(Unpublished
article included with permission
The Gravatt/Holman Families The earliest record I have of my Gravatt family is that they came from Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth, New Jersey. Many of the family in the early years spelled the name with only one final "t" and in other cases I have found it spelled Grevat, Gravet, Grovat, Gravette, etc. The earliest New Jersey Gravatt for whom I have found a recorded account is Robert Gravat, born between 1700 and 1708. This first record appears in the Will of Lawrence Van Hook, a merchant, filed 14 July 1724 and proved 14 August 1724 stating that Robert owed the deceased a debt of one pound and 17 shillings. It is the general impression that Robert was born in New Jersey, but I have been unable to prove it or even to find his parents. My Grandfather, Wellington W. Gravatt told the family that the first Gravatt to come to this country was named Samuel, referred to as Sammy. This same theory was advanced by his niece, Lila Scrimsher, and is somewhat confirmed in a letter written 26 July 1892 by his mother, my great grandmother, Mary Ann Gravatt. This letter written to her son, Robert, and his wife stated: "Roberts grate gran fathers name was Johnson Gravatt his wifes name was Sarah Piercie they came from near Camden with there family of seven Children three sons John, Daniel and James Daughters Polly Nancy Sally and Phoebe I think his fathers name was Samuel it is nere 100 years since they came and setled in Alegheny Co. Pa five miles from Freeport. They put up the largest log house I ever saw. there was an old man lived up in Butler Co the folks called uncle John Gravatt I think he was a brother to Johnson I never saw him but once the old Gravatt folks was all baptists." From other sources it has been fairly well confirmed that both Johnson's grandfather and his great grandfather were named Robert. However, the preceding grandfather could well have been named Samuel. Todate, I have not found a Samuel Gravatt with a birthdate early enough to be this earlier ancestor. According to family tradition, the Gravatts were French Huguenots who were driven out of France. One source, Jesse H. Gravatt, claimed that the family first went to Nova Scotia, Canada, before settling in New Jersey. I have found nothing that would confirm this theory. Jesse, who prior to his death on 27 April 1969, lived in Brackenridge, Pennsylvania, which is only a few miles from the old homestead where many generations of the family lived. Jesse was a descendant of Johnson through his son, John. The first record of a Gravatt in the New World is taken from "The Original Lists of Persons of Quality; Emigrants, Religious Exiles, etc. 1600-1700". The record reads, "Living in Jamsiland, John Grevett and his wife, February 16, 1623"and from another record, "The Muster of the Inhabitants of James Cittie, taken the 24th of January 1624:, we find John Grevett and his wife Ellin listed. There has been some supposition that a descendant of John and Ellin, probably a grandson, came North and settled in New Jersey. This could be a reasonable conclusion since there was good water transportation between Jamestown and Philadephia or even Camden. Then, too, this original Gravatt may have been another European emigrant, for there were many Gravatts in England, as well as, in other countries. My conclusions is that our Gravatts came from England but were descendants of French Huguenots who had emigrated from France for religious freedom.
How, when and who was the first Gravatt to come to New Jersey, we have been unable to ascertain, but as stated, we know that there was a Robert Gravat in Monmouth county in the year 1724. Also, he had been there long enough to have established credit sufficient to have owed a debt to the Van Hook estate. Robert Gravat was born between 1700 and 1708 and we are led to believe that he was born in New Jersey. Robert married Thamy Holman, sometimes spelled Holeman. Her father was Joseph Holman who died between 10 September 1740 and 26 September 1741, probably early September 1741. Joseph was the son of Robert Holman, who died between 8 June and 10 July 1709. It is known that Robert Holman was in Upper Freehold, now Millstone Township, before 1685, for on 16 February 1685 (probably 1686 according to our current calendar), he was granted a brand for his livestock which read as follows, "Robard holman his Eare marke is a crop on the Right Eare and one halfe peny one the Under side of the Left Eare". In 1697, a land patent to Gersums Moatt (Mott) of Middletowne, dated 1 May 1697, describes a 50 acre plot thusly: Southwest a run coming from James Dorsett's, north to Robert Holman, south and west unsurveyed land. By deed dated 13 May 1702, Robert Burnet late of Lathantie, Scotland, transferred to Peter Watson of Freehold 400 acres of land on Milston Brook between Robert Holman, the Pinn Hill and John Reed. This was part of the land confirmed to Robert Burnet, Proprietor on 7 October 1700. Another land description reads, "to John Reid of Hortencie, in right of Col. Andrew Hamilton of 200 acres in Monmouth Co. betw Wm. Parrant on Milston Brook near Robert Holman's formerly Abraham Brown's where the old Indian path crosses the brook and James Miller". These descriptions show that Robert Holman's land was on Milston Brook and was bordered by unsurveyed land and so would indicate that he was one of the first settlers of the region then designated as Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. According to Edwin Salter in his History of Monmouth County, Robert Holman in 1689 purchased land from Daniel Estile (Eastall). Todate, I have been unable to locate any official document relating to this purchase. I wonder if this land purchase had anything to do with Eastall having Robert Holman arrested on 31 October 1687. The Clerk's order found in Monmouth County deed Book B, reads as follows: "To the High Shreefe of the county of Monmouth or his Deputy or under Shreefe Greetings;" Robert Holman's Will found in Unrecorded Wills, Volume II, was very difficult to read. My best deciphering of the Will is as follows:
John Sallars
It has always been a puzzle why Robert didn't mention his wife in his Will. We know that she outlived him, because the inventory of Robert's estate is headed:
The appraisal showed that Robert was owed small sums from Richard Watson, Benj. Johnston, John Ashton, and Capt. John Anderson. The total estate amounted to 109 pounds, 5 shillings, and 3 pence. I am not sure of Sarah's maiden name. Another researcher has stated that her name was Sarah Browne/Brown. I have been searching for reference that would confirm her identity, as this statement seems very plausible. It is known that Robert's land had been previously owned by Abraham Brown. Also John Browne, a merchant, probably Abraham's son, in his estate settlement of 14 September 1714 names Daniel and Joseph Holeman as owing the estate on mortgages. These are good clues that Sarah was the daughter of Abraham or even possibly John, but I would like to find a more conclusive reference. One of his daughters was undoubtedly Elisabeth Holman, who in 1712 married Robert Hankins. Of the sons: Joseph, Thomas, Robert, Daniel, and Elias, besides Joseph, my ancestor, I have found a will for only Elias. Elias died between the 24th of December 1747 and the 27th of January 1747/48. Elias left four children: Robert, the only one who appears to have been of age, William under 21 and two daughters, Mary and Zilpha. It would appear from the way the Will is worded that Robert was the eldest followed by Mary, William ,and Zilpha. Elias' wife was named Mary and sometime after his death, she married Daniel Perrine, and thereafter, according to the Will, her sons no longer had to provide for her welfare. My ancestor, Joseph, was the eldest son and he, with his mother Sarah, were the executors of Robert's estate. Joseph's wife's name was Thamson, maiden name is unknown. Joseph's Will, also in Monmouth County, was dated 10 September 1740, but since it was not proved until 26 September 1741, it is assumed that Joseph died early September 1741. Joseph's Will, which was fairly easy to read, is as follows:
Joseph Hankins, one of the witnesses, could well have been a son of Elizabeth and Robert Hankins and could have been named for his uncle. If so, this would add considerable credence to the assumption that Elizabeth was a sister of Joseph.
From the Will and other sources, we can
construct Joseph and Thamson's family as follows. The order of the
names may not be entirely correct because of the lack of birthdates. We cannot
be sure where Martha, Mary and Phebe fit into the family.
It has never been determined from whence Robert Holman came, but from all indications he was newly married and probably had no more than one or two children at the time he settled in Upper Freehold. We have assumed that he came within a year or so before 16 February 1685/86, the date he received a brand for his stock. It seems reasonable that he would need a brand immediately, as he lived next to unsurveyed land and fencing was probably limited to the area around his buildings so that much of his stock was not confined. We feel sure that my ancestor, Joseph Holman was the eldest son, since he inherited the farm. Joseph died in 1741, and if we assume he died in his early sixties, then he would have been born around 1680. Since my ancestor, Thamy, was apparently his eldest child and she was born 10 May 1710, Joseph would have been born about the time we think his father settled in Upper Freehold. It is believed that the Holmans came from Rhode Island. According to early historians, the name was originally Holliman, going first to Holeman and then to Holman. On 30 December 1667, the town of Middletown, New Jersey, was organized as follows, "The lotts of Middleton all layd out being numbered thirty-six beginning at the west end upon the south side with number one and ending at the west and north side with number thirty-six." Among the purchasers was a Samuel Holeman who bought lot Number 13. On 8 June 1672, he sold the lot to Steven Arnold and the bill of sale read, "To all people before whom this deed of sale shall come, Sammuel Holeman (sojourner) at Newport on Road Illand sendeth greetings. Know yee, that I Sammuel Holeman sojourner at Newport on Road Illand in the Collony of Road Illand and Providence Plantation for a valuable summe of money", etc. The early records at the Courthouse in Freeport, Monmouth County, contain the name Samuel Holliman during the period 1667 to 1670, which indicated that Samuel may have lived in New Jersey during this period, but for some reason decided to move back to Rhode Island. Could this Samuel Holliman (Holeman) have been a brother of Robert? We are quite sure that he wasn't his father, as Robert didn't appear in Samuel's Will. So far, nothing has been found to make a connection between Samuel and Robert. We know that there were Hollimans and Holemans in Rhode Island. From an article in the Newport Historical Magazine entitled "Rhode Islanders who Settled in Monmouth, New Jersey", the following is quoted: "Samuel Holliman was the son of Ezekial Holliman of Providence "a man of gifts and plenty" who baptized Rober Williams. The name Holliman has been shortened by descendants to Holman". If we could just find a connection, our ancestral line could go back another generation or two.
It was with great appreciation that I received a copy of a letter written 10 May 1958 by a Mrs. Conover, genealogist now deceased, to a correspondent, Mrs. Betty T. Cubberley. The letter gives considerable data on the Robert Gravatt family, which we would not have otherwise. I have repeatedly tried to locate the Bible of William D. Gravatt, which Mrs. Conover says was the source of the data, but todate I have found no one who knows where it is. Robert Gravatt was, we think , born between 1700 and 1708. These dates have been established based on the information in Mrs. Conover's letter, which states that Robert was born in 1708 and the Will of Lawrence Van Hook, a merchant, filed 14 July 1724, which listed a debt of one pound and 17 shillings against Robert. In 1724, Robert would only have been 16 years old if born in 1708, a rather young age to have had such a debt, although possible. Robert's wife, Thamy Holman, would have been two months short of her 15th birthday when John, her first child was born, and Robert would have been 16. Since there is a period of over four years between John and Joseph, the next child, it is reasonable to assume that John was an illegitimate child. If Robert was John's father ,and we have no reason to believe otherwise, then the 1708 birth year for Robert is logical. Robert and Thamy's family are as follows:
While Robert will be discussed here, his brothers and sisters will be discussed father in another chapter, "Siblings of Robert Gravat". According to tradition and the best evidence which I have been able to find, my ancestor was Robert born 26 February 1731. There is some indication that Johnson's Father may have been John Jonathan rather than Robert. Since there were both a John and a Robert in this Gravatt family, either could be correct. Todate, we have found nothing written at the time they lived that would confirm which is correct. Since the evidence we have is weighted toward the Robert theory, we are assuming this to be correct until proven otherwise. No where have I been able to find the name of Robert's wife, my fourth great grandmother. Benjamin Johnson in his Will dated 30 September 1783 and filed 23 March 1784, names his four sons, John, Daniel, William, and James and five daughters, Rachel Lemon, Elizabeth Cravat (Gravat), Hannah Jacobs, Rebecca Bole and Lydia Thomson. We feel sure the Cravat is a misspelling by the writer of the Will and should be Gravat. Executors of the Will were sons, John and Daniel and son-in-law, William Lemon. From another source, we find that William and Rachel Lemon were married on 17 March 1750. Assuming that Rachel was 18 at the time of her marriage, then she would have been born in 1732. Since Elizabeth was younger, she would have been the right age to have married Robert Gravat, born 26 February 1731, or even John Gravat, born in 1725. Since my ancestor's given name was Johnson, we can readily assume that his Mother was Elizabeth and she gave him her maiden name. Nothing has been found to confirm this assumption. Family tradition says that Robert was brought to Allegheny County, Pennsylvania by his son, Johnson, in the early 1790's. Transportation was by road wagon at a cost of $40.00. Robert is buried in an unmarked grave in a private cemetery and, as a result, information about him and his family has been difficult to find. Robert was a Revolutionary War soldier, as well as, at least two of his sons, Johnson and John. It has been well established that these two were brothers. First, through John's application for a pension telling about his move west and a letter written by my great grandmother, Mary Ann Gravatt, in which she says that the folks called him Uncle John Gravatt. Other Gravatts showing up on the Revolutionary Rolls were Joseph, Joson, and William. It appears that John was the eldest son, being born in 1754, according to his pension application. John died in West Salem Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in 1837. Johnson (sometimes spelled Johnston) born 1755/56 was next, followed by Joseph and William, with a possibility that there was a Robert III. Todate no sisters have been located, even though we are sure there were some. It is possible that Daniel Runyon's wife might have been a sister since that Daniel was a brother-in-law of John, the applicant. There is some indication that Lena, who was born in 1764 and who married Thomas Brown, may have been a sister. Lena died 26 January 1849, in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. The possibility of another sister is a Nancy or Anne Gravat, who according to a "History of the Upper Ohio Valley", married Elisha Lindsey and in 1803 moved west, finally settling in Wheeling, West Virginia. according to her obituary, a daughter,Mary Lindsey Pancoast was born in New Jersey in 1796. Her mother, then, would probably have been born in the early 1770's, the right age to have been a younger sister of Johnson. According to a deed dated 27 September 1802, Elisha and Ann or Anne sold their farm in Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, to a William Dey. This William Dey, we believe was the nephew of Johnson's Father and so was Johnson's first cousin. This somewhat supports an assumption that Anne was a sister of Johnson, as it would be logical for Elisha to sell the farm to his wife's cousin.
It is rather exasperating that more
definitive information can't be found in order that our many assumptions
could be eliminated.
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