Johann Jacob Krieger was born 19 April 1755 in Berks County, Pennsylvania, the second son of Nicholas Krieger and Catharina Maria, maiden name said to be Borger.
His birth and death dates are found on his gravestone at the Bethania Moravian God’s Acre Cemetery in today’s Forsyth County, North Carolina.
Although no marriage record has been located, Jacob, as he was called, married Susanna Schaus/s, the daughter of Philip, not long after the banns were published in the Bethania Moravian Church.
Banns were published for 3 weeks in a row, so it seems likely that Jacob and Susanna married sometime in late November 1778.
It also appears that Jacob and Susanna became church members at the time of their marriage as the church diary entry noting the death of Jacob’s father, Nicholas, in 1804 mentions that although Nicholas wasn’t a member, his three sons all belonged to the Moravian Church.
Jacob died on 30 September 1824 in Stokes County, North Carolina, leaving a will naming his wife, Susanna, and their five children.
Stokes County, NC Wills, volume 3:130
He was fairly well-to-do, as after the death of Susanna, his estate inventory value was about $1000, equal to about $30,000 in today’s money.
Susanna was born 24 February 1758 and died 4 June 1828, Stokes County, North Carolina.
In 1778, Jacob Krieger was granted 400 acres of land in (then)Surry county, North Carolina. The land was on Dorothea Creek and part of the 200 acres he later sold to his brother, Henry. (Stokes County, NC Deed Book D:8)
It appears this family lived all their lives in Bethania, at the time in Stokes County, and all are buried in the Bethania Moravian God’s Acre Cemetery, which today is in Forsyth County, North Carolina.
Children:
1. Elizabeth, born 30 July 1779, Surry County, North Carolina; died 18 March 1823; married Henry Schultz, c1799. They were the parents of at least one son, John Jacob.
2. Catherine, born 5 March 1782; died 4 May 1834; married Jacob Conrad, marriage bond dated 12 February 1809, Stokes County, North Carolina [NOTE: Bond indexed as Cathy Krous, but looking at the original record, it looks more like “Krocer,” a phonetic variation of Krokar or Krieger.] They were the parents of six children.
3. Frederick, born 20 March 1784, Surry County, North Carolina; died 4 August 1820; married Maria Margaretha Pfaff, c1808. They were the parents of five children.
4. John, born c1788, Surry County, North Carolina; predeceased his father, dying c1819; married Maria Elizabeth Spainhour, c1810. Their three children are named in Jacob’s 1824 will – Solomon, Timothy and Lavinia.
5. Susanna, born 22 December 1791; died 22 December 1825; married Jacob Hilsabeck. They were the parents of four children, the youngest of which was born the day before Susanna died.
In a few days, we will look at the family of Frederick Alberty and Elizabeth Krieger.