Jacob Wolff and Christena King
Husband Jacob Wolff 1
AKA: Jacob Wolf 2 Born: 4 Apr 1756 - Northampton Co, PA 1 Christened: Died: 1838 - Plum Creek Twp, Armstrong Co, PA 3 Buried:Marriage:
Wife Christena King 3
AKA: Christina King 2 Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
Father: Mathias King ( -1807) 4 Mother: Christine Hartzell ( - ) 5
Children
1 F Christena Wolff 1
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Jacob Williams ( - ) 1
2 M Michael Wolff 1
Born: Christened: Died: Bef 1838 Buried:
3 F Elizabeth Wolff 1
Born: Christened: Died: Bef 1838 Buried:
4 M George Wolff 6
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Susanna Williams ( - ) 6Spouse: Margaret Williard ( - ) 1Spouse: Mrs. Wagley ( - ) 7
5 M Matthias G. Wolff 9
AKA: Mathias G. Wolfe 8 Born: 5 May 1785 or 1788 8 9 Christened: Died: 3 Sep 1866 or 1867 8 9 Buried:Spouse: Sarah Weigle (1791-1838/1838) 9 Marr: 13 Apr 1813 8 9Spouse: Maria Keesey ( - ) 8 9 Marr: 8 Dec 1842 9
6 M Jacob Wolff, Jr. 10
Born: Abt 1790 Christened: Died: Abt 1840-1845 Buried:Spouse: Mary Ann Schall ( - ) 10
7 M John Wolff 12
AKA: John Wolfe 11 Born: 27 Jan 1791 or 1793 - Bedford Co, PA 13 Christened: Died: 29 Jan 1856 or 1857 - ? Armstrong Co, PA 13 Buried:Spouse: Ann Margaret Sontel (1796-1885) 11
8 M David Wolff 10
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: [Unk] Zillafrow ( - ) 10
9 M Joseph Wolff 10
Born: 1796 10 Christened: Died: Sep 1888 - Oil City, Venango Co, PA 10 Buried:Spouse: Margaret Fitzgerald ( - ) 10
10 M Solomon Wolff 10
Born: 1798 10 Christened: Died: 1869 10 Buried:Spouse: Unknown ( - )Spouse: Mary Van Dyke ( -Aft 1869) 14
General Notes: Husband - Jacob Wolff
He was a native of Berks County, Pennsylvania, and a Revolutionary patriot, having served under Washington at Brandywine and Valley Forge, and fought in many of the principal battles of the Revolution. He was a noted violinist, and had the honor of playing many times for General Washington. [MAC I, 192]
He was born in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. He had ten sons and one daughter. List includes son Isaac; does not mention son Michael and daughter Elizabeth. [HAC 1914 II, 954]
With but few exceptions the numerous families of Wolffs in Pennsylvania are believed to be descendants of two brothers of that name who fled from the Alsace-Lorraine valley during the persecution of the Huguenots, toward the close of the seventeenth century, probably about the year 1690. The older of the two, named George, made his home on the Lehigh, in the northern part of Berks (now Northampton) county, Pennsylvania, while the younger, then unmarried, settled in Virginia on the upper Shenandoah, whence some of his descendants have emigrated back into the Cumberland valley of Pennsylvania.
The Wolffs claiming George Wolff as their ancestor are quite numerous in several counties of Pennsylvania, and in nearly every county some of them may be found; and one of them, George Wolf of Northampton County, served two elective terms as governor of the Commonwealth, from Dec. 15, 1829, to Dec. 15, 1835. He also was the representative of his district in Congress five years, and comptroller of the United States Treasury under appointment by Gen. Andrew Jackson. This George Wolf was born Aug. 12, 1777. His most illustrious service as chief executive was introducing and bringing into operation the system of public instruction now known as the public school system of the State. Sypher's History of Pennsylvania (1870) says of him:
"This noble man died in 1840 (March 11), beloved by the whole people of the Commonwealth. The school children of his native county raised a fund to erect a monument to his memory in commemoration of his distinguished services." His father was a brother of Jacob Wolff, the first settler of his name now known to have taken up his residence in this part of the State.
Jacob Wolff was a grandson of the Alsatian emigrant, and settled in Westmoreland County soon after the close of the Revolutionary war, on land awarded him by the State for services in that conflict. His wife, who accompanied him, was Christena King, a relative of the ancestors of many of the King families now residing in Armstrong county (see sketch of Hon. James Wesley King). After three, perhaps four, of the older sons had gone further northward and made homes for themselves in northern Westmoreland, Jacob Wolff with his younger children came into the Allegheny valley and lived in what is now Washington township, Armstrong county, where he died in the year 1838, his grave being in the Armstrong cemetery, near the farm on which his last years were spent. His widow survived some few years, perhaps several, but that she outlived him is evidenced by the fact that she made application for and probably received a widow's pension. With only a few exceptions Jacob Wolff is the forefather of the numerous families of Wolffs now resident in western Pennsylvania, as well as of a large number in the middle West and Western States, notably Rev. Samuel H. Wolff of the Presbytery of Sedalia, Missouri; Robert A. Wolff, of Topeka, Kansas, and D. King Wolff, of Denver, Colorado.
Of the personal history of Jacob Wolff, that which can be traced back to authentic sources is of necessity quite meager, the court record of his will and the settlement of his estate, with a copy of his military record in part, furnished by the War department, being the only written history found available in the preparation of this sketch. All other material facts offered depend for their authenticity on well remembered and credible communications made by himself to children, grandchildren and others having intimate acquaintance with him in his last years. Samuel Mateer, Esq., late of Boggs township, was in his boyhood and until he reached the age of twenty a near neighbor of the old gentleman, and found great pleasure in telling of his friendly relations with him and in relating incidents of pioneer and camp life narrated to him by the old Revolutioner, of which he had a very clear recollection. Only such information is now procurable, and this, before being offered as worthy of credence, has all been carefully looked over with reference to its reliability.
Of his father nothing is reliably known except that he was an active partisan in the Revolutionary struggle, and energetic in collecting and conveying to the American camp at Morristown, Valley Forge and other places accessible to him and his team supplies for the use of the army. Jacob Wolff first enlisted at Easton in March, 1776, for six months' service, and served under Captain Santee; but where this service was rendered is not known. It seems certain, however, that he was with the army at different times, returning to the farm in the intervals to aid in bringing in the crops, a custom known to have been followed quite generally by the citizen soldiery of the Colonies. It is also known that he was with the army at Trenton in December, 1776, and the campaign that followed; also that he was with his regiment at Brandywine and Germantown in September and October, 1777, as he frequently gave personal reminiscences of these engagements. Of the memorable winter quarters at Valley Forge he had a fund of experiences to relate to attentive listeners, among others the capture of a train of supplies designed for the enemy at Philadelphia, including cattle and horses, with the British guard; and this without firing a shot. Jacob Wolff is known to have been an accomplished violinist, and his performances were highly valued and often invoked as indispensable in the social functions of the pioneer community, his reputation extending over a wide area of country and reaching well down toward the eventide of life. But to him perhaps his most interesting performance, and the one he found most pleasure in narrating, was given while in the service and during the winter at Valley Forge. He kept his violin with him in camp, and it may be reasonably supposed that its enlivening notes, on many occasions, served a grateful purpose by in some measure relieving the monotony and many depressing environments of those dark days and dismal nights. On many occasions, when a period of relaxation was allowed at the Commander's tent, he and his violin were brought into requisition to add inspiration to the gathering. The incident which lingered in the old man's mind, always bringing pleasure with the retelling, was of the occasion when Madam Washington with other ladies visited the camp at Valley Forge; and the General, having arranged for a soiree at headquarters, at which members of his staff and others were in attendance, orders came to Private Wolff to report at the General's tent, in full dress, with violin; and by request of the lady herself he played while Madam Washington and others danced the conventional minuet.
There are reasons to suppose that Jacob Wolff returned from the service unharmed, and with unimpaired health. Occurrences are yet remembered which argue strongly that he was not wanting in either the physical resources or necessary courage to put up a vigorous display of the manly art of self defense, even into his declining years. The record, however, shows that in 1833 he was granted an invalid pension, then allowed to survivors of the Revolutionary war for service, and without reference to physical condition. [HAC 1914, 884]
1 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 885.
2 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 400.
3 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 884.
4 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 400, 882.
5 Samuel P. Bates, LL.D., Our County and Its People, A Historical and Memorial Record of Crawford County, Pennsylvania (W. A. Fergusson & Co., 1899), Pg 696.
6 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 672, 885.
7 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 383.
8 —, Memoirs of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Vol. I (Madison, WI: Northwestern Historical Assosciation, 1904), Pg 191.
9 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 887.
10 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 886.
11 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 820, 899.
12 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 886, 954.
13 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 820, 886, 899.
14
—, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 672, 886.
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