Origin

Herman Op den Graeff was the first historically proven member of the Op den Graeff family. He was born on 26 November 1585 into a Mennonite religious family in Aldekerk, near the Dutch border.^[2] It is said that the family was of Dutch origin.^[3] Some believe that Duke John William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg had a morganatic marriage prior to 1585 with Anna op den Graeff (van de Aldekerk), with whom he had a son, Herman op den Graeff.^[4][5] No substantial evidence of any relation between the Op den Graeff and John William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg has ever been presented, so most likely that connection is non-existent.

Work

Herman op den Graeff was a wealthy linen weaver and merchant. In 1605, he removed to Kempen where he met and married Greitgen Pletjes (or Greitje Pletjes) on 6 August 1605. In 1609 the family moved to Krefeld.

Krefeld Mennonite Church

Op den Graeff windows Krefeld. Poem about Herman op den Graeff and his wife Greitgen (Greitje) Pletjes: God is fruitful, devout and good to all sides ...

In Krefeld, Op den Graeff became a lay preacher and leader of the Mennonite community. In 1630, he had two stained glass windows (Op den Graeff windows) with paintings and religious aphorisms created for himself and his wife as a sign of his piety.^[6] In 1632, he was one of two Krefeld Mennonite Church delegates to sign the Dordrecht Confession of Faith.^[7] In 1637, he was named as the "der hiesigen Mennoniten Herr Bischof" of Krefeld (Mennonite lord bishop of Krefeld).^[8]

Coat of arms

Coat of arms Op den Graeff as descendants of[Herman op den Graeff (Heraldic representation by Matthias Laurenz Gräff based on the Krefeld Op den Graeff stained glass window from 1630, which may depict the “Lohengrin swan” of the Kleve coat of arms in one window)

There is a reference about the Op den Graeff glass paintings of Krefeld with a description of the Coat of Arms was found in the estate of W. Niepoth (op den Graeff folder) in the archives of the city of Krefeld, who noted a letter dated November 17, 1935 from Richard Wolfferts 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.^[9]

Descendants

Some of Herman op den Graeff's descendants migrated to the United States. They are among the thirteen families often referred to as the Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Founders, who arrived on the ship Concord on 6 October 1683.^[10][11][12] Among these families were three op den Graeff brothers, including grandson Abraham op den Graeff, a cousin of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Governor Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker was Herman's sixth-great-grandson.^[13]