Franz or Hans Heinrich???

I have heard that when John Neff III went to Pennsylvania on a mission, he collected family records, visited cemeteries and gathered information on his family line. When he put his pedigree together, it went something like this:

John Neff III born 28 Dec 1837 in Lancaster, PA son of
John Neff Jr born 19 Sep 1794 in Lancaster, PA,
our pioneer ancestor, married Mary Barr, son of
John Neff Sr born 1 Jan 1769 in Lancaster, PA,
married Barbara Herr, son of
Reverend Jacob Neff born either 16 Feb 1724 or
8 Feb 1727 in Germantown, PA, married Anna Brackbill, son of
Dr Hans Heinrich Neff born about 1684 in Germany
or Switzerland, married Franca and unknown spouse.

We have documents showing that he is correct about his father, grandfather, and great grandfather. We have not found documents proving Dr Hans Heinrich Neff is his great great grandfather.

After a lot of research, by a several of people here, in Pennsylvania and in Germany, we are quite sure Jacob is the son of Dr Franz or Francis Neff not Dr Hans Heinrich Neff. In order to explain, I will write out how the family should look and then quote liberally from the April 1984 article on pages 68 - 72 of the Mennonite Family History Magazine. Please understand, we do not have enough records to be 100% sure that this is how it is. And it doesn’t matter so much anyway, since the temple work has been done both ways and it is very likely that Dr Hans Heinrich Neff and Dr Franz Neff are brothers.

1 -Franz or Francis Neff - b (born) abt 1685 in Germany or Switzerland, d (died) abt 1739 in Pennsylvania (Numbers will help with the explanation. Franz is (1), his children are (1 plus their place number in the family). So (11) means first child of (1) Franz. We will give Hans Heinrich (2) and his children (21), (22) etc.)
m (Married) - Barbara Eby if Michelfeld, Germany 22 April 1710 in Duhren, Germany
11 - Francis Neff b abt 1711 Germany
12 - Magdalena Neff b abt 1713 Germany d Dec 1793 Lancaster, PA
m 1 - 17 Oct 1733 Samuel Miller (b 21 Jan 1711 d 4 Nov 1739)
m 2 - John Shantz (d 1776)
13 - Henry Neff b abt 1715 Germany d 1755 Lancaster, PA
m 1 - Dill or Diller
m 2 - Mary Shantz
14 - Margaret Neff b abt 1718 d Apr 1782 Lancaster, PA
m - abt 1740 Martin Miller (b abt 1713 d Mar 1773 Lancaster, PA)
15 - Esther Neff b abt 1724 d abt 1750 Lancaster, PA
m - John Herr
16 - Jacob Neff b 8 Feb 1727 or 16 Feb 1724 Lancaster, PA d 16 Feb 1814 Lancaster, PA
17 - Catherine Neff b 5 Jul 1729 Lancaster, PA d 5 Dec 1802 Lancaster, PA
m - Jacob Kendig or Kendrick (d 1814)
18 - Elizabeth Neff b abt 1731 d abt 1787
m - Martin Kendig or Kendrick (d 1785)
2 -Dr Hans Heinrich Neff b abt 1684 d Apr 1745
m - twice, one wife was Franca ?
21 - Hans Heinrich Neff Jr b abt 1708 Bonfield, Germany d July 1784 Shenandoah County, VA
m - Ann
22 - Hans or John Jacob Neff b abt 1709 Bonfield, Germany d I Feb 1717 Bonfield, Germany
23 - Catherine Neff b 15 May 1711 Bonfield, Germany d 26 Mar 1789
24 - dau ?
25 - Dr Abraham Neff b abt 1719 d abt 1793
m - Mary Hershey (b abt 1721 d abt 1799)

THE FAMILY OF DR. FRANCIS NEFF

The parish records of Duhren, Germany show that Dr Franz Neff (1) married Barbara Eby, 22 April 1710. Additional records have been found showing that Dr Franz and Barbara and their children prepared to come to America in the spring of 1719. The Neff News, May 2005 Issue, has a detailed list of the things Franz sold and the things he brought with him covering pages 5 to 22. The next Issue of the Neff News, May 2006, goes into great detail about the time Franz Neff spent in Germantown, PA.

Back to the April 1984 article on pages 68 - 72 of the Mennonite Family History Magazine.

“Dr. Francis Neff(1) died intestate in Feb. 1739. The court appointed Thomas Cookson administrator, who reported to court that there were insufficient funds to pay all bills and support the minor children. The court then ordered his land to be sold and payment made. The land in Lancaster Twp. on the west side of the Conestoga Creek with the "grist mill or corn mill" was sold to Ludwig Stone and land on the east side of the Creek in Lampeter Twp. was sold to Michael Beyerly.

“No list of children is given in the estate, but the family is pieced together as follows: Francis Neff Jr. (11), Henry Neff (13), and Martin Miller (14) along with other creditors received money in the final settlement of the estate in 1741. Francis Neff Jr. (11) was a son. He signed as a witness to a deed in 1740 for Martin Miller (14) when Martin bought land from his father, Jacob Miller.

“When Martin Miller died in 1773, he named "my brothers-in-law Jacob Neff (16) and Jacob Kendig (17)" executors. Martin's wife, Margaret Neff (14), died in 1782 and named "my brother Jacob Neff (16)" executor. Magdalena (Neff-Miller) Shantz (12) died in 1793/94. In her will she named "my brother Jacob Neff (16)" executor, and willed him a third of the estate; another third to "my sister Catherine Kendig (17) wife of Jacob Kendig/Kendrick"; and the final third to Martin, Elizabeth, David, and Francis Kendig/ Kendrick, children of "my sister Elizabeth Kendig, wife of Martin Kendig."

“Jacob Neff (16) in his will mentioned the land he received from "my sister Magdalena Schantz." Henry Neff (13) in his will named "my beloved brother Jacob Neave/Neff (16) and my brother-in-law John Huber" executors. The proof of Esther Neff (15) belonging to this family rests on two facts. Her second son was named Francis and her husband, John Herr, was executor for John Schantz, the second husband of Magdalena Neff (12).

“Another person who might belong to this family was the wife of John Huber, whom Henry Neff (13) called "my brother-in-law." This John Huber bought land in Strasburg Township on May 28, 1748 (Deed D, p. 450). Neither of Henry's (13) wives was a Huber. But John Huber's wife might have been a sister to one of Henry Neff's(13) wives. Therefore, she is not listed in the above listings.

“The name of Francis Neff (11) appears in several Lancaster records, but none shows a wife and family. His birth year is uncertain. If he were 21 when he signed the naturalization list of 1729, he was born as early as 1708. But all men 16 years and older had to sign the ship list and Oath of Allegiance when entering Pennsylvania. If this "16 years old" rule applied to the naturalization list of 1729, then Francis (11) could have been born as late as 1713. This writer favors the 1711-1713 birth date because his father was married to Barbara Eby in 1710. This was a second marriage, if Francis Jr. was born before 1710. However, no records even hint at a second marriage. All children of Francis Neff (1) appear to have been full brothers and sisters, their mother, Barbara, seems to have died between 1735 and 1739. Then Magdalena (Neff-Miller) Schantz (12) raised the younger children in her home, and named them her heirs in her will.

“The family of Henry Neff (13) may not be complete. He died between June 5, 1755, the date of his will, and July 4, 1755, the date his will was probated. Henry's will names his second wife, Mary, and indicates two sets of children, one set with a mother whose maiden name Dill or Diller (name not clear) and the other set a Shantz. Peter, the only child named in the will, was, no doubt, the eldest son, but not necessarily the oldest child. The unnamed sisters may have been older...”

“THE FAMILY OF DR. HANS HEINRICH NEFF

“The will of Dr. Hans Henry Neff (2) shows that he was married twice. The first wife was the mother of his children. Two sons and two daughters and their step-mother survived him. Abraham (25), the only child mentioned by name in the will, received the plantation of 150 acres and was to pay his brother, sisters, and step-mother 15 pounds (English money) per year until all shared equally. He signed the will "Henrich Neife", but the probate proceedings also used the name Hans Heinrich Neff. The will appointed no executor, so the court appointed Abraham Neff (25)...

“Deed A35 names one of his wives as Franca. Deed B301 gives the number of his living children as four, two sons Henry(21) eldest, and Abraham(25), and two unnamed daughters. The Bonfield Church records show a son, Joh. Jacob(22) who died Feb. 1, 1717, at age seven. There might have been other children who died young.

“Henry Neff (21), the eldest son as given in Deed B301, was better known as Hans Heinrich Neff, Jr.(21) as given in the 1729 naturalization list. He continued to use this name when he moved south to Virginia where his name appears as early as 1747 in the court records of Augusta Co., Virginia, now Shenandoah County. There he served as the doctor in the Mennonite community transplanted from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

“The children listed under (21) may not be in chronological order. In John Henry's (21) will, both daughters are listed last, but Catherine (212) is listed second in the will of her brother Abraham (216). Elizabeth (217) predeceased Abraham without issue and so was not listed in Abraham's (216) will.

“The witnesses to the will of Dr. John Henry Neff (21) were Adam Neff (2114), Aaron Solomon, John Miller (2113), and Margaret Gabriel (2112).

“Unfortunately, the names of the two daughters of Dr. Hans Heinrich Neff (2) were not given in his will or court proceeding. One might have been Catherine (23), wife of Michael Pfautz. She is placed in the above listing by the process of elimination. She could not be Dr. Francis Neff's (1) daughter, as his daughter Catherine (17), was the first wife of Jacob Kendig, and she was not the daughter of Henry and Barbara Neff of Hempfield Township. Her birthday, May 14, 1711, fits well into known records of Dr. Hans Heinrich Neff's family. However, another possibility is that she arrived in this country as the wife of Michael Pfautz.

“Dr. Abraham Neff (25) appears to have died in 1793. In that year there was a sheriff's sale of his property to Christopher Marshall of Philadelphia, Pa., to pay the debts of his estate, but no record of the estate settlement has been found. The only known children were: Dr. Christian (251), Esther (252), and Maria (253). The Brenneman History on page 370 gives Esther's father as Joseph Neff. But, there is no record of any Joseph Neff in that period of history and Dr. Abraham Neff (25) was the executor for the estate for Adam Brenneman. Further, the History of Lancaster County on pages 247 and 248 states that both doctors named Abraham Brenneman (2523 and 2532) were nephews of Dr. Christian Neff (251) and both studied medicine under him. Dr. Abraham Brenneman (2523) practiced "physics and surgery" and Dr. Abraham Brenneman (2532) was known as "the water doctor" because he was among the first in Lancaster to use urine analysis to diagnose the illness of his patients.

“BIBLIOGRAPHY

“”Best, Jane Evans, "Three Bears of Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and other Bears," Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage, Vol. IV, No. 4, pp. 12-27. (BR)

“Brubaker, Jacob N. The Brubaker Genealogy, Elkhart, Ind., 1884. (BK)

“Gerberich, Albert H. The Brenneman History, Scottdale, Pa., 1938. (BM)

“Herr, Theodore W. The Genealogical Record of Rev. Hans Herr and His Lineal Descendants. Lancaster, Pa., 1908. (HR)

“Kauffman, Charles F. The Kauffman-Coffman Lineage. Reprint, 1980. (KCL)

“Neff, Elmer Ellsworth. Genealogy of the Neff Family, 1931. (NF)"

Page 71 and 72 April 1984 Mennonite Family History