John Adam Schaeffer

Immigrant ~1773

In Germany, the name "Schaeffer" or "Schaffer" was spelled with a German umlaut "a", the pronunciation of which led to the later "Scheffer" spelling in America. This spelling later became Sheffer.

Johann Adam Scheffer was born 29 November, about 1751, twenty-four miles from Mannheim, Germany. He was baptized in infancy and became a member of the German Reformed Church. At about age 16 he and older brother Johann Jacob Scheffer traveled down the Rhine to Rotterdam and from there sailed to America on the ship "Chance" , under captain Charles Smith. They landed in Philadelphia on 8 August 1764. (The discrepancy in age & dates may indicate an earlier birth year.) He told his grandchildren that the crossing took three months, the bread became moldy, the water wormy, and many were sick. Ships records indicate 208 passengers on board including 90 men over age 16. All males took the oath of allegiance to King George of England. Both the Scheffer brothers were able to sigh their own names (as Schaffer). From Philadelphia the brothers traveled westward, Adam locating in Westmoreland Co. PA while Jacob disappears from the record, perhaps pushing farther west. He was rumored to have been near Zelienople, Butler Co. PA before pushing farther south; no records have been found.
Adam volunteered in Jan 1778 for military service, in the volunteer company commanded by Christopher Truby. This company mustered where Greensburg now stands, and marched to Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh), thirty-one miles distant. Here they trained and were joined by other companies all under the command of General Edward Hand. From Fort Pitt they marched to the mouth of the Beaver, thence down the Ohio River, then across the Beaver River not far from its mouth, and proceeded into "Indian territory", eastern Ohio. Their mission was apparently to destroy villages.
See lengthy additional biographical record, compiled by Hazel Sheffer Crawford, at John Adam Schaeffer biography.

NOT A DIRECT ANCESTOR Adam Sheffer is not in my direct ancestry. He is the great-great-grandfather of James Austin Sheffer and Otis Branfield Sheffer who married Anna Catherine "Annie" Kline and Beulah Gladys Kline; the wives are 1 step removed in the following ways: Sister of Winnifred May Kline Daughter of of John Abram Kline and Elizabeth Anna Frederick

	Date	Location	Notes	Sources
Birth	1751	Germany
Military	1779	Revolutionary War Veteran enlisted at Hannah's Town PA, in Capt. Mathey Jack's Rangers Company
1st Marriage	1780		To Catherine Dorothea Trope (Sipe) widow of Christopher Sipe who was killed by Indians
2nd Marriage			To unknown Schmahl (Schmidt), widow; no children of 2nd marriage
Death	12/19 Nov.1840 See Source NOTes below	expect Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA	age 88 yr 11 mos 20 da
Burial	Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA	Salem Lutheran Cemetery, Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA

Ancestry chart segment

    Generation 3               Generation 4                   Generation 5            Generation 6            Generation 7
                                                                                                          +-- Adam Schaeffer
                                                                                                          |    (~1751-1840)
                                                                                  +-- John Sheffer -------+
                                                                                  |   (1784-  )           |
                                                          +-- Jacob Best Sheffer--+                       +-- Catherine Dorothea Trope (Sipe)
                                                          |   (1814-1900)         |
                           +-- George Mansfield Sheffer --+                       +-- Barbara Bescht/Best
                           |   (1847-1937 )               |
 +--James Austin Sheffer --+                              +-- Sarah Linn
 |  (1880-1960)            |                                  (1824-1890)
 |                         +-- Sarah Myers
 |                             (1853-1910)
 |
 +-- Anna Catherine "Annie" Kline
     (1885-1939) 
 Sources: 

Children

(all children with Catherine Dorothea Trope (Sipe))

Name	Gender	Date of Birth	Birthplace	Spouse	Notes	Sources
Mary Magdalena Sheffer	F	before 9 Feb 1781	Westmoreland Co. PA	Christian Heinrich/Henry
Adam Sheffer	M	24 Feb 1788	Westmoreland Co. PA	Sarah Schaeffer, dau. of Philip Schaeffer of Greensburg PA	carpenter by trade; resided Starr Co. OH
John Sheffer	M	7 Oct 1784	Westmoreland Co. PA	married 1810 to Barbara Ann Bescht/Best, dau. of Wm. Best of Westmoreland Co. PA	died 17 Feb 1864
Hannah Sheffer	F			John Mansfield; they had 3 children	resided between Blairsville & Greensburg; later in Freeport PA
Maria Sheffer	F			John Berry
George Sheffer	M
Sarah A. Sheffer	M	12 Oct 1793	Fayette Co. PA	Michael Bescht/Best, b. 2 Apr 1783 Westmoreland Co., son of Wm. Bescht; d. 26 June 1867; bur. Best or Stone Church Cem.	died 28 Apr 1881
Anna Dorothea Sheffer	F	8 Nov 1790		1st) Adam Berry of Pittsburgh; 2nd) James L. Chart - they are buried Salem Lutheran Cem, no markers	died 29 Nov 1860

Places of Residence

Location	Dates	Notes	Sources
near Mannheim, Baden,Germany	1751~1773	immigrated possibly on ship "Chance"
near Greensburg, Westmoreland Co. PA	1773	per Rev. War pension applicaion
Fayette Co. PA	1785 Fayette Co. formed from Westmoreland	for ~18 yrs; per Rev. War pension applicaion
Bullskin Twp., Fayette Co. PA	by 1785-86	86 acres, tax records
2.5 mi. from Greensburg, on road to Harrison City, Westmoreland Co. PA	1799	per 1909 letter from gr-gr-grandson Adam Sheffer

Photo Gallery

Gravestones for John Adam Sheffer at Salem Lutheran Cemetery, Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA

Original gravestone inscription, for John Adam Sheffer, Salem Lutheran Cemetery

Military gravestone for John Adam Sheffer, veteran of Rev. War, placed by DAR, Salem Lutheran Cemetery

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of original
2	1800 United States Federal Census, Hempfield Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA, page 17. Census is not dated. Family headed by Adam Shaffer: 2 males <10, 1 male 26-44; 3 females 10-15, 1 female 16-25, 1 female >44.
3	1810 United States Federal Census, Hempfield Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA, page 17. Census is not dated. Family headed by Adam Sheffer: 2 males 16-25, 1 male >44; 1 female <10, 2 females 16-25, 1 female >44. This age for Adam is a little low.
4	1820 United States Federal Census, Hempfield Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA, page 22. Census is not dated. Family headed by Adam Schaffer: 1 male <10, 1 male >44; 1 female >44. There is a John Schaffer next door. The child is possibly a grandchild since the Shaffers are now in their 60's..
5	1830 United States Federal Census, Richland Twp, Venango Co, PA, page 7. Family headed by John Sheffer: 1 male <5, 2 males 10-15, 1 male 15-20, 1 male 40-50, 1 male 70-80, 1 female <5, 2 females 5-10, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 30-40, 1 female 50-60, 1 female 70-80. Note: The ages appear to correspond with other sources as follows: The two older males are John Adam Sheffer (79) and John Sheffer (46). The older females are Catherine Dorothea Trope and Barbara Bescht/Best(39) plus an unknown woman. The male children are Samuel(4), William(11) and Adam(15). John has died. The female children are Elizabeth(1), Anna(7), Polly(9), and Susannah(18).
6	1840 United States federal Census, Richland Twp, Venango Co, PA, pages 9,10. Census is not dated. Family of Joseph Redick: 1 male 5-10, 1 male 60-70,1 female 40-50. Adam Schaeffer is listed as a Revolutionary War pensioner living at this residence. His age is listed as 80. The family of John Schaeffer live next door: 1 male 5-10, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 15-20, 2 males 20-30, 1 male 50-60, 2 females 15-20, 1 female 40-50.
7	Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams, granddaughter of Winnifred May Kline.
8	Rick Sheffer personal correspondence Aug 2008.br>"Sheffer Family Journey, from the Rhineland to Venango County, Pa.", copyright 2008 by Rick Sheffer, a powerpoint presentation of data and photos,program presented in Emlenton PA Sept. 2008. Information based on Hazel Sheffer Crawford's collection of family and other photos to be donated to the Pumping Jack Museum ( of the local oil industry), Emlenton, Venango Co. PA. The museum is located in the former Crawford High School building.
9	The John Adam Scheffer Family History and Lineage 1751-1958 compiled by Hazel Sheffer Crawford, Emlenton, PA 1958. Submitted to us by Nancy Beals Walls Oct 2008. See John Adam Schaeffer biography.
10	Gravestone transcriptions, Salem Lutheran Cemetery June 2009 transcribed by Elizabeth Wilson Williams In Memory of John Adam Sheffer, born in Europe Nov. 29th AD 1751, Died the 19 day of Nov 12th, 1840, Aged (88) years 11 months and 12 days. (Note: death date was apparently corrected; not known which is first inscription and which is the correction) John A. Scheffer, soldier in the Revolutionary War, 1751-1840 Revolutionary War Soldier John Adam Shaffer 1751-1840, Clarion County Chapter NSDAR 2007
11	Research of Hazel Sheffer Crawford (1909-1983), forwarded by Nancy E. Beals Walls in 2008, and by Hazel's nephew Rick Sheffer in 2013. Hazel's research focus was primarily her Sheffer ancestry and relatives.It included many photos of family in the Emlenton, Clarion Co. PA area, and records left by John Adam Schaeffer. These records include the John Adam Schaeffer biography.

Source notes

• Adam Schaeffer took out a warrant on 86 acres in Bullskin Twp., Fayette Co. PA on 12 Dec 1788; surveyed 25 June 1789; received patent 25 Mar. 1878.
• The 1799 property near Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., had an "Indian Spring" on the property; this property is today a golf course, and the spring can be seen.
• William Best of Westmoreland Co. PA, father-in-law of John Shaffer, was born 1733 & died 1823 at age 90. He married twice, 2nd to Catherine Dorn. He resided later in Clarion Co. & donated land for St. Paul's cemetery, where his daughter Barbara Best Shaffer was buried.
• Original gravestone for John Adam Sheffer at Salem Lutheran Cemetery, Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA, looks to have been inscribed with his death date as "day of 12th Nov. 1840", and then as a correction, "19" added, so that it now reads "Died the 19 day of Nov 12th, 1840". The script format for "12 Nov. 1840" matches that of the birth date, so we expect that to have been engraved originally, and the "19" to be the correction. See photo above.