Which Cornelius Nafus? Tracing a Will Across Generations
Do you ever get confused about which family a particular record belongs to? That’s been my recent challenge with some Nafus research. Not only is the surname spelled in numerous ways—Nafus, Nephus, Nephew, Neafus, Nefjes—but it seems nearly every branch of the family had a Cornelius. So when I found an 1850 newspaper notice involving the will of a Cornelius Nafus, I initially assumed it referred to a younger man—not my ancestor, Cornelius Nafus (1750–1817), who was married to Jane Skelton.
Here’s the legal notice that caught my attention:
NOTICE.
TO William Nafus, Cornelius Nafus, Jonathan Nafus, John Nafus, Joel Hale, and Sarah Hale, his wife, late Sarah Nafus, and Jane Nafus, Legatees under the Will of Cornelius Nafus, late of Luzerne county, deceased, and the heirs and legal representatives of the above named legatees.
Take notice—That on fourth Nov. 1850,—the petition of John Williams was presented to the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne county, setting forth that the legatees under the Will of Cornelius Nafus, dec’d, were all paid, and praying the said Court, to order satisfaction to be entered thereon. Whereupon the said Court on motion, order and direct, that notice of said petition and application be served by the Sheriff, by public notice in one Newspaper in the county of Luzerne, once a week for four weeks successively, prior to next Term, said notice to be directed to the legatees named in the petition, generally, without name to their heirs and legal representatives.
In compliance with said order of Court, notice is hereby given.
G. W. PALMER,
Sheriff of Luzerne county.
Nov. 27, 1850
The Luzerne Union (Wilkes-Barre, PA), 4 Dec 1850, p. 3, via Newspapers.com
This prompted a search on FamilySearch, where I found a promising connection: Joel Hale’s wife, Sarah Nafus, was listed as a daughter of Cornelius Nafus (1750–1817) and Jane Skelton. But if Cornelius died in 1817, why was this notice being published in 1850—over thirty years later?
To investigate, I searched Luzerne County records and located what appears to be the original will of Cornelius—recorded in 1815:
Will of Cornelius Nephus – Dated 9 May 1815, Recorded 25 Aug 1841
Will Book B, 1821–1854, p. 292 (image 162 of 308), Luzerne County, PennsylvaniaIn the name of God Amen. I Cornelius Nephus of Pittston in the County of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, being weak in body but of sound mind and memory…
I will and bequeath to Isaac Nephus and George Nephus my sons, all my land of both lots, to be equally divided between them…
I will and bequeath to William my son thirty-five dollars… to Cornelius my son thirty-five dollars… to Jonathan my son thirty-five dollars… to Sarah my daughter thirty-five dollars…
My daughter Jane is to have her bedding and bureau, one cow, and thirty-five dollars…
I will and bequeath to my son John thirty-five dollars to be paid to his heirs when my grandson Marcene J. Nephew comes of age… the remainder to be paid to the widow and daughter of John Nephew deceased…
George Nephew is to have the care and bringing up of Marcene J. Nephew and schooling until he is fit to go to a trade…
And lastly, I hereby appoint George and Isaac Nephew Executors of my last Will and Testament.
An additional note—entered in the court record on 7 January 1851—stated:
In proceedings in the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County… the Court directs that Satisfaction of the Legacies under this will shall be entered upon the Record… which is accordingly done.
This clearly links the 1850 newspaper notice with the 1815 will of Cornelius Nephus—despite the 30+ year gap. But it also opens up several questions for future research.
Family Members Named in the 1815 Will:
Sons:
- Isaac Nephus – Inherited half of land and fishery; executor
- George Nephus – Inherited other half; executor and guardian of Marcene J.
- William Nephus – $35 legacy
- Cornelius Nephus – $35 legacy
- Jonathan Nephus – $35 legacy
- John Nephus (deceased) – $35 legacy divided among his heirs:
- Marcene J. Nephew (grandson) – to receive payment upon coming of age
- Unnamed widow and daughter – to share remainder
Daughters:
- Sarah Nephus – $35 legacy
- Jane Nephus – Bedding, bureau, one cow, $35, and half the household furniture
Genealogical Clues and Challenges
Using Marcene J. Nephew as a clue, I again turned to FamilySearch. I located a Marcena J. Nephew, son of John Neafus, with grandparents listed as Cornelius and Jane (Skelton) Nefjes—a promising match. But this raised another issue: FamilySearch listed John’s death around 1850, while the 1815 will clearly states that John was already deceased by then. This discrepancy may be due to confusion over probate or later mentions of John’s estate.
Another oddity is the listing of both Jonathan and John as sons—distinct individuals with very similar names, which could easily lead to misattribution in trees.
Unanswered Questions:
- Why did it take over 30 years for the legacies of this will to be formally satisfied?
- Is this Cornelius Nephus definitely the one married to Jane Skelton?
- Could the delay relate to real estate disputes, heirship clarification, or lack of probate enforcement?
Conclusion
Despite the 1850 newspaper notice initially seeming unrelated to Cornelius Nafus (1750–1817), deeper analysis shows it does connect back to his 1815 will. Still, the surname variations, repeated given names, and long probate timeline illustrate how easily genealogical trails can go cold—or be misleading.
This case reminds us to be cautious, thorough, and persistent. What starts as a confusing name in a newspaper notice might eventually illuminate a full family network—if we take the time to connect the dots.