Preface
THE DESCENDANTS OF MARIA ELIZABETH Schäffer, Emigrant to America
A
Genealogy of the Schäffer
Family
This is the story of the many descendants of Maria Elizabeth Schäffer, Emigrant to America, who arrived in Colonial New York in 1710.
Maria and, her two sons, Johannes and Henrich, were of hardy stock and settled in the area which is now known as the Village of Schoharie, Schoharie Co., NY USA. Pastor Berkenmeyer mentioned Johannes Schaffer often in ALBANY PROTOCOL. Johannes signed as a Justice on the call from the Lutheran Church at Schoharie to Rev. Dr. Gerdes in London 25 August 1741 (Luth. Church in N.Y. and N.J.. D. 171). His family appears on Pastor Somer’s Family List ca. 1744 (Schoharie Luth. Chbk.) Pastor Berkenmeyer called Henrich the brother of (Jo)hannes in 1736 (Albany Protocol, p.189).
In 14 generations, Maria Elizabeth Schaffer has 8,168 descendants enumerated in this book. If you count spouses, too, there are 12,241 descendants listed. In the past few months a branch of the family which uses the surname, “Shaver,” those who remained loyal to England in the Revolutionary War, has been discovered in Canada through the efforts of Gordon Stinson, Edward Kipp and Lynn Cook. Some of them have been included in this book, but there are many, many more, a very prolific family. Maybe in the future a book on the Canadian family can be compiled.
This book is about 1,585 pages in length, printed in 2 volumes and includes an index. There are personal notes on many entries, giving available data as birth, baptismal and marriage records, military history, personal anecdotes, obituaries, occupation, education and more.
This book has been researched and written by Herman W. Witthoft, Sr., with the assistance of his wife, Doris, his daughter, Melissa and his sisters, Florence L. Hulsizer and Martha A. Kopra.
Copies of the book are available, $55.00, plus $5.00 shipping, total $60.00 (American) from: Herman W. Witthoft, Sr., 141 Hudson Ave., Chatham, NY USA. (Telephone: 518-392-4544. E-mail: hwl5@juno.com).