Graydon Ancestor

Children
Thomas G. Graydon	b. c1767 in Ireland according to DNA c1770 Pennsylvania (according to his grandson)	d. c 20 Feb. 1840 Laurens Co. SC	1m. Sara Camp dau. of John Camp and Mary Tarpley
Mathew Graden	b. 1780	d. July 1850 Laurens Co. SC of typhoid*	m. ____ Abercrumbie (d. July 1850 Laurens Co. SC of typhoid*)

Earlier researchers believed that the origin of the family name is from Ulster Ireland from the clan of Gray, under the Earl of Gray. In colonial records the spelling is extremely inconsistent from one record to the next. I have found it spelled Graden, Gradon, Greadun, Grayden, Greydon, Graydon, Greddin and Greden. DNA testing has consolidated the lineage to the Lisnaskea area of County Fermanagh, of present day Northern Ireland.

In the DNA tests of Mark Graydon, who is a surname heir to Thomas, this line comes from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Dave Graydon of the Graydon DNA Project says there is little doubt that Thomas Graydon(b.c1767-70) is from James Graydon of Fermanagh Co., Ireland. There are numerous records of Freeholders that give some evidence of the makeup of this somewhat rare family name, even in Ireland. The question is which of the connecting relatives is the proper chain of inheritance of the DNA. The present best guess is that Thomas Graydon was the immigrant and son of James Graydon. Thomas disappeared from the Irish records and could have emigrated to the colonies.

In County Fermanagh there were several Graydons who are listed at Freeholders in various years between 1747-1767. Public Records of Northern Ireland. "PRONI" T/808/15063 p. 25-26
name community parish date

1772 Elizabeth GRAYDON F William + Mary Lisnaskea Fermanagh

1775 Mary GRAYDON F William + Mary Lisnaskea Fermanagh

1778 John GRAYDON M William + Mary Lisnaskea Fermanagh

1864 Patrick GRAYDON M Hugh + Jane Enniskillen Fermanagh

1867 Joseph GRAYDON M Joseph + Bessy Clones Fermanagh

1867 Johanna GRAYDON F Alexander + Mary Jane Clones Fermanagh

1868 Mary Anne GRAYDON F Thomas + Mary Clones Fermanagh

1869 Alexander GRAYDON M Alexander + Mary Jane Clones Fermanagh

1870 Thomas GRAYDON M Joseph + Bessy Clones Fermanagh

1870 Mary Anne GRAYDON F William + Eliza Enniskillen Fermanagh

1871 James GRAYDON M William + Bridget Enniskillen Fermanagh

1873 Eleanor GRAYDON F William + Bridget Enniskillen Fermanagh

Some researchers believe that Mathew Graydon is the brother of my Thomas Graydon. Although there is no proof to verify this at this time I include this Graydon in the line with the hope that someone will provide the needed connective material. You will also note that there are a few disagreements with what I put together for the family of Thomas Graydon. For instance James is included in both families for the time being.

1770 - William Gradon is in South Carolina about twenty years prior to Thomas Graydon's arrival. William applies for a plat of 200 acres in Berkley County. South Carolina.

So. Carolina
Pursuant to a Warrant to me directed by John Brunner Esqr Deputy S. Gen. & bearing date Feb. 6th day 1770 I have abmeasured of laid out unto William Gradon a plantation or trat of land containing two hundred acres Situate in Berkley County on the Waters of Reedy River Butting and bounding on land Claimed by Samuel Kelly to the west by the Indian Land all other sides bounds on vacant. Land & hath such shape for & marks on the plat above doth represent Certified for the 19th day of Feb. 7, 1770, from Pat Cunningham Det.
( ?Ord Es ) 2 March 1773 for Richard Lang

notes of Mary Norfleet, Jan 12, 2009 - "... I found William Gradon, whom I believe was Thomas father. The document is a survey for a plat of 200 acres on Ready (Reedy) River in Berkeley County ... which from 1682 - 1769 there were three counties for the entire state: Berkeley, Craven and Colleton. ... Currently the Reedy River runs through only two counties - Greenville and Laurens before dropping into the Saluda River. ... My conclusion: William Gradon was Thomas's father. The land initially surveyed in 1770 was the land Thomas likely inherited from his father as the oldest male heir and probably lived on for the rest of his life. I futher accessed the original survey record for Tully Choice, since we had the 1792 deed for Tully Choice which lists Thomad Graydon. Samuel Boling, Thomas Mathis and James McKnight as an adjacent landowners. The 1786 survey plat for Tully Choice, lists adjacent landowners as Joseph Keleth (Kellet), Thomas Mathis (Mathews - he is listed in several documents as owning land adjacent to the Graydon property and was living near Thomas Gradon in the 1800 census) and Mrs. Reed. Was Mrs Reed Thomas Graydon's mother and widow of William Graydon?[Mary Norfleet 12 Jan 2009]

The following story was written by Anne Elcybeth "Elsie" Terry Vance, about 1952 as part of the family history for her children. She was the ggranddaughter to Thomas Graydon, her parents being Robert Y. H. Terry. The following was taken from a written history that she was able to get from her father's memories of the family written about 1906. If this record is accurate about Robert's grandfather fighting in the Revolution he would have to have immigrated by 1776 to be able to participate. I am having particular trouble justifying the dates of the Revolution with the possible immigration of Thomas Graydon, the known ancestor. If Robt Y. H. Terry's Graydon grandfather was alive at the Revolution he could not be the DNA link of Dave Graydon because Dave's Thomas Graydon from Fermanagh was still an adult living in Ireland at the last Freeholder's census in 1788.

The records on this family were developed Lewis Wood before 1995 and forwarded to me by his cousin, Elizabeth (Graydon) Peery.

The latest thinking on William Gradon is that he is the uncle of Thomas Graydon rather than his father. This is base on DNA testing as well as existing records. John Graydon summarizes here the reasoning.

"I now consider it a certainty that there was a William Gradon in South
Carolina in 1770. Thomas Graydon first appears in the same location in
1792. Since Graydon is a rare surname, there is little doubt these men
were related. The difficulty is the absence of any Graydons, however
spelt, from the 1790 census outside of Pennsylvania. Although all censuses
are imperfect, the Graydons in South Carolina were substantial landowners
and could not have been overlooked. Thus, the best explanation is that
William died before 1790 and Thomas did not arrive until after the census
was taken. This would be exceedingly strange if they were father and son
but quite possible if Thomas inherited from his otherwise heirless uncle
and needed time to wind up his affairs in Ireland before emigrating to his
newly acquired land.

We are already certain that Thomas in South Carolina was from the Lisnaskea
family and that there was a William in the preceding generation who was
born <1740 and is not mentioned in Irish records after 1760. I think the
evidence is pretty conclusive that William in Fermanagh is the same man as
William in South Carolina." [John Graydon email 9/14/10]
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You will note that the plat description indicates the land is "on the waters of the Reedy River." The Reedy River flows only in two present day SC counties, Greenville and Laurens, Thomas Graydon lived in Laurens County, near the Laurens-Greenville County line.

I have searched all available records and have not found a will for William Graydon, under any of the various possible spellings. I believe that South Carolina followed the same laws as other states of the time, when a father died intestate, his land went to the eldest son. Also, there are no records to indicate that Thomas ever purchased any land, therefore, he must have inherited it from his father.

I printed a copy of your Graydon chart, and I'm sure that our William and Thomas must fit in somewhere, based on the DNA evidence. Personally, I do not believe that Thomas Graydon of Laurens County, SC and Thomas Graydon of Manor Waterhouse, Fermanagh are one in the same. Thomas Graydon of Laurens was born in about the same time frame, 1768-1770. However, the 1880 census record for his son, Sterling, indicates his father was born in Pennsylvania and daughter, Winnifred Graydon Terry, indicates her father was born in South Carolina.

Further, I have a hand written copy of family history written by my great grandfather, Robert Y. H. Terry, son of Mary Graydon & John McDowell Terry, grandson of Thomas Graydon and Sarah Camp. He writes "Thomas Graydon, my maternal Grandfather was born and reared in the colonies just preceding the Revolution. He was a small boy during the war and a party of Tories surprised his Father (who had come home for supplies) killing him and he [Thomas] was too small to do anything. His older sisters made a coffin of boards (split out) and dug a grave & buried their father. I have seen that grave." RYH Terry was only 3 years old when his grandfather, Thomas Graydon, died. After the death of his grandfather, his grandmother, Sarah Camp Graydon lived with him and his parents until her death in 1853.

RYH Terry's daughter and my grandmother, Elsie Terry Vance wrote in our family history "Thomas Graydon's father was a soldier in the southern division of the Continental Army. There being no funds for commissary or weapons each man furnished both his food and weapon. As the force might be near a man's home he was granted furlough to see his family and get the necessary food. Grandfather Graydon had gone in to his home for this purpose. In some way the Tories, who were very active in that section, found out that he was home. They surrounded the house, took him prisoner and hung him in his own doorway. They stood guard till they knew he was dead, then rode off, leaving his family to take him down and bury him. His wife was completely overcome, so his two daughters took him down, made his coffin of "split out" boards, dug his grave and buried him in his garden. Thomas Graydon the only son was a little boy, too small to help. Grandfather Graydon gave his life for his loved America. I never knew his given name. Papa always spoke of him as 'Grandfather.' He said as a little boy in South Carolina, he had often stood by that grave of his great grandfather at the old home in North Carolina." (There is an error in her description, the old home was in South Carolina, not North Carolina.)

I have spent several years trying to find some documentation to prove the story of Thomas' father. Perhaps the closest item I found, was a military payroll account for a "Will Grad", that included some of the same names found later in Laurens Co., S. C.
[Mary Norfleet 16 Sep 2010]

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Hi John,

I will concede that I am not an expert in DNA evidence, but I know from my
Vance line, that seemingly unrelated Vances can have a near perfect DNA
match, while known siblings can have significant mutations. My point being
that DNA evidence is helpful in determining a family origins, but not
necessarily pin pointing a direct line of descent.

Yes, I realize that family histories passed down through generations contain
errors, but my great grandfather's records of his family lines have been
extremely accurate and have been confirmed through research. My point in
detailing his statement as well as the 1880 census records for Thomas
Graydon's son and daughter, is that none of them claim Thomas Graydon was
born in Ireland.

There are many possibilities to explain why Thomas does not appear
individually on the 1790 census. As you know, the 1790 census, lists only
the names of the head of the household and not property owners. Based on
what is known of his children, Thomas did not marry Sarah Camp until after
1790. If his father was deceased, as my family history indicates, and his
mother remarried, he would have been enumerated with her or a stepfather or
perhaps someone unrelated.

The plat for Tully Choice's original survey of April 4, 1785 is not
available on-line, but can be located on microfilm.

I realize that we both are looking at this from a different point of view,
you from a scientific basis and me from more historical point of view.
Ultimately, neither of us currently has the necessary paper trail to prove
Thomas was the son of William or a nephew. Mary [Norfleet - 17 Sept 2010]

Mathew Graden, (perhaps brother of Thomas)
males 0 0 1(16-20), 0 0
females 0 0 1(16-20), 0 0 - 0 0
[US Census 1800, Laurens co., SC. p43]

1810 - US Census, Laurens Co., has another Graden the right age to be a brother to Thomas Graydon.

Graydon	Alex.	Drumboy	Aghavea	3 May-1753
Graydon	James	Coolnagrane?	Aghavea	15 Jun-1756
Graydon	John	Drumboy	Aghavea	14 Jul-1752
Graydon	Sam.	Cavanagarvan	Aghalurcher	15 Jul-1747
Graydon	Sam.	Maguiresbridge	Aghalurcher	20 Oct-1747
Graydon	Thomas	Coolnagrane?	Aghavea	Oct-1760
Graydon	William	Cavangarvan	Aghalurcher	15 Jul-1747
Graydon	William	Cavangarvan	Aghavea	Apr-1767
Graydon	William	Coolnagrane?	Aghavea	Oct-1760

Greydon, Andrew p.22	Bohevenia	Lackaboy
Graydon, James p. 22	Coolngrane	Enniskillen
Graydon, John p. 21	Manor Waterhouse	Curran
Graydon, John p. 21	St. Angelo	Mulnadom
Graydon, Richard p. 21	Killybracken	Rossachrun
Graydon, Richard p. 22	Killybracken	Rossachrun
Graydon, Saml p.23	Curraghamal	Drumliff
Graydon, Saml p. 21	Curraghinal	Drumliff
Graydon, Thos p. 23	Coolgrane	Cornafennog
Graydon, Thos p.22	Manor Waterhouse	Curran
Greadon, John p.22	Gortnakelly	Derreholagh
Greddin, Alexr p. 21	Bohevenir	Drumliff