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SHEAFOR / SHAFOR / SHAFER

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SHEAFOR / SHAFOR / SHAFER

Wilene (View posts)
Posted: 9 Dec 2003 2:04PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: SHEAFOR / SHAFOR / SHAFER
If you have an ancestor with any of these spellings or a variation thereof, and you know that they moved from NJ to KY to OH in the late 1700s to early 1800s (and "NJ to KY' are the keywords here), you may descend from Peter SHEAFOR detailed in this message. But if you've found a Pennsylvania connection, there's no need to read further.

Peter SHEAFOR, b. 1754, Germany or NJ, d. 1826, Butler Co., OH.
A sister, Margaret, md. an unknown HOGLAND or HOAGLAND. She is named and identified in Peter's will along with his wife, Catharine, presumed to be Catherine "Caty" COOLBAUGH, dau. of William COOLBAUGH and Sarah JOHNSON.
Peter also appears to have had a brother, William, who d. in Butler Co., OH.
Peter appears to have lived in Hillsborough Twp., Somerset Co., NJ, until he removed his family to Mercer Co., KY, about 1789.
By 1806, he was in Lemon Twp., Butler Co., OH, where he d. Sept. 27, 1826, after he'd written an amazing will that names all his children --
1. Peter (Jr.), md. Sarah "Sally" WATTS (my ancestors); one son (my ancestor) adopted the SHAFER spelling
2. William (adopted the SHAFOR spelling; md. Janetje "Jane" RYERSON)
3. Elizabeth (md. Isaac Southard PATTON)
4. Rachel (md. 1st John Van SICKLE; 2nd Edward HUNT)
5. John (md. Sarah ______)
6. Abraham (md. Mariah or Maria LONG)
7. Jacob (md. Sarah "Sally" BEDFORD)
8. Mary "Polly" (md. David Van SCOYK)
9. Catherine (md. Daniel P. INLOES)
10. Henry (adopted the SHAFOR spelling; md. Martha GILES, and may have been md. to someone else first)

Nearly everyone in the U.S. today with the SHEAFOR and SHAFOR spellings can be traced to Peter of New Jersey, especially the SHEAFOR spelling.

Traditionally, this family is of German heritage. However, the original spelling would have been SCH, with the E and A reversed, and probably ending ER instead of OR. For years, I've searched to exhaustion and cannot find Peter's parents or heritage, and others before me have reached the same brick wall. Who were his parents? When did he or they come to America? On what ship? Did they settle in NJ originally? So many questions. All without answers.

Many more details are in my SHAFER / HITCHINGS Family File accessed from my Home Page, Coming Together in America, at http://hometown.aol.com/wilenesmth/index.html

http://www.cproots.com/surnameorigins/namesmiss/namess1.htm
SCHAFER (German with Umlaut) is an example of a surname derived from the profession of the first bearer. SCHAFER was a shepherd.
SCHOFF, a German occupational name for a shepherd and derived from the element schaf = sheep.
SubjectAuthorDate Posted
Wilene 9 Dec 2003 9:04PM GMT 
Joanne 10 Dec 2003 2:26PM GMT 
Wilene 10 Dec 2003 5:27PM GMT 
Joanne 10 Dec 2003 5:47PM GMT 
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