The Deacon John Grave House is a story of one man’s family–their living and dying, their joys and sorrows– their continual struggle to make ends meet in a constantly changing society. Through the family’s original account books, we learn of George Grave who left his native England in 1636, risking his life and well-being to bring his family across the ocean in a small ship to seek a new life in a hostile land. For seven generations his descendants lived in the Deacon John Grave House, one of the oldest houses in Madison, Connecticut.
The Grave Family Account books, now in the possession of the Connecticut State Library, spell out in great detail the days of their lives. Together with church and estate records, we learn of their births, marriages and deaths and how each affected the lives of families and their finances.
They were farmers, haulers, innkeepers, shoemakers, and weavers, and were active in the community of Madison as Justices of the Peace and deacons of the church. In time of war they served the colony and the state; in time of peace they trained with the militia. The women managed the household, reared the children and took over the men’s responsibilities when they were called away.
You will find they had much in common with those of us living here in the 21st century. They acquired real estate, worked daily at their jobs, paid their bills, participated in the varied life of their community, and raised their families.
