My great-great-great-grandfather, John Gragg, appears on several family trees hosted on the internet. Here is a summary of them. I have not incorporated this information into the main genealogy on this website.
Gragg: The Gragg family are descendents of the Clan MacGregor of Scotland.
This is the Clan MacGregor Lineage to my family:
SCOTS
PICTS (Celtic)
Fergus Mac,Son of Erc (fifth Century)
Angus MacFergus(Eighth Century)
First King of Scots in Scotland (Pictish King Hungus)
Desc to Achaius (__________m._________)Ferqusa
(dau./MacFergus
Alpin,King Scots m. a Pict Noblewoman
Descent from Alpin to Tony Gragg
Numbers indicate generations from Alpin
1.Gregor of the Standard-killed in battle with Danes,961
2. Dounmgheal,Son of Gregor(Dongallus)
3. John of the Standard-died in battle 1004
4. Grgor Garbh-of the Stout of Glenorchy
5. Malcolm
6. Laird John MacGregor-died 1113
7. Sir Malcolm-died 1164
8. William,Lord MacGregor-died 1238
9. Gregor of Glenorchy-died 1266
10. John de Glenorchy-Tenant of the Campbells-died 1336
11. Malcolm-died 1374
12. Laird John Chem of Glenorchy-d.1390
13. John Dhu(Doef Black(Dow))of Glenstrae
14. Dubh of Glenstrae-d.1415
15. Malcolm-d.1440
16. Patrick-d.1461
17. Black(Dubh)John Coat-of-Mail,of Glenstrae-d.1519
18. John MacGregor(received "Cain")
19. David
20. John
21. John Gragg(ca.1690-1758) m. Nancy Wood
22. William Obidiah Gragg "Revolutionary Bill" 1758-1847 m. Nancy Coffey
23. Indiana Isabella Gragg-b.1834 m.Edmund Gragg
24. Edmund Paza"Peyton"Gragg-b.1850 d.1920 m.Mahuldy "Hulda"Vasty Cragg/Craig
25. Elijah Lee Gragg-b.1878 d.1958 m.Missouri Montana Shedd
26. Ernest Lee Gragg-b.1919 m. Lena Louise Hunnicutt
27. Tony Elijah Gragg-b.1956 m. Kristine Mary Measel
"S Rioghal Mo Dhream"-My Race is Royal
This is on the MacGregor Clansman's Badge
No tribe of the Highlands was more proud of its ancient name than the MacGregors. The motto of this clan claims a Royal descent, the tradition being that their founder was Gregor, brother of Kenneth MacAlpin. Their ancestors possessed Glenorchy, held in 1292 by John de Glenorchy, whose line however failed, when the headship passed to a junior branch. The Clan Gregor traces its ancestry and takes its name from Gregor(Griogar), third son of Alpin, King of Scots in the latter part of the eighth century. A highland proverb says:"The Hills, the MacAlpins, and the Devil came into the world at the same time.
The MacGregors were a very powerful clan. King David II realized that their strength was a threat to his own security. He set out to destroy the clan. So wit the Clan Campbell's aid they took the land that the Clan MacGregors had held for over 100 years from them. By 1442, the MacGregors were without an acre of land held free of the crown. The chiefs of the clan made the mistake of sticking to the old Allodial system of independent ownership, and were determined to keep their land as their ancestors had, by right of the sword.
With the persecution of the clan by the crown and the Campbell's the MacGregor's turned to lawlessness to protect their rights.. These unlawful acts brought the clan to the end of the law. King James VI, through privy council, put a bounty on the head of any MacGregor The Earl of Argyle tried his best to oblige the King. He asked the MacGregor Clan Chief to go with him to the court of King James in England. Argyle promised to protect the clansman and to get a pardon for him from the King. However as soon as the MacGregors crossed the tweed, they were arrested and carried back to Edinburgh. He was executed along with 30 of his clansmen. In April 1603, under the threat of death all with the name MacGregor had to take a new Surname. A death sentence would also be carried out if 4 of them met together. Anyone that brought in a MacGregor either the man or his head, the were rewarded with the MacGregor's holdings or they received a payment of blood money. As of 24 May 1611 any wives or children of a MacGregor fugitive was branded "with a key upon the face". In 1613 a law was passed that had any fugitive MacGregor child under the age of 14 would be "scourged and burnt upon the cheek. Any child over the age of 14 would be hanged at once. All these laws against MacGregors stayed in affect until 1774.
"Glenorchy's proud mountain,Coalchurin and her towers,
Glenstrae and Glenlyon no longer are ours;
We're landless, landless, landless, Grigalach
But doomed and devoted by vassel and lord,
MacGregor has still both his heart and his sword;
Then courage, courage, courage, Grigalach!
If they rob us of name and pursue us with beagles,
Give their roofs to the flames and their flesh to the eagles
Then Vengeance, vengeance,vengeance,Grigalach!"
From Clans,Septs,and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands by Frank Adam:
Black, Caird, Comrie, Dochart, Fletcher, Gregg, Gregor, Gregorson,Gregory, Greig, Grewer,Grier, Grierson, Grigor, Gruer, King, Leckie, Lecky, MacAdam, Macara, Macaree, MacChoiter, MacConachie, MacCrouther, MacGrewer, MacGrowther, MacGruder, MacGruther, Macilduy,MacLeister, MacLiver, MacNee, MacNeish, MacNie,MacNish, MacPeter, MacPetrie, Malloch, Neish, Nish, Peter, White,Whyte.
John Gregg born about 1690 is believed to be the first Gregg/Gragg to come to the New World. Although this is not documented it is assumed. Robert Gragg is thought to be the son of John Gregg. According to family tradition, John Gregg was the father of Thomas, John, Robert, William and Margaret. This branch of the Graggs came from Scotland by way of Ireland. They came from Ireland to Cumberland County, Pennsylvania; John Gregg married Nancy Anne Wood, daughter of William Wood. They moved to Augusta County, Virginia in 1750, John died in Augusta County, in 1758.
John Gregg had 5 known children:
A) Thomas Gragg born 1715 in Northern Ireland died 1773. Thomas Gragg came from Ireland with his sons: Henry and William, and was of Scottish ancestry. Thomas Gragg had the following children and grandchildren:
1) William Gragg Sr. born 1737,established by Augusta County, Virginia, court records, married Mary Dunkle and Margaret Johnson.William Gragg Sr. died 24 January 1795. children of Mary Dunkle and William Gragg Sr.
a.William Gragg Jr.
b.Hannah Graggchild of Margaret Johnson and William Gragg Sr.
c.Samuel Gragg married 1785 to Ann Black daughter of Walter Black.
2)Henry Gragg, according to court records removed to Nickolas County Kentucky and died there in 1819.
B) John Gragg, little is known about John Gragg, son of John Gragg but he was probably born in Northern Ireland. children and grandchildren of John Gragg and Jane McCullock:
a. John Gragg
i.John F.Gragg
ii.Permelian Gragg
iii.Hiram Gragg
iv.Elisha Gragg
v.Washington Gragg
iv.William B. Graggb. Samuel Gragg
c. Robert Gragg
Augusta County court records show that John and his family moved to Pulaski County,Kentucky in1756.
C) Robert Gragg
D) William Gragg
E) Margaret Gragg
William Gragg, son of John must have been born about 1735, in Northern Ireland. He married Elizabeth Martin. William Gragg Sr. died in Albemarle County, Virginia in 1789. In his 1789 will he named Elizabeth and the following children:
1)William Gragg Jr. married Elizabeth Pulliam and Nancy Coffey
2)Sarah Gragg married John Shope
3)Elizabeth Gragg married Phillip Shope
4)Susanna Gragg
5)Beniah Gragg married Jane Early Kyle (mcDonnah)
6)Robert Gragg
7)Nancy Gragg m. Benjamin Bryant
8)Mary Gragg married Arch Campbell
William Gragg and Nancy Coffey are the members of the Gragg line that I am Following. William Gragg was born in Augusta County, Virginia 15 April 1758. After the death of his first wife he married Nancy Coffey, 4 July 1837. They left Johns River and settled on Wilson's Creek. He later moved to a place near Montezuma, where he died, 20 October 1847 at the age of 89. William and Nancy Coffey Gragg had two children:
A) Indiana Isabella Gragg
B) G.L.Taylor Gragg
Nancy was just 21 when she and William married. William was 79 years old. That they had children was surprising to me.
After William Gragg died another child was born to this Gragg family. In 1850 Edmund Paza Peyton Gragg was born. The parentage of this Gragg child is in question. Edmund would never talk about his mother or father although through a research and questions asked to professional genealogists this is my theory on his parentage. On Edmund's death certificate it listed Nancy Gragg and W.E.Philyaw as his parents. The problem I had with this is two fold. First; If he would never talk about his parents to anyone how did they come up with this combination. Second; W.E.Philyaw would have been 18 years old when Edmund was born and Nancy would have been 36. I talked with several genealogists and they said this was highly unlikely. Now Nancy's daughter Indiana would have been about 14 (depending on what date you go by for her birth date). The genealogists I talked to said it was more than likely Indiana and WE Philyaws child. Remember this is pure speculation on my part. An uncle had a professional genealogist do a full research on this family but wouldn't let anyone see the findings. Now he's dead and the report is lost.
This is an excerpt from correspondence exchanged with Jeff L. Carr of Texas:
There is a great book called "The Quaker GREGGs." It follows the family from Scotland to Ireland and then to the colonies. I know it can be found on microfilm at the Family History Library. This is an ancient family that traces back to the first King of Scotland. They are out of the McGregor Clan of Scotland. The book has a 1-3 generation gap from Black Dubh McGregor to a grandson, but then the connection to the folks from Scotland, Ireland and into America is solid because of the cane passed from second son to second son. The book does go back from Black Dubh McGregor to his progenitor, Kenneth McAlpin (first King of Scotland/Dalriada).
As I recall, [the cane] has ended up in the midwest somewhere, but has continued to fall to the second son of the second son, etc. The book told where it was and who owned it as of the writing. It may have ended up in Ohio somewhere. Anyway, it is a great story. The McGregors got on the wrong end of a tiff with the King in England, or the McDonalds, anyway, there was a law passed that no one could be christened, married, or buried with the name McGregor. That is why Gregg emerged as one of the clan names. There are also many other variations of the spelling of Gregg and McGregor. I think that the names that are not of the original name are called septs. Don't quote me on that, but when you get into the Scottish clans, I get a little confused. The crown and the McDonalds did their best to stamp out the Clan McGregor, but we continue on!
This is a message posted on 21-Feb-2003 by Claudean Gragg to the Genealogy.com Gragg family message board forum:
Old Bible Records of Gragg Family of NC
The Original owner of this Bile was Joseph Pearson, Hilham Road, Putnam Co. Cookeville Tennessee I have Copy it as it said
North Carolina, Burk County, Be it known that we John Kinnaird, J.B. Bristoe of the County and State aforesaid have this day leased rented and to afored to let John Gragg of the County of Young( could be Yancey ) all that tract of land situated and being in said county of your city containing Two Hundred acres and known as the Budscrape for the time of two years in consideration of which the Sr. Gragg agrees on his part that he will permit any stock we may take to range their cattle in the summer season and also salt the same as often as may be necessary during their stay in the season. Given under our hand and seal, 16th January, 1843 Witness, John Kinnaird, W.C. Seemon, Bendict Bennett ( Seal)
BIRTHS and MARIAGES
John Gragg Senior was born the 11th day of September 1781
Elizabeth Majors the wife of John Gragg was born the 19 day of January, 1744, she departed this world June the 20, 1824John Gragg and Elizabeth Majors was married on the 25th day of October 1807
Susanna Barrier was born the first day of January 1806
Tilmon Gragg was born the 20 day of March 1810
Tipton Gragg was born the 4 day of December 1812
John Gragg was born the 10 day of Feb.1815
Major Gragg was born the 27 day of Oct. 1816
Nelson Gragg was born the 23 day June 1814
Nicy Gragg was born the 22day of Apr. 1820
Elisga Gragg was born the 4 day of June 1824
Harvey Gragg was born the 31 day of May 1827
Emsey Gragg was born the 23 day of Oct. 1827
Jeny Gragg was born the 5 day of March 1832
Alexander Gragg was born the 22 day of March 1836
Elviry Gragg was born the 24 day of Feb. 1836
Nancy caroline Gragg and Susanna Aderline was born the 14 day of June 1834
William Withetill Gragg was born the 23 day of July 1840
Margarit Delight Gragg was born the 29 day of Apr. 1845
Eliza Jane Gragg was born the 29 day of June 1869John Gragg and Susan Barrier was married the 21 day of Dec. 1824
Now John Gragg and Elizabeth Majors Gragg I dont no where they was buried but I do no this Tipton Gragg and his sister Magaret delight married and both moved back to Putnam and Overton Co Tenn. Hope this information helps.