Nicholas MUFLI
c1715  -  c1767

Little information has been found on the first Muffley in America. His name was Nicholas Muffley and he arrived at Philadelphia on October 31, 1737, aboard the ship William. The ship's list contained the names of 77 men. At this time the laws of Pennsylvania required that all males 15 years of age or older must be listed. It also required that the men on the list must take an oath of allegiance to the Province of Pennsylvania. The ship's list indicated that there were 180 people on board. It is not possible to know whether any women or children came to America with him. On the ship's list (made by the captain of the ship) his name was spelled Necklows Muffli. On the list where he signed his own name it was Nicklaus Mufli. After his arrival in Pennsylvania, on tax lists and land warranties, the name was spelled Nicholas Muffly or Muffley. This change of spelling probably came about because his name was written by English speaking people.

The ship's list referred to all people on board as Palatines. These people came from the Palatinate, an area in West Germany along the Rhine in the general area of Mainz. This area was very devastated during the Thirty Years War (over half of the people were killed). After the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, large numbers of people came down into the Palatinate from northern Switzerland. Mufli is a Swiss name and this probably means that either Nicholas or his ancestors came from there.

In America the next contact with him was through land warranties recorded in the Pennsylvania archives. He took 100 acres in 1745, another 25 acres in 1747, and another 150 acres in 1749. The land was located in Maxatawny Township, Philadelphia County. Since 1752, it has been in Berks County. On the map it is a few miles west of Allentown. Kutztown is in this township. In 1759 he was listed as a taxable inhabitant of Maxatawny Township and that year paid ten pounds tax. In 1767 both he and his son, Peter, paid taxes on land, horses, and cattle.

It is not known when Nicholas died, but his name does not show on tax lists after 1767. The whole family seems to have moved from Maxatawny Township about 1770 to Northampton County. This was a short distance to the northeast of their old home.

Oct 1737 Niclaus MUFLI, arrived in Philadelphia, on the ship, WILLIAM, from Rotterdam, by way of Dover, England, the Captain was John CARTER.  Niclaus was one of the group from the Palatines; as entered by RUPP in his book of 30,000 names.  He signed this name Nicholas MUFFLEY. The MUFFLEY/MUFFLY/MUFLIs may have came from Zweisimmen, (a small village about 30 miles south Bern), Switzerland or Germany according to the family

31 Oct 1737 He took Oath at the Court House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In 1765 He became a naturalized citizen of the Province of Pennsylvania

He took his Sacrament of the Lord's Supper with the Moravian Church, which was required by the British within 3 months of naturalization. Moravian Pastors would administer the sacraments to Lutherans & non-Moravians.

Land was granted by Thomas & Richard PENN 163 acres 132 perches in Maxatawny Township, then Philadelphia, now Berks County, Pennsylvania. The acreage was part of two separate tracts, warrant on March 4, 1745 & May 1747.

Tax Records for MUFFLY Nicholas

• 1752 in Mazatawny Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania (married)
• 1754 in Berks County, Pennsylvania
• 1767 in Maxatawny Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
  100 acres, 2 horses, 2 cows

Nicholas' wife's first name is unknown, but her maiden name is WYANT or WIAND.  He had four sons, named Peter, Christian, John, and Joseph.

Nicholas' occupation was given as yeoman and he lived in Philadelphia, later Berks County, Pennsylvania.  He was buried by Reverend BLUMER.   Niclaus MUFLI & WYANT wife were buried at Palmerton, just north of Lehigh Gap, Pennsylvania at St Johns (Old Towamensing) Lutheran Church, now Carbon County Pennsylvania (formerly Northampton County until 1843).