Andreas Kauffman (1668 - 1743)

Born 13 Nov 1668 in Friesenheim, Baden, Heiliges Römisches Reich

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Kneissle) Kauffman — married 1717 in Conestoga Manorland House, Lancaster Co., Pa.

Descendants

Died 1743 at about age 74 in Millersville, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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Biography

Andreas Kauffman of Manor Twp, Lancaster, is often identified as the "trouser-knitter" born 1668 in Germany, but this may be incorrect (see Research Notes). The immigrant may be a son, Andreas Jr., b. 1695, Friesenheim, Oberamt Neustadt, Pfalz, Germany.

He emigrated to Pennsylvania in the first half of the 18th century. A county history records that he settled on a 500-acre tract near Central Manor, Lancaster, PA ^[1] but the Kauffman genealogy records that he held two separate tracts, one of 200 acres and another of 462 acres. ^[2]

He is assumed to have married one of the daughters of Anthony Kneissly, since Andrew Kaufman / Cofman is listed as one of the administrators of Anthony's estate in 1733 and received a disbursement from the wind-up of the estate. ^[3] However, there appear to have been at least two or three different Kauffman families in the area at the time, and further evidence is sought to confirm that Andrew, presumed son-in-law of Anthony Kneissly, was the same person who settled in Central Manor.

The will of Andreas Kauffman of Manor Twp was dated 12 Mar 1741, witnessed by Hans Horsha, Christ. Stoneman, and Hans Witmore, and was probated on 2 Nov 1744 at Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. ^[4] The will stipulated that his estate was to be divided into three parts, that his wife was to have one part, and that his sons were to draw lots for the other two parts. ^[2]

A final settlement was not made until 1761, when Andrew's other heirs signed deeds releasing their claim to the estate. These deeds refer to the casting of lots and record that Andrew Jr won the draw and was to pay £207 - 6sh - 1d to the other heirs. ^[2] Andrew's children, all of whom signed the release deeds, were :

1. Michael Kauffman ^[1] and wife, Catherine ^[2]
2. John Kauffman ^[1] and wife, Catherine Barbara ^[2]
3. Jacob Kauffman ^[1] and wife, Magdalena ^[2]
4. Isaac Kauffman ^[1][2]
5. Andrew Kauffman ^[1] and wife, Magdalena ^[2]
6. Christian Kauffman ^[1] and wife, Barbara ^[2]
7. Anna Kauffman, wife of Alexander Stockslegel; (each of the preceding from Manor Township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania) ^[1][2]
8. Elizabeth Kauffman, wife of Christian Meyer of York county, PA ^[1][2]
9. Mary Kauffman, wife of Christian Shenk of Lancaster Township, Lancaster county, PA ^[1][2]
10. Anna Barbara Kauffman, wife of Michael Shenk of Lancaster Township ^[1][2]
11. Magdalena Kauffman, wife of John Correl of Manor Township ^[1][2]
12. Veronica Kauffman, wife of Jacob Witmer, also of Manor Township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. ^[1][2]

Another source records that Andreas died c.1760, ^[1] but this may simply have been a mistaken reference to the distribution of the estate. The 462-acre lot was divided four ways in January 1760 between John, Christian, Jacob and Michael, all named on the survey papers as sons of Andrew Kauffman.^[5] The 200-acre lot went to Andreas Jr, who had won the draw, and Isaac appears to have moved to West Virginia. ^[2]

Will of Andreas Kauffman

Reproduced from the Kauffman genealogy ^[2] :

As the beloved Savviour [sic] died, so I, Andreas Kaufman, full of sickness, thus make my Will and Testament, willing to my family jut how my property shall be disposed to my wife and children after my decease.

First - what has been brought together, shall be valued at a disposable rate; and my wife, Elizabeth, shall take the value of her part which she brought me and what I brought her and divide equally among my children, taking first choice herself. From whatever is gotten from the sale of our estate, my children are to have two shares and my wife one share. If any of the children are small at the time of my death, they shall be left in the care of charitable and just people and supported out of the estate of us, Andreas Kaufman and wife, until they can earn their own bread.

Now, the land upon which we live in Manor is to be divided into three parts, one part to have as much land as the other. That part on which the buildings and improvements are, is to be for the mother for her own home or place. It shall not be disposed to strange heirs; but to our children. One of my children, sons by said wife, Elizabeth shall have it at a reasonable price.

But the other two parts of land, my sons by my first and last wife shall cast lots for ownership. My two sons which I had by my first wife are to have one piece of the Manor land and my old place at a reasonable rate. Andreas Kauffman, Christian Kauffman and all my children shall be equal heirs. But, if the children of my first and last wives agree to live loveably together with the mother of which I now approve, then all my children shall have equal shares of my estate as appraised after my decease.

Excerpts from the Kauffman genealogy

Andreas Kauffman (Nov 13, 1668 - ). It is presumed he is the man who came to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania in 1717 or possibly his son (Andrew). February 1, 1687, Christian Eichelberger administered the estate of the children and grandchildren of the deceased Hans Kauffman and Anna Eichelberger. Hans had died in the Nederland and had a son Andreas who had now come to Steffisburg. It was proved that the father had been a citizen in Schilach where he resided. May 20, 1689, Andreas Kauffman completed his apprenticeship as a trouserknitter under Jacob Im Hoof and his guardian, Christian Eichleberger, reckoned the cost and found he owed 10 crowns. Eichelberger continued to administer on the estate at Steffisburg. November 20, 1696, the court notes that Andreas Kaufmann, the breeches knitter, has departed from these parts about seven years and that his guardian Christian Eichelberger holds 30 crowns of his estate and that the vineyards about a quarter of an acre in size was sold to Peter Schmid for 45 crowns and was to be divided into shares of about 8 crowns each: viz., Christian and Michael Eichelberger, the children of the deceased Niclaus Henni of Steffisburg: to Uli Eichelberger for himself and his sister, it being understood that should Andreas Kauffman show up soon, this homestead should be turned over to him. ^[2] [pp.xiii-xiv]

Andreas Kaufman came from Friesenheim, in Oberamt of Neustadt, Palatinate, where he is recorded as a Mennonite in 1716. Presumably he is Andreas Kaufman, the "hosenstriker," or trouser-knitter, mentioned as Steffisberg, Switzerland. To Friesenheim, or “frieze cloth town,” no doubt he went to ply his trade. He left Rotterdam, Holland, in early part of June, 1717, and arrived in Philadelphia in September and located on 200 acres of land adjoining Isaac Kauffman on the west. This was part of the 5000-acre blanket warrant granted to Hans Herr and Martin Kendig on September 27, 1717. This 200-acre tract was surveyed Saturday, May 31, 1718. On the same day John Witmer's 200 acres which adjoined Andrew Kauffman on the west and Michael Miller's 300 acres on the north were surveyed. It may be noted here that on Monday, June 2, 1718, Michael Kauffman’s heirs had 500 acres surveyed at Landisville. Henry Musselman had 200 acres adjoining surveyed on the same day. Andrew Kauffman appears on the tax list of 1718 for Conestoga manor for 12 shillings. He was among those naturalized in 1727. When Isaac Kauffman, his neighbor of the east, died intestate in 1737, Andrew Kauffman, Isaac Kauffman’s widow, Elizabeth, and Melchior Erisman, were bonded January. 8, 1738, to administer Isaac Kauffman’s estate.

Andrew Kauffman’s homestead is situated in the southwest corner of the road leading off the Lincoln highway towards Millersville. The walled-in graveyard containing him and a son and grandchildren was ruthlessly demolished by the present owner in 1937. Prior to his death, Andrew acquired 464 acres of land additional, which was parceled out to his four sons. His Will is marked "A KM " but the clerk wrote Andrew Coffman instead. His will mentions but two sons; however the deeds name twelve children. ^[2] [p.1]

Research Notes

A deed dated 4 Aug 1784 and registered 5 Aug 1784, between Michael Shank and Andrew Kauffman Jr (executors of Andrew Kauffman Sr, late of Manor Twp, dec'd) and Jacob Kauffman (son of the deceased Andrew Kauffman) ^[6] recites that :

• Andreas Coffman's 200-acre tract of land on Little Conestoga Creek was patented on 20 Oct 1736 (Book A, vol.8, p.211)
• Andreas's will dated 12 Mar 1741 stipulated that his sons by his first wife, Andrew and Christian, were to cast lots for the 200-acre tract on Little Conestoga Creek
• in an indenture dated 13 Jun 1761 (Book G p.360), Andreas's other heirs released the land to Andrew
• in an indenture dated 27 Nov 1761 (Book H p.486 [?]), Henry and Magdalene Neff transferred a 56-acre tract to Andrew
• Andrew's will dated 1 Jan 1763 stipulated that his two younger sons, Jacob and Andrew, were to cast lots for the Neff property and that part of the Conestoga Creek was to be made available to the person who won the Neff property
• Andrew's "loving friends", Michael Shank and Andrew Kauffman Jr, were to be his executors

Andreas's son Michael is named by one source as the oldest son (see profile for Michael) - was he perhaps the oldest son by the second wife?

The immigrant Andreas Kauffman is often reported to be the "trouser-knitter" born c.1668 in Switzerland or Germany, but the original source for this contention also notes that the immigrant Andreas may in fact have been the son of the trouser-knitter.^[2] It is thus possible that the immigrant Andreas was born rather later, perhaps c.1695, elsewhere in Europe. Given that he married a woman (Elizabeth Kneissle) who was born c.1698, he fathered children (Isaac Kauffman) in 1741, and he made a will in 1744 in which he left open the possibility that he might yet live to see his youngest children grown (i.e. that he might live to, say, 1760), it seems more likely that Andreas the immigrant was not the trouser-knitter born in 1668 but (possibly) his son.

Andreas apparently emigrated at the same time as Isaac Kauffman, and the two men settled near each other in Lancaster, PA. Both named sons Jacob, Isaac, Andrew and Christian. When Isaac died, Andreas was given administration of Isaac's estate. It's highly likely that the two men were brothers (or possibly cousins), but further research is needed to confirm.

Y-DNA : A number of early genealogies reported that Andreas was brother to the immigrants Michael Kauffman (b.c.1675) and Isaac Kauffman (b.c.1685) who arrived in Pennsylvania at the same time and settled in the same area. See, for example "Backgrounds of Old Harrisburg and Vicinity" in The Evening News of 11 Aug 1941. More recently, Y-DNA studies indicate that, while there may be a connection between Andreas and Isaac, there is unlikely to be any connection to Michael. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13} Meginness, John Franklin (1903). Biographical Annals of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Containing Biographical and Genealogical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens and of Many of the Early Settlers p.1123, (np) : Beers. Viewed at https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/804052/?offset=2#page=1370&viewer=picture&o=search&n=0&q=kauffman
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19} Kauffman, Charles Fahs (1940). A genealogy and history of the Kauffman-Coffman families of North America, 1584 to 1937; including brief outlines of allied Swiss and Palatine families who were among the pioneer settlers in Lancaster and York counties of Pennsylvania from 1717 on; viz., Becker, Baer, Correll, Erisman, Fahs, Kuntz, Kneisley, Hershey, Hiestand, Meyers, Musselman, Neff, Martin, Ruby, Snavely, Shenk, Shirk, Sprenkle, Witmer, and others pp. xxiii-xxx, 1. York, PA : Author. Viewed at https://archive.org/details/genealogyhistory00kauf/page/1/mode/1up (Identifier A)
3. ↑ Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994, images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G99B-V81K?cc=1999196&wc=9PM8-4WT%3A268493801%2C268526401 : 3 July 2014), Lancaster, Wills 1750-1837, image 48 of 71; Lancaster County courthouse, Pennsylvania.
4. ↑ "Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G99B-V8NX?cc=1999196&wc=9PM8-4WY%3A268493801%2C268514701 : 3 July 2014), Lancaster > Wills 1730-1773 vol A-B > image 50 of 514; county courthouses, Pennsylvania.
5. ↑ Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Pennsylvania State Archives, RG-17 : Records of the Land Office (Surveys 1681-1912, [series #17.114]) viewed at :

   Book C-107 p.103 (Christian) : http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r17-114CopiedSurveyBooks/Books%20C1-C234/Book%20C107/Book%20C-107%20pg%20205.pdf

   Book C-107 p.104 (Michael) : http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r17-114CopiedSurveyBooks/Books%20C1-C234/Book%20C107/Book%20C-107%20pg%20207.pdf

   Book C-107 p.105 (John) : http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r17-114CopiedSurveyBooks/Books%20C1-C234/Book%20C107/Book%20C-107%20pg%20209.pdf

   Book C-107 p.113 (Jacob) : http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r17-114CopiedSurveyBooks/Books%20C1-C234/Book%20C107/Book%20C-107%20pg%20225.pdf

6. ↑ Lancaster County Recorder of Deeds Book AA p.127
7. ↑ The Genetic Genealogy of Some Mennonite and Amish Kauffman- Coffman Families, viewed at https://www.vitter.org/Genealogy/Documents/KauffmanDNAanalysis.pdf

See also :

• "Old Family Documents Recall Early Days in Lancaster County" in Lancaster New Era, 12 Jun 1915, p.11, viewed at https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112816701/kauffman-family-manor-twp/
• A genealogy and history of the Kauffman-Coffman families of North America, 1584 to 1937, compiled by Charles Fahs Kauffman, Published by the Author, York, Pennsylvania, 1940, page xxviii https://archive.org/details/genealogyhistory00kauf/page/n35/mode/1up
• Genealogy database of Janet and Robert Wolfe, Andrew Kauffman notes https://www-personal.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/pn/p11072.htm
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/192606795/andreas-kaufman : accessed 06 July 2022), memorial page for Andreas Kaufman (13 Nov 1668–1743), Find A Grave: Memorial #192606795 citing Andrew Kauffman Graveyard, Manor Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by BluMoKitty (contributor 46830270). NB : No burial details are given and memorial is virtual only.