Jacob Geil1

M, b. 1746, d. 1794
FatherJohan Conrad Geil
     Jacob was born in 1746 in Alsace, Germany. In 1754, Jacob left Amsterdam aboard the ship, "John & Elisabeth", under the command of Captain Ham, for Portsmouth, England before leaving for America. The crew was composed of inhabitants from Hanan, Wurttemberg, Palatinate in Germany. There were 330 passengers. Among the passengers was John Conrad Geil & his son, Jacob aged 8 years. They arrived in port at Philadelphia the 7th of November..2 Jacob married Anna Clymer, daughter of Heinrich Clemmer and Anna Maria Bitzer, circa 1764 in Chester County, Pennsylvania.3 Jacob & his wife settled in Chester County, Penn. They lived here until after the American Revolution and then moved to Rochingham County. They settled near Bowman's mill - one and a half miles south of Broadway in the noted Shenandoah Valley. Jacob bought 500 acres of land situated on the Linval Creek, the deed dated 23rd of May 1783. He lived there until his death. Jacob & his family, for several generations, were members of the Mennonite religion and many descendants still do. Jacob's wife, Anna, died on 9 April 1778 in New Britain Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, leaving him a widower. He married 2nd Miss (?) Fly circa 1779 at Pennsylvania. He married 3rd a lady whose name is unknown. Jacob's wife died in Chester County, Pennsylvania, leaving him a widower. Jacob's wife died in the Shenandoah Valley near Broadway, Rockingham County, Virginia, leaving him a widower. He married 4th Miss ___ Trissel at Rockingham County, Virginia. Jacob departed this life in 1794 in his farm in the Shenandoah Valley near Broadway, Rockingham County, Virginia. He was buried on his farm. His tombstone reads: Jacob Geil born in Germany 1746 Died 1794.4

Family 1

Anna Clymer b. c 1743, d. 9 Apr 1778
Children

Family 2

Miss (?) Fly
Children

Family 3

(?) _____
Children

Family 4

Miss ___ Trissel

Citations

  1. [S129] Joseph H. Wenger, History of the Descendants of G. Conrad Geil & His Son Jacob Geil, pages 11-13 - No. 2. Second Generation. 1: Jacob Geil, the only son of J. Conrad Geil, of whom we have any knowledge, was born in Alsace, Germany, near the Rhine, in 1746, and at the age of 8 years, with his father, he emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1754. About the year 1767 he married a Miss Clymer* and settled in Chester Co., Pa. Here they lived during the Revolutionary War, after which they moved to Rockingham
    Co., Va., near Bowmans Mill, now (1912) owned by Mr. Clark, one and one-half miles south of Broadway, Rockingham Co., Va., in the •noted Shenandoah Valley. Here Mr. Geil bought 500 acres of land of David Brenneman, situated on Linville Creek, the deed bearing date of May 23, 1783. Here he lived, dying in 1794. He was buried on his old home farm, where, in June, 1913, a new tombstone was erected over his grave, which is in a private old family cemetery, containing only a few graves.*
    It seems that Mr. Geil's first family of children came with their father to Virginia, where some of them married and lived, but after the father's death in Virginia they went to Pennsylvania, many of them settling around Doylestown, Bucks Co., Pa., which for a time (say from 1775 to 1885) was flooded with Geils; but I am informed that now (1912) only one is found in Bucks County in the person of Rev. William Edgar Geil, of Doylestown. He is a noted evangelist, who has traveled in many parts of the world. (See No. 560%.) Jacob Geil was a Mennonite, and it is said that his four wives were members.
    For a number of generations the old Geil families were Mennonites, and multitudes of them still adhere to that church.
    Children [1st wife]: Abraham [b. May 25, 1769]; Jacob [b. April 16, 1771]; Susan [b. 1773]; Nancy [b. April, 1775]; John [b. April 9, 1778]; Catharine; Mary [b. about 1780];
    Children [2nd Wife]: Phillip; Rebecca; Bettie;
    Child [3rd Wife]: Barbara [b. March 14, 1783]
    The above last six children may not be in rotation of births as I do not have them at present. I may secure them later.
    *Mr. Geil was married four times. His first wife was Miss Clymer, from whom comes the name Clemmer. His second wife was Miss Fly; third wife, name unknown; fourth wife, Miss Trissel. Mr. Geil's last years were spent in the vicinity of Trissel's Mennonite church, near Broadway, Va., perhaps about twelve miles north of Harrisonburg. Tombstone inscription: In Memory of Jacob Geil, Born in Germany in 1746, Died in 1794. Buried near Broadway, Rockingham Co., Va., on the farm.
  2. [S786] Professor I. Daniel Rupp, Names of Immigrants in Pennsylvania from Germany, Switzerland, Holland, France and other countries from 1727-1776



    , ship "John & Elizabeth" by Captain Ham; from Amsterdam, last from Portssmouth; inhabitants from Hanau, Wirtemberg and the Palatinate - 11 Roman Catholics, 120 Protestants - 330 passengers; 7 November 1754 arrived in Philadelphia; on passenger list John Conrad Geil, Jacob Geil age 8 years.
  3. [S724] , page 5 - no. 63. Anna Clemmer married Jacob Geil of Chester County. - mennosearch.com.
  4. [S129] Joseph H. Wenger, History of the Descendants of G. Conrad Geil & His Son Jacob Geil, page 12 - Tombstone inscription: In Memory of Jacob Geil, Born in Germany in 1746, Died in 1794.