Origins of the
Shoop/Shupe Family
of Montgomery County, PA

Before 1814, Michael and Christina (Royer) Shoop came with their children from eastern Pa. to Westmoreland and Armstrong Counties. From them came several lines of Armstrong Co. Shoops, including the descendants of sons John of Manorville and Jacob of Freeport, as well as the Springdale, Allegheny Co. Shoop descendants of brothers George and Michael. The purpose of this work is to compile the available records concerning this family in eastern Pa., primarily from what is now Montgomery County. While an account of the early generations has appeared in a history of the family, this account contains several inaccuracies due to an uncritical reliance on family tradition. To avoid such difficulties, this work has been derived from the primary sources. A few notable corrections bear special comment. The immigration records which have been attributed to Jacob and Michael Schupp appear to have been based on nothing more than the names themselves appearing on ships list, and fail to take into account the chronology of these brothers, which renders their arrival on the specified ships unlikely, if not impossible. Second, there is no evidence that George Michael Schupp of Dauphin Co. was a brother of the immigrants, which identification derives from the mistaken impression that he was the same as Jacob's brother Michael. Third, (Joh.) Michael Shoop (Schup), later of Westmoreland County, was born in 1773, and hence could not have served in the Revolutionary War, in spite of accepted DAR Lineage Papers, but both his father Jacob and uncle Michael did serve in the Pa. Militia, providing a Revolutionary War descent for both branches of the family. Finally, the immigrant ancestor of the related Royer family was not Sebastian of Lancaster County, as has been previously reported, but Joh. Michael Reyer of Montgomery County.

Part 1: SHOOP (Schub/Schubb/Shube/Schup/Schupp/Schoop/Shup/Shupp/Shupe)

Jacob¹ Schup, the immigrant ancestor of the Armstrong Co. family, can first be definitively identified among American records in 1767, when he appears as "Jacob Shupe, serv^t, his time w^th Welker" in a ledger of a store in Upper Salford Twp., Montgomery Co., Pa. His brother Michael also appears, with a similar notation, but with one notable addition, that his time was with "Dk Welker", the Deitrick Welker of Upper Salford. As servitude was largely limited to new arrivals (in exchange for the cost of their transport) we must look to the records of Philadelphia in the immediately preceding years. Here is found, on the Hero, 27 Oct. 1764, Mich^l (x) Schub and Jacob Schûbb, clearly these two brothers. For the next few years, Jacob is one of the best store customers as seen in the ledger, and we also learn that he worked at the store, at first only part time, but later full time (unfortunately, the pages which would reveal his labors during the later years have been removed from the ledger), and he twice used his salary to settle his brother's account. He is recorded buying a broad range of goods, the most common being pipes and tobacco, wine, thread, buttons, cider and cider oil, combs, and also a sling, lottery ticket, and looking glass, as well as payment of poor tax, and a contribution to the upkeep of the minister.

In 1770, he relocated to Worcester Twp., Montgomery Co., where in the records of Wentz's Reformed Church on 11 Aug. he appears as Jacob Schub, a baptismal sponsor, (as was his brother on the same date) presumably still a single man. By 1773, he had married to Maria Brunner. She was probably the Anna Maria who was born 1751 to Conrad and Anna Barbara Brunner of Worcester Twp., but if not, was definitely a child of this couple, as her mother and brother occur as baptismal sponsors for Schup children. (Hans) Conrad Bruner was from Schottiken, in the parish of Elgg, cant. Zurich, Switzerland, and was born on 18 Oct. 1711, son of Saloman and Margarath (Morff) Bruner. He left there in 1742, with his wife Anna Barbara Speker, who he married 31 Jan. 1740 at Elgg, and came to Philadelphia in 1743, on the Rosannah. (The Hans (Henry) Brúner on the same ship was from Bassersdorf, cant. Zurich, and apparently unrelated. A second Conrad Bruner appearing on one list for this ship appears to be an erroroneous duplication.) Conrad, was of the Reformed religion, but his wife seems to have been associated with the Old Goshehoppen Lutheran congregation, where children Anna Maria and George Frederick (son of a second wife, Eva Barbara, if she was not identical to Anna Barbara) were baptized.

On 13 April 1773, the oldest child of Jacob and Maria Schup, Joh. Michael was born, being baptized on 16 May with his uncle Michael as sponsor. Over the next twelve years he had six additional children whose baptisms appear in the Wentz's records, under the names of Schup, Schupp, Schub, or Schubb. He also continuously appears in the County and State tax records from 1774 to 1782, as Jacob Shube, Shupe, or Shup, in one instance as a laborer, the only indication we have of his occupation.

Jacob Shupe was a member of Capt. Jonathan Lowry's Third Company, Worcester Township, Philadelphia (now Montgomery) Co. Militia, as Private 1^st Class, (in this company was also his brother-in-law Frederick Brunner). This company was closely associated with the 4^th Company, in which "Mich'l Shupe" appears, as does "Jn'o Rayer" (for whom see Part 2: ROYER family). While undated, these are Revolutionary War roles, and these men thus qualify as Rev. War soldiers. Jacob left Worcester Twp. before 1785, and while he had a daughter baptized in Whitpain Twp. in 1787, he was not living there. (A daughter did return to witness the baptism of a child in Worcester Twp. in 1803.) He does not again appear until 1807, when Jacob and Maria sponsored the baptism of Jacob, son of Michael and Christina Schup at New Hanover Lutheran Church. In Nov. 1808, they appear with their daughter Elisabeth in the communion records of Zion's Church, Pikeland Twp., Chester County. Although absent from the records in 1809, they again appear in May 1810, along with Elizabeth. In the 1810 census, as Jacob Shupp, he appears in Pikeland Twp. with his wife, a daughter (probably Elizabeth), and (probably) a granddaughter. They, as well as son Michael's family, disappear from the Zion's records after May 1812, indicating that they accompanied their son Michael to western Pa. at that time. It is likely that they were following younger son Jacob, who seems already to have been gone from Montgomery and Chester Co. by 1810, and who settled in Allegheny Twp., Armstrong Co.

On 12 June 1814, Jacob and Maria "Scharp" witnessed the Greensburg Reformed Church baptism of Jacob, son of Conrad and Maria Fritz. That this was in fact our Jacob and Maria can be deduced from a sequence of sources. They were definitely in Westmoreland County by 1816, when they witnessed the baptism of their granddaughter, Elizabeth, daughter of Michael in Greensburg. In 1820, a Jacob Shupe appears in Mount Pleasant Twp., Westmoreland Co., next to Conrad Freids, and this was clearly the John Jacob Shoop of Mount Pleasant whose death on Friday, 30 Jul. 1824, aged 86 years, was reported in the Westmoreland Republican. His widow apears to be the woman, aged 70-80 (sic), living with Conrad Fratz in 1830, while the Westmoreland Republican reports the death of Mrs. Maria Schup on 24 Nov. 1835, "at the house of her son-in-law Conrad Fritz" aged 84 yrs., 1 mo., and 6 days. The age of Jacob gives a birthdate in 1738, which is close to the family tradition of 1839, while that of Maria places her birth on 18 Oct. 1851, which is close to the 31 Oct. 1751 birth of Anna Maria, daughter of Conrad and Anna Barbara (Speker) Brunner (the date derived from age at death is often imprecise). One additional record proves a direct link between Fritz family and our Shoops. On 31 Aug 1834, Jacob and Maria's son Jacob and his wife Magdalena Shupp served as baptismal sponsors for David Brineman Fritz, son of Conrad and Anna Maria. With this we confirm that the Shoop 'in-laws of Conrad Fritz are Jacob and Maria (Brunner), and learn the fate of immigrant Jacob Schûbb and his wife

Children of Jacob and Maria Schup, most baptized in Worcester Twp.:

1. Joh. Michael², b.13 Apr., bap. 16 May 1773
2. Anna Maria Barbara², b.15 Jun., bap 14 Aug. 1774
3. Catharina², b.10 Dec. 1775, bap. 24 Mar. 1776 m. 26 May 1811 Jeremias Messerschmid (who died intestate at Pikeland Twp., 1822)
4. Margaretta², b.15 Jun., bap. 7 Sep. 1777
5. Jacob², b. 27 Oct., bap. 3 Dec. 1780, d. 20 May 1864
6. Anna Maria², b. 19 Apr. 1783, m. bef. 1810 Conrad Fritz, d. 6 Jan. 1874.
7. Elisabeth², b.2 Aug., 11 Sep. 1785 m. 27 Sep 1812 John Dene (?Taney)
8. Susanna², b. 4 Aug. 1787, Whitpain Twp.

Michael¹ Schup, brother of Jacob, appears with him on the Hero, signing by mark, and as a servant of Deitrick Welker in the ledger of the Upper Salford store. He also sponsored a Worcester Twp. baptism in 1770, and sponsored the baptism of his nephew Joh. Michael Schup in 1773. In 1774 he appears on the tax list of Perkiomen and Shippack Twp., on 18 Jan. of that year having married at New Hanover Lutheran Church, Elisabeth Appel. She was sister of Mrs. Johannes Royer and Mrs. Frederic Blass, for whose child he and Elisabeth served as baptismal sponsors in 1780. They had a son, Johannes born 22 Oct. 1774, and baptized 18 Dec. of the same year at Wentz's Reformed Church, Worcester Twp. Michael appears, with his brother-in-law, John Royer, on the roll of Capt. Jacob Peterman's Fourth (Providence Twp.) Company, Philidelphia Militia, a company closely associated with his brother's Third Company, as a Private, 5th Class. He was a farmer on the Providence Twp. tax lists from 1780 to 1783, and also appears on Providence Twp. Militia lists (of all males aged 18 to 53) in 1785 and 1786, as Michael Schupp and Michel Schoop. From this time, he appears in the tax records of Providence Twp., first as a farmer of about 45 acres, probably rented. In 1790, Michael Fihoop (sic) appears in the census of Montgomery County, with his wife and one son, indicating that Johannes was their only surviving child. In the mid 1790s, he left the farm, and appears as a laborer in most subsequent years (but also appearing as a trader and dealer). Michael and Elisabeth served in 1812 as baptismal sponsors for Michael Schupp, doubly their grand-nephew, the son of (Joh.) Michael Schupp (whose baptism Michael had sponsored 40 years before) and of Christina Royer. Michael appears to have died in 1815, failing to appear in the tax records of the next year. His son and grandsons continued to live in Montgomery County under the name Shupe.

Child of Michael and Elisabeth (Appel) Schup:

1. Johannes², b. 23 Oct., bap. 17 Dec. 1774, died 17 Jan. 1852, married Catherine Royer, b. 13 Nov. 1774, d. 9 Jun. 1839.

Joh. Michael² Shoop, junior, son of Jacob¹ and Maria (Brunner) was born 13 Apr. 1773, and baptized at Wentz's Reformed Church. On 22 March 1796, at the New Hanover Lutheran Church, Michael Schupp married Christina Reyher. He then, in 1797, joined his uncle and godfather, Michael Schupp, in Providence Twp., and appears as a weaver in the tax records for the next decade. Unfortunately, few other references survive of this couple in Montgomery Co. A surviving certificate recording the 1802 birth of "Johannes", son of "Michael Schupp" and "Christina Royerin" is not strictly contemporary, being recorded on a baptismal form not printed until 1809. Michael last appears in the Providence Twp. tax records in 1807, the same year that his son Jacob was baptized at the New Hanover Lutheran Church, these being the last records of this couple found in Montgomery County. Between 19 May 1810, and the time that the census of that year was taken, they joined his father (and her uncle Michael Royer's family) in Pikeland Twp., Chester County, and there joined Zion's Church. In the census, Michael Shupp appears with his father, Jacob Shupp, and his 'in-laws, Michael, Jacob, and Abraham Taney, some or all of whom were married to Royer sisters. At the time, he had four sons and a daughter with him, the youngest of whom, George, had just been born. They last appear in the records of Zion's church on 24 May 1812, and shortly after went west to Westmoreland Co., Pa., where daughter Catherine was sponsor for the baptism of a niece of Michael. At Greensburg, on 8 Sep. 1816, their youngest child, Elizabeth was baptized, with his parents as the sponsors. It is in 1816 that Christina is said to have drowned during a flood of the Kiskiminitas River, but the date of this event may be wrong. In 1820 (and probably from the time of their settling in the county) Michael was at Allegheny Twp., Westmoreland Co., where he was involved in manufacturing. There he lived on 100 acres and operated a distillery until 1825, when he appears to have left this land to John Hill. After this date, he has not been located, but is said to have lived until 22 Apr. 1847, being buried at the Parnassus Presbyterian Church cemetery (were few old stones survive in a readable condition, Michael's not being among them). At least for the first few generations, Michael's descendants all used the spelling Shoop.

The following children are attributed to this couple:

1. Catherine³, b. 1796, m. John Klingensmith
2. Joseph³, b. 1800, m. Elizabeth Boyd
3. John³, b. 12 Sep. 1802, Providence Twp., m. Christina Jane Klingensmith
4. Mary³, b. 1804, m. Col. Peter Klingensmith
5. Jacob³, b. 19 Nov. 1806, bap. 1807, New Hanover Twp., m. Hannah Camp
6. George³, b. 8 Jun., bap 19 Aug. 1810, Pikeland Twp., Chester Co., m. Anna Mary Remaley
7. Michael³, b. 17 Jan., bap 18 Apr. 1812, Pikeland Twp., Chester Co., m. Julianne Bollinger
8. Elizabeth³, b. 19 Jan., bap. 8 Sep. 1816, Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., m. Jacob Kuhns

Of Jacob² Shupp, son of Jacob¹ and Maria (Brunner) very little has been found. He was born 27 Oct., bap. 3 Dec. 1780, at Worcester Twp., Montgomery Co. He is not again found until 1815, by which time he had already married and moved west (probably preceeding the rest of the family). On 3 Sep. 1815, he had a daughter Margaretta baptized at the First Lutheran Church, Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., (the sponsors being niece Catharine Shub and her future husband, John Klingensmith), and were among the communicants of the church the next year, when niece Elisabeth Shupp was baptized. (In the 1815 baptism his wife is named Margaretta, but in the baptism the next year it is Magdalena. It is likely that they are the same woman, and that the baptism mistakenly gave the child's name also to the mother.) The next baptism found was in 1825, when Jacob and Magdalena had twins Joh. Jacob and David Kunsz Schub baptized. These are the only baptisms of his children that have been found, although he had a large family. By 1820, he was living in Allegheny Twp., Armstrong Co., where he spent the rest of his life. They sponsored the baptism of grandchildren Johannes and Sara Shoop in 1831, and of nephew David Brineman Fritz in 1834. He appears in the 1850 census, with wife Mary and several children. (If this is the same wife as the Magdalena of 1814 to 1834, then she had about 18 children born over a 35 year period. If not, it is unclear when the first wife died, and the second marriage occured.) In 1860, he and wife Polly were living with son-in-law John Stoops. As reported by the journal of nephew Jacob Shoop of Freeport, "Old Uncle Jacob Shoop" died 20 May 1864, while his wife "Old Ant Mollie Shoop" died 12 Feb. 1865. Those of his descendants that have been located spelled their names Shoop.

children of Jacob and Magdalena Shoop (somewhat speculative, and perhaps by two wives):

1. John³, b. 1808 m. Mary Klingensmith
2. Jane (Jennie)³ b. 1809 m. Adam Klingensmith
3. dau.
4. dau.
5. Mary Margaretha³ b. 2 Apr. 1814 m. Eli Klingensmith
6. dau.
7. Barbara³, b. 1822 m. John Stoops
8. Hester³, b. 1823 m. Thomas Vantine
9. Joh. Jacob³, b. 11 Jun. 1825, d.bef. 1830.
10. David Kunsz³, b. 11 Jun. 1825. m. Catharine Lynch
11. dau.
12. Mary³, b. 1830
13. Elizabeth³, b. 1832
14. dau.
15. Henry³, b. 1836
16. dau., probably dead by 1850
17. Jacob³, b. 1840
18. Samuel³, b. 1843

John (Johannes)² Shupe son of Michael¹ and Elisabeth (Appel) was born 23 Oct., and bap. 17 Dec. 1774 at the Reformed Church in Worcester Twp. He was raised in Providence Twp., and remained there throughout his life. In about 1791, he married Anna Catharine Royer, 13 Nov. 1774, daughter of Johannes (John) Royer and Anna Catharine (Appel), and his first cousin (for a brief analysis of the Appel/Apfel connection, see Part 2: ROYER family). They appear to have lived for several years with his parents, since John is not separately taxed until 1798, from which time he appears as a laborer. They presumably were members of the Augustus Lutheran Church, at Trappe, since the Royers were members of the congregation, and it was there that Catherine was buried following her death 9 Jun. 1839. John was still living in the same area in 1850, when he appears in the census living with son Joseph. He died 17 Jan. 1852, being buried with his wife. While he left no will, the settlement of his estate, census records and tombstones enable us to identify his children, who all appear to have spelled their names Shupe.

children of John and Catharine (Royer) Shupe:

1. Samuel³, b. 1792
2. Michael³, b. 13 Nov. 1794, m. Anna Prutzman
3. Elizabeth³, b. 16 Dec. 1797, d. 16 Jun. 1869
4. Mary³, b. 3 Dec. 1800, m. Henry Rittenhouse
5. Catharine³, b. 25 Jul. 1803 d. 11 Apr. 1836
6. Jacob³, b. 25 May 1806, d. 15 Apr. 1829
7. John³, b. 1810
8. Sarah³, b. 1814, m. 3 Feb. 1839, Reuben Fleckenstein
9. Joseph³, b. 9 Feb. 1817


Part 2: ROYER family

Todd A. Farmerie