Thomas Hopewell “Hope” Hargraves was the son of Thomas and Nancy ( Beverly ) Hargraves, who were born in Anderson County , South Carolina .  Hope was born in Ware County in 1837.  His mother Nancy was a daughter of William Beverly.  Nancy was born in 1814 and died 1880.  His father was born September 17, 1797 and died May 21, 1860 .  Both are buried in Hargraves Cemetery .  

Hope's grandfather was Christopher Hargreaves, born in Laund, Colne Parrish, Lancashire , England .  Christopher was the fourth son of James E. Hargreaves of Laund.  The name of James E. Hargreaves' wife and mother of Christopher is not known.

Hope's grandmother was Priscilla Gibbs Ward, widowed mother of three sons when Christopher married her on January 7, 1794 .  Priscilla and Christopher had three more sons, Abraham, and twins, John and Thomas.  Abraham was born on September 23, 1794 , and the twins John and Thomas were born on September 17, 1797 .  The twins were John, called "Jack" and Thomas, the last-born twin.

Hope married Harriet Elizabeth Brantley in 1859.  Harriet Elizabeth was born in Laurens County , SC , a daughter of William Brantley.  Harriet Elizabeth was born about 1841 and died after 1877.

Hope and Harriet Elizabeth had five children, but the three youngest did not survive long enough to have offspring.  The children are:

1. John Wesley Hargraves       b. 1860    m. Ellen Gore 1915

2. James Jackson Hargraves    b. 1863   m. 1^st Laura Melinda                                                           Griffis,  dau of William Griffis.                                                                                                m. 2^nd Della White daughter of                                                            Christopher Columbus & Marena                                                             (Arnold) White.

3. Thomas H. Hargraves, Jr.        b. 1868      

4. Mabel Hargraves                    b. 1870            died young.

5. Benjamin Abraham                 b. 1872             died young.

Our Patriot, Thomas Hopewell "Hope" Hargraves, enlisted in the Confederate Service on January 1, 1863 at Homerville , Georgia in Clinch County , according to Folks Huxford.  He was assigned to the 4th Georgia (Clinch) Cavalry.  He also was a member of the Ware County 5th District Militia.

He was a farmer and a miller and when he died March 22, 1874 , he was buried in Hargraves Cemetery , Ware County , Georgia , on land set aside by his father as the final resting place for his family members.

SOURCE: “Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia”, Volumes VII & VII, by Huxford; Information from Mrs Betty Miakinoff, 134 Clarence Norman Road; Moultrie, Georgia, 31788-1214 bettsahm@planttel.net; Typed & edited by  Jerry Van Herrin   

Military service was researched and a grave stone was ordered by Gaynell H. Sasser on September 21, 2004.  The Hargraves family picked up grave marker on December 16, 2004, and placed it in the Hargraves Cemetery.

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