Burgesses members 17th-century American landowners Emigrants from the Kingdom of England People from colonial Virginia