Johannes Gnaegi

notes

reported ancestor - presumably either father or paternal grandfather - of Joseph Kanaga

comments

Date and place of death have also been (erroneously?) reported to be December 15, 1772 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (attested on his Find A Grave memorial, conflicts with his FamilySearch record)

links

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73852720/johannes-gnagi

content to clean up

Biography

Born Aarau, Switzerland, in 1720, but by 1723 his family is believed to have been in Montbeliard. The greatest number of references to the surname appears in Schwadernau, Switzerland. Before coming to America, Johannes was in England, where his first son may have been born. The family left in the ship "Francis and Elizabeth", which sailed from Rotterdam, Holland, by way of Deal, England.[1] Johannes' second son was born at sea, where his wife died. On 21 September, 1742, Johannes arrived in Philadelphia, where he and other adult male passengers signed an oath of allegience to the King of England, and a second oath that they were not the agents of any foreign government.[1] Johannes started a farm and mill in Lebanon Co, PA, including over 100 acres at his death. During renovation of the property in the 1980s, an iron fireplace reflector was found, with the date 1755.[2] He died Dec 1772, leaving the land to his first son, Christian, but it passed to non-family members by 1835. Johannes' second wife was Madgalena Schwatka.[3] His will refers to 'my brother-in-law, Christian Yoder.' One reference says Johannes' son, John, was born in 1752.[3]

Arrived in Philadelphia aboard "Francis and Elizabeth" Sept. 21, 1742. First wife, Mary Holden, died during voyage and was buried at sea.

The approximate year of his birth is 1720.

Family links:

Spouses:

 Magdalena Yoder Gnagi*

 Mary Holden Gnagi (____ - 1742)

Children:

 Christian Gnagey (1740 - 1812)

Burial: Unknown Created by: peppercorn Record added: Jul 24, 2011 Find A Grave Memorial# 73852720

The Northkill Amish Settlement The first Amish Mennonites began migrating to the United States in the eighteenth century, mainly to escape the religious persecution and compulsory military service they faced in Europe. The Northkill area in eastern Pennsylvania was opened for settlement in 1736, and that same year, Melchoir Detweiler and Hans Sieber arrived in Philadelphia on the ship Princess Augusta.

Within a year Sieber had settled along Irish Creek (between Bernville and Centerpoint), which became a sister community to the Northkill settlement, while Detweiler found land along Northkill Creek. The Northkill settlement lay on the edge of the Blue Mountains. At that time this ridge was the legal boundary of European settlement, according to treaties between the British and the Native Americans.

More Amish passengers arrived on the ship Charming Nancy in 1737 and found their way to the Irish Creek and Northkill settlements. These included Jacob Beiler, Christian Burki, Christian Hershberger, Christian Kurtz, Christian Lichti, Jacob Mast, Abraham Miller, Christian Miller, Jacob Miller, Ulrich Spicker, Henry Stehly, and Hans Zimmerman, and their families. The following year the Charming Nancy returned with my ancestor, Jacob Hochstetler, his wife, and 2 young children, among others, to Philadelphia. They were soon established among the earlier arrivals along the Northkill. During the following decades the Amish continued to settle along the Northkill in increasing numbers. 1742 saw the arrival of Hans Gerber, Hans (Johannes) Gnagi, Jacob Good, Christian Miller, Christian Yoder, Sr., Christian Yoder, Jr., Jacob Yoder, Christian Zook, Johannes Zook, and Moritz Zook. By now the community was large enough to petition the Pennsylvania General Assembly for naturalization rights, which allowed them to purchase land, a right denied Anabaptists in Europe.

In 1744 the families of Christian and Samuel King, Hans Stephen Kurtz, Johannes Snyder, Michael Stuckey, and Yost Yoder expanded the settlement even more. The community welcomed Bishop Jacob Hertzler and his family in 1749, along with the Christian Fisher, Hans Lantz, and Jacob and Joseph Mishler families. Hans Blank, Andreas and Johannes Hooley, John Mast, and Michael Troyer expanded the settlement even more the following year.

According to S. Duane Kauffman in Miffllin County Amish and Mennonite Story, 1791-1991, at its peak the Irish Creek-Northkill community consisted of about 40 Amish families or between 150 and 200 persons, which would have made it the largest Amish settlement in America at that time. In spite of several attacks during the French and Indian War, including the one against my ancestors in 1757, it held that distinction into the 1780s, when it began to decline as families moved farther west in search of better farmland.

Although it existed for a relatively brief period, the Northkill settlement was fundamental in establishing the Amish in North America. It included the forebears of many Amish families, such as the Yoders, Burkeys, Troyers, Hochstetlers, and Hershbergers, and is generally considered to be the mother from which the other eastern Pennsylvania Amish communities sprang.

Different sources assign different names to our immigrant ancestor. Hans, Johannes, John, and Joseph all appear. Hans, Johannes, and John are found on legal documents, whereas Joseph is found in family traditions. Various spellings of the Gnage family name include: Gnaegy, Gnaegi, Gnagey, Gnagegie, Gnagi, Gnagy, Genegy, Knag, Kanagy, Kenagy, and our name Kenaga.

Hans Gnage, an Amish Mennonite was born in Switzerland during 1720. He may have immigrated to the Amish Mennonite community at Montebeliard, France and have also spent time in England before coming to America. It was in England that he married an English woman, Mary Holden, and started a family. He and his family boarded the ship Frances and Elizabeth arriving in Pennsylvania on September 21, 1742. It was said that Mary died on the voyage and was buried at sea. Hans was granted a warrant to 122 acres of land in Berks County, Pennsylvania. This property lies between Shartlesville and Hamburg. This is near the first organized Amish congregation. Around 1750 Hans remarried Magdalene Yoder(?) . He named his brother in law Christian Yoder as executor of his estate. Hans became a naturalized British subject in Philadelphia on April 10,1761. In 1763 Hans sold his 122 acres and moved 20 miles west, purchasing 200 acres in Lebanon County. He adopted a grist mill and farmed until his death in 1772. Madgalene and the family remained on the land until the end of the century. Children of Hans Gnage [1720-1772] and Mary Holden: • Christian [b.1740?] [d. October 1799] • John (Johannes)[b.1742] [d.1833] Children of Hans Gnage and Magdalene Yoder: • Magdalena[b.1744][m.John Zug] [d.1795] • Gertrude [b.1748] [m.Jacob Zug] • Ulrich [b.1750][m.Maria Snavely,Elizabeth Greiss][d.March 1,1820] • Joshua [b.June 10,1758][m.Anna Sharrick,Susanna Vandersaal][d.April 1843] • Jacob [b.1760] [m.Barbara Yoder,Ann Yoder?] [d1837] • Joseph [b. July 22,1763][Catherine Snavely,Elizabeth Reem][d.April 14,1843] • Veronica • Anna • Abraham ? • David ?

Johannes GNAEGI Pedigree Birth: 1720 Baden, Germaney, Death: Dec 1772 , Lebanon, Pa Spouse: Magdalena YODER Family Marriage: Abt 1747 Of, , , Pennsylvania Spouse: Mrs. Johannes GNAEGI

Family Marriage: Gwynn [gwynn66@earthlink.com] posted on http://genforum.genealogy.com/gnaegi/messages/13.html :

The Amish-Mennonite Kishacoquillas Valley Database by Betty Graber Hartzler is a fount of information.

This is on RootsWeb WorldConnect Project as is Pat Mote at http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/1450/kenaga.

Both agree "different sources now spell surname Kanagy, Kenaga, Kenagy, Kanaga, Gnaegy and the list goes on. Johannes was an Amish Mennonite. He spent some time in England before coming to America and it is there he m. Mary Holden and started a family. He & his family boarded the ship "Francis & Elizabeth" arriving in Pennsylvania on 9-12-1742. It was said Mary died on the voyage and was buried at sea. He married Magdalena Yoder not long after and named his brother in law, Christian Yoder, executor of his estate. (See "Amish & Amish Mennonites" by Gingerich & Krieder, pg 208-14 & Descendents of Johannes Gnaegi & John Kenege, Sr. and Related Families by Eugene E. Kenaga, published by Eugene Kenaga, Midland, MI 1988.)

It stands to reason he would m. Magdalena aboard ship after lost his wife as he had small children to care for. His children are listed in the Gingerich & Kreider book as well; Magdalena Gnaegi pg 548, Ulrich pg 209, Joshua "Yost" pg 209 etc.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/1450/kenaga says : Hans Gnage, an Amish Mennonite was born in Switzerland during 1720. He may have immigrated to the Amish Mennonite community at Montebeliard, France and have also spent time in England before coming to America. It was in England that he married an English woman, Mary Holden, and started a family. He and his family boarded the ship Frances and Elizabeth arriving in Pennsylvania on September 21, 1742. It was said that Mary died on the voyage and was buried at sea.

Hans was granted a warrant to 122 acres of land in Berks County, Pennsylvania. This property lies between Shartlesville and Hamburg. This is near the first organized Amish congregation. Around 1750 Hans remarried Magdalene Yoder. He named his brother in law Christian Yoder as executor of his estate. Hans became a naturalized British subject in Philadelphia on April 10,1761. In 1763, Hans sold his 122 acres and moved 20 miles west, purchasing 200 acres in Lebanon County. He adopted a grist mill and farmed until his death in 1772. Madgalene and the family remained on the land until the end of the century. Children of Hans Gnage [1720-1772] and Mary Holden: Christian [b.1740?] [d. October 1799] John [b.1742] [d.1833] After I sent my message to you, I ran across another reference to the Swiss link for Johannes.That reference cited Eugne Kanaga's book.I spoke with Eugene a lot before the book was published.He indicated that for him the Swiss link was tenuous, based only on the fact of a Johannes Gnagi born in 1720 in both Rudolph Gnagi's ancestry and in ours.If the Mormon data flowed from that source, it should be regarded as Eugene does-- an interesting possibility requiring confirmation.It would be exciting to know if it's a second confirmation rather than restatement of the first hypothesis.

http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/gnaegi/25/

From 1998-1999 we lived in the Palatinate!I was stationed at Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, which is at the Frankfurt airport.The cities Gnagi's are said to have lived in include Schwadernau and Montbeliard.The ship Johannes came in began at Rotterdam, then went to Deal (England).It seems many German (and Swiss) passengers traveled over the course of months down the Rhein, north to exit from the Netherlands.I wonder how long Johannes was in England.The idea of his marrying an English woman has long seemed very strange to me.No other non-German wife's name appears in the related genealogies, and Johannes was clearly a devout Amish or Mennonite man.Evidence is that two of his sons (Ulrich and Jost paid the fine for non-participation in the revolution (pacifism is one of the 3 basic tenets of the Anabaptist faith) and his first son (Christian) is the ancestor of a very consistently Mennonite lineage.How is it, then, that our progenitor chose an English woman for his wife??I suspect the former Miss Holden was distinctly German/Swiss.

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry.com Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012; @R4@ <i>Find A Grave</i>. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.

GEDCOM Source

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry.com Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012; @R4@ <i>Find A Grave</i>. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.

GEDCOM Source

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Trees Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.; This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created.

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Trees http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=11830624&pid...

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry.com Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012; @R4@ <i>Find A Grave</i>. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.

GEDCOM Source