He was a conscientious parochial minister. The Rev. Richard Sinclair Brooke wrote that Richard Graves "was a learned but rather ponderous preacher"; "A man of considerable learning and earnest piety", was how Charles Abbey described him. After the death of his wife on 22 March 1827, Graves was much shaken, and during a tour of the Lake District he was struck with paralysis. His friend, the poet Robert Southey, took him into his home at Greta Hall where he remained until he was well enough to return home. Not long afterwards he died from a repeated attack of paralysis at his country living, Raheny Rectory, 29 March 1829.