John Jacob Wolfe, Sr.

JOHN JACOB3 WOLFE (JOHN NICHOLAS2WOLF, WOLFE1)2,3 was born December 27, 1751 in Berkeley County, VA (now West Virginia), and died January 08, 1811 in Russell County, Virginia.He married CATHERINE BEHRCIRCO BAHR 1778 in Berkley County, VA (now West Virginia), daughter of GEORGE PETER BARR.She was born 1753 in Pennsylvania, and died 1835 in Scott County, Virginia.

Family

https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/w/o/l/Kermit-C-Wolfe/GENE1-0003.html#...

Catherine Barre married John Jacob WOLFE, son of John Nicholas WOLFE and Anna Maria Elizabeth BRESSLER, March 1778 in Berkley County, West Virginia, United States. (John Jacob WOLFE was born December 27, 1751 in Virginia and died January 8, 1811 in Copper Creek, Russell County, Virginia, United States and was buried 1811 in Lane-Wisely Cemetery, Scott County, Virginia, United States.) The cause of his death was Hanging.

Children of JOHN WOLFE and CATHERINE BAHR are:

• 8. i. HENRY4 WOLFE, b. 1779; d. 1872.
• 9. ii. JOHN WOLFE, JR., b. March 27, 1781, North Carolina; d. February 13, 1864, Scott County, VA.
• 10. iii. CATHERINE WOLFE, CATY, b. October 03, 1782, Berkeley County, West Virginia; d. 1868, Scott County, Virginia.
• 11. iv. ADAM WOLFE, b. September 03, 1784, Berkeley County, West Virginia; d. September 28, 1862, Grainger County, Tennessee.
• v. GEORGE WOLFE, b. October 18, 1786, Berkeley County, West Virginia; m. ELIZABETH BETSY; b. 1790, Berkeley County, West Virginia.
• 12. vi. HANNAH WOLFE, b. October 20, 1788, Berkeley County, West Virginia.
• 13. vii. JONAS JOHNATHAN WOLFE, b. October 12, 1790, Washington (now Scott) County; d. September 26, 1857, Scott County, Virginia.
• 14. viii. MARY WOLFE, b. September 08, 1792, Berkeley County, West Virginia; d. 1820, Illinois.
• 15. ix. MARGARET WOLFE, PEGGY, b. July 08, 1794, Berkeley County, West Virginia; d. 1862, Scott County, VA.
• 16. x. JACOB WOLFE, b. July 27, 1796, Washington County (now Scott), Virginia; d. May 30, 1863, Scott County, Virginia.

  ---

From https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=68132221

"Her father was buried there and there is pretty good proof of that from early surveyors notes discovered by William Dale Carter. The stone for John Wolfe was placed during a family reunion in the early 1930s and the dates are off by five years. John Wolfe died in 1811, not in 1816 when the Wolfe vs Wolfe trial was started".

---

From http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/w/o/l/Kermit-C-Wolfe/GENE1-0003.html#C...

John Wolfe was born about December 27, 1751 and lived about 25 miles north of Winchester in Berkeley County, (West) Virginia, at the time of his marriage about 1778 to Catherine Bare. He was known as a "genteel, sober young man," although neither he nor his wife was educated; neither could read or write. About four months after the marriage, he was present when a murder was committed; the murderer was hanged, and although Wolfe was only a witness, he fled in 1778 to South Carolina and Georgia for over a year; he then returned and immediately took his wife and child to North Carolina.

In the spring of 1788, the family moved to a farm on the south side of the North Fork of the Holston River; they were extremely poor, but on December 6, 1790, he bought 50 acres where he then lived from John Kearns, and on November 14, 1796, 150 acres from Dennis Coudry. The land located at the junction of the river with the Tennessee state line about four miles from Gate City.

John Wolfe was a strict, hard-working, and careful farmer and he ac-cumulated a sizeable estate worth about $3,000.00 by 1806. He also peddled whiskey in the Clinch River settlements and may have traded horses in Kentucky. He also leased land to Robert Stubblefield. In 1792 his brother-in-law, Peter Bare, lived with him for about four months.

After several years, Wolfe's mental condition began to deteriorate as he became increasingly depressed about his part in the murder he had witnessed many years before. He sometimes realized when his fits of depression were coming on and would warn his family to stay away from him. However, according to Joseph Duncan, an employee, "sometimes he would immediately go to drinking and quarreling with his family and at other times he would pass over the course of a night before he would break out so very bad, during which times he and his wife would generally talk Dutch together...and he would make all fly." He threatened his family with physical violence and made many extravagant and scandalous statements about them.

His condition became worse after about 1803, when a blackmailer named Stunn came to Wolfe, falsely claiming he had killed Stunn's father; he also claimed to have a warrant for Wolfe's arrest but stated he would accept a horse as the price for not prosecuting. Stunn was arrested, but escaped, and after this incident, Wolfe lost interest in his family and property as he became more depressed. Life in the home became increasingly difficult, so that Caty Wolfe sent her daughter Hannah to live with her aunt Mary Pope in June, 1805, and her son Adam to live with his uncle Charles Wolfe in Tennessee. Wolfe threatened to desert his family, and after severe emotional attack, he sold his 200 acre farm to John Weaver on February. 13, 1806, for considerably less that it was worth. He then took his youngest son, Jacob, and went to the Moravian settlement near Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he apprenticed the boy to a saddler and loaned his money out at interest.

On April 12, 1806, after Wolfe had gone to North Carolina, his sons Henry and John forced John Weaver to return to them the 200 acre farm; Henry got a patent to the land in 1809. Then on September 15, 1806, they agreed to furnish their mother the house where she lived, and each year to provide her with a half acre of flax land, 50 bushels of Indian corn, 400 pounds of pork, a bushel of salt, eight bushels of wheat, hay or fodder, a half acre of cotton land, fruit, pasture, firewood, three pairs of shoes, and $4.00 cash.

About a year later, John Wolfe returned to his family on the Holston and stayed with them about a year. He then lived in the home of Jacob Peters for about two years and then bought 250 acres on Copper Creek in Russell County, Virginia. He hanged himself there in January, 1811 and his personal debts were settled and his estate sold in 1816.

The Wolfe family was involved in several lawsuits concerning the pro-perty, as Caty and her younger children sought a share in the land that Henry and John Wolfe had acquired from Weaver; it was eventually divided in 1821 among all the heirs. Henry Wolfe sold his mother 137 acres of the farm on January 25, 1814, for $500.00; she sold the land on June 27, 1828; to her son-in-law, Abraham Lane, with whom she subsequently made her home until her death about 1835 in Scott County, Virginia.

(Medical):John Jacob hanged himself after several very difficult and depressing years.

More About JOHN JACOB WOLFE:

• Baptism: April 26, 1752, Christ Lutherian Church in York
• Burial: Lane Cemetery, Gate City, Scott County, VA

Notes for CATHERINE BEHRCIRCO BAHR:

From McGinnis genealogy I have Birth 1755 and Death 1829, Hawkins County, TN

BARE of Hawkins County, Tennessee

George Peter Bar moved from Germany to America in the Rowand from Rotterdam, landing at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 29, 1753, with his family after being becalmed at sea for several weeks and suffering many hardships

On November 5, 1770, Bar bought 100 acres near the head of Swan Ponds in Frederick (now Berkeley) County, (West) Virginia, from Jacob Morgan for 100; on March 19, 1782, he acquired from Jane Morgan an additional eight acres he was already using. On April 2, 1787, he and his wife, Catherine, sold his 108 acres to George Tabler for 320.2 

Peter Bare, as the name was Anglicized, then moved from Swan Ponds but his later residence has not been located. The names of his children are not definitely known, but probably include the following:
* a. Catherine Bare, Born c1753: died c1835 in Scott County, Vir-ginia; married c1778 in Berkeley County, (West) Virginia, to John Wolfe (see p. 267).

• b. Peter Bare, born c1756: died 1829 in Hawkins Country, Tennes-see; he moved from Berkeley County, (West) Virginia, to Wash-ington (now Scott) County, Virginia, about 1791, and lived about three months with the Wolfe family; he then moved about 20 miles away and in August,1801, he moved to Hawkins County, Tennessee. On November 27, 1801, he Bought land on Poor Valley Creek; on August 2, 1816; he bought 90 acres in the same area; he sold two tracts to George Williams on January 4, 1823, and April 28,1824. He and his Wife Edy had the following children:4
• (1) Peter Bare, born c1781; lived in Hawkins County, Tennessee, in 1850.
• (2) Henry Bare.
• (3) Michael Bare
• (4) George Bare.
• (5) Matthias Bare.
• (6) Nancy Bare.
• (7) Barbara Bare.
• (8) Deborah Bare.
• (9) Susan Bare.
• (10) Jacob Bare lived in Clinton County, Ohio, in 1833.
• (11) James Bare.

REFERENCES

• 1Ralph Beaver Strassburger and William John Hinke, Pennsylvania German Pioneers (Norristown, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania German Society, 1934), I, 570; the same family tradition with minor variations has persisted among descendants of at least three children of Catherine Bare Wolfe.
• 2Frederick County, Virginia, Deed. Bk. 14, p. 12; Berkeley County, (West) Virginia, Deed Bk. 5, P. 702, Bk. 8, pp. 38, 40.

  ---

Save to my tree Biographical Profile of John Jacob Wolfe Paternal GGG Grandfather

Compiled by Ernest W. Smith < AncestryImage >

John Jacob Wolfe was born on Dec. 27, 1751 in York, York Co, PA. to parents, John Nicholas and Maria Elizabeth (BRESSLER) Wolfe.

He was christened on April 26, 1752 in Christ Lutheran Church, York, PA. He died in Jan. 1811 in Russell (now Scott) County, Virginia. Place of Death and burial: on Manville road just North of Gate City in Scott County, Virginia. He was the first of five known children, three boys and two girls, which include: Charles, born 1755; George, born 1765; Barbara and Mary, birth unknown. John was married to the former Catherine Bare about 1778. At the time of their marriage, he was living about 25 miles north of Winchester in Berkeley County, (West) Virginia. Both John and Catherine were uneducated, and neither could read nor write. From this union there were 10 children born, 6 boys and 4 girls. They are as follows Henry, born Jan. 14, 1779; John, born Mar. 27, 1781; Catherine, born Oct. 03, 1782; Adam, born Sept. 03. 1784; George, born Oct. 08, 1786; Hannah, born July 08, 1794 and Jacob, born July 27, 1796. Shortly after his marriage to Catherine, John was either a witness or a participant in the violent murder of a Mr. Stunn of Berkeley Co. WVA in 1788. The murder took place 4 months after John Wolfe married Catherine. The murderer was captured and hanged, but John became so frightened, that he left his wife while she was pregnant with their first child Henry, and fled to Georgia and South Carolina. John was gone for about a year and a half before he returned. Upon his return, he immediately took Catherine and his young son Henry to North Carolina. In the spring of 1788, the family moved to a farm on the south side of the North Fork of the Holston River. Even though they were extremely poor, John managed to buy the 50 acres on which he was living. The purchase was made on Dec. 06, 1790, from John Kearns. Six years later on Nov. 14, 1796, John purchased an additional 150 acres from Dennis Coudry. This farm was located at the junction of the river with the Tennessee state line about four miles from Gate City. John Wolfe was a strict, hardworking, and careful farmer, and by 1806, he had accumulated a sizeable estate worth about $3,000.00. He also peddled whiskey in the Clinch River settlements, and may have traded horses in Kentucky. As the years passed John's mental condition deteriorated. He became increasingly depressed from the emotional pressure he felt from the murder incident years before. He would feel these bouts of depression coming on, and would warn his family to stay away from him. As John's emotional state worsened, he became increasingly violent. He progressed from quarreling, to threats of physical violence upon his family. As family life became more difficult, Catherine sent Hannah to live with her Aunt Mary Pope, and Adam to live with his Uncle Charles Wolfe in Tennessee. Shortly afterwards, John sold his farm and took his youngest son, Jacob, to the Moravian settlement near Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After about one year had lapsed, John returned home. John’s mental condition got continually worse, and about a year after returning home, he then moved into the home of Jacob Peters where he lived for about 2 years. About this time, John bought 250 acres on Copper Creek in Russell County, Virginia. The years of emotional trauma came to a climax when John hanged himself there in the month of January 1811.

Published History of John Jacob Wolfe (unknown author)

JOHN JACOB WOLFE Sr. was born on Dec. 27, 1751 in York, York Co, PA. He was christened on April 26, 1752 in Christ Lutheran Church, York, PA. He died in Jan. 1811 in Russell County, Virginia. He was buried in Russell County, Virginia. He has reference number 84. Place of Death and burial on Manville road just North of Gate City in Scott County, Virginia. Christening record from LDS Ordinances discovered by Michael Wolfe in 1997. It gave his middle name (Jacob) and parents as John Nicholas Wolf and Maria Elizabeth. The christening date matches his known birth year of 1752, and the name Nicholas matches Nicholas Wolfe who lived in Sullivan Co near Mary and Barbara in the late 1700s. There is still considerable speculation that this is the correct match. The LDS Ordinances were Baptized 6/8/1977 Provo, Endowed 8/12/1977 Provo, and Sealed to Parents 8/31/1977 Provo. He received a land grant on the south side of the North Fork, Holston River, in April 1789. It was 25 acres and bounded on three sides b y the river. The land grant was No 14269 and joined William Linches entry. (Surveyors Entry Book 1, p. 146; a similar Surveyors Entry Book 1, p. 86; and Land Grants Book 1, all in Washington Co, VA)

Children & birth dates from the Wolfe vs. Wolfe Court Case. They were reported to be from the family Bible in the possession of Henry Wolfe.

On 2/13/1806 he sold the family farm and 4 slaves to John Weaver for $1300. The property consisted of three tracts of land amounting to 600 acres. In the Wolfe vs. Wolfe case, it was determined that the land was worth $3000 exclusive of the slaves which were valued at $1500. The slaves were a man, his wife and 2 daughters. After the sale, he went to live with the Moravians in NC. Henry and John threatened to take Weaver to court, and he agreed to sell the land to them for $900, but he kept the slaves. On 10/17/1816, the other children initiated the Superior Court of Chancery case in Wytheville, VA. The Wolfe vs. Wolfe case was not settled until 5/13/1822. The courts ruled that John Wolfe had intended to defraud his wife and children when he sold the property, and that the others had a right to their shares.

After a short while in NC, John Wolfe came back to Scott Co and bought a small farm on Copper Creek. Eventually, he convinced his wife Catherine to live with him again and she was living with him when he took his life.

The court records indicate that he assisted with a murder in Berkley Co, WV, and may have been the murderer. He said that was the major cause of his behavior, according to testimony from his wife, and that was the reason he took his life.

He apparently built a sizable amount of wealth by making and selling various alcoholic beverages. He operated a still even when he lived for a year with Jacob Peters after returning from NC.

After the murder in Berkley Co, WV, John fled to SC and GA. After about 12-18 months, he returned and immediately took his family to NC where he resided a few years before settling on the North Fork of the Holston River in present day Scott Co, VA. Some references indicate that he had lived with the Moravians at some time (maybe as a child?). (from Wolfe vs. Wolfe trial.)

They settled on the North Fork of the Holston the spring before Hannah was born. (from Caty Wolfe's testimony in the Wolfe vs Wolfe trial.)

DEATH: He hanged himself after several very difficult and depressing years. He is buried in the Lane-Wisley Cemetery GC#28 just to the right of the Mannville Road about 1-2 miles past the Courthouse in Gat e City. There is a huge tree at the head of his grave. According to family legends, family members planted either a seed or small tree from Tennessee or Kentucky to mark the grave. The type of tree has not been identified to my knowledge. The legend says that it is so hard that an ax will bounce off it. Inspection of the tree shows that it is in the white oak family, but seems to be different than other white oaks in this area. Apparently, the grave site is on the land owned by the Wolfe family at the time of his death, and some legends say that it was Abraham Lane's farm. The first deed that has been found for the land was when it was sold by John Wolfe Jr. in 1849.

He was married to Catherine BARE (daughter of George Peter BARE and Catherine) in 1778 in Berkley County, Virginia. Catherine BARE was born in 1753.She died in 1835 in Scott County, Virginia.

• Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Aug 7 2017, 17:53:40 UTC