Michael Gratz^{[1, 2]}

1740 - 1811  (71 years)

• Name	Michael Gratz  [3, 4]
  Born	1740	Langendorf, Silesia   [5]
  Gender	Male
  Immigration	1758	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  	from Germany
  Reference Number	1785
  Buried	Sep 1811	Mikva Israel - Federal Street Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA   [6]
  Died	8 Sep 1811	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania   [5, 7]
  Person ID	I1785	aojd
  Last Modified	11 Nov 2011

  
  

  Family ID

  F654

  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Michael Gratz (1740-1811) was Parnas of Mikveh Israel from 1784 to 1785. As a tribute to him and his wife Miriam, the northwestern section of the cemetery was reserved for the Gratz family. He arrived from Germany in 1758, following his older brother, Bernard, who was previously apprenticed to David Franks. Together they set up a coastal shipping service between New Orleans and Quebec. The French & Indian Wars interfered with shipping, and drove the brothers to western frontier trade in Pennsylvania, Illinois and Kentucky. They, along with David Franks, Mathias Bush and others, signed the Non-Importation Resolutions of 1765 to protest the Stamp Act. Later, the Gratz brothers supplied the Continental Army. During the British occupation of Philadelphia, the firm relocated to Lancaster, home of the father-in-law of Michael Gratz, Joseph Simon. Anne Jospeh: PORTRAIT IN SCRAPBOOK ------------------------ The Thomas Sully portrait of Michael Gratz is reported upon by Hannah London in her 1926 book Portrait of Jews. It was at that time owned by Henry Joseph of Montreal. ------------------------ Dianne Ashton in her book "Rebecca Gratz: Women and Judaism in Antebellum America" (1997) gives the year of birth of Michael Gratz as 1740. According to the Mikveh Israel cemetery records published in "The Jewish Cemetery, Ninth and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia" (1906, revised 1962), Michael was 73 when he died on 8 September 1811, making his date of birth sometime between 9 September 1737 and 8 September 1738. ------------------------ Michael Gratz, a famous Jewish merchant and communal leader in Philadelphia in colonial times, helped plan and supply an expedition against the English in Detroit in 1781, during the struggle for independence. Although he did not live in Michigan, he showed great interest in the George Rogers Clark Expedition and the Detroit area. Gratz, whose all-out sympathies were with the Americans, advanced supplies for the proposed campaign to the value of nearly £1.500. The campaign again Detroit did not materialize, however, and Gratz had to wait three years be;fore he was paid in full in tobacco for the equipment he had furnished for the Expedition. Source: The Beth El Story: Jews in Michigan before 1850, by Irving I. Katz. ------------------------ Michael Gratz suffered a stroke in the summer of 1800, which coupled with acute depression left him bedridden and speechless. His sons Simon and Hyman, then in their twenties, had taken over the family finances in 1799, so Michael's illness did not mean financial disaster for his family. ..... The death of his wife in September 1808 deeply affected Michael Gratz. ------------------------ Michael Gratz died at the age of 73, and was buried beside his wife in the Mikveh Israel Cemetery on Spruce Street in Philadelphia. At a meeting of the congregation on 12 September 1813, a motion was passed which resolved "That the strip of ground in which Mr. and Mrs. Michael Gratz are interred, be continued to the depth of sixty feet from the commencement of the Tombstone of Mr. Gratz now erected and reserved for the exclusive burial of members of that family who may be entitled to funeral rites agreeable to our Laws". This strip of land was not sold or conveyed, but "reserved". In the fullness of time, five of the children of Michael and Miriam Gratz were buried in this section of the cemetery: they were Sarah, Simon, Jacob, Hyman and Rebecca. Born in Germany, Michael arrived in America in 1759 by way of England. He was one of the founders of Mikveh Israel Congregation, remained very active in the affairs of the congregation, and served as president in 1784-85. He was a signer of the Non-Importation Act. He received grants of land from the Government. He traded with the Indians and supplied the Gobvernment with Indian goods. Source: The Jewish Cemetery, Ninth and Spruce Street, Philadelphia, first published in 1906, then revised and enlarged by Rev. Leon H. Emlaleh in 1962. [8] (Research):AJLLJ Portrait Database 5 Aug 2011 Born in Langendorf in Upper Silesia Silesia, Michael Gratz would see a significant portion of the world before ending up in Philadelphia. The restless youngest brother of a family of ambitious merchants, Michael had gone to first Berlin in an attempt to make it in business. When that failed, he found himself in Amsterdam, and then London. Finally, he sailed off for English trading posts in India, but again returned without success.      Much to his brother Barnard's concern, Michael's next move was to follow him to the English colonies in America. Barnard had a salaried position working with David Franks. When Michael arrived, his brother set him up in his now vacated position with the Franks, while he, Barnard, set out on his own in business. Less than a year later, Michael followed, and so the firm of B & M Gratz was born.      The two engaged in every type of trade, lucrative land speculation in the West and fur trade in the Ohio River Valley. In 1765 Michael had sailed to the Caribbean on a business trip when he got the idea to ship kosher meat to the Jewish communities on the islands. A number of Caribbean islands had large Jewish populations, but often the only locally produced agriculture was sugar for export.      One of the Gratz brothers' chief business partners was Joseph Simon, founder of the Jewish community of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 1769 Gratz married Simon's oldest daughter, Miriam. Together they had ten surviving children, including Frances, Rebecca, and Benjamin. [9]

  
  

• Sources

  [S81] . [S285] . [S332] BOOKPAGE: M:111 DATE: 14 APR 1760 PROVE DATE: 21 MAY 1761 (Reliability: 3). Name: Mathias Bush Residence: Philadelphia, PA Description: Executor Date: 14 Apr 1760 Prove Date: 21 May 1761 Title: Merchant BookPage: M:111 Remarks: Jacob Henry. City of Philadelphia. Merchant. April 14, 1760. May 21, 1761. M.111. Legatees: Mother Frumatt Henry; brothers Solomon, Philip and Jonathan Henry, merchant, London; cousins Bernard and Michael Gratz of Philadelphia, merchants; sister Tracey, wife of Isaac Prager; nieces Getlah, Deborah and Grace; the Jews Burying Ground of Philadelphia; the Synagogue in Longendorff in Upper Silesia; and Exec. David Franks and Mathias Bush of Philadelphia, merchants. [S4] PG. 87 GRATZ (1) (Reliability: 3). [S4] PG. 271 SIMON (Reliability: 3). [S391] . [S47] . [S392] HTTP://WWW.MIKVEHISRAEL.ORG/THECEMETERIES/ (Reliability: 3). [S294] GRATZ, MICHAEL (Reliability: 3).