The Needy-Kneedy
Family Genealogy
Narrative
This Page Replaces Previous Pages
The progenitor of this American family was Isaac Needy. While not an
immigrant to this country as early as the settlement of Jamestown or the Pilgrims of
the Mayflower, Isaac was a player in its early history even before the Revolution.
Isaac was born in this country to an immigrant from southern Germany at a time
when the country was still being founded; it had not even become the United States.
The story of our family begins with Isaac’s father, the immigrant from the
German state of Württemberg and his forefathers. That immigrant was Leonard
Gnädig. Leonard was born Leonardus Gnedig to Christinus Gnaedig and Elysabeta
Nick; he was christened 5 Nov 1712 at Katholisch, Engerazhofen, Danaukreis,
Württemberg (near Lake Constance). Leonard and all eleven of his siblings were
christened at Katholisch, Engerazhofen, Danaukreis, Württemberg. As early as 1564
numerous other Gnaedigs were christened at the same general area around Lake
Constance. This area is in the middle of what once was The Kingdom of Alamanni or
Alamannia. The Kingdom was first inhabited, perhaps as far back as the 2nd century
CE, by an ancient tribe of Teutonic origin known as the Alamanni. The Teutonic
tribes originated in northern Europe and included not only the Alamanni but also
the Franks, the Anglos, and the Saxons, etal. The Franks moved into Gaul, the
Alamanni moved south and some of the Anglos as well as the Saxons stayed in their
ancestral lands of northern Europe and some moved into England. Of course the
language this tribe spoke was Alamanni but the Romans referred to it as the
barbaric language of Germania (Latin for neighbor); in modern times the language
has become known as Swiss-German or the Alamanni dialect of German. Given the
place of christening and habitation of the Gnädigs, the conclusion is made that the
family is of Teutonic and not Celtic origin (Celtic tribes originated in Eurasia).
While English, Swedish and Dutch immigration to this continent began in the
early 1600s, the first German immigrants came in 1683 under the auspices of
William Penn and consisted of three shiploads of Quaker and Mennonite immigrants
who settled Germantown, PA which is currently within the city limits of
Philadelphia. In 1709 another small immigration of German peoples to NY occurred
under the auspices of Queen Anne for the purpose of creating naval stores (tar and
pitch) to support England’s involvement in the War of the Spanish Succession. The
next and largest immigration of German peoples occurred between 1728 and 1775;
approximately 30,000 peoples from the German Palatinate and surrounding areas
immigrated to the country through the port of Philadelphia. Corresponding with the
1728 date and the mass immigration beginnings, in about 1730 or so the western
perimeters or wilderness areas of PA-MD-VA opened up for settlement. The access
to these areas was by way of an ancient Indian trail which was originally known as
the Monocacy Trail but became better known as the Great Wagon Road or the Great
Immigrant Trail. This trail connected the Philadelphia PA area to an ancient Indian
village known as Monocacy in MD. From there the Trail continued over the Blue
Ridge into the great valley and continued into the Shenandoah Valley of VA by
fording the Potomac River. The German immigrant or the German Pioneers as they
became known followed this trail as they settled the frontier. The earliest
settlements from Lancaster (east side of the Susquehanna River where civilization
stopped) west were the Conojohela (became Wrightsville, PA) – Codorus (became
York, PA) – Hanover (became Hanover, PA) – Conewago (became Littlestown, PA) –
Taneytown (became Taneytown, MD) – Monocacy (became Creagerstown, MD) –
Conococheague (became Clear Spring, MD) – Opequon (became Winchester, VA). As
early as 1733, circuit-riders began servicing the religious needs of the pioneers. One
of the first, if not the first, was Reverend Johann Caspar Stoever who organized the
first congregation at the Codorus settlement in 1733 by initiating the parish register
(i.e., book where marriages, births, baptisms and deaths were recorded). Reverend
Stoever was ordained a Lutheran Minister but the congregation consisted of not
only Lutherans, but also German Reformed and Moravians. NOTE: While
Conojohela, Codorus, Hanover and Conewago settlements are listed in PA, in 1733
they all were within the lands both the colony of MD and the colony of PA claimed.
The border dispute was finally settled in England and the border was subsequently
surveyed by Mason and Dixon.
Our Leonard along with his older sister Margreate were among the first of the
30,000 German immigrants arriving in this country as they arrived on 23 September
1732 aboard the ship Adventure which arrived at the port of Philadelphia, PA. The
Adventure sailed under the command of Robert Curson, Master, from Rotterdam,
Netherlands. After debarking, our Leonard must have immediately set out on the
Monocacy Trail as he is listed as an early member of the congregation Reverend
Stoever organized in 1733 at the Codorus PA settlement. No further records have
been found for sister Margreate after arriving in Philadelphia. Leonard stayed
around the Codorus settlement at least until 1743 or 1744 as the birth and baptism
of three sons of Leonard and wife were recorded in the Codorus parish register
between 1739 and 1743.
The above-referenced baptism records are the last known events in the life of
Leonard Gnädig. From these three records the conclusion is made that Leonard, an
immigrant from Germany, first settled on the frontier somewhere within a 10-mile
radius of the Codorus congregation. What is unknown is whether he moved on from
the area of the Codorus settlement as did numerous others. While this factor
appears unnecessary on the surface, it might be pertinent to possibly understand
when and where he died. One would believe that Leonard and wife would have had
more than the three sons as the German family during the early to mid-1700s was
typically larger than 5 (father/mother/3 sons). Since no more baptisms are
recorded at the Codorus congregation, Leonard and family could have moved on.
However, no additional baptism records for other children of Leonard have been
located in any other parish register. But this could be because not all early churches
on the frontier have released their registers or the registers have not survived
through the years or Leonard could have moved to a location not close to a
congregation serviced by a circuit-rider. In all probability, Leonard and family
moved on but where is unknown. One of Leonard’s fellow Codorus congregationmates migrated to settle around the Monocacy settlement; his name was Jacob
Weller. Also, one of Leonard’s shipmates from the Adventure settled around the
Monocacy settlement; his name was Leonard Möser. Before moving to the
Monocacy settlement, Leonard Möser is said to have first worked for Thomas Cresap
on his “plantation” at the Conojohela settlement (east of Codorus on the west bank
of the Susquehanna River). Thomas Cresap was a Maryland frontiersman
instrumental in the border war (also known as Cresap’s War) between MD and PA
and was even captured and jailed in 1738 by PA authorities as was several of his
men including Leonard Möser. The border war did become bloody and some
settlers did lose their lives. The war was mostly fought between 1732 and 1738 but
a final definitive border line wasn’t completely surveyed until 1767. Thomas Cresap
removed himself and his family to the western MD frontier in the Cumberland
Valley in 1739. Jacob Weller migrated to the Monocacy settlement in 1738 and
Leonard Möser migrated to the Monocacy settlement sometime between 1736 and
1743. It could be that when Reverend Stoever left Codorus in 1743 that our
Leonard and family either followed him to Lebanon PA (north to northeast of
Codorus and the opposite direction of the Great Immigrant Road) or followed some
acquaintances and/or neighbors to perhaps the Monocacy settlement or further
along the road to the Cumberland Valley close to the Conococheague settlement.
From 1740 to 1750 or so a peaceful settlement of the frontier was underway;
but that peaceful settlement was interrupted (or way-laid) from 1756 to 1763 as it
was riddled with Indian atrocities on European settlers. This was the duration of
the French and Indian War. Indian attacks were commonplace. The settlement of
Monocacy was burned until only the old church and a few nearby buildings were left
standing. Many settlers in western MD were killed as were those along the frontier
in PA and VA. Upwards of hundreds of families were massacred and/or abducted.
Some settlers even left the area to return later but some never did return. Due to
the number of families exterminated at this time as well as the fact that no records
involving Leonard Gnädig and family (except son Isaac) seem to exist or have been
located, the speculation is put forward that Leonard, his wife, and sons Joseph and
John Hendrich were massacred/abducted and killed and that somehow Isaac
survived. In 1756 Isaac would have been 15 and by 1763 he would have been 22,
possibly of a prime age to have joined the fight.
Isaac Needy was born Isaac Knedy 2 Jul 1741 to Leonard Gnädig and wife; he
was baptized 20 Aug 1741 by Reverend Caspar Stoever at a settler’s home under the
auspices of “Die Evangelische Lutherische Gemeinde an der Kathores” near the
Codorus congregation/settlement which later became Christ Lutheran Church at
York, York County, PA. Isaac and his brothers Joseph and John Hendrich were of the
first generation of our family to be born on American soil.
The next documented record of Isaac after his baptismal is his signature
appearing on a 5 Mar 1766 petition from residents of Frederick County, Colony of
MD to Governor Horatio Sharpe of the Colony of MD to call the assembly together
for the purpose of issuing bills of credit in Frederick County to pay public creditors.
(NOTE: some historians put forth that this petition was an American colonists’
informal appeal to the Stamp Act imposed by King George III which the King
imposed to fund the just ended English War referred to as the French and Indian
War in America but the Seven Years War in Europe.) This document as it relates to
unraveling the life of our American family founder Isaac is important for several
reasons: it places Isaac in the Colony of Maryland not later than Mar 1766 as a
resident thereof; it gives a clue as to exactly where in the Colony he was residing;
and it possibly provides the how and why he removed himself from PA. The person
whose signature appears next to Isaac’s on the petition was Jacob Rohrer. While not
next to but close to Isaac’s signature, the signature of Jonathan Hager appears. Jacob
Rohrer along with Jonathan Hager, both German immigrants, was among the first
pioneers to settle in the Cumberland Valley in the colony of MD. The Cumberland
Valley (also referred to as the Antietam Valley) is a section of the Great Valley that
sits between the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny Ranges of the Appalachian
Mountains. The northern terminus of the Great Valley is in PA and its southern
terminus is in VA. The Great Valley and in particular the Cumberland Valley in 1766
was the frontier and the western portion of Frederick County which 10 years later
became Washington County State of MD. In 1762 after returning from service in the
French and Indian War, Jonathan Hager “laid-out” his town of Elizabethtown
(became Hagerstown) and Jacob Rohrer built what was known as Rohrer’s addition
to Elizabethtown. Signing next to Jacob Rohrer is a good indicator that in 1766 Isaac
Needy was residing in what became Washington County, MD and in the proximity of
what became Hagerstown.
The possibility of how and why Isaac came to Washington County, MD can
easily be explained. The easiest explanation of how is that his parents moved there
shortly after Isaac’s younger brother was baptized. Whether he arrived as a child or
as a young adult is not supported by any records and is therefore unknown. Either
possibility is supported by two biographical sketches of two of his great grandsons.
The biographical sketch for great grandson Samuel states his grandfather John was
a soldier in the French and Indian War (1756-1763) and the biographical sketch for
great grandson Isaac states his grandfather John was born in PA. Great Grandsons
Samuel and Isaac were brothers and the sons of David who was one of four sons of
John. The basis of the biographical sketches is believed to have been contributed by
Samuel and Isaac themselves. The grandfather referred to in these sketches was
John, one of three sons of Isaac. This John was not born in PA (was born in MD) and
was not a soldier in the French and Indian War because he was born in 1773, 10
years after the war ended in 1763. Somehow a generation was overlooked in the
facts as it was John’s father Isaac that was born in PA and moved to MD and
probably was the soldier in the French and Indian War. In 1758 British General
John Forbes conducted a forced march across PA to capture Fort Duquesne (current
day Pittsburgh) from the French. His forces included 5,000 American militiamen
recruited from PA-MD-VA. Two of the many unit leaders were Captain Jonathan
Hager and Captain Evan Shelby, both from the Colony of MD and both probably
assigned to Ft. Frederick (located near current-day Big Pool, Washington County,
MD). Captain Hager led a unit of scouts and Captain Shelby led a unit of rangers.
The theory is put forth that Isaac being the sole survivor of his immediate family of
an Indian raid and being of age was one of the 5,000 American militiamen recruited
for the march to capture Fort Duquesne and that he was either one of Captain
Hager’s scouts or one of Evan Shelby’s rangers. If Isaac was either one of Captain
Hager’s scouts or one of Evan Shelby’s rangers, then it would be more plausible that
he was living close to either of the two of them in Washington County, MD instead of
residing outside of that area at the time of his “signing-up”. After the capture of Fort
Duquesne by the British and Americans, the French withdrew their troops to the
north. While the fighting also moved north, most of the recruited American militia
returned to their homes. Isaac returned to the Hagerstown area as that is where his
family home was before he joined the fight. (NOTE: This very plausible theory
suggests Leonard and the entire family was already residing in western Frederick
County Colony of Maryland as early as 1756 which would possibly place their
deaths in what became Washington County, Maryland.
On 9 Sep 1768/69 Lot #102 in Elizabethtown was conveyed to Isaac and
reconveyed on 6 Mar 1773. This is the first documented record whereby Isaac is
residing in Elizabethtown. The reason for the two separate conveyances of the same
lot could be explained that Isaac labored for the parcel and was given a temporary
“deed” until it was finally paid for which necessitated a reconveyance of deed (like
today’s mortgage). From subsequent records we learn that by Sep 1768/1769 Isaac
was a husband and father of one child. In 1771 a German Reformed
Congregation/Church originated by Jonathan Hager whereby services where
conducted in German and the Parish Register was originally written in German. The
Church building was erected of stone. Isaac Gnädig was not only listed as an original
member in the Parish Register but is also believed to have worked the masonry on
the building. Isaac is believed to have been a stone mason because in Oct 1803 a
letter was left at the Hagerstown Post Office for Isaac Gnädig, stone mason. The
birth and baptisms of four of Isaac and Elizabeth’s eight children are recorded in the
Parish Register of this Church. The Church is still being used today and is known as
Old Zion.
To summarize, Isaac Needy is considered the founder of our American family
even though he did not immigrate to America and that the actual German surname
was Gnädig. While Isaac had two brothers that records support, no records or
additional siblings have been located. The Needy surname didn’t become the
surname of our family until 1803 when Isaac’s will was written; most of his eight
children accepted Needy but sons John and George adopted Kneedy and grandson
Jacob adopted Neady.
A family tree entitled Needy-Kneedy-Neady Family Tree has been posted at
Ancestry.com. The purpose of the tree is to track all descendants of Isaac Needy. Of
Isaac and Elizabeth’s eight children, seven of them married and had children and
this tree tracks the majority of those descendants through those included in the
1940 census. The seven major family lines correspond with Isaac’s seven children:
I. Henry and Elizabeth Hose Needy:
Mary Neady; no descendants (22 years old at death)
Jacob and Margaret Shütter Neady and descendants
George and Mary Reynolds Needy and descendants
John Gnädig; no descendants (5 years old at death)
Samuel and Elizabeth Royer Needy and descendants
II. Valentine and Mary Magdalena “Polly” Needy “Waggoner:
William and Elizabeth Wagoner Nichols and descendants
John and Maria Willard Wagoner and descendants
Susanna Wagoner; no descendants (10 years old at death)
Conrad and Margaret Wagoner Agler and descendants
Valentine, Jr. and Margaret Barnheisel Wagoner and descendants
Peter and Ann Nancy Penix Wagoner and descendants
James and Matilda Wagoner Penix and descendants
Solomon and Catharine Wagoner Wood; no known descendants
III. John and Margretha Kneedy:
Isaac and Rebecca Freburger Needy and descendants
John and Freelove Woodruff Needy and descendants
Juliana Needy; no known descendants
William and Catharine Gerhardt Kneedy and descendants
William and Elizabeth Borgelt Needy and descendants
David and Sarah Rouch Needy and descendants
IV. Peter, Jr., and Susanna Needy Hose:
Salome Hose; no descendants (22 years old at death)
Conrad and Elizabeth Hose Watson and descendants
Richard and Catharine Hose Kennedy and descendants
Peter and Margaret Hose Smith and descendants
V. Thomas and Elizabeth Gnädig Eakle:
No known descendants
VI. George and Elizabeth Guy Kneedey:
John and Mary Needy Hose and descendants
Joseph and Hannah McGinley Needy and descendants
Ruth Ann Needy; no known descendants
David and Susanne Needy Spielman and descendants
Isaac and Elizabeth Linebaugh Needy and descendants
Adeline Needy; no known descendants
VII.
John and Catharine Gnädig Wegele:
James Thomas Wegele; no known descendants
VIII.
Margaret Needy:
No known descendants
This tree continues to be a work in progress.