Jacob Stover, Sr.

Jacob Stover (Stauffer), Sr.
Born	c. 1685 near Bern, Switzerland
Died	1741
Resting place	Augusta City, Orange County, Virginia
Residence	Orange Co., Virginia (1702) «Did not recognize date. Try slightly modifying the date in the first parameter.»"Marriage: Orange Co., Virginia to Jacob Stover, Sr." Location: (linkback:http://jimlindstrom.com/mediawiki/index.php/Jacob_Stover,_Sr.)
Spouse	Sarah Boone (m. c. 1714–) «Did not recognize date. Try slightly modifying the date in the first parameter.»"Marriage: Sarah Boone to Jacob Stover, Sr." Location: (linkback:http://jimlindstrom.com/mediawiki/index.php/Jacob_Stover,_Sr.), Christ Church, Philadelphia, Pennesylvania Margaret ____
Children	Jacob Stover Jr. Abraham Stover

To do: parents are [traceable]. Alt [traceable].

Family

Jacob led a party of friends and family to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in 1729. He applied for a land grant but was denied by the Council of Va.

By trickery, Jacob applied to the King of England for his grant and was approved. Jacob began to sell off his acquired land for profit. Many good and bad things have been said about Jacob's trickery. He made many voyages to Switzerland and Holland acting as a Land Agent for the settling of the Valley of Virginia and Pennsylvania. The first village in the Shenandoah Valley was Stovertown, later renamed Strausburg.

Sarah was the daughter of George Boone and Mary Maugeridge. She was born February 18, 1690/91 in Exeter Devonshire, Bradninch, England. With her many siblings, she preceded her parents to America.

Entry in The Boone Family

We find that one Jacob Stover was granted land on Oley Creek, Philadelphia Co. in 1714.

It is thought that Jacob removed to Virginia, probably after his wife's death, for we find in Virginia record one of Jacob Stover's sale of land in Augusta County (now Rockingham County), to George Boone of Oley; one tract of 500 acres and another of 1000 acres described as near the end of North Mountain, on a small branch of the Shenandoah, part of 5000 acres laid out for Stover by the Council of Virginia July, 1730. In 1738, a wife Margaret (Stover) signed a deed for land sold by Jacob to another person. Margaret was probably a second wife.

Other Life Events

• Last name also spelled Stober and Stowber
• 1714 - got land grant in Oley Twp, Pennsylvania
• 1723 - sold Oley Twp land
• 1730 - KEGLEY'S VIRGINIA FRONTIER BY F.B.KEGLEY, 1938, SW VA Historical Society p.33 1730-"Whereas, Jacob Stover, a native of Switzerland, hath by his petition made suit to this board for leave to take up 10,000 acres of land on the West side of the great mountains, and on the second fork of the Shenando River, on both sides of the branches thereof, for the settlement of himself and divers German and Swiss families, whom he proposes to bring thither to dwell in two years space. These lands were actually granted to Stover by two deeds dated Dec. 15, 1733, each for 5,000 acres. The place selected was the Indian Old Fields called Massanutton, and here was made the first permanent white settlement in the Valley." (Proceedings of the Council, June 17,1730--VA Magazine of History & Biography, Vol. 13, p. 120)
• 1733 - Jacob Stover of Spotsylvania Co., VA commissioned George Hume to survey land on the South River Shenandoah in 1733, issuing Hume a promissory note on 25 Dec. 1733, Stover paid him on 13 April 1735.
• 1735 - Jacob Stover sold to his brother-in-law George Boone (IV?) 1500 acres for 5 shillings (10 Nov 1735, Orange Co Deed Book 1:189)
• 1738 - Orange County Delinquent List for year 1738- Jacob Stover 3 added by Order of Court and in Mr. Russell's list
• 1738 (Walgreen p 49 and 39, find original) Augusta 13 Dec Jacob Stover granted 800 A on Shenando River below Port Republic, opposite the Great Island. Abraham Stover owned land on Great Ilsand (200a) ck, Walgreen says both 1738 and 1748...sold the upper grant to Francisco in 1738 and moved down the river to land which he patented in 1738, and settled near the Fairfax line where he died in 1741
• 1741 - Jacob Stover, and adult, member of the congregation 14 Mar 1741, so probably the Stone Church, parent of Tinkling Spring

Trickery

In the book, "The German Element of the Shenandoah Valley" by John W. Wayland copyright 1907, Wayland well documents that the Van Meters, the Hites and the Stovers placed the names of cows, chickens, hogs, etc on the list of immigrant names to justify his quota of immigrants to gain land at and near the Shenandoah Valley. pg.33 "These patents were issued upon proof that the required number of families had been brought in.." pg 39 "Jacob Stover, a native of Switzerland, obtained for himself and'diver Germans & Swiss Families, his Associates," from Virginia Colonial Council a grant for 10,000 acres of land on the Shenandoah River, in such tracts as he should select, upon the condition that within two years he should settle upon it the required number of families. He succeeded, by methods fair or false, in getting this grant confirmed to him by two deeds bearing date of December 15, 1733, each for 5000 acres"