| John Jacob Neff (Jacob Neff Sr.) |
| The research of others provides a background for John Jacob who, it is almost certain, was a grandson of the 1728 immigrants, Michael and Anna Dorothea (Saur) Neff. The probable generations of this family are - Heinrich/Hans Naf ? - about 1500 Hans Naf ca 1468 - October 11, 1531 Married Katharina Huber before 1495. Lived at Vollenweid near Hausen, Canton Zurich. Killed at the Battle of Kappel am Albis. Marx Naf ca 1500 - after 1571 Believed second child of Hans & Katharina. Lived at Heisch, near Hausen. Wounded at Kappel. Brother of Adam, hero of Battle of Kappel. The Familienstiftung Naf von Zurich und Kappel owns the 500+ year old hof given to Adam by the Canton of Zurich for his actions during the battle, 11 October, 1531. Ulrich Naf ca 1550 - after 1591 Believed first child of Marx Naf. Married Verena Huber, ca 1554 - February 10, 1628. Felix Naf October 4, 1587 - before 1662 Sixth child of Ulrich and Verena Naf. Married before 1607 to Anna Ringger, ca 1589 - Novemeber 16, 1628. Lived at Heisch/Hausen and, from about 1624, at Affolten am Albis. Hans Rudolf Naf (bp) April 14, 1622 - October 19, 1677 Fifth recorded child of Felix and Anna Naf. Twelve years old in the 1634 church census. Married November 5, 1648 Ragula Zimmerman, (bp) December 13, 1629 - September 3, 1679. The last five of their children were baptised in nearby Michelfeld where April 1673 records indicate he had lived eight years. Michelfeld is about 20 km south-southeast of Heidelberg. |
| Hans/Johann Jacob Naf (bp) January 30, 1659 - June 30, 1718 Baptised at Affoltern am Albis; died at Michelfeld. Seventh recorded child of Hans Rudolph & Ragula. Married before 1685 to Anna Barbara Donner (bp) May 12, 1658 - December 21, 1700 Johann Michael Naf February 21, 1687 - after April 1756 (bp) February 23, 1687 at Michelfeld: died in LAncaster County, PA Married Anna Dorothea Saur; 26 Sept 1690 - ?? at Michelfeld on November 11, 1710 Arrived in Philidelphia September 11, 1728 |
| All but one of Johann Michael and Anna Dorothea's children were born prioe to their emigrating to America. Their eighth and last child was Johann George. Johann George Neff December 1, 1729 -ca August 1773 married about 1753 to Maria Elisabeth Stupp, ca 1732 - after 1813 Johann George was baptised May 3, 1730 at New Holland Lutheran Church Lancaster County, Pennsylvania |
| Anna Catharina Neff One of John George's sisters, married Michael Stump/Stumpf, a member of another family which appears on Governor Hunter's Ration Lists in 1710, and who joined the exodus from New York to the Tulpehocken region between 1723 and 1725 |
| George Abraham Neff brother to John George & Anna, married Anna Christina Lesch/Loesch, June 8, 1742. |
| They lived in Heidelberg Township, Lancaster County, PA where he was Constable in 1767. Their third son, John Jacob, was born on October 4, baptised on October 30, 1757, at Christ Lutheran Church in Marion Township, Berks County. Baptismal sponor was John George's brother, Jacob Neff and his wife Eva. |
| Johann Jacob Neff (Jacob Neff Sr.) October 4, 1757 - December 7, 1824 married on September 16, 1775 to Elisabetha Kurtz about 1756/57 - March 9, 1821 He would be my 6x great grandfather) It is believed that both died in Tuscarawas County or near by. It is possible that Elisabetha's family was Amish. Her marriage to John jacob, a Lutheran, may have led to her being shunned and consequently removed from her family's records. |
| Jacob Neff Sr. and Jacob Jr. are listed in chattel tax records for Turkeyfoot Township, Somerset County in 1811 & 1813. Then in 1814, only Jacob, (Sr. or Jr. ?). Further evidence of Jacob Sr. in Tuscarawas County were the marriages of daughter Barbara to Malachi/Melchior Buzzard, September 23, 1823 and son Adam to Sarah/Sally Horner February 3, 1827 in Sugarcreek Township. Son John was recorded in Sugarcreek Township in 1820, as was Christopher; Jacob Jr. was in Preston County, West Virginia, while Michael had purchased Christopher's farm in Turkeyfoot Township of Somerset County in 1819. With respect to Christopher: The estate sale list filed with the Court on August 3, 1830 appears to be dated Friday, April 23, 1823/25. There was no Friday with those dates in either year. Christophers gravestone gives his death as April 17, 1824; and his will was probated in that year. At the sale, a Abraham Neff purchased a bottle of whiskey. Perhaps another son of Jacob Sr. A Joseph Neff is also shown as purchasing some items. Identified family members at the sale were: Elizabeth;widow, Christopher's brother Adam; sons Jonas and Jacob; Jonas' brother-in-law, Michael Royer. |