Person:Jakob Pretorius (1)

Again, as was the case with most of the Urbana pioneers, JACOB was shown incorrectly as being born in "Bavaria", when actually he was born in LETTWEILER, which is in that part of the Palatinate from where many of the Urbana pioneers had migrated. Lettweiler is about 4 miles north of Waldgrehweiler.

The Pretorius Family has several interesting stories about Jakob. One was that he had two brothers who fought in the Boer War in South Africa, and established the colony of PRETORIA in South Africa. This compiler is reluctant to challenge the story, but we know that the Pretorius Family from whom Jacob was descended were Palatines. The Pretorius Family who founded Pretoria in South Africa were Dutch, and they had been in South Africa long before the American Pretorius Family migrated to America. Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius was one of the Boer War leaders. He was born in Cape Colony in 1798. His parents were among the earliest settlers of South Africa. Therefore, it would seem very unlikely the Urbana Pretorius story is true. Never-the-less, it is possible that the Dutch and Palatine Pretorius families could be related - back in the mists of time!

Another family story was that Jakob left his native land by hiding in a wagon under 4 feet of hay. It was reported that he learned the shoemaker trade in Prussia. Jakob and his parents left New York state, and moved on to Tuscarawas County, Ohio at an unknown date. There are other as yet unconnected Pretorius families in Tuscarawas County.

Jakob migrated to Paw Paw Township in 1851. He was not listed in the "History of Wabash County, Indiana" (1884) as one of the founders of St. Peter's Church in Urbana, but may have been in the other list of 21 founders. In any event, he was known to have been prominent in the early church. He was known to have been an expert on knowing how to use an axe.

James Haupert says Jakob's father was: Jakob Praetorius, not Leonard. Someone please research that! The choice of Leonard as father does fit some of the data that is available. However, the data on Leonard's family only shows a son JACOB with no details. He is of the correct generation, and is also from the tiny village of Lettweiler, but this connection has not yet been proven. However, the Jacob known in Urbana, was married in Tuscarawas County, so he can be placed there. The two Jacobs are likely the same person. Larry Stoller's data in RootsWeb.com does show Jacob as a son of Leonard. However, a lot of Larry's data is questionable!

--White Creek 15:35, 8 August 2012 (EDT)

JACOB PRETORIUS

URBANA CEMETERY 1963

1.   Haupert, James. St. Peter's Cemetery Records
   circa 1978.
2. ↑ Wabash County Historical Society (Indiana); Linda Robertson; and North Manchester Historical Society (Indiana). Wabash County history, bicentennial edition, 1976, Wabash, Indiana. (Marceline, Missouri: Walsworth Publishing Company, c1976).

   The book has Jacob's birth: 1819

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Haupert, James. St. Peter's Cemetery Records
   circa 1978.
4. ↑ Metcalfe, Howard. Forty North: Lineages of Some Early Settlers Along the Fortieth Parallel. (Decorah, Iowa: Anundsen Publishing Co., 1997).
5. ↑ Helm, Thomas B. History of Wabash County, Indiana: containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc. (Chicago: J. Morris, 1884).

   Jakob (Jacob) was listed as one of the principal citizens of Paw Paw Township.