Op den Graeff

**Op den Graeff** (also _Updegraff_, _Updegrove_ etc) is a German and American family of Dutch origin. They once belonged to Mennonite faith and had a long history in religious service and politics since the early 17th century. In the Colony of Pennsylvania and in Ohio they also became forerunners of the anti-slavery movement and abolitionism.

## History

The earliest historically proven member of the Op den Graeff family is Herman op den Graeff (1585-1642). He was from Aldekerk (Duchy of Cleves) near the border to the Dutch Republic. His ancestors where of dutch origin. It is claimed, that Herman was a natural son of John William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg from an unproven morganatic marriage with Anna op den Graeff (van de Aldekerk). According to their family tradition, the Op den Graeff family together with the Dutch De Graeff family descended from the austrian Herren von Graben through Wolfgang von Graben († 1521). He were mentioned in Holland between 1476 and 1483. _Graeff_ was the dutch spelling of the german _Graben_ during the 14th and 15th century. These sources are not documented and cannot be verified.

The Op den Graeffs were originally Mennonites. Herman op den Graeff was a rich linen weaver and settled to Krefeld in 1609. He become the Mennonite leader ("bishop") of Krefeld and delegate to the Dordrecht Confession of Faith in 1632. The Op den Graeff family is said to be related to William Penn, the founder and gouverneur of Pennsylvania. Sources say, that their connection goes through the Pletjes family, who married into the Penn and Op den Graeff families.

The Op den Graeff family turned Quaker in part around 1679-1680. In 1683 Hermans grandchildren Derick, Herman and Abraham op den Graeff migrated to the United States. They belonged to the Original 13, the first closed group of German emigrants to North America, often referred to as the Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Founders.

In Germantown, Derick and Abraham op den Graeff, signed the first organized religious petition against slavery in the colonies. This is named the 1688 Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery. In Pennsylvania the family split up into a lot of different family branches: Opdegraf(f), Updegraf(f), Uptagraff(t), Updegrave, Updegrove, Updegraph, Uptegraph, Upthegrove, Upthagrove and Ubdegrove.

In 1802 a branch of the family settled in Mount Pleasant, Jefferson, Ohio. This branch belonged to the 19th-century Quaker families of that state This Updegraff branch of belonged to the leading families of the Quaker religious movement and produced a long line of ministers and elders. David Benjamin Updegraff (1789-1864) was a conductor and one of the leaders of the Underground Railroad. He was one of the first outspoken anti-slavery men. His house was the home of antislavery advocates and temperance lecturers. The family also has a lot of delegates, members of U.S. House of Representatives and the Senat, like Abraham op den Graeff (1649-1731), Updegraff (1750–1827), Jonathan Taylor Updegraff (1822–1882), Thomas Updegraff (1834–1910) or Joseph S. Updegraff. Direct descendants of the family where Pennsylvania Governor Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker and US-president Theodore Roosevelt.

In 2013 the worldwide active Family Association Gräff-Graeff (Familienverband Gräff-Graeff e. V.) was founded for the Graeff lineages of austrian noble Wolfgang von Graben († 1521) and his son Peter von Graben aka Pieter Graeff. This include the originally dutch De Graeff noble house with its lines _De Graeff_, _De Graaff_, _Graeff_ and _Gräff_. The Op den Graeff family with his main lines _Updegraff_ and _Updegrove_ is part of the family association as an associated family because, according to their tradition, they also descend from Wolfgang von Graben. Chairman is the austrian Matthias Laurenz Gräff. The association has several global state representatives and more than 150 members and is officially registered in Austria.

## Coat of arms

There is a reference about the Op den Graeff glass paintings of Krefeld. It has a description of Herman's possible, but not proven, coat of arms. It was fund in the estate of W. Niepoth (op den Graeff folder) in the archives of the city of Krefeld. In a noted letter dated November 17, 1935, Richard Wolfferts wrote 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."

## Family members

- Herman op den Graeff (1585–1642), Mennonite community leader ("bishop") of Krefeld, delegate and signer of the sign the Dordrecht Confession of Faith
- 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, member of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly
- 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
- Joseph S. Updegraff, member of the Ohio Senate
- Jonathan T. Updegraff (1822–1882), U.S. Representative from Ohio
- David Brainard Updegraff (1830–1894), minister of Friends church (Quaker minister)

- Thomas Updegraff (1834–1910), attorney and five-term Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from northeastern Iowa
- Allan Eugene Updegraff (1883–1965), American-born novelist, poet, and editor; died at Paris, France
- Laura Upthegrove (1896–1927), American bandit known as "The Queen of the Everglades"
- Clarence Dewitt Upthegrove (1899-1982), American businessman and politician
- Ed Updegraff (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 (born 1971), American politician

## Other websites

- Op den Graeff Krefeld Stained-Glass Windows
- Some data for this article was taken from Matthias Laurenz Gräff's _Graeff research_, which has existed since 2006.

## Further reading

- Bender, Harold S. (1957) _Graeff, op den (Opdegraf, Updegrave, Updegrove) family_. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
- Ulle, R.F. (1983) _The Original Germantown Families. Mennonite Family History_ April.

## Infobox (family)

- **name**: Op den Graeff
- **coat of arms**: Op den Graeff Krefeld Stained-Glass Windows IV.jpg
- **coat of arms size**: 100
- **coat of arms caption**: Part of the Op den Graeff stained window of Krefeld, showing their coat of arms (left with the swan)
- **region**: Pennsylvania and Ohio, among others
- **type**: Priestly family, political family
- **origin**: German Americans, German American Community, Dutch Americans, Dutch American Community
- **otherfamilies**: Von der Leyen (family from Krefeld), Von der Leyen family
Penn family
Lupton family
Schumacher/Shoemaker family
In den Hofen/De Haven family
Van Bebber
- **meaning**: Dutch language, Dutch-German language, German for "of the count"