Johann Jacob von Dernbach (Dornbach)

German Immigrant, Pennsylvania Farmer, and Ancestor of the Turnbaugh–Turnbow Family

Johann Jacob von Dernbach, later recorded in American records as Johann Jacob Dornbach, was a German immigrant whose arrival in colonial Pennsylvania marked the beginning of the American branch of the family that would later become known as Turnpaugh, Turnbaugh, and ultimately Turnbow. Family histories describe him as a descendant of the ancient House of Dernbach of Germany and as the son of Count Wilhelm von Dernbach.

According to family tradition, Johann Jacob was born in Germany during the early eighteenth century. He married Anna Catharina before leaving Europe and beginning the difficult journey to the American colonies. Like many German-speaking immigrants of the period, Johann Jacob sought greater opportunity, land ownership, and economic independence in Pennsylvania, one of the principal destinations for German settlers in North America.

In 1744, Johann Jacob and Anna departed Germany and traveled through Rotterdam before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Pennsylvania. The voyage was long and hazardous, but upon arrival the couple joined the growing German communities that were transforming the agricultural landscape of colonial Pennsylvania. German settlers brought farming skills, craftsmanship, religious traditions, and a strong commitment to family life that helped shape the development of the colony.

Family records maintain that Johann Jacob later acquired farmland associated with lands administered under the Penn proprietorship. There he established a permanent home, cleared and cultivated the land, raised livestock, and began building a future for his descendants in America. The farm became the foundation upon which succeeding generations of the family would prosper and expand.

Johann Jacob and Anna became the parents of Christopher Dornbach, whose surname gradually appeared in American records as Turnpaugh and later Turnbaugh. Through Christopher, Johann Jacob’s paternal line continued uninterrupted through the colonial period and into the era of American independence.

The family’s connection to the American Revolution emerged through Johann Jacob’s grandson, George Turnpaugh. George served in the Continental Light Dragoons during the Revolutionary War and participated in the struggle for American independence. His military service linked the immigrant experience of Johann Jacob to the founding generation of the United States.

Within the genealogical tradition preserved by the Turnbaugh and Turnbow families, Johann Jacob stands at the crossroads between the Old World and the New. Born in Germany and descended from the von Dernbach lineage, he crossed the Atlantic with his wife Anna, established a farm in Pennsylvania, and laid the foundation for generations of American descendants.

The lineage traditionally maintained by the family is presented as:

Theodoric I (Dietrich), Margrave of Meissen (1162–1221)
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Heinrich von Dernbach
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The Medieval Lords of Dernbach
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Count Phillip Wilhelm von Dernbach
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Johann Jacob von Dernbach (Dornbach)
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Christopher Dornbach (Turnpaugh)
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George Turnpaugh, Revolutionary War veteran
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Teter (Tetrick) Turnpaugh
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Peter Turnbaugh
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Louis Turnbaugh
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Chrisell Turnbaugh (Turnbow)
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Percy Turnbaugh (now Turnbow)
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Prince Carl D. Turnbow, Sr.

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Rev. Pervis A. Turnbow, Sr.

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Prince D.D. Turnbow, Sr.

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Prince Rev. P.A. Turnbow, Jr.

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Burt Turnbo Male Line

Today, Johann Jacob von Dernbach is remembered within family history as the immigrant patriarch who transformed a German noble and farming heritage into an enduring American legacy, one that continued through generations of farmers, soldiers, community leaders, and ministers.