Introduction

Biography

At age 14, he joined the Bap­tist church in North Sun­der­land, Mas­sa­chu­setts, where his fa­ther was a dea­con for ma­ny years.

He gra­du­at­ed from Am­herst Col­lege in 1856, then stu­died at the New­ton Theo­lo­gic­al In­sti­tu­tion (1856–58).

Ordained March 9, 1858, he served pas­tor­ates in Charles­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts (1858–63); Pro­vi­dence, Rhode Is­land (1863–74); Fall Ri­ver, Mas­sa­chu­setts (1874–80); Ha­ver­hill, Mas­sa­chu­setts, and New Bed­ford, Mas­sa­chu­setts (from 1886).

Graves wrote his first hymn when he was 15 years old; it was sung at a child’s fun­er­al by the choir he be­longed to.