THIS PAGE CREATED NOVEMBER 2005

JACOB SHAFFER

BIRTH: Jacob Shaffer Jr. was born 1746, son of Jacob Shaffer b.1709 and Maria Barbara Kobel who were long-time residents of Brunswick Twp. Berks County, Pa. (Berks became Schuylkill County in 1811.) Jacob's father owned a saw mill on the Schuylkill River and when he was old enough, tax records show that Jacob Jr. partnered with his father in the saw mill. Originally from Germany, ancestors of Jacob were some of the earliest German settlers in the wilder regions of Eastern Pennsylvania. They arrived with a few others after few difficult years in what is now New York but at least by 1723 they resettled at what is now a part of Schuylkill County, Pa.

MARRIAGE:Jacob married Margaretha Koenig/King at the Mollaton Church near Douglasville, Pa. also called St. Gabriel's Church on November 29, 1774. The church records show the listing as Jacob Sheffer and A Marg KING 29 Nov.1774. Margaretha (probably Anna Margaretha) was born c. 1750-1755 figured from the 1800 census of Brunswick, Berks County, Pa.(The name Koenig translates as King from German to English.)

CHILDREN: Jacob Jr.and his wife, Margaretha Koenig/King had several children but only some have been identified. F.Robert Turnbach, in his book, Pioneers and Patriots Over the Blue Mountains states that a daughter, "Susanna Schaeffer was born 14 Jan 1776." and that "Johannes Schaeffer was born on Dec. 15, 1780 in Brunswick and Christened in Zion Church..." (known as the Red Church) at Orwigsburg, Pa). Turnbach also mentions, "Jacob Schaeffer was born on 25 Apr 1790, Christened in Zion Church...". More information of their family came from William Gabriel Long's book, History of the Grim Family of Pennsylvania and its Associated Families. He states, "Jacob and Margaretha Schaeffer had the following children as recorded in the church book of the Reformed-Lutheran church of Brunswick township, known as the Red Church, Johannes and Jacob Schaeffer." From the Census of 1790 at Brunswick, Berks County the family is shown with two males over 16, 2 males under 16 and five females. A total of 7 children, 3 sons and four daughters. Susanna born 1776 would be 13-14, Johannes b.1780 would be 10 and Jacob, an infant, born this year of 1790. This leaves another male (a son?) over sixteen. He would have been born by 1774 or earlier. But this couple was married in late 1774. (More about this oldest male child below.) Three more daughters shown in this census are not mentioned in the records. One of those daughters is almost certainly Maria Magdalena born 1778-1779. The reason she is placed in this family is explained on her own page, accessable from the link at top of this page. That leaves two daughters missing, whose names we do not know. However from the Cenusus of 1800 where the female ages are shown we learn that these two daughters were born betweeen 1784-1789.
Now it seems that we need to explain the reason there is an extra boy born at least by 1774. We doubt that Margaretha and Jacob had a son before they married but it is possible. However there seems to be a good possibility that this boy was the son of Jacob's brother, John (Johannes) Schaeffer b. 1742. John and his wife Maria Gensler Schaeffer had two children, Hanna b. 1772 and Jacob born 1773. Little Jacob's baptism was sponsored by Jacob Schaeffer and A. Margaretha Koening. Maria died in 1773-1774 according to Wm. Gabriel Long.* After Maria's death, it seems natural that the baby would be taken in by the newly married Jacob and Margaretha. The parents of Maria may have taken little Hanna to live with them. John (Johannes) did remarry evidently, as he had another son, Johannes born c.1776. By 1800, the census shows that the older children have left, including Susanna, Maria Magdalena, and nephew, Jacob. The census shows 1 son 11-16 who would probably be Jacob b. 1790 (which is close but not exact). Another son 17-26 would be Johannes b. 1780 and he would be 20. There are two daughters under 10, so they were born after 1790. There are also two daughters 11-16 born from 1784 to 1789. The eldest female is Margaretha who is shown to be 45 or older so she would have been born c.1750-1755. Jacob would be about 54 according to his birth year of 1746.

Jacob seems to have lived his whole life in Brunswick, Berks County, Pa.

DEATH: Jacob's family does not seem to be listed in the Census of 1810 in Pa. There is a small chance that he went to Ohio when some of his children moved there about 1816. But no confirmation of that has been found. There is the following notice for a Jacob Schaeffer's will abstract in 1805 in Berks County : SHAEFFER, JACOB. March 26, 1805 willabsts.txt.This may turn out to be our Jacob who would have been 59 years of age at this time.

NOTES:There are many spellings of the surname Shaffer. Shaffer is used most of the time. In the notes above there are quotes where Jacob's name is spelled Schaeffer. This was an earlier version. Some of the tax records show Jacob and his son as Jacob Sheffer Sr. and Jacob Sheffer Jr. Some records spell it as Shafer and there are numerous variations.
Two good sources for information of this family are from the books mentioned in the text, including William Gabriel Long's History of the Grim Family of Pennsylvania and its Associated Families. and F. Richard Turnbach's Pioneers and Patriots Over the Blue Mountains. These can be accessed on-line from HeritageQuest which is available through many libraries.

HUGE APPRECIATION GOES TO DAVID SHAFFER OF PA. DAVID HELPED ME MAKE A WINDOW IN MY BRICK WALL REGARDING MARIA MAGDALENA'S PARENTS AND ANCESTORS BY IDENTIFYING MARGARETHA KOENIG/KING AS THE WIFE OF JACOB SHAFFER BORN 1746 AND NAMING JACOB'S PARENTS.

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION OR CORRECTIONS PLEASECLICK HERE