Pennsylvania is one of the 13 original states and was originally founded in 1681 as a result of a royal land grant to William Penn, the son of the state's namesake.
Hans (Johann) Ulrich Neff was born in Switzerland on April 5, 1709.
He immigrated in 1739.
He married Elizabeth Ott.
Their children included:
Conrad Neff (1742)
Maria Neff (1745, married Christian Krum)
Susanna Magdalena Neff (1750, married Dewalt Hunsicker),
Ulrich Neff (late 1750s, married to Dorothea Gabel), and
Bernardt Neff (about 1764, married to Margaretha Peter).
Henry, Ulrich, Michael, and a widow Neff were in Heidelberg Township in 1781.
In 1812 Bernhard, Henry, and a widow Neff were in Heidelberg Township.
Heidelberg Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania originally included Washington Township and Slatington. It is located on Trout Creek and Jordan Creek.
Conrad Neff was born about 1742 in Pennsylvania.
Henry Neff
Hannah Neff
He married Elizabeth Freeley.
Susan Neff,
Conrad Neff, Jr. (married Polly Kline),
William Neff,
Benjamin Neff,
Jacob Neff,
Henry Neff,
George Neff,
Mary Neff (1777, married Henry Branstetter),
Peter Neff,
Thomas Neff,
Ann Neff, and
Hannah Neff.
The family moved to Trumbull County, Ohio.
The Neffs were among the first members of the Canfield Reformed Lutheran Church in Trumbull County (later Mahoning), Ohio. It was organized a few years prior to 1810. The first meetings were held at the member’s homes.
American pioneers migrated west to settle areas not previously inhabited by European Americans.
Clark County, Ohio was formed March 1, 1817, from Champaign, Madison and Greene Counties. The first settlement was in 1796. The inhabitants of German Township were German Lutherans who came from Virginia.
Abraham Neff was born in 1784 and was Christian Neff (1746) and Mary Graybill's son.
He married Barbara Weaver on March 9, 1805.
Abraham Neff and Barbara Weaver's children included:
Catherine Neff (1806),
Mary Neff (1807),
Adam Neff (1808),
Barbara Neff Turman (1812, married Benjamin Turman),
Susannah Neff (1813, married Charles Branstetter),
Elizabeth Neff (1813) and
Christian Neff (1816).
Abraham and Barbara moved to German Township, Clark County, Ohio in 1832 settling in German Township west of Tremont.
Abraham owned 235 acres near Tremont which he willed to his sons, Adam and Christian who were to make yearly payments to their sisters.
from History of the Upper Ohio Valley, Volume II, 1890.
pp 601-602
. . .Conrad [son of Hans Ulrich Neff] and Elizabeth (Feeley) Neff, [were] natives of Maryland and Pennsylvania, respectively. Conrad Neff was a carpenter by trade. After leaving Maryland he settled in Pennsylvania, and was married. After three years married life his wife died, leaving two children, one boy and one girl, Henry and Hannah.
Thence he moved to Ohio, where he married Miss Feeley. By his second wife he had eleven children, eight sons and three daughters, five of whom survive, they are:
Susan,
Conrad,
William,
Benjamin and
Jacob. Those who are deceased are:
Henry,
George,
Mary,
Peter,
Thomas,
Ann and
Hannah.
At Conrad Neff's demise the old homestead was left to his wife during her life, and on her death it was sold to the youngest son, Jacob, who still owns and resides on it. The proceeds were divided among the heirs. Besides the home property, Conrad left a large amount of land. During his lifetime he gave each son a farm, George's land being situated in York township.
Maryland was established with religious freedom for Catholics. The colonial economy was based on tobacco cultivated by Africans who had been enslaved.
from 20th Century History of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio
Conrad Neff. . .was the pioneer of the Neff family in the Western Reserve, to which he came, from Berks County [Northampton now Lehigh Co.] Pennsylvania in 1802 [1804]. The Pennsylvanians who accompanied him numbered 16 souls and they made the journey in the strong old Conestoga wagons, which were built to traverse forests and cross unbridged streams, as was necessary in traveling through this section of Ohio in those early days.
The travelers found a little settlement of 16 log houses where now stands the flourishing town of Canfield. Conrad Neff purchased 140 acres of land in the adjacent wilderness and erected a small log cabin near the site of the present comfortable home of his grandson. It took hard work and considerable time before any crops could be raised and in the meantime, the family subsisted on wild game, which was very plentiful, deer and wild turkey being easily secured.
Conrad Neff was a mason by trade and he did a large part of the mason work for his neighbors in those days, his sons doing the larger amount of clearing and land cultivating. Both Conrad Neff and wife died on this place,
having reached the age of 70 years.
North Carolina was one of the thirteen original Colonies. It was first settled by small farmers and grew quickly in the mid 18th century.
Hans (Johann) Ulrich Neff was born in Zell, Canton Zurich, Switzerland, April 5, 1709. He immigrated in 1739.
He married Elizabeth Ott. Elizabeth and Ulrich had at least five children.
Conrad Neff was probably the oldest child, was born about 1742.
Maria Neff, b. about 1745, married Christian Krum about 1765. A few years ago there is said to have been a gravestone at Heidelberg marked Maria Krum 1789, but this has disappeared.
Susanna Magdalena Neff, b. about 1750, married Dewalt Hunsicker and moved to North Carolina where they established a sizeable family now called "Honsucker".
Ulrich Neff, born probably in the late 1750s, died in December 1799. Will probated in Easton on December 22, 1799. He was married to Dorothea Gabel.
Bernardt Neff, In a deed dated July 19, 1799 he was mentioned as a son of Ulrich Neff. He reached militia age of 18 years between 1780 and 1782 and was therefore born about 1764. He was married to Margaretha Peter January 18, 1791.
He died in Heidelberg about 1778. His will was dated December 23, 1773 but not probated until 1778.
A militia is a military unit composed of citizens who are called up in time of need.
Abraham Neff was born in 1784 and was Christian Neff's son. He first settled in the Shenandoah Valley, Rockingham County, Virginia shortly after the American Revolution and married Barbara Weaver on March 9, 1805.
Abraham Neff and Barbara Weaver's children were
Catherine Neff (1806),
Mary Neff (1807), Adam Neff (1808),
Barbara Neff Turman (1812, married Benjamin Turman),
Susannah Neff (1813),
Elizabeth Neff (1813) and Christian Neff (1816).
Abraham and Barbara migrated to Clark County, Ohio in the spring of 1832 settling in German Township west of Tremont. They traveled the entire distance in a covered wagon pulled by four horses and were about nineteen days enroute. They brought their two sons and five daughters with them.
Abraham owned 235 acres near Tremont which he willed to his sons, Adam and Christian who were to make yearly payments to their sisters.
American pioneers migrated west to settle areas not previously inhabited by European Americans.
