Op den Graeff
Priestly family, Political family
Part of the Op den Graeff stained window of Krefeld, showing their coat of arms (left with the swan)
Current regionPennsylvania and Ohio among others
EtymologyDutch-German for "Of the count"
Place of originGerman American Community, Dutch American Community
Connected familiesVon der Leyen family
Penn family
Lupton family
Schumacher / Shoemaker family
In den Hofen / De Haven family
Van Bebber

Op den Graeff is a German and American family of Dutch origin.[1] They where one of the first families of the Mennonite faith in Krefeld at the beginning of the 17th century. Various family members belonged to Original 13, the first organized immigration of a closed group of Germans to America in 1683. There the family had a long history in religious service and politics, beginning in the late 17th century in the Colony of Pennsylvania. In 1688, they became forerunners of the anti-slavery movement by signing the first anti-slavery protest in North America. Their descendants spread into various lines, Updegraff, Uptegraft, Updegraft, Updegrave, Updegrove, Uptegrove, Ubdegrove, Uptegraph, Upthagrove. The Updegraff branch of Ohio belonged to the leading families of the Quaker religious movement and produced a long line of ministers and elders.[2]

History

Origin

The earliest historically proven Op den Graeff, Herman op den Graeff (1585-1642) lived in Aldekerk (Kleve), near the border to the modern Netherlands. Some believe that Duke John William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg had a morganatic marriage prior to 1585 with Anna op den Graeff (van de Aldekerk), with whom he had Herman.[3][4] No substantial evidence of any relation between Op den Graeff and the Duke has ever been presented, so most likely that connection is non-existent. According to another family tradition, the Op den Graeff descended from the Von Graben.[5][6] These sources are not documented and cannot be verified. Another source reports that the Op den Graeff family may have come from Flanders.[7]

Krefeld

The Op den Graeffs were originally Mennonites, and are believed to have come from nearby Aldekerk[8] in the Catholic Duchy of Julich about 1605 to avoid persecution. At that time Krefeld was an exclave of the County of Moers, and under the authority of the Prince of Orange, stadtholder of the Republic of the United Netherlands. In contrast to the leaders of Julich and the nearby Electorate of Cologne, the stadtholders of the Netherlands were tolerant of non-conforming religions. As a result, Krefeld had become a point of refuge for the persecuted Mennonites during the 17th century. The Op den Graeffs, under the guidance of Herman op den Graeff, like many of the Krefeld Mennonites, were linen weavers, other relatives practiced in different cloth making trades such as dying. Some of these families continued this occupation later in Germantown, Pennsylvania. The Op den Graeffs had an influence on the circle of Mennonites, which turned Quaker in part around 1679-1680. In 1683 the three Op den Graeff brothers Derick, Herman and Abraham, grandchildren of Herman, with their families migrated to the United States. They are among the thirteen families, the Original 13, the first closed group of German emigrants to North America, often referred to as the Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Founders, who arrived on the ship Concord on October 6.[9][10][11]

America

In Germantown, two of the Op den Graeff brothers, Derick and Abraham, signed along Francis Daniel Pastorius and Gerrit Hendricksz the first organized religious petition against slavery in the colonies, the 1688 Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery. Abraham op den Graeff was the only one of the three brothers who had descendants. Some of them continued in or returned to the Mennonite faith and were found in the Montgomery County congregations of Skippack and Boyertown until modern times. Then the family split up into a lot of different spelled names and family branches, Opdegraf(f), Updegraf(f), Uptagraff(t), Updegrave, Updegrove, Updegraph, Uptegraph, Upthegrove, Upthagrove and Ubdegrove. Pennsylvania Governor Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker was the fourth great-grandson of Abraham.[12]

In 1802[13] Nathan Updegraff, a great-great-grandson of Abraham, settled north in Mount Pleasant, Jefferson, Ohio.[14] This branch belonged to the 19th-century Quaker families of that state[15] and produced a lot of Quaker Ministers and elders. The son of Nathan, David Benjamin Updegraff (1789-1864) of that family was a conductor and one of the leaders of the Underground Railroad. He was one of the first outspoken anti-slavery men, and voted with the first liberty party from conscientious convictions. His house was the home of antislavery advocates and temperance lecturers also a station on the Underground Railroad.

Coat of arms

Coat of arms Op den Graeff as descendants of Herman op den Graeff (Heraldic representation by Matthias Laurenz Gräff based on the Krefeld Op den Graeff stained glass window from 1630, which may depict the “Lohengrin swan” of the Kleve coat of arms in one window)

There is a reference about the Op den Graeff glass paintings of Krefeld with a description of the Coat of Arms was found in the estate of W. Niepoth (op den Graeff folder) in the archives of the city of Krefeld, who noted a letter dated November 17, 1935 from Richard Wolfferts to Dr Risler: Saw the Coat of Arms glass pane in the old museum: 'Herman op den Graeff und Grietgen syn housfrau' or the like. Coat of Arms - In the sign a silver swan in blue. Helmet decoration (I think): Swan growing.[16]

Notable family members

see also:

Connection with William Penn

The Op den Graeff family is sometimes said to be related to William Penn, the founder and gouverneur of Pennsylvania.[17][18] The sources in support of this view cited above, are derivative sources, relying on derivative sources, and hence not reliable. Whether the original source documentation is sufficient to justify these claims is unknown.

lineage:

  • Driessen Pletjes (1550–1645) ≈ Alet Goebels
    • Alet Pletjes (1583-?) ≈ (Sir ?) John Jasper
      • Margaret Jasper (c 1624-1682), 1st ≈ Nicasius Van der Schure; 2nd ≈ admiral Sir William Penn (1621–1670)
      • Ann Jasper (born c 1628) ≈ William Crispin (1627–1681)
    • Greitgen Pletjes (1588–1643) ≈ mennonite leader Herman op den Graeff (1585–1642)
      • Abraham Hermans op den Graeff (~1610–1656) ≈ Eva von der Leyen
      • Isaac Hermans op den Graeff (1616–1679) ≈ Grietjen Peters (died 1679)
        • Abraham op den Graeff (1649–1731) -- Updegraff family
        • Adolphus op den Graeff (1653–1680) -- Updegrove family

In art

Paintings by austrian artist and historian Matthias Laurenz Gräff in his diploma series and thesis "Weltaußenschau-Weltinnenschau" in 2007/08.[19]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Op den Graeff.

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Prof. William I. Hull: William Penn and the Dutch Quaker Migration to Pennsylvania (2018)
  2. ↑ History of the Upper Ohio Valley, with Family History and Biographical Sketches: History of Jefferson co., O., by J. H. S. And w. M. rainer. History of Logan, the Mingo chief, by R. H. Taneyhill. Resources of Jefferson co., by J. B. Doyle. Bench and bar of Jefferson co., by O. M. Sanford. Biographical sketches. Education and religion. by W. M. Trainer. The press. Medical history of Jefferson co. History of Belmont co., by C. L. Poorman, including Biographical sketches. Agricultural resources, by A. T. McKelvey, p 187 (1890)
  3. ↑ Krefeld Immigrants and Their Descendants, Bände 7-12, p 15 ff and 53 ff, Links Genealogy Publications, 1990
  4. ↑ Anna, Duchess of Cleves: The King's 'Beloved Sister', by Heather R. Darsie . Some claim the records were destroyed in the conflict between Protestants and Catholics at the time but regardless because Anna op den Graeff was of lower social rank, Johann Wilhelm's titles and privileges were not passed on to their son and he was considered officially without an heir
  5. ↑ US family genealogy
  6. ↑ "Van Bebber Pioneers Newsletter", Doc Store. January 1988" A copied text that is not documented by extern sources says: "Made up from genuine document by Pieter de Graeff, Baron van Zuid Polsbrook (Polsbroek) Purmerland in Ilpendam, living 1661, continued by Pieter Gerritsz de Graeff and after that by Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek (Holland). In the Diploma of Nobility loaned to Andries de Graeff it was affirmed that the family de Graeff was formerly called von Graben, which is the same as de Graeff. This family today shows the same Coat of Arms as the De Graeff family." Accessed 29 sept 2011
  7. ↑ Archiv für Sippenforschung und alle verwandten Gebiete, Bände 27 – 28, p 470 (C.A. Starke, 1963)
  8. ↑ William Penn and the Dutch Quaker Migration to Pennsylvania, by Prof. William I. Hull (2018)
  9. ↑ "The Friend, Volume 48", The Friend., 1875. Harvard University. p. 67
  10. ↑ "Ship Passengers Mentioned in Merion MM Minutes; Chester County, PA." Archived 2012-04-21 at the Wayback Machine, Yvonne Prough. U.S. Genealogical Web Archives. Accessed 29 sept 2011
  11. ↑ "1683 Concord" Archived 2013-05-21 at the Wayback Machine, Pro Genealogists. Accessed 29 sept 2011
  12. ↑ "Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania", John W. Jordan. Genealogical Publishing Com, 1978. ISBN 0-8063-0811-7, 9780806308111. p. 486
  13. ↑ History of the Upper Ohio Valley, with Family History and Biographical Sketches: History of Jefferson co., O., by J. H. S. And w. M. rainer. History of Logan, the Mingo chief, by R. H. Taneyhill. Resources of Jefferson co., by J. B. Doyle. Bench and bar of Jefferson co., by O. M. Sanford. Biographical sketches. Education and religion. by W. M. Trainer. The press. Medical history of Jefferson co. History of Belmont co., by C. L. Poorman, including Biographical sketches. Agricultural resources, by A. T. McKelvey, p 188 (1890)
  14. ↑ David B. Updegraff, Quaker Holiness Preacher, p 12, by J. Brent Bill (1983)
  15. ↑ Updegraff family papers
  16. ↑ History of the Op Den Graef/Updegraff Family, p 22; by June Shaull Lutz, 1988 (Original at University of Wisconsin - Madison)
  17. ↑ "History of the Op Den Graeff/Updegraff family", June Shaull Lutz, 1988, S. 1
  18. ↑ Mennonite World Review - More than our family tree
  19. ↑ www.meinbezirk.at: Matthias Laurenz Gräff, 15 Jahre Diplom-Jubiläum zum Akademischen Maler
  20. ↑ Graeff Forschung, est. 2006; for Op den Graeff see: Verwandtschaften > Namensverwandtschaften > VI) Die Op den Graeff aus dem Rheinland
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