The following information on the Wolfe family includes portions of my 20 years of research. Some of the individual histories were gathered by my mother, Lurlie G. (Hargraves) Buttery, before blindness brought an end to her research. Information is also included that was obtained by the late Mary E. Parkey, noted researcher in Lee Co., VA and Claiborne Co., TN, and a member of our Wolfe family.
Jacob Wolfe, Sr. was born about 1730. He died prior to October 19, 1821, and may have died sometime between the time of the 1819 Personal Property Tax enumeration of Washington Co., VA and the 1820 Federal Census enumeration of Washington Co., VA as he is listed on the former but not on the latter. Jacob was a resident of Pennsylvania1 but moved to Virginia2 prior to 1788. Jacob left a widow named Catherine. Jacob's children are proved by a deed dated October 19, 1821 in Washington Co., VA.
Jacob Wolfe, Sr. purchased two tracts of land in Washington Co., VA on August 14, 1799 from Joseph and Anna Hoskins. The description of the land in this deed is exactly the same as the 1821 deed mentioned in the preceding paragraph. No other land purchases or sales involving Jacob Wolfe, Sr. have been found in Washington County.
There is evidence to indicate that Jacob Wolfe, Sr. was married twice. Assuming Catherine, the widow named in the above-mentioned deed, was the mother of the youngest documented child, Martin Wolfe, who is known to have been born in 1788, and also assuming Catherine was not over 50 years old when Martin was born, this would have made her born no earlier than 1738. That would have made her 14 years old when Jacob Wolfe, Jr., the oldest documented child, was born -- not impossible, but improbable.
The proven children of Jacob Wolfe, Sr. are:
6) George Wolfe
7) Mary Wolfe
8) Martin Wolfe
1Jacob Wolfe, Sr.'s son, Michael Wolfe, is documented on his death record in Smyth Co., VA as having been born in Pennsylvania.
2Jacob Wolfe, Sr.'s son, Martin Wolfe, is documented on the 1850 Federal Census of Smyth Co., VA as having been born in Virginia.
