Op den Graeff, also ''Updegraff, Uptegraft, Updegraft, Updegrave, Updegrove, Uptegrove, Ubdegrove, Uptegraph'' is a Dutch and American family.

History

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 Johann Wilhelm of Jülich-Cleves-Berg (german: Johann Wilhelm, Herzog zu Kleve, Jülich und Berg, links=no) (28 May 1562 – 25 March 1609) was the last Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. Biography His parents were William ''the Rich'', Duke of Jü ...

had a

morganatic marriage Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...

prior to 1585 with Anna op den Graeff (van de Aldekerk), with whom he had Herman. No substantial evidence of any relation between the Op den Graeff and John William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg has ever been presented, so most likely that connection is non-existent. During the 17th century the Op den Graeffs were a family of linen weavers in

Krefeld Krefeld ( , ; li, Krieëvel ), also spelled Crefeld until 1925 (though the spelling was still being used in British papers throughout the Second World War), is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, ...

and continued this occupation later in

Germantown Germantown or German Town may refer to: Places Australia * Germantown, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region United States * Germantown, California, the former name of Artois, a census-designated place in Glenn County * G ...

, although the family purchased jointly 2,000 acres of land in Germantown. In Krefeld the family belong to the

Mennonite Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the R ...

circle, which turned

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

in part ca. 1679-1680. In the end of the 17th century some of the Op den Graeff descendants migrated to the United States. They are among the thirteen families ( Original 13) often referred to as the

Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Germantown (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Deitscheschteddel'') is an area in Northwest Philadelphia. Founded by German, Quaker, and Mennonite families in 1683 as an independent borough, it was absorbed into Philadelphia in 1854. The area, which is about ...

Founders, who arrived on the ship ''Concord'' on October 6, 1683."Ship Passengers Mentioned in Merion MM Minutes; Chester County, PA."
, Yvonne Prough. U.S. Genealogical Web Archives. Accessed 29 sept 2011 One of these was famous Abraham op den Graeff, a cousin of

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

, who signed along with three others the first organized religious petition against slavery in the colonies, the

1688 Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery The 1688 Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery was the first protest against enslavement of Africans made by a religious body in the Thirteen Colonies. Francis Daniel Pastorius authored the petition; he and three other Quakers living in G ...

. Abraham op den Graeffs descendants are named Opdegraf(f), Updegraf(f), Uptagraff(t), Updegrave, Updegrove, Updegraph, Uptegraph, Upthegrove and Ubdegrove. Pennsylvania Governor Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker was the fourth great-grandson of Abraham. Some of their descendants continued in or returned to the Mennonite faith and were found in the Montgomery County congregations of Skippack and Boyertown until modern times. During the earlier 19th century David Benjamin Updegraff of the Updegraff branch of the family was a conductor (one of the leaders) of the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

. 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.

Notable family members

* Herman op den Graeff (1585–1642), Mennonite community leader * Abraham op den Graeff (1649–1731), one of the "Original 13", politician, signer of the first organized religious protest against slavery * Nathan Updegraff (1750–1827), a founder and delegate to Ohio's first constitutional convention * David Benjamin Updegraff (1789–1864), conductor of the Underground Railroad, minister of Friends church * Jonathan T. Updegraff (1822–1882), U.S. Representative from Ohio * David Brainard Updegraff (1830–1894), minister of Friends church (Quaker minister) *

Thomas Updegraff Thomas Updegraff (April 3, 1834 – October 4, 1910) was an American attorney, politician, and five-term Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from northeastern Iowa. His two periods of service were separated by ten years out ...

(1834–1910), attorney and five-term Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from northeastern Iowa *

Laura Upthegrove Laura Beatrice Upthegrove (October 5, 1896 - August 6, 1927) was a 20th-century American outlaw, bank robber, bootlegger, and occasional pirate active in southern Florida during the 1910s and 1920s, along with John Ashley. From 1915 to 1924, the A ...

(1896–1927), American bandit known as "The Queen of the Everglades" *

Ed Updegraff Edgar Rice Updegraff (March 1, 1922 – December 23, 2022) was an American amateur golfer and urologist. Undegraff was born in Boone, Iowa, and is a descendent of the German Op den Graeff family. Biography Medical career He received his bache ...

(1922–2022), American amateur golfer and urologist * Mark K. Updegrove (born 1961), American author and historian, director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum * Stephen Updegraff (born 1962), American refractive surgeon * Dave Upthegrove, American politician * Dewitt Upthegrove, American businessman and politician * William Hendry Upthegrove American army captain see also: * Wieman v. Updegraff

Connection with William Penn

The Op den Graeff family is sometimes said to be related to

, the founder and gouverneur of Pennsylvania.Mennonite World Review - More than our family tree
/ref> 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

(1621–1670) **** gouverneur

(1644–1718) *** 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''

References

{{reflist

External links

Op den Graeff Krefeld Stained-Glass Windows

Google Bücher: Germania Topo-Chrono-Stemmato-Graphica Sacra Et Profana, von Gacriel Bucelin, Ulm 1655

History

Notable family members

Connection with William Penn

References

External links

Further reading