Part 3 The family of Jacob Neff D - John Murray's Musings



Jacob and Catherine Neff D Part 3

By John F Murray - April 28, 2004

Part 3 of this series will cover Jacob and Catherine’s children and the reasons for giving them new numbers. Parts 1 & 2 are in the February and May issues of Neff News.

Soon after Jacob Neff’s death Catherine sold their home called “Durnah” and moved her family to the other land mentioned in Jacob’s will, namely the 100 acres he bought from Daniel Dulany and Nedley Thomas. She kept this land until shortly before her death in 1776. The land was named “Addition to Legacy” when Catherine Neff sold it to Martin Shoup on 20 Nov. 1775 for £184. [Deed Libre U, folio 406]. It bordered land called “Legacy” which her son Jacob (D3) bought for £33 on 19 May 1761 from Isaac Snively of Lancaster Co., PA and then sold to Martin Shaup (sic) for £184 on 28 June 1773. [Frederick Co., MD Deed Book, Libre T, folio 25 & Deed G – 202]

On 25 September 1760 Catherine Knave (sic) warranted land from the State of Maryland containing 400 acres called “Turkey Plains.” The land lay between the present towns of Bolivar and Frostown and not far from “Addition to Legacy.” It was surveyed on 4 November 1760 and patented to Catherine 10 days later on 14 November. [Liber BC & SG #13, Folio 640 -microfilm SR 7510; Liber BC & GS #14, folio 8 - microfilm SR 7511] It appears that Catherine had staked out “Turkey Plains” by 1752 because her son Jacob Knave (sic) got 50 acres called “Addition to Turkey Plains” in 1752. [Liber Y & S # 6, folio 116]. When Catherine Knave (sic) resurveyed “Addition to Turkey Plains” in 1756, it had 450 acres, which might have included the 50 acres Jacob (D3) had because there was only 400 acres left in 1762 when Catherine divided the remaining 400 acres. [Liber BC & GS #7 folio 151]

On 8 June 1762 she sold “Turkey Plains” off in 4 plots. These were sold to Gabriel Swinehart, husband of Esther Neff (D4), to John Ripligh (sic), perhaps the first husband of Catherine Neff (D8), and to her sons John (D7) and Adam Neff (D6). Catherine divided the land so each paid her £50 money for the part they received. Because all four parts were valued at £50 it seems fairly certain that Catherine was trying to treat all four recipients equally. Because John Ripligh received equal treatment, it appears that John Ripligh (sic) was a son-in-law. [Frederick Co., MD Deeds Libre H7; H55; H74; H178]

Following Catherine’s sale of “Turkey Plains” in 1762, she probably continued to live on the land called “Addition to Legacy” until she sold it in 1775 and then moved in with her son John (D7). She wrote her will on 2 February 1776 and it was entered into probate on 12 March 1776 in Frederick County. From these dates we can determine that Catherine died between 2 February and 12 March in 1776.

In her will she named all her children except her daughter Catherine and made her son John executor leaving him all her personal property. The omission of her daughter Catherine might have been a copy error. Catherine is named as a sister in her brother John’s will and estate probate in 1815 and payouts in 1819 and 1830.

The known children of Jacob and Catherine Neff (D) are listed below as D1 through D8. As stated in Part 1, the Bonfeld records seem to indicate that Jacob and Catherine had perhaps two children born in Bonfeld. If they survived the ocean voyage in 1717, they are most likely Francis (D1) and Margaret (D2). This is a new order based on recent research and differs greatly from my list in 1991.

D1 Francis “Frantz” NEFF, born about 1718 or before, died about 1801. (Ancestor of the Murray Family by son Abraham) He was known as Frantz Neff and was called "an old man" living in West Bethlehem Twp., Washington Co., PA. He was called Frantz Neff in the marriage record of his son Martin, dated 12 Jan 1769 at the Stayer's Lutheran Church in Dover Twp., York Co., PA. Calculating back from this marriage date Martin must have been born in the 1740s.

Also Francis (D1) was the only child of Jacob and Catherine who did not move with his parents to Frederick Co., MD. This is another indication that he was perhaps the oldest son living apart from his parents in 1740. Considering these facts, Francis (D1) must have been born by 1718 or before. The facts that Francis never owned land in PA and no will or estate was filed for him might indicate that he was born before 1717 in Germany and did not become a naturalized citizen.

By 1740 when his parents moved to Maryland, Francis (D1) might have been living with and working for Dr. Hans Heinrich Neff (A1). A Frantz Neff witnessed a deed dated 18 January 1738/39 in which Dr. Hans Henry Neff (A2) and Franca, his second wife, sold 150 acres of land in Lancaster County to Sebastian Groffe (sic). [Lancaster Deed Bk-A-35-37] The witness Frantz Neff might have been Dr. Francis Neff (A1) but on other known documents that have his signature, he signed as Francis Neff. The witness might have been Francis Neff Jr. (A11) but before his father died in 1739 he signed other known documents as Francis Neff Jr. and on one document he signed as “Frantz Neff der Yüng,” which means “the younger” or Jr. So at this point we can’t be 100% sure which of the three Frantz Neffs witnessed the above deed. But if Francis (A1) and (A11) were consistent in signing their names than Frantz (D1) was the most likely witness.

In the 1740s Francis Neff (D1) married 1 Elizabeth Hess, a daughter of Valentine and Rachel Hess. Francis and Elizabeth had two known children: Martin and Margaret, who were named in Valentine Hess's will, probated in York Co., PA on 6 June 1785. [York Co. Will G-12]

After Elizabeth's death about 1750, Francis (D1) married a second time and had at least 6 more children: Jacob, Esther who married Lewis/Ludwig Mocherman, Adam, George, John and Abraham who after 1810 went by the name Abram. The maiden name of Francis’ second wife is presently unknown. Her given name was perhaps Catherine. Their youngest known child Abram (Abraham) was born about 1764. Abram was 86 and his wife Susan was 82 in the 1850 census living with their son John and his family. [1850 census in Cumberland twp Greene Co., PA page 116] If the 1718 birth date for Francis (D1) is correct, he was 46 when Abram was born.

It appears that Francis’ (D1) son Adam died without children in 1814 in Columbiana Co., OH. If Margaret also died before 1830 without children, then we are missing one child of Francis because he had 7 children in his brother John's (D7) estate settlement in 1830. [Washington Co., MD John Neff Estate - Final Distribution May 19 1830. FILM CK9438-3]

D2 Margaret NEFF was born about 1720 and died about 1798 in West Bethlehem Twp. Washington County, PA. On 20 Dec. 1739 Margaret married Johann George Schaiteler/Shideler/Shidler. I therefore calculate that she was born about 1720. If born earlier, she would have been born before 1717 and would have been a child when the family left Bonfeld. The marriage record gives her residence as Kreutz Creek, located in Lancaster County at the time but became York County in 1749. His residence was listed as “of Monocacy” which was in Frederick County, MD.

Johann George Shideler arrived in Philadelphia from Germany on the Ship Harle on 1 September 1737. The A list of passengers on this ship gives his age as 22 making a birth year of about 1715. If he turned 23 yet in the fall of 1737, he was born in 1714. He along with other persons on the ship settled in Monocacy, MD. He died in 1784 in Washington Co., PA.

Margaret (D2) had 5 children listed in her Brother John's estate settlement of 1830. We can identify 5 sons with children. Her sons were: John, Jacob, Henry, Peter and George. We might conclude that any daughters, if married, would have died childless before 1830. Some researchers have added three daughters: Ann, Catherine and Barbara. The last section entitled “THE DAUGHTERS” in the Shidler records of Jacqueline Shidler Meyer shows Barbara marrying in 1766 to Jacob Gripe/Cripe Jr., but I have not found any primary records to support this conclusion. If there were descendants of the daughters, they were left out of the estate settlement of John Neff (D7). More research is needed on this point. See: The History of the Shidler Family by Harry W. Shideler, Girard, Kansas, 1931 – Revised by Jacqueline Shidler Meyer, Burbank, California, 1995.]

D3 Jacob NEFF was born about 1722 and appears to be the Jacob Neff/Knave found in Morrison's Cove, Bedford Co., PA in the 1770s and 1780s. He died about 1787, which is the first year that his name disappears from the tax lists in Morrison's Cove.

Jacob's oldest son, also named Jacob Neff (D31), purchased 30 acres of land called “Bad Enough” in Frederick Co., MD in 1766. [Liber BC & GS # 32, folio 113] So he was no doubt at least 21 in 1766. He married by 1767 as his first child was born 16 August 1768. He and his wife had eight more children born before 1790. So Jacob Jr. (D31) was born by 1745, which means that his father, Jacob (D3), was married by 1744 and would have been born about 1722 or before if his older siblings were born in Germany. But my guess is that he was born in Pennsylvania because his name never appears in any Colonial records of naturalization. Further evidence is the fact that Jacob (D3) did not sign, along with his father Jacob (D), the 1742 petition for the establishment of All Saints Parish from Prince George's Parish, which makes me think he had not reached the age of 21 in 1742. Noting that Jacob was married by 1744 seems to make his birth year of 1722 close to correct.

Jacob (D3) and his wife, Elizabeth, were still in Frederick Co. on June 28, 1773 when they sold their last parcel of land of 100 acres to Martin Shaup (sic) (Deed T-25). After 1773 they appear in Bedford Co., PA. His son Jacob Jr. (D31) and wife Catherine moved to Bedford Co., PA after selling their land containing 33 acres in Frederick Co. on March 22, 1769 to William May (Deed M-145).

In her will dated 2 February 1776 Catherine Neff gave her son Jacob (D3) "one shilling and no more" which probably indicates Jacob was still under "the ban" and being shunned by members of the Church of the Brethren for shooting an Indian near the mill that he operated in Morrison's Cove, Bedford Co., PA, although some say that event happened in 1777. A detailed account of this story appeared in the May 1994 issue of Neff News. Catherine might also have been unhappy with Jacob collecting 150 pounds current money in 1763 when he signed away the Neff family's interest in the land call "Hedge Hogg" in Frederick County. (Frederick Co. Deed Book H, p.330)

Jacob (D3) had 3 children in his brother John's (D6) estate settlement of 1830. The oldest of the children was Jacob Jr. (D31) who had 9 children. Another was Ann, the wife of Richard Plummer, who died in Cambria Co., PA. She had at least 3 sons. Another child of Jacob (D3) might be Phillip Knave/Neff who appears in the 1785 tax list for Woodbury Twp., Bedford County, PA with Jacob Jr. and then disappears from the records. Another son is probably Gabriel Kneff (? D34), who died before 1820 in Elizabeth Twp., Scioto Co., OH which is now part of Lawrence Co.

I list Gabriel as a son because he and his wife Rachel were both born in MD and settled first in what became southern Cambria Co., PA near the town of Brownstown just west of the present city of Johnstown. Also spelling the Neff name with a “K” is typical of the D3-Line in PA. Some say Norman was the maiden name of Rachel but I have not found any proof of this. More research is needed on this family.

At one point I had listed Abraham Neff of Cambria Co., PA as a son of Jacob Neff (D3). But Abraham was surely one of the three sons of Jacob Neff (D31). Abraham was shown as “a single freeman” (16-21years old) in the 1793 and 1795 tax lists for Bedford County, Woodbury Twp. and was taxed with Jacob (D31). He married Susannah Smay/Schmeh about 1796 and sometime later moved to Summerhill Twp., Cambria Co., PA. On June 3, 1823 Abraham and Susannah Neff sold their “land where Abraham now resides in Summerhill Twp to John Martin of Woodbury Twp. Bedford Co., PA.” I suspect that Abraham was in very poor health and needed money for when he died in July 6, 1826 his remaining property was sold at a Sheriff’s Sale. [Book 1, page 53 –54].

Abraham married Susannah Smay/Schmeh, a sister of Christian Smay, who was married to Abraham’s sister Catherine who also went to Summerhill Twp. We have documents to prove that Catherine wife of Christian was a daughter of Jacob (D31). [See the next paragraph.] Christian Smay and his sister Susannah were grandchildren of Martin Shoup of Frederick, Co., MD through his daughter Catherine Shoup and her husband Johannes Smay/Schmeh.

Jacob Neff (D31) was called a blacksmith in the deeds in which he and Catherine sold property in Bedford County before moving to Ohio. [Deeds 01973 and 023234] Don Bowman of Brookville, OH collected quit claim deeds dated from 1827 to 1852 in which children of Jacob (D31) and Catherine signed away their rights as heirs to Jacob’s property in Hamilton Co., Ohio. These quit claim deeds show children Magdalena and John Bowman Sr. and Susan and Joseph Hill in Montgomery Co., OH; Jacob Neaff and wife Elizabeth in Darke Co., Ohio; Catharine and Christian Smay, Barbara and David Martin; and Hannah and Daniel Deeter (deceased) in Blair Co., Pa. Evidently no quit claim deeds were filed by Margaret married to Jacob Lingenfelder of Bedford, Co., PA; Abraham Neff and wife Susannah of Cambria Co., PA and John Neff (d. ? Hamilton Co., OH). Both Abraham and John died before 1827.

D4 Esther NEFF was born about 1725 and died about 1817. Esther is listed among the living siblings in her brother John's will written in 1813. She married Gabriel Swinehart son of George Schweinhardt on 19 November 1745 in Frederick Co., MD. [Recorded in the Old Monocacy Church]. So a birth year of 1725 must be close to correct. These dates make her about 93 years old at death. If she was only 16 when married in 1745, she was still about 88 when she died. Esther had 9 children listed in her Brother John's estate settlement in 1830. Her 9 children who married and had children were: Jacob, Gabriel, Mary, George, Peter, Margaret, Adam, Christina and Anna. Joseph, her second son, died single before 1830 and so was not included in “Uncle John's” estate. Her descendants used several spellings of the name Schweinhardt. The most common spellings are Swihart and Swinehart.

The George Schweinhardt family with four children came to Philadelphia on Sept. 11, 1732 on the Ship “Pennsylvania Merchant.” They perhaps stayed in Pennsylvania a few years. Then on Nov. 27, 1740 they purchased land called “Lost Spring” bordering “Tasker’s Chance” in Monocacy, Prince George’s County, MD. On Nov. 21, 1743 they added adjoining land called “George and Margaret.” Monocacy became part of Frederick County in 1746. I estimate their land to be about 5 miles south of Jacob Neff’s property and about 2 miles west and a bit north of Hans Heinrich Neff’s (A21) property located in “Tasker’s Chance.” [Pioneer of Old Monocracy, pages 154-159]

One can imagine that Gabriel Swinehart became acquainted with Esther Neff when taking his horses to Jacob Nef (D), the community blacksmith, to have his horses shod. The Swinehart’s were Lutheran as far as is known. Gabriel was the only one of the family to join the Church of the Brethren, no doubt, through his marriage to Esther Neff. It appears that all persons in the Brethren Church today with the name Swihart and Swinehart are descendants of Gabriel and Esther. Sometime in the 1770s they moved their family to West Bethlehem Twp., Washington, Co., PA.

D5 Henry NEFF was born about 1731 and died before November 1787 in Hampshire Co., VA. Henry's oldest son Adam was born about 1754 and his youngest daughter Christina was born about 1776 to 1780. If he had been born in 1731, Henry would have been about 45 to 49 years old when Christina was born. One might move the births of Henry and his younger siblings a couple of years later but I find no evidence to move their birth years any earlier.

Of Henry’s 9 children, his son Abraham died in 1802 and Adam in 1815, both died without living descendants, leaving Henry with 7 children in his brother John's estate settlement in 1830. Henry's other children were: Catherine md. Thomas Barton Smoot, Margaret md. Henry Parker, Elizabeth md Patrick Flemming, Esther md Josiah (Jonas) Smoot, Henry d. 1815 in Gallia County now Lawrence Co., OH, md 1 Elizabeth Shook md 2 Elizabeth Miller, John and Christina md Aaron Huffman. The exact order of these children is unknown. Adam is called the oldest son in the 1787 deed from their mother Christina and her children to Sylvester Welsh. All of these children are documented in the estate settlements of their brothers, Abraham who died in 1802, Adam who died in 1815 and John who died in 1835. All three died without living issue.

Of these children Adam Neff (D51) was called a Doctor in the 1798 Tax lists for Hardy Co., VA. Evidently he studied medicine under Dr. Hans Heinrich Neff (A21) in Shenandoah in the early 1780s and was a witness to Dr. Hans Heinrich Neff’s (A21) will in 1784. Adam must have been married as a deed of Adam Neff dated 27 December 1798 says that Adam gave his daughter Christina a Negro boy age 2 named Zachariah. [Hampshire and Hardy County WV Abstracts compiled by Larry G. Shuck, Closson Pres,. page 160, quotes Hardy Co Deed Book Vol 4, 1795-1800.] But Adam’s wife and daughter must have died before him because he had no wife or children when he died in 1815.

Earlier I had thought Henry (D5) was the Henry Knafe (sic) whose name appears before Jacob Knafe (sic)(D) on the petition for the formation of a new All Saints Parish in 1742, from Prince George’s Parish. We are now certain that the Henry named in this petition was Hans Heinrich Neff Jr. (A21) who moved in 1741 in "Tasker's Chance." In 1749 he moved to Frederick Co., now Shenandoah Co., VA. Then in 1750 he and his wife Ann deeded his land in “Tasker’s Chance “ back to Daniel Dulany. [See Neff News, September 2003]

On 19 March 1765 Henry purchased from John Tucker 100 acres of land called “Coopton” located on a small branch of Broad Run of Abrahams Creek now called Catoctin Creek in Frederick Co., MD [Frederick Co., Deed Libre J folio 1086]. Then on 14 December 1770 Henry (D5) and his wife Juliana sold this land (then called “Cooperton”) to George Strickler [Frederick Co., MD Deed Libre N, folio 535] and moved to Patterson's Creek in Hampshire Co., VA now WV. At the time of his death his wife was named Christina. I don't believe that he had two wives because Christina appears to be the mother of all of his children in the settlement of Henry’s estate. I believe his wife was Juliana Christina Schmidt, baptized 16 Sept. 1734 daughter of Heinrich Schmidt and his second wife Juliana Schneider. So far I haven't found primary proof of this assumption.

D6 Adam NEFF was born about 1733 and died in Frederick Co., MD in 1818. Adam's oldest son Daniel was born 1 September 1757 and his youngest was born about 1779. Adam died three years after his brother John (D7). But my guess is that he was older than John because he appeared in county land records 6 years before John. In 1756 he purchased 25 acres of land called, “Timber Ridge” in Frederick Co. [Liber BC & GS # 32, folio 343]. So it appears that Adam was married in 1756, which would give him a birth year in the early 1730s.

Adam had 9 children listed in his brother John's (D7) estate settlement of in 1830. Five of Adam's sons, Francis, Henry, John, Adam Jr, and George, had moved by 1800 to Kentucky and settled in the counties of Lincoln, Mercer and Hardin. In the 1830s, John moved to Hendricks Co., IN where he died on 4 September 1853. Adam's sons Daniel and Jacob died in Frederick County, MD. His daughter Catherine died before 1818 leaving 5 children by her first marriage to Adam Kugel and 2 children by her second marriage to Samuel Buzzard. Adam’s (D6) daughter Susannah was still listed as Susannah Neff in Adam's will. So if she had married she would have married a husband named Neff. Adam’s wife Maria appears with Adam as a signer of several deeds. However, she must have predeceased Adam, as she is not mentioned in his will or estate settlement. Her maiden name is unknown.

For the record, Adam Neff Jr. (D68) married Elizabeth Ott on 7 Nov. 1797 in Frederick Co., MD and moved to Lincoln Co., KY by 1800 where he died before 1818, predeceasing his father. In his father's estate settlement in Frederick Co., MD, Adam Jr's children are named: Polly, Elizabeth, Susanna, George, John and Adam. Adam Jr. (D68) has been confused with Adam Neff (D51) of Hampshire and Hardy Counties, VA who was his cousin and eldest son of Henry Neff (D5).

D7 John NEFF was born about 1735 and died at Hagerstown, Washington Co., MD in 1815. He first appeared in the land records of Frederick County on 8 June 1762 when his mother divided her land named "Turkey Plains" into four parts.

John Neff (D7) died without issue. He wrote his will on 6 April 1813 and it was probated 10 June 1815. His executor was Jacob Neff, the son of his brother Adam. His will lists his deceased siblings as Henry, Jacob, Margaret and Francis and those still living were Adam, Catherine, and Esther. His sister Catherine Boocher (Bucher) was to have use of his property in Hagerstown, Maryland on lot #21 facing East Washington Street, until her death. The house was sold to a John Hershey in 1828.

Also in his will John gave his sister Esther Swinehart £100 and his sister Catherine Bucher a bond for £337 due from Thomas Mugg. His wife’s brothers and sisters: Zachariah, Joseph, Peter and Daniel Leeser, Catherine Grim, Charlotte Hartman, and Dorothy Fink, each received £25 except Zachariah who was given £50. Elizabeth Boocher (sic), daughter of his sister Catherine, Margaret Swinehart, daughter of his sister Esther and Catherine Branabulch of Funkstown, each received £25. Barbara Shooter and Elizabeth Shearer were given £6 each. The children of his brother Francis were to receive £50 divided among them before the equal division of the remainder his estate to his brothers and sisters.

The first distribution to John’s brothers and sisters was made 31 July 1819 with each receiving $309.39. The final distribution of John's estate was made on 7 May 1830 to the children of John’s brothers and sisters as follows: Henry Neff’s 7 children; Jacob Neff’s 3; Margaret Shideler’s 5; Francis Neff’s 7; Adam Neff’s 9; Catherine Bucher’s 8; Esther Swinehart’s 9. Each child received $8.54½. [Washington Co., MD John Neff Estate - FILM CK9438-3]. Unfortunately the loose files of John’s estate were destroyed in a courthouse fire years ago. I’m sure these files would have had the names of the children of each brother and sister.

D8 Catherine NEFF was born about 1738 and died in Hagerstown, Washington Co., MD by 1828. She was called Catherine Bucher in the will of her brother John who willed her a life right to his house on "lot No. 21 fronting on East Washington Street in Hagerstown." Because John's house was sold in 1828, it would appear that Catherine died shortly before 1828 at around 90 years of age. She might have been born a couple of years after 1738. But her mother would have been about 44 in 1738 and women did not normally give birth beyond the age of 45.

Judging from the fact that only 3 children with the Bucher surname are known, it appears that Catherine (D8) was married twice. The three Bucher children in her Brother John’s will are Elizabeth, Samuel and Jacob. She had 8 children in her Brother John's estate in 1830. She was perhaps first married to the John Ripligh who received one of the four parts of the land sold by her mother on 6 June 1762. If Catherine (D8) was married to John Ripligh, she married him before 1762. More research is needed to determine fully the names of Catherine's children.

In conclusion some researchers of our D-line have suggested that there was another child named Amanda Neff. But I have not found any primary source for a child by that name. I mention her only because others have referred to her in the past, but I have not assigned a number to her. I would be interested in learning of any primary or secondary records that list her as a member of the D-line. As stated at the beginning of this article, a couple of children might have been born in Bonfeld but perhaps died at sea en route to Philadelphia. There is also room for the birth of a child or two between Esther and Henry, however no records have been found. Again this is where a primary Bible record would answer many questions.

The above appears to be the approximate birth order of the children of Jacob and Catherine Neff of the D-Line. I am open to receive more information on this family. I'm a descendant of Francis Neff (D1) by his son Abraham (D18); his son Henry and wife Barbara Mishler; their son Abraham and wife Fanny Plank, who are my great grandparents.

Some researchers have posted on their web sites a Neff family that was in Frederick County, MD prior to 1740. We find no record of any Neffs in what is now Frederick County, Maryland prior to the arrival of Jacob Neff (D) and John Henry Neff (A2). Other Neffs came later.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Bill Neff, Dolores Carlson and Glatha and Harold Neff for their research of primary documents on the D Line.

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