Op den Graeff is a German and American family of
Dutch origin.[1] They were 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 through
Wolfgang von Graben,[5][6] who where mentioned in Holland between 1476 and 1483.[7][8][9]Graeff was the Dutch spelling of Graben during the 14th and 15th century.[10] These sources are not documented and cannot be verified. Another source reports that the Op den Graeff family may have come from
Flanders.[11]
Krefeld
The Op den Graeffs were originally
Mennonites, and are believed to have come from nearby
Aldekerk[12] 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.[13][14][15] The three Op den Graeffs had another brother, Adolphus Op Den Graeff (* 1648), who did not join the emigration but settled near
Koblenz before 1680.[16] His grandson John William (Johan Wilhelm) op den Graeff (1732 - between 1800 and 1804) immigrated in 1753 to Pennsylvania as well. Their descendants joined their name into Updegrove.
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.[17]
In 1802[18]Nathan Updegraff, a great-great-grandson of Abraham, settled north in
Mount Pleasant,
Jefferson,
Ohio.[19] This branch belonged to the 19th-century Quaker families of that state[20] 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
There is a reference about the Op den Graeff glass paintings of
Krefeld, with a description of Herman's possible, but not proven, coat of arms, 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."[21]
Notable family members
Main Op den Graeff / Updegraff line family members from Krefeld and Pennsylvania:
Herman op den Graeff (1585–1642), Mennonite community leader of Krefeld, delegate and signer of the sign the Dordrecht Confession of Faith
Isaac Herman op den Graeff (1616-1679), joined the Quakers
Herman Isacks op den Graeff (1642-1708), one of the "Original 13", the first closed group of German emigrants to North America, original founder of Germantown, Pennsylvania
Derick op den Graeff (1646-1697), leader of the "Original 13", politician, signer of the first organized religious protest against slavery,original founder of Germantown, Pennsylvania
Abraham op den Graeff (1649–1731), one of the "Original 13", politician, signer of the first organized religious protest against slavery, original founder of Germantown, Pennsylvania
Isaac op den Graeff (1678-1745), linen weaver at Germantown
Derrick op den Graeff (1696-1738)
Joseph Updegraff (1726-1801), commissioner of York County, Pennsylvania
Nathan Updegraff (1750–1827), a founder and delegate to Ohio's first constitutional convention
Upthegrove line members :
The Upthegrove line descendant from the Updegraffs of Germantown. US-army captain William Hendry Upthegrove (* 1836) came to settle in the area near
Gainesville in 1865 and founded a branch of the family in Florida.[22][23]
The Op den Graeff family is sometimes said to be related to
William Penn, the founder and gouverneur of Pennsylvania.[25][26] Sources say, that their connection goes through the Pletjes family, wives and ancestors of the Penn and Op den Graeff families.[27] The sources in support of this view cited above, are derivative sources. 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)
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.[28]
Abraham op den Graeff (* around 1485), claimed and unproven great-grandfather of Herman op den Graeff (1585-1642)
Herman op den Graeff (van de Aldekerk) (* 1520/1525), claimed and unproven grandfather of Herman
Amalia of Cleves (1517-1586), claimed and unproven morganatic wife of Herman op den Graeff (van de Aldekerk)
Anne of Cleves (1515-1587) and her nephew
John William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg (1562-1609); Anna was the claimed and unproven sister-in-law of Herman op den Graeff (van de Aldekerk), John William the claimed and unproven father of Herman op den Graeff (1585-1642)
Herman op den Graeff (1585-1642), first reported member of the Op den Graeff family
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Op den Graeff.
^Krefeld Immigrants and Their Descendants, Bände 7-12, p 15 ff and 53 ff, Links Genealogy Publications, 1990
^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
^"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 and 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
^[June (Shaull) Lutz, History of the Op Den Graef / Updegraff Family (Grand Rapids, Michigan; 1433 Elderwood Ct. N.W.: J. S. Lutz, 1988), p. 12 (Original at University of Wisconsin - Madison)
^The Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society. Volume 103, number 4, Winter 2001-2002. "The Ancestors and Descendants of John Cope, Son of Caleb and Mary Cope", by Thomas R. Kellog, p 193