Jacob Myers was born about 1730.  He may have been born in Germany or Switzerland, if not, then his parents were. We do not know who they are. By the time he was an adult he was living in Baltimore Maryland.  Jacob named Frederick Myers in his will as "brother".  Frederick Myers' will stated that he had come from Mary Ann Furnace in Pennsylvania.  As strange as the name is there are two such towns in Pennsylvania:  one is south of Hanover in York County, the other is in Berks county at Longswamp.  I'm leaning toward the York county area as it is heavily Germanic.

The brothers were close in business relations through-out their lives as noted below.  They were also said to be members of the Baltimore Mechanical Company.

His wife was Margaret Bauer. The birth name needs to be proved.  It is mentioned a number of times in Ancestry, but never with documentation.   They were probably married in the late 1750s or early 1760s.  Margaret and Jacob Myers had the following children.  re his will noted below.:
1. Charles Myers   born c 1758 wed Mary LNU died 1819
2. Mary Myers born, 1759 re her obit Baltimore FG, Dec 14, 1796. wed Thomas Yates
3. Catherine Myers born c 1761 wed Mr. Thomas
4. Prudence Myers, born 1765, may never have wed.
5. Thomas Jacob Myers born 1768, died after 1820  .  He was also involved in the pottery shop with brother William.
6. Elizabeth Myers, born 1772, wed Richard Lewis, died after 1820
7  William Myers born 1776,  died after 1820.  Believed to own one of the first pottery shops in Baltimore
8. Sophia Myers, born  1776, wed Mr. Rowles.  Possibly twins, or an incorrect date.
9. Margaret Myers born 1778, wed Mr. Kent, may have gone to Columbus Ohio. There is a Margaret Kent on the 1850 Census there with a younger Kent family and
     a Myers woman with 2 small children. 

The marriages for the women are from Maryland Compiled Marriages 1655-1850

Jacob first comes to our attention beginning in 1766, when there are numerous  purchases of property lots by Jacob Myers.  There are at least 4 in Mountenays Neck.  there were also 3 others that year by Jacob Myers not Mountenays Neck.  Our Jacob?   That same year Frederick Myers bought two know lots, not in the Mountenays Neck.  They were brothers. Jacob stated so in his will.  Jacob Myers continued to buy property for the next decade plus.  In my notes I have 1772 pages and pages of Jacob Myers in the Baltimore Deed Books.

We connect the Jacob of Mountenays neck with our family because in 1781 there began sales of property lots by Thomas Yates.  From Baltimore Deed Book W.G. Gook G. , pages 256- 260 is describe an indenture entered into by Thomas Yates and Jacob Myers, gentlemen.  It was witnessed by Charles Myers. We believe this Charles Myers was another brother of Jacob and Frederick.  They rented 16 acres in Mountenays Neck - on the east side of Jones Falls next to the current Patterson Park.  It would seem that that was then divided into lots which Thomas Yates sold over the next 3 - 5 years.   In Jacob's will he clearly states Thomas Yates to be his son-in-law. 

Being called "gentlemen" does imply a man of some means.  He obviously had a source of cash with which to purchase and must have been very aware of the opportunities when they arose.  There was another Jacob Myers in Baltimore about the same time.  So it will be easy to confuse their activities.  The connection to Thomas Yates on some property transfers helps id our Jacob on some of the transactions.

From Deed book WG  Y page 271, in 1784 Jacob Myers and Frederick Myers purchased a lot on Philpot Point from Thomas Yates. It is possible that Thomas was over extended and this deal helped bail him out of financial trouble.

J. Thomas Scharf worte a History of Baltimore city & County.  He has an alphabetical listing of Prominent citizens who have died in the past century (ie 19th).  this book is now online.   On page 804 it  lists Jacob Myers died Oct. 2 1787.

Jacob Myers wrote his will on April 4, 1787. It was proved by witnesses, David McMechen, Joseph Hater, and John Norwood on Oct. 5, 1787. Will book, Baltimore county vol 4, page 268-270. Re the will his bequests were:

1.  to beloved wife Margaret, "the square of ground.... where I now live bounded by Bond St, Dulaney St, Strawberry Alley and Slygh's Lane
     household furniture, a cow, a horse, and 10 pounds per month.
2.  All other property to be sold, and divided into 9 equal parts for children:  Charles Myers, Mary Yates, Catherine Thomas, Thomas Jacob Myers, Margaret Myers, William Myers,  
     Elizabeth Myers, Prudence Myers and Sophia Myers.  If a child should per-decease him, that share would go to their off spring.
3.  To Godson, Jacob Madeira a lot of Dulaney, carefully explained
4.  The sum promised to the New Dutch church near Philpots Bridge to ensure it's completion, which he, his deceased brother Frederick Myers, and Michael Diffenderfer had given the church.
5.   To Charles, named eldest son, 50 pounds above the rest
6.  Thomas Yates "husband of my daughter Mary Yates" had already built a house on Jacob's lot at Yates expense, assured it would be his and Mary's clear but included in the one 9th as bare land.
He then named his wife, Margaret, son Charles, and son-in-law Thomas Yates as his executors.

The given streets are in Fells Point and their placement is described in the 1816 Baltimore Directory, page 8, and on an 1801 Baltimore City map, that is found at the Pratt Library in the Map Drawer 1800-1830.

It seems a lovely thoughtful will - to me.  But not to Margaret!   She went to court on Oct. 27, 1787 and stated I,....widow of Jacob Myers ....do hereby renonuce and refuse to accept the legacies ....
" and claim in place..one third of ...Jacob Myers....estate both real and personal."  She also requested to continue as exectrix.

Margaret Bauer Myers died in 1804,  also noted in History of Baltimore, page 804, and the estate was devised to the three sons, and four youngest daughters.  Nothing to the surviving children or husbands of the deceased daughter Mary Myers Yates, or Catherine Myers Thomas.   We don't know whether Catherine predeceased her mother, or she had moved away.   However, there must have been a piece she missed for from Baltimore Land records Book WG 158, page 188, on Dec 23, 1820 an undivided part of land owned by Jacob Myers (I think deceased) was sold to Robert Harper and Samuel Moale by:
William Myers
Elizabeth and Richard Lewis
Margaret and Jacob Walsh Jr. - Margaret was the daughter of Mary Myers and Thomas Yates
Elizabeth Fisher
Mary Yates
I believe these are heirs, grandchildren probably, of Jacob Myers.  It certainly connects the Yates and Myers families.

If you know the answer please CONTACT US

1. Where was he born?
2. Who were his parents?
3. Confirm Margaret's birth name.
4. confirm all birth dates of their children
   
5. Were William and Sophia twins?
   

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