Jarrett...
Thank you for contacting me back.
For the sake of brevity at this point, this has been something that in researching my family line along with a professional genealogist and a leading DNA expert over the last twenty years has been difficult to keep correct.
For the moment, as you may have seen from other recent postings I have submitted, kindly go to the Family Search profile of Hans Jacob Suter, L19Y-YJS and you will see the genesis of this. I added, to the limit of characters allowed what is going on with our "Original Immigrant Jacob."
There were so many Jacobs in the Lancaster area of genealogy roots that it is almost impossible to be 100% sure of facts, and there are multiple errors just about everywhere.
We base our research on two things: the will of Jacob, proven in 1737 which is supported by land grants, deeds, taxes and ultimately Family Bibles. I can certainly send you a scan for that.
But the best evidence for Jacob comes from two articles by Jane Evans Best, a very highly regarded Mennonite researcher, that outlined the Sauder line as far back as the 1300's.
In that extensive outline, best does identify Jacob. But, and this is often the case for most, but not all mis-identification of him, she has the wrong person.
Along with new research from a Swiss collaborator, Best wrote an update that correctly postulates the immigrant Jacob as the father of John who is mentioned in the will.
I also traveled to Switzerland in 2006 and viewed records in the Staat Arciv that support Best's research.
At present, I can only send a jpeg of the second article correction, I don't have a Word document.
I don't have a lot of time at the moment, but I also don't mind trying to dig through years of material again.
The main thing is, many people posting trees, especially on Geni and even on Family Search are wildly off the mark, with a raft of inconsistencies. The main error is that many try to mash together Jacob's children, Maria (Rohrer), and Susanna (Funk) from his first marriage with the three children from his second marriage to Ann Groff. Those children are John, Ann, and Jacob. This second marriage is confirmed many times over by land grants and deeds between the siblings.
But this has been going on for many years.
Here's what I can give you for now:
Here is a copy of Jacob's will:
Will of Jacob Soutter, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania;
Will written 8 March 1733; proved in Court 3 August 1737.
[The following is the translation, and related notes, contained on the J. Danielson website, with corrections provided by Peggy Wishon]
“March 8, 1733, Jacob Sautter
This will was written in German. Here is a copy and translation I don't know who transcribed this will. The translator had this to say: "Its age, the very poor handwriting and spelling, the irregular wording, the dark taped areas, etc., make me wonder that it was not thrown away. Because of the level or readability I prefer to copy the document word for word as I believe it was meant with the translation . . . Some of it is certainly open to question."
dem 8 mertz 1733 daB Jacob Sautter
in seiner krank heut bey gutter ver standt
und auss Proch seinen Will und Testamendt
allso Beschloss er und Be stettichet
Erstlich sollen de Zwey kindter marey sauteri
und Sussanna Sauteri das gelt und Leinrat (?)
und kiesten Von ierem motter erb hawen
ferner soll diese Blandasche und drey hundert
acker Landt vor 2 (on crease ?) hundert und 80 Pf (?) zu ge
schlagen sein da Von sollen die ob gemelten
kinder Marrey Saudterin und Susana Sauterin
ein Jettes hundert lb hawen soll vor ir
Vatterliches Erb gut und die frau 80 lb und
und die Blandasche noch drey Jor Nutzen soll
dar nach kennen sie seh hawen Wie sie
Wellen Was aber die farrede hawend schlulde
soll der frau sein
Das Landt aber an der Bekwe 2 (?) und 33
Acker das soll dem Hans Saudtr sein und
seinen geschwistert raus gewen und seine
madter dar auf wonen lasen so lang
sie Lebt
Jacob Saude
Felix Landtes [Felix Landis per recording - pw]
Petter Fardte [Peter Fordea/Jordea per recording - pw]
Hans Bower (?) [John Rorer per recording entry - pw]
[Per Danielson Site: “Apparently Jacob Sauder could scarcely write as is evident from his signature at the end. We have no way of knowing who wrote this for him; but the wording strongly suggests that it was dictated by Sauder and written for him by some other person who also could hardly write. Because of the inconsistent sentence structure the meaning is not as clear as we could wish. Here is what I believe is meant or intended.”]
On March 8, 1733, Jacob Sautter in his illness and with good mental faculties dictated his will and testament.
Thus he decided and states here:
Firstly, the two children Mary Sauder and Susanna Sauder shall have the money, the household furnishings and the chests from their mother's inheritance.
Further this farm and three hundred aces of land are to be shall be added for 2 (?) hundred 80 Pounds
Of this the above mentioned children Mary Sauder and Susanna Sauder are each to have one hundred Pounds as their inheritance from their father, the wife is to have 80 Pounds and shall have the use of the farm for three years as she wants to use it.
However, so far as the movable goods and the debts shall belong to the wife.
But the land along the Pequea [2 -pw] and 33 acres [should be 233 acres -pw] of land is to go to Hans Sauder and he is to pay out to his sisters [should be translated as "siblings" -pw] and allow his mother to live on it for as long as she lives.
* * * * * * * * * *
Will and Translation by Noah G. Good, March 9, 1998.
Copy from Cherry Kinnunen:
“This will is not very legible. It is poorly written and not well
preserved.
It is identified as J-1-229 (original) Jaob Souder
Lancaster Co., Pa.; dated 1733; probated 1737.
The will reads:
Dem 8 mertz 1733 daß Jacob Sautter
On the 8th of March Jacob Sautter
in seiner krank heit bei gutter verstandt
in his illness in good understanding
und ausŧ sproch seinen will und Testament
and he expressed his will and testament
aliso Beschlossen and Bestehet
as declared and stated
Erstlich sollen die zwei kintter Mary Souteri
Firstly the two daughters Mary Souder
und Susanna souteri daß Geld und Heimat
And Susanna Souder shall inherit the money and the home
Und kisten Vol ihŧsu motter erb nawen
And the chest with the mother’s inheritance
Ŧerner soil diese Blandasche und dreyhundert
And further the farm and three hundred acres
aker Landt. Vor 2 hundert und 80 kl zu ge
One hundred eighty perches are to be added
schia en sein carven sollen die obgemeliten
and of it the above named children
kinder marrey sautterin und Susana Sauterin
Mary Souder and Susanna Saudder
Ein Je tes hunder lb hawen soil fer ir
are each to have one hundred pounds for their
Vetterliches Erb gut und die frau 80 lb.
paternal inheritance and the wife is to have 80 pounds
und die Blandsache nach drey Jar vardten soil
and the farm is to be held for three years
der noch kennen sie she (blurred)
After which she can take what she wants
wellen. Waß aber die farraice un schulde
But obligations and debts shall be the duty of the wife
soil der frau sein.
Daß Landt (line blurred.. cannot read)
But the land above is to go to Hans Sauder and his sisters
are to give it to him and to his mother who is to live on it for as long as she lives.
Signed by:
Jacob Souder
(The names are hardly legible) It may be
Jeliel Landtis [Felix Landis -pw]
Petter Jardte [Peter Fordea/Jordea -pw]
Hans (part of name torn away)”
[Hans (John) Rorer -pw]
[see “Recording” entry for names]
And, here is a summation of follow up research for Best's outline:
Jane Evans Best writes in 1993:
New information so kindly sent to me by Erika Rubel-Kern from Zurich, Switzerland, has caused numerous revisions in my article "Bauman and Sauter Families of Hirzel, Switzerland", in the April, 1991 issue of Mennonite Family History.
The research of Mrs. Rubel-Kern has also provided information of ancestors of Harman Suter of Hirzel, Zurich, Switzerland, as well as a major correction in the parentage of the immigrant Jacob Souder who died in 1737, and for whom Soudersburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania was named.
Ulrich Suter in 1342 was a Lehensann (vassel) in Suterhofes in Zimmerberg, Hirzel. The Ulrich Suter who died in 1503 was also a vassel in Suterhofes. A descendant, Hans Suter, was married to a Magdalena, and was a farmer of Suterhof with his brother Ulrich.
According to Mrs. Rubel-Kern, the family of Heinrich Suter appears to be a more likely one from which the immigrant Jacob Souder came.
Heinrich was a farmer in Kalbisau, but he left his family in 1690 because of debts and disapeared. His wife, Regula Kleiner, sold the totally debt encumbered farm in 1694 and died in 1699. He may have gone to Jebsheim, Alsace, where his sister Barbara Suter and
her husband were recorded in 1692. They returned to Hausen by 1700, but their two sons, Hans Heinrich Huber and Jacob Huber are believed to be the ones who died in Martic Township, Lancaster County in 1757 and 1743 respectively.
The immigrant Jacob Souder who would have been twelve year old when his father left Hirzel in 1690 and may have gone with him.
His baptism is recorded as Jan. 27, 1678, Hirzel.
His name is recorded in a census of Mennonites living in Mannheim, Germany in 1717.
As research as confirmed, Jacob's daughter Mary (or Maria) by his first unknown wife was born in Mannheim on Feb. 24, 1716. We know from family Bible records that Mary married Johannes Rohrer.
An absolute link to Jacob being the original immigrant in America who purchased land from Hans Groff in 1719 has not been disocovered at this point, but the preponderance of evidence is convincingly strong. Research in Mannheim, Germany and/or more detailed DNA testing of documented descendants in America and Europe could further soldify the evidence to date.
Thank you again for your reply, and please let me know if I can further assist.
John, and his father Jacob, are my family line, so that is my main motivation.
Robert Souders
