Jacob and Catherine Neff D-Line - John Murray's Musings



Jacob and Catherine Neff D-Line Part 1

John F. Murray – Nov. 10, 2003

Note: There are many immigrant Neff/Neff/Nave families to America in the 1700. The D-Line of Neff are Ancestors of the Murray families of this Blog site.

The last major revision and update to Jacob Neff of the D-line, his family and descendants, was in 1991. It seems I have been spending most of my research time working on other Neff lines and neglecting my own Neff roots. This is not to imply total neglect, because in fact the past decade has unearthed many new and interesting records. Many of these came about as the result of researching other Neff lines in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio and finding my D-line connected with other Neff family members. Special thanks to William A. Neff for searching for documents in Pennsylvania and Maryland related to this family and giving helpful suggestions on this article.

The following includes a major update in the chronological order of the children of Jacob and Catherine Neff, the progenitors of the D-Line. When writing up this family in 1991 for my Neff Families and their Descendents, I had followed author Richard Gary Schmidt’s family listings in his book entitled Sixteen Maryland Families, Gateway Press, Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1981. My decade of studying Maryland primary records now shows that Schmidt had the wrong Henry in Jacob Neff’s family. The Henry Neff b. 1721 in Schmidt’s list has been proven to be part of the Neffs of the S-Line who also lived in Maryland. [Neff News –May 1995, pages 9-13 and Sept 1995, pages 7-14]

This revised listing of the children of Jacob Neff [D] is necessary because it has become evident that the children as listed in the wills of their mother and their brother John are not listed in traditional order of birth. While the exact birth order of the children is unknown, this revised listing, based on known primary records, must be close to being correct. Because the order of the children has now changed from my 1991 listing, the ID numbers have also been revised.

[D] Jacob NEFF was born about 1686 in Dühren, Germany and died before 15 March 1751 in Frederick Co., MD. He married Catherine ___ about 1714. Catherine died before March 15, 1776 in Frederick County, Maryland. From her death date I estimate that Catherine was born about 1694 in or near Dühren, Germany. After marriage they lived a while in Bonfeld, Germany.

Judging from the emigration records of Bonfeld, Germany, it appears that Jacob and Catherine had at least two children when leaving Bonfeld. These children might not have survived the trip to America. The records of the Bonfeld Lutheran KB show that in 1717 “an Anabaptist by the name of Neff with wife and children accompanied by his brother with wife and children left for America.” Eight lines below is the entry dated 1717 "Fest Trin" [=Festo Trinitatis, 23 May 1717] Heinrich Funk with wife and children, and Martin Funk with wife and children were leaving for America. [Burgert, Annette K., Eighteenth Century Emigrants from German-Speaking Lands to North America, Vol. 1, The Northern Kraichgau, The Pennsylvania German Society, Breinigsville, PA, 1983, page 431]. The trip to Philadelphia would require about 3 months and corresponds with the arrival of at least 3 ships bringing Mennonites families to Philadelphia in late August and early September of 1717. The two Neff families associated with these Funk families in late 1717 in Pennsylvania were Hans Heinrich Neff [A2] and Jacob Neff [D].

Because of a narrative on the Neffs that appears on page 906 in the “History of Lancaster County,” by Ellis & Evans 1883, writers and researchers have assumed that the two Neff brothers who left Bonfeld, Germany in 1717 were Dr. Hans Heinrich Neff and Dr. Francis Neff. We sometimes forget that these family narratives were compiled more that 160 years after their arrivals and by then had become “family lore” of their 5th or 6th generation of descendants. The accuracy of this history is also brought into question because it mixes together the family of Dr. Francis Neff [A1] came in 1719 and Henry and Barbara Neff of the B-line in Manor Township, Lancaster Co., PA.

Newly discovered German records show that Dr. Francis Neff [A1] and his family were still in Germany living in the town of Dühren between 31 March and 4 April 1719 (NS)*. On those dates an inventory was recorded of the items that Dr. Francis Neff was selling at auction before his departure to America and those items that he was bringing with him as well as the tax that had to be paid. Thanks to Cherril Neff Oldroyd of Salt Lake City, Utah, the Neff Family Historical Society has photocopies of this document and the full story of the Drs. Neff will be the subject of a future article in Neff News. Dühren is a town about 10 miles southwest of Bonfeld, Germany. Because the Dühren records are dated 31 March to 4 April 1719, we must conclude that Dr. Francis Neff and his family could not be one of the Anabaptist Neff brothers with families leaving Bonfeld 1717. *(NS) refers to the “new style” or Gregorian calendar that Europe had adopted in the 1200’s. England was still on the (OS) “old style” or Julian calendar until 1752.

Therefore judging from documents in Pennsylvania that follow connecting the Funk and Neff families, we are quite sure that the Neff brothers with families leaving Bonfeld in 1717 were Jacob Neff [D] and Dr. Hans Heinrich Neff [A1]. They came on one of the three ships that arrived at Philadelphia in August and September of 1717. Henry and Barbara Neff of the B-line also arrived on one of these ships.

When they arrived, they were foreigners and not naturalized English subjects. At the Provincial Council meeting in Philadelphia on September 7th, 1717, Lt. Governor William Keith, Esq., observed “….that great numbers of foreigners from Germany, strangers to our language and constitutions, having lately been imported into this Province, daily dispersed themselves immediately after their landing, without producing any certificates, from whence they came or what afterwards to have left it without and License from the government …. This practice might be of dangerous consequence, since by the same method any number of foreigners from any nation whatever, as well enemy as friends, might throw themselves upon us.”

Governor Keith proposed, “That all masters of vessels who have lately imported any of these foreigners be summoned to appear at this Board, to render an account….. and that all those who are already landed be within the space of one month to some Magistrate….., to take such Oaths appointed by Law as are necessary to give assurances of their being affected to his Majesty and his Government.” As the discussion continues, a very important fact is mentioned which recognizes the religious concern of our family members and many others with whom they arrived. “But because some of these foreigners are said to be Menonists (Mennonites), who cannot for conscience sake take any Oaths, that those persons be admitted upon their giving any equivalent assurances in their own way and manner.” [Minutes of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania, PENNSYLVANIA ARCHIVES, Vol. III, Pages 17-18, Harrisburg, PA 1840 & Fourth Series, Vol. 1, papers of the Governors, Pages 345-6, Harrisburg, PA, 1900]

Upon arrival Heinrich Funk and Dr. Hans Heinrich Neff [A2], both with their families, went directly to what became Lancaster County and bought land next to each other on the west bank of the Conestoga River northeast of the city of Lancaster. [See Neff News, Sept 1996]. Heinrich Funk’s son John had already come to Lancaster from Bonfeld in 1710. [Burgert, page 431]. Jacob Neff [D] and Martin Funk settled first in Coventry Twp., Chester Co., PA on land located along the Schuylkill River about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

On 15 Feb. 1717/8, Jacob Neff [D], this record spells his name as Knave, received a land Warrant from the Penn’s Land Office in Philadelphia for 200 acres of land located on the west side of the Schuylkill River in Chester County for which he agreed to pay “two and thirty £’s for the whole in one year after the date of the Warrant and a quit rent forever of one Shilling Sterling per hundred acres.” Jacob was also to promptly request a survey be made which he did not do. [Taylor Papers, Vol. 1; Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; microfilm XR511:1]. It appears Jacob lived on the land from 1718 until 1735 but never had the survey made so he could receive a Patent or first deed. The only existing tax record before 1735 in which Jacob appears is the tax assessment for Chester County in 1718. The Warrant record is found under “Old Chester County Rights.”

As we will later learn, Jacob was not yet a naturalized citizen of the British Colonies so by law could not transfer land by a lawful deed. Jacob sold his Warrant to John Martin Funk who had the land surveyed in his name on 10 April 1735. The survey was received back by the Penn’s Land Office on 12 Jun 1735 and recorded in John Martin “Ffunk’s” name with a total of 232 acres. [PA Land Recorded Surveys, Book D-88, pages 123-124.]

Martin Funk appears to have moved away by 5 March 1735/6 for on that date he had sold this land to a Derrick Jansen of German Township in the County of Philadelphia for £37.2.4. Jansen had the land Patented. Jacob’s warrant and Funk’s survey are cited in the patent or first deed. [PA Patent Book AA-10-352]. The story of the land is also found in the Colonial Minute book of Philadelphia: “Attended at the Prop’rys [Proprietors of Pennsylvania were the Penns] the 9th of the 1 month, 1735/6, himself present. Signed the following Patents [viz]: To Derick Jansen for 232 Acres in Chester County, the Warrant Granted to Jacob Knerve [sic] who assigned his right to Martin Funk to whom it was Surveyed and afterwards by him [Funk] sold to D. Jansen on the 4th of the first month, 1735/6.” [PA Archives, Third Series, Vol. 1, page 72, Minute Book “K,” Harrisburg, PA, 1894.] As explained earlier, Jacob could not have patented and sold the land to Martin Funk because he had not been naturalized. He could however sell or assign his Warrant Rights to Funk. As an aside note, in 1739 Dirk Jansen aka Dirck Jansen was one of the Justices of the Peace for Philadelphia County and attested to a 1739 Chester County deed of Henry Neff [B] for land in Whitemarsh township now in Montgomery County. [See Neff News, May 1996, page 10]

Martin Funk might have been living on a part of Jacob Neff’s land from 1717 to 1735. Also living with or near Jacob and Catherine Neff was Johannes (Hans) Meili a blacksmith from whom Jacob apparently learned the trade. Johannes (Hans) Meili was born July 20, 1660 and died in 1724 in Coventry Twp., Chester Co., PA. He married Margaret Schweizer on August 18, 1685 in Dühren, Germany. From the baptismal records in Dühren we learn that they had children: Elizabeth b. 1 May 1686, Jacob b. 17 Nov. 1689, and Anna Margaret b. 19 January 1692. Their son John b. about 1700 was named administrator of his father’s estate in 1724 but no estate seems to have been filed probably because Hans was not a naturalized citizen of Pennsylvania and apparently owned no land. Other children of Johannes and Margaret might be Magdalena, the wife of Martin Funk, and Catherine b. about 1694, wife of Jacob Neff (D) who named their eldest daughter Margaret, perhaps for Catherine’s mother. This relationship could also explain why Martin Funk and Jacob Neff settled first in Coventry Township. While these observations have not been proven, I mention them as a clue for future research.

As stated above these Funk and Neff families were Anabaptists [Mennonite] when they left Bonfeld. Evidently, Jacob Neff and Martin Funk joined the Church of the Brethren while still in Coventry Township. Alexander Mack founded the Church of the Brethren in southern Germany in 1708. Because of religious persecution Mack brought his followers to Germantown in 1731 on the Ship Allen. From there they began to evangelize north along the Schuylkill River in Coventry Township. From this we can estimate that Jacob Neff and Martin Funk joined the Church of the Brethren in Coventry Twp in the early 1730’s or perhaps earlier as the Coventry Brethren congregation was started in 1724 before Mack arrived in Pennsylvania. Jacob Neff and family remained in the Church of the Brethren. After Martin’s wife died in 1746, he took his children and entered the Ephrata Cloisters. Martin and Magdalena’s oldest daughter Veronica was born Jan. 23, 1717 in Bonfeld. She died Mar. 29, 1803 at age 86 years, 2 months, 6 days in the Ephrata Cloisters where she was called Sister Efigenia.

Another clue that Jacob Neff [D] had converted from Mennonite to the Church of the Brethren is the "several Psalm Books" in the inventory of his estate in 1751. While not officially titled in his estate, “The Psalm Books” were probably “Das Kleine Davidische Paslterspeil,” the first Brethren hymnal published in America. This book, first published in 1744 at Germantown, went through several printings. The Brethren Encyclopedia lists several of Jacob and Catherine’s Shidler/Shideler and Swihart/Swinehart descendants as leaders in the Church of the Brethren. Also named are 21 Naffs and 35 Neffs but many of these belong to the E-Line of Neffs of Franklin County, VA. [See the Brethren Encyclopedia, Volume 3, pages 1767; 1789-1790 and 1726-1728]

See Part 2

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