Eleventh Generation

1974. Nathaniel BEARDING was born in 1597. He died on 14 September 1647 at the age of 50 in Hartford, Hartford Co., CT.

1975. Abigail GRAVES was born in 1610 in England. She died on 20 March 1682 at the age of 72 in Hartford, Hartford Co., CT.
DESCENDANTS OF ABIGAIL GRAVES OF HARTFORD, CT

ABIGAIL GRAVES, POSSIBLE SISTER OF GEORGE GRAVES

According to Dr. Jack T. Spencer (R-1), "Abigail Graves had a most interesting family history in Hartford, CT. She was first married to a William Andrews who died at Hartford in 1659."
"After the death of her first husband, Abigail Graves Andrews married Nathaniel Barding (Bearding, Berden) of Hartford. A daughter, Sarah Barding (Berden), was born to this second marriage. Sarah married Thomas1 Spencer, one of the founding fathers of Hartford. A son of Thomas1 Spencer, Thomas2 Spencer, married Esther Andrews. In short, we have a case where Thomas2 Spencer married the daughter of his grandmother from an earlier marriage (to William Andrews)."
The inventory of the estate of William Andrews was taken by Edward Stebbing, George Grave, and John Barnard. The will, dated 1 April 1659, was witnessed by Edward Stebbing and George Grave, and stated, "I doe make Abigail, my wife, Executrix, and I doe Intreat my friend Edward Stebbinge and my Brother George Grave to assist and to see this my Will performed."
The inventory of the estate of Nathaniel Berding was taken by Paul Peck, George Grave, and Caleb Stanly. The will, dated 7 Jan. 1673, was witnessed by George Grave and Thomas Olcott.
There is obviously a close relationship between George Grave(s) and Abigail Graves, almost certainly Abigail is either his sister or his daughter. Since George was born about 1600 and Abigail may not have been born until as late as 1620 (based on the date of her first marriage), she could be his daughter. However, based on the fact that Abigail is not mentioned in the will or estate settlement of George Graves and that the will of William Andrews calls him "brother" (probably meaning brother-in-law), it is almost certain that Abigail and George were sister and brother.
As we search for the English ancestry of Deacon George Graves, we now know that he may be the person recorded as George Grave, freeholder in the Borough of Hertford, England, in 1621 (or he may have been from Braintree, Essex, England); that he had a sister-in-law, Anna Graves, b.c. 1583, who lived in London and probably died in 1676; that he probably had a sister, Sarah Graves, who married Richard Lord of New London, CT; and that he probably had a sister, Abigail Graves, discussed above.
Since many of the earliest settlers of Hartford, CT were from Newe Towne (Cambridge), MA, including William Andrews, both George Grave(s) and Abigail Graves may also have followed that route.
An article by Donald Lines Jacobus in The American Genealogist, vol. 35, pp. 55-59 (R-100), is considered to be the definitive work on Abigail Graves and William Andrews. Jacobus states: "It is certain that William was in Hartford before 1640 when he became schoolmaster, and in fact he had a child born there in 1638. Although many of the Hartford settlers came from Cambridge, I think he was a different man from the William Andrews of Cambridge whose wife Mary died there 19 Jan. 1639/40. One reason for this conclusion is that William's wife Abigail is the proven mother of William's three sons - proven by William's will which called the children "our" children, as well as by the fact that Abigail's second husband gave them legacies, and finally by a deed of Abigail Barding which calls John, Thomas and Samuel Andrews her sons..." William Andrews "certainly married Abigail, most probably a sister of George Grave (later called Graves), Sr., of Hartford, but possibly sister of Grave's unknown first wife."
A summary of some of the descendants of William Andrews and Abigail Graves (mainly from the article by Jacobus) follows.

GENERATION 1

Abigail Graves (1) married William Andrews. He died in 1659 at Hartford, CT. She then married Nathaniel Barding of Hartford. (R-1, R-100)
Children - Andrews
+2.John Andrews, b.c. 1632, m. Mary ------, d. 6 June 1690.
3.Abigail Andrews, b.c. 1634, d. possibly in Fairfield, CT, bur. May 1653.
4.Elizabeth Andrews, b.c. 1636, m. Edward Grannis, 3 May 1655.
+5.Thomas Andrews, b. 4 May 1638, m. Hannah Kirby, d. 1690/1.
+6.Esther Andrews, b. Sept. 1641, m. Thomas Spencer, by 1665, d. 6 March 1697/8.
+7.Samuel Andrews, b. 20 Oct. 1645.
Children - Barding
8.Sarah Barding, m. Thomas Spencer.

Children were: