Barbara (Brackbill) Groff (abt. 1707 - aft. 1760)

Born about 1707 in Eggiwil, Canton of Bern, Switzerland

Ancestors

Wife of Jacob (Graf) Groff — married [date unknown] in Earl Township, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died after 15 Mar 1760 after about age 53 in Martic, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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Biography

Hans Herr descendant #42 ^[1]

Barbara Brächbühl was baptized 1 February 1709, at the age of 2, in Eggiwil, Emmental District, Canton Bern, Switzerland. Her parents were Bendicht Brächbühl and Verena Meister. Her siblings (Magdalena, age 9, and Ulrich, age 5) were baptized on the same day. ^[2]

Barbara's parents were Anabaptists and were persecuted for their beliefs. Benedict was imprisoned in January 1709. The children's baptisms took place less than a month later, and were probably involuntary. After being released from prison, Benedict was banished from the country. He eventually settled in what is now southwestern Germany. By early 1712, the rest of the family had joined him and they were living in Weiler, a small community in the Kraichgau region, 5 km south of Sinsheim. ^[3]

The family left their home in March 1717 and arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that August. They settled near Strasburg in Chester (now Lancaster) County, Pennsylvania. ^[4]

Barbara married Jacob Groff, probably sometime around 1725, based on the birth dates of their children. She would have been about 18 years old at the time. Proof of the marriage can be found in an April 1737 deed in which the three children of Benedict Brackbill—Ulrich, Barbara and Maudlin—sold 530 acres of land that had belonged to their father. The deed referred to Jacob Graff, yeoman, of Lancaster County and "Barbara his wife, one of the Daughters of the said Benedictus Brackbill." ^[5]

Barbara and Jacob Groff had six children: ^[6]

1. Ann Groff, b. about 1725, married Jacob Barr.
2. Benjamin Groff, b. 1727, married (1) Elizabeth Bär, and (2) Catherine Eshleman.
3. John Groff, b. 1730, married Elsbeth Kendig.
4. Frances/Veronica Groff, b. 1732, married Christian Herr.
5. Mary Groff, b. 1735, married John Herr.
6. Barbara Groff, b. 1747, married Jacob Eshleman.

Barbara was mentioned (although not by name) in her husband's will, dated 15 March 1760. They were living in Martic Township, Lancaster County, at the time. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Genealogical Record of Reverend Hans Herr and His Direct Lineal Descendants, by Theodore W. Herr, 1908, page 3, person #42.
2. ↑ State Archives of the Canton of Bern, Switzerland (Staatsarchivs des Kantons Bern) Eggiwil Church Book 2, Taufrodel 1697-1750, K Eggiwil 2.pdf, page 64.
3. ↑ Jecker, p. 447.
4. ↑ Jecker, page 455.
5. ↑ 1737 Brackbill deed: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book B, page 95. FHL film #007837371, image 186 of 758.
6. ↑ Best, Jane Evans. The Groff Book, Volume 2: A Continuing Saga, Groff History Associates, 1997, page 165.
7. ↑ The will of Jacob Graft. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Will Book B, page 509 (image 394 of 514). FHL film #005534200, image 469 of 589.

See also:

• Jecker, Hanspeter. Bendicht Brechtbuhl (1666-1720) of the Emmental: Anabaptist Teacher, Bridge Builder, and Border Crosser, Mennonite Quarterly Review, Vol. 89, Issue 3 (July 2015), pages 405-465.

Acknowledgments

• WikiTree profile Brackbill-7 created through the import of Most 2011_7b.ged on Oct 17, 2011 by Mike Saufley.
• WikiTree profile Brackbill-5 created through the import of The Sammons Family Tree.ged on Jun 9, 2011 by Steve Sammons.