Tag: Mennonite

I’ve been able to trace my ancestry back to Michael Frantz and his wife Feronica “Fanny” Nissley, through their son Michael and his daughter Anna, who married Levi Hocker. Fanny, I’ve determined, was the daughter of John Nissley of Donegal Township, who died before 19 July 1789 in Donegal Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.¹

John Nissley

John Nissley of Donegal Township wrote his last will and testament on 8 June 1784 and it was proven on 19 July 1789.² The abstract names his wife Mary and children: Feronica, Michael, John, Jacob, Abraham, Samuel and Martin. John’s wife was likely Mary Segrist, daughter of Michael and Anna (___) Segrist of Hempfield Township.³

John Nissley is listed in Donegal Township tax records in 1750, 1751, and 1756.⁴ He bought and sold land in Donegal Township between 1743/4 and 1774, according to the deeds I reviewed. He warranted 100 acres in Donegal Township on 23 May 1743/4 and another 50 acres on 29 April 1749. Both tracts were patented together as 173 acres on 23 May 1754.⁵ On 20 March 1764, he purchased 209 acres from Philip Kloninger, adjoining his patented lands, and patented it on 18 November 1771.⁶ On 23 August 1765, John warranted 274 acres, neighboring Jacob Eversole, Michael Shank, and Jacob Good.⁷ He patented another 79 acres, adjoining these lands on 23 October 1766, and 76 acres on 15 May 1768.⁸

On 22 November 1771, John sold his neighbor Peter Ruth 104.5 acres.⁹ He sold him another 104.5 acres on 31 Dec 1772.¹⁰ On 17 October 1774, he sold his son Michael 137 acres and his son John 112 acres.¹¹

Based on John’s land purchase and tax records, he was born by 1722 at the latest.

Who Was John’s Father?

I found no record of John Nissley selling land previously owned by another Nissley—which may have helped me to identify his father. I’ve seen this “John” identified as “Hans Jacob,” son of Jacob and Maria (Funk) Nissley of Manheim Township in online family trees. However, I’m pretty sure that this is incorrect.

First the names are not a match. John ≠ Hans Jacob. According to German naming traditions, “Hans Jacob” would have been Jacob, and that is how Jacob, son of Jacob and Maria (Funk) Nissley is identified in records. Furthermore, Jacob’s wife was named Barbara, not Mary.

According to deeds regarding the settlement of his father’s estate, on 18 June 1752 Jacob (Jacob¹) purchased 211 acres of his father’s land from his siblings—Henry (eldest son), Martin, Abraham Whitmore and Frena his wife, Jacob Brubaker and Mary his wife, and Valentine Metzler and Ann his wife.¹² The next day, Jacob and Barbara Nissley sold Valentine Metzler 60 acres of the 211 Jacob had purchased.¹³

When Jacob Nissley of Manheim Township died in 1763, his last will and testament, dated 5 February 1763, named his two children Jacob and Barbara, and empowered Jacob to sell his lands.¹⁴ Jacob (Jacob², Jacob¹) sold two tracts—one of 120 acres and one of 16 acres—to Sebastian Graffe on 12 June 1776.

This deed explicitly states the inheritance of this land from Jacob Nissley, the original patentee, through his son Jacob to his grandson, also named Jacob, reading in part: “The said one hundred and twenty acres…being part of a tract of one hundred and fifty acres and allowance…confirm[ed] unto Jacob Nissley the grandfather of the said Jacob Nisely party hereto (by the name Jacob Nutt) in fee Who died seized in fee thereof intestate leaving several children…the eldest son Henry refusing to take and hold the premises… [they] were confirmed unto Jacob Niseley the second son.”

So, that’s a dead-end for determining the parentage of my ancestor. He may have been an immigrant himself or it’s possible he descends from Jacob¹ Nissley’s brother John. Or perhaps he’s related to the “Martin Neasley,” who warranted land nearby in 1741.

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This post is part of an ongoing, blogging challenge entitled 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, created by Amy Crow of No Story Too Small. Participants must write about one ancestor every week. This is my thirteenth 52 Ancestors post and part of week fifteen.