It was all just a scam
Summary of the scam
The Back-Bach Genealogical Society was formed in 1993, by five men from southeastern Kentucky: Reedus Back, Troy Lee Back, Custer Back, Dexter Dixon, and Custer's son Kenneth Back.
The relationships between these men were odd: Reedus and Custer were first cousins, and they were both half-first cousins to Troy, because their grandfather married twice; Reedus and Custer were second cousins to Dexter; and Troy was a second cousin to Dexter, by marriage.
Despite the name of their little club, not one of these five men was a genealogist, nor were any of their members genealogists. In 1994, they published a $85 fraudulent genealogy book about their family. It was titled, A Back Family History: The Story of a Major Branch of the Back/Bach Family.
The book claimed that their family descended from a man named Harman Back (Hermann Bach), who was from Freudenberg, Germany, and who came to America in 1738, and settled in Little Fork, Virginia. The book further claimed that Harman Back had a son named Henry Back, and that, after Henry died, in 1809, his widow Elizabeth Hoffman Back moved all the way down to southeastern Kentucky and founded their Back (Bach) family there. But that was all a blatant lie, and these five men, and all the members of their little club, knew that it was a blatant lie.
In fact, these five men, and all the members of their little club, had known the actual genealogy of their family, for most of their lives, because it had been passed down, from generation to generation, for hundreds of years. It had been openly discussed, particularly at the annual family reunions, which had been held, ever since 1933, on the farm of Miles Back, who lived in the small community of Quicksand, in Breathitt County, Kentucky. These five men, and all the members of their little club, had attended those annual family reunions, ever since they were young. And so, there is no doubt whatsoever that all of them knew the actual genealogy of their family.
Those annual reunions had been held on the first Sunday, in September, and nearly 1,000 people attended. People brought a picnic lunch, and they sat out on the lawn, where they shared pictures and stories, all day. Everyone loved going to the reunions, because they were so much fun. Everyone knew that their ancestors, Joseph Back, his wife Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back, and their four children (Joseph Jr., John, Mary, and Henry) had come to southeastern Kentucky, in 1791, from Culpeper County, Virginia. Everyone also knew that Joseph Back's parents, and their ancestors, originally came from Thuringia, Germany. And everyone also knew that the family was related to the famous musician and composer, Johann Sebastian Bach. All of this was common knowledge. There was even an old Family Bible displayed at the reunions; it contained numerous handwritten statements from their ancestors, dating from 1762 to 1911, which also documented the family's genealogy. In addition, the newspaper articles that reported on the reunions each year contained an outline of the family's genealogy as well.
However, these five men thought that they could make a great deal of money, by creating and selling a fraudulent genealogy of their own family, using Harman Back. They were completely driven by greed, to do this. It was truly appalling.
They knew that Harman Back was one of the immigrants who was being researched by The Germanna Foundation, which is a genealogical organization that brings in a tremendous amount of money by selling genealogy. Most of the genealogical information in their books is accurate, but they are known to exaggerate, and to even make things up, in order to extract as much money as possible from their members. Over the years, they have shamelessly turned the fun hobby of genealogy into a massive, aggressive, money-making machine.
The Germanna Foundation was established in 1956, as a non-profit organization, in order to research the ancestors, and the descendants, of a small group of German immigrants (including Harman Back) who had settled into northern Virginia, in the early 1700s. Those Germans lived in two small settlements: Germanna and Little Fork. In order to join The Germanna Foundation, back in the 1960s, a person had to descend from one of those German immigrants. But nowadays, they take money from anyone.
In the 1990s, The Germanna Foundation sold memberships for $20 per year; they held annual conferences that cost $100 per person to attend; and they sponsored trips to Germany for $5,000 per person. Prior to each annual conference, they asked their members to donate items to them, so that they could auction them off at the conference, to bring in even more money for themselves. They also sold several genealogy books. Their primary focus was to bring in as much money as possible, for the people who were in charge of it. They also begged their members to simply donate money to them, and they even begged them to change their wills and leave their inheritance to them! They had hundreds of members (many of whom were quite wealthy), and they brought in a great deal of money.
So, these five men created a fraudulent genealogy, to connect their Back (Bach) family in southeastern Kentucky to Harman Back, in order to take advantage of that connection to The Germanna Foundation and their extraordinary ability to make money from genealogy. These five men hoped that, by doing so, they would make a great deal of money as well.
These five men even designed their little club, The Back-Bach Genealogical Society, to closely resemble The Germanna Foundation. They sold memberships for $20 per year; they held annual conferences (which they first called "meetings," and then later called "reunions"), but they only charged $25 per person to attend. They also sponsored trips to Germany for $5,000 per person.
Prior to each annual meeting/reunion, they also asked their members to donate items to them, so that they could auction them off, to bring in even more money for themselves. They also said that they were a non-profit organization, like The Germanna Foundation was, but that was a lie; they never even applied for that special tax-free status (see below). Just like The Germanna Foundation, the primary focus of The Back-Bach Genealogical Society was to bring in as much money as possible, for the people who were in charge of it.
Reedus Back headed up publishing the $85 fraudulent genealogy book. Although he didn't put his name on the cover (for some reason), inside of the book, he was named as being "The Coordinator and Director of Publication." Reedus had never held a real job, in his life. He spent his time as an administrator, in public education, where he was actually only known for "turning storage rooms into classrooms." He had been asked to join The Back-Bach Genealogical Society by his cousins, Troy and Custer, simply because he had a Ph.D. Even though his Ph.D. was in education (which most people regard as being trivial), and not in a relevant curriculum, such as history, and it came from a school that was, at the time, obscure and second-rate, Troy and Custer thought that his Ph.D. would lend credibility to their fraud. However, the most significant problem was the fact that Reedus knew absolutely nothing about conducting proper genealogical research, and he never even bothered to learn. (Why should he learn? Because he was creating a fraudulent genealogy, it didn't matter!)
The Back-Bach Genealogical Society published their fraudulent genealogy book, in the fall of 1994. However, Reedus knew that he would encounter serious resistance to his book, if he presented it at the annual family reunion, because everyone in southeastern Kentucky already knew the actual genealogy of the family. So he came up with a devious plan. He decided to hold separate and secret family reunions, 100 miles away from southeastern Kentucky, up in Lexington, and only invite people who lived out-of-state, and who had never attended one of the family reunions down in southeastern Kentucky. That way, the attendees at his separate and secret family reunions would be more likely to accept his fraudulent genealogy, because they probably wouldn't know about the actual genealogy. He hoped to build up a base of support for his fraudulent genealogy, with people who lived out-of-state, before he presented it to the people who lived in southeastern Kentucky.
Reedus began mailing out "newsletters" to members of the Back (Bach) family who lived out-of-state, inviting them to his secret family reunions, although he never told them that his reunions were secret. He held those secret family reunions for four years (from 1994 through 1997).
However, someone in the family, down in southeastern Kentucky, found out about his secret family reunions, and his fraudulent genealogy book, in 1996. They were absolutely livid. They also found out where the printing plates for the book were being kept, and so they went there and destroyed them. That made it impossible to print any more books, without starting over. Reedus actually wrote about this, in one of his "newsletters." But Reedus just shrugged off the destruction of the plates. He simply had a CD made, from his copy of the book, and then he began selling CDs for $45 each. Who knows how many CDs he sold. Yet, he never even got an ISBN number for his book, or his CD, which proves that he also knew absolutely nothing about book publishing either. (All legitimate publishers get ISBN numbers for their books.)
By the end of his fourth secret family reunion, in 1997, Reedus had sold about 200 annual memberships in The Back-Bach Genealogical Society (at $20 each, per year); he had sold all 500 copies of his fraudulent genealogy book (at $85 each); and he had sold lots of CDs (at $45 each). This means that, by the end of 1997, Reedus and his cohorts had brought in at least $50,000 for themselves. Reedus then decided that it was finally time for him to "take over" the long-standing annual family reunions, down in southeastern Kentucky, which he would do, in the fall of 1998.
In June of 1998, Reedus published another one of his "newsletters." But for the first time, he mailed it to every member of the Back (Bach) family who lived in southeastern Kentucky. In it, he simply announced that "a group of people had decided" to hold the annual reunion that fall, at a restaurant in Whitesburg, instead of on Miles Back's farm in Quicksand, where it had been held for 64 years. But yet, no reason was given for that. He also presented information about his little club, including the list of the "officers" and their "duties." He emphasized how people needed to buy a $20 membership in his little club, calling it "a challenge to honor our ancestors." He also said that "Registration Forms" to attend the reunion that fall would be mailed out soon.
When the people who lived in southeastern Kentucky received that newsletter, they were shocked. The reunions had always been held on Miles Back's farm in Quicksand. Why were the reunions being moved, 60 miles away, to some restaurant down in Whitesburg? Furthermore, nobody had ever "registered" for their own family reunion before...they had just gone. But they were really angry at being told to send $20 to Reedus, to join his little club. They didn't need to join his little club, to "honor their ancestors," or for any other reason.
But the real shock came, a few weeks later, when the Registration Forms arrived, telling people that they had to pay $25 to attend their own family reunion! Nobody had ever paid anything to go to their own family reunion, and they certainly were not going to do so. They were also told that they had to pay $15 to go to The Maggard Cemetery, to see the "new gravestone" that had been placed there! Nobody was going to do that either. Anyone could go to that cemetery, or to any other cemetery, anytime they wanted, without paying anyone anything. (They later found out what Troy and Custer had actually done in The Maggard Cemetery...how they had pulled up the gravestone of their beloved ancestor from the ground and thrown it over the hill, leaving her precious remains disrespected, and then, how they had erected a new gravestone over her remains that described her sister-in-law.)
Members of the Back (Bach) family in southeastern Kentucky were so angry, and so upset, about all of this that virtually nobody went to that 1998 reunion, or to any other reunion, ever again. A couple of people went, in 1998, only out of curiosity, but when they saw what was going on (the presentation of the fraudulent genealogy featuring Harman Back, and the way that Reedus continually begged the attendees for money), they left in disgust.
There were only about 50 people at that 1998 reunion, and most of them were from out-of-state. That was a dramatic change, from the nearly 1,000 people who used to attend the reunions, up until then. Plus, the "new" reunions were focused entirely on Reedus Back, standing up at a podium, looking down at the attendees, and lecturing the attendees about Harman Back. At all the prior reunions, up until then, people simply sat around and talked with each other; nobody stood up and lectured everyone like that. Also at the "new" reunions, if any attendee asked about the actual genealogy of the family, or asked if the family was related to Johann Sebastian Bach, either Reedus, or one of his "officers," simply waved their hand at them, to dismiss the question, and then they openly laughed at the attendee and made fun of them. It was so sick.
Over the next few years, Reedus kept on mailing out his "newsletters." But they never contained any news. Each one begged the reader to buy a membership in his little club, and scolded them, if they didn't try to find other people to buy one too. Reedus wrote that, by buying a membership, "then you could enjoy being family." According to Reedus, you weren't part of the family, unless you gave him $20 a year. He even brazenly wrote that he wanted to "build an ongoing and profitable genealogy business" for himself. He had no shame.
So, as time went by, less and less people showed up for the reunions every year, and most of them were from out-of-state. Even more significant was the fact very few of those attendees ever returned for a second reunion, after their first one. By 2010, only a handful of people showed up, and the reunions ended, soon after that.
That is what Reedus Back and The Back-Bach Genealogical Society did, to their own family. They destroyed the actual genealogy of their own family, and they destroyed their own family's reunions, just so they could "get rich." They tore the family apart with their lies and their greed.
As for the fraudulent genealogy book itself, it was an absolute disgrace. There was not one piece of evidence in the book that proved any of their ridiculous genealogy, prior to John Back (1774-1853), his sister Mary Back (1777-1807), and his brother Henry Back (1785-1871), because there was no proof, because it was all a lie.
In the book, they claimed that the father of these three siblings was Henry Back (1743-1809), but it was actually Joseph Back (1745-1819), who was Henry's brother. They also claimed that Henry Back (1743-1809) was a son of Harman Back (born in 1708, whose family was from Freudenberg), but it was actually John Henry Back (born in 1709, whose family was from Thuringia).
They even created "evidence," on page 13, to try to "prove" that Harman Back was on the ship Oliver, by adding the words "and Germans" to the second sentence of their alleged screen-shot of the article from The William and Mary Quarterly. They also eliminated the end of that sentence, and the rest of that four-page article, which documented that the passengers on the ship Oliver were Swiss, and they were going to America to settle on William Byrd's land, along the Roanoke River, which was 200 miles south of Little Fork. Harman Back was not on the ship Oliver.
The book was extremely difficult to read, not only because of the fraudulent genealogy, but also because of the vast number of typos, misspelled words, and bad grammar. The carelessness was extraordinary. Even the genealogy after John Back (1774-1853) and his siblings was full of mistakes. Reedus printed hundreds of "corrections," which he mailed out in his "newsletters," until there were so many corrections needed that he couldn't keep up with them. The book also contained a goofy numbering system, to organize all of the people in the book, because Reedus and his cohorts knew nothing about the two well-established numbering systems that real genealogists use.
On the "Acknowledgement Page" of the book, Reedus "thanked" lots of people who were not even involved with the book, who knew that the genealogy it contained was all wrong, and who wanted nothing whatsoever to do with them. Some of those people were Wardie and Hazel Craft, Mary Edith Marley, and Nancy Josephine Wheeler Bach.
Reedus also "thanked" Dr. Wilgus Bach and Dr. B.C. Holtzclaw, claiming that, "their earlier research and extensive documentation helped to make this book possible." But, Dr. Bach's research proved that the family descended from John Henry Back (Johann Heinrich Bach), whose family was from Thuringia, Germany, which was the accurate genealogy of the family that everyone already knew, including Reedus himself!
And Dr. Holtzclaw also believed that the ancestors of the Back (Bach) family in southeastern Kentucky came from Thuringia! He had expressed serious doubts about Troy Lee Back's unproven claims that the family descended from Harman Back (Hermann Bach), whose family was from Freudenberg, Germany. He had simply printed Troy Lee Back's claims in his book; yet, he had never endorsed those claims; in fact, he had disputed Troy's claims in his book.
However, because Dr. Bach and Dr. Holtzclaw had already passed away by then, Reedus knew that they weren't able to protest their names being hijacked like that. Using the names of those two, highly-respected men, because they were deceased, and to boldly lie, and claim that their research supported that fraudulent genealogy, when it most definitely did not, was beyond shameful.
Sadly, there are some people who still cling to the fraudulent genealogy that The Back-Bach Genealogical Society created, even to this day. They loudly dispute the actual genealogy of the family, because they refuse to admit that they were duped, and they are too lazy to research the facts for themselves. That fraudulent genealogy book pitted the few people who believed that new and completely undocumented fraudulent genealogy, against the vast number of people who already knew the long-standing and well-documented actual genealogy of their family. Those tensions still exist today. That is what that disgusting book, those evil and greedy five men, and that absurd and useless little club, did, to this family.
Reedus Back continually claimed that The Back-Bach Genealogical Society was a non-profit organization. However, no organization with that name was ever registered with the Kentucky Secretary of State (or with any other state), as any type of entity (non-profit, corporation, LLC, etc.). Please check that verification link below.
Also, The Back-Bach Genealogical Society was never registered with the IRS as a non-profit organization either. Please check that verification link below.
Reedus Back also continually claimed that The Back-Bach Genealogical Society was "getting a tax number," but neither the state of Kentucky, nor the IRS, ever received an application for a Tax ID Number either (also called a FEIN, or an EIN). Please check that verification link below.
In addition, Reedus Back also charged sales tax on each book that he sold, however, he never obtained a Sales Tax Permit in Kentucky. That means he collected sales taxes, but he never remitted those funds to the state either.
So, The Back-Bach Genealogical Society was never registered as a non-profit, they never had a Tax ID Number, and they never had a Sales Tax Permit. This means that there was no way that The Back-Bach Genealogical Society could have reported any of the money that they collected, to the state of Kentucky, or to the IRS, for tax purposes. All that money just went into someone's pocket.
What they did was illegal. It was unethical. It was immoral. It was a scam.
History of the fraudulent genealogy
The Fraud Began In 1964
The Fraud Began In 1964
The Fraud Began In 1964
The fraudulent genealogy was actually started back in 1963, by a man named Troy Lee Back. He had been born in 1904, in Letcher County, Kentucky, to Henry Benton Back and Phoebe Brashear. He married his second cousin, Margaret Brashear. He never even graduated from high school, and he worked in a coal mine, like his father. In 1938, Troy
The fraudulent genealogy was actually started back in 1963, by a man named Troy Lee Back. He had been born in 1904, in Letcher County, Kentucky, to Henry Benton Back and Phoebe Brashear. He married his second cousin, Margaret Brashear. He never even graduated from high school, and he worked in a coal mine, like his father. In 1938, Troy became the "safety director" at his mine. In 1940, he was transferred to Washington, D.C., to work as a clerk at The Coal Mine Safety Board. It was a very simple job, and so he had lots of extra time on his hands. Since he already knew the genealogy of his father's family, he decided to write a genealogy book about his mother's family (and his wife's family), which was the Brashear family. While he was doing research for that book, in 1963, he discovered The Germanna Foundation, in Locust Grove, Virginia, which was only about two hours away from his house in Arlington. Troy became completely obsessed with that organization.
The Germanna Foundation
The Fraud Began In 1964
The Fraud Began In 1964
Starting back in the 1950s, The Germanna Foundation has been turning genealogy, from a fun hobby, into a money-making machine. (Many members of this organization are very wealthy and highly educated.) The organization is comprised of many of the descendants of a small group of Germans, who had immigrated to Virginia, in the early 1700s.
Starting back in the 1950s, The Germanna Foundation has been turning genealogy, from a fun hobby, into a money-making machine. (Many members of this organization are very wealthy and highly educated.) The organization is comprised of many of the descendants of a small group of Germans, who had immigrated to Virginia, in the early 1700s. The only way that a person could join The Germanna Foundation is if they descend from one of those immigrants. One of those immigrants was Hermann Bach, who was from Freudenberg, Germany. He and his wife Anna had two children: twins, Hermann Jr. and Anna Ella (born in 1737). However, Anna Ella died, shortly after birth. In 1738, Hermann, his wife Anna, and their infant son Hermann Jr., sailed to America. After Hermann Bach arrived, he changed the spelling of his name to Harman Back. One year after their ship landed, they settled in Little Fork, Virginia, which was about 14 miles north of the present-day town of Culpeper.
Troy Back's greed
The Fraud Began In 1964
Troy Back's greed
Troy Lee Back was mesmerized by the enormous amount of money that The Germanna Foundation made, from selling their genealogy. And he was thrilled to learn that one of their immigrants had the last name of Back (Bach). He desperately wanted to "get rich" from selling genealogy too, and so he simply lied and told The Germanna Foundation th
Troy Lee Back was mesmerized by the enormous amount of money that The Germanna Foundation made, from selling their genealogy. And he was thrilled to learn that one of their immigrants had the last name of Back (Bach). He desperately wanted to "get rich" from selling genealogy too, and so he simply lied and told The Germanna Foundation that he descended from their immigrant, Harman Back (Hermann Bach). By doing so, he could join their organization and "get rich." The Germanna Foundation was not aware of any sons for Harman Back, and so Troy just created two sons for him, along with a strange story, to connect his family in southeastern Kentucky to Harman Back (Hermann Bach). He claimed that Harman had two sons, Henry Back and John Back, who married two sisters, Elizabeth and Margaret Hoffman. He said that, after Henry died, his widow Elizabeth went to southeastern Kentucky and founded his family there. But that was a lie. It was also the start of the fraudulent genealogy.
Dr. B.C. Holtzclaw
Henry Back & John Back
Henry Back & John Back
Dr. Holtzclaw (1894-1986) was the respected historian for The Germanna Foundation, for many years. In 1964, he published a detailed book titled, Ancestry and Descendants of the Nassau-Siegen Immigrants to Virginia 1714-1750. Right before he published it, he met Troy Lee Back, who convinced him to include his fraudulent genealogy about Har
Dr. Holtzclaw (1894-1986) was the respected historian for The Germanna Foundation, for many years. In 1964, he published a detailed book titled, Ancestry and Descendants of the Nassau-Siegen Immigrants to Virginia 1714-1750. Right before he published it, he met Troy Lee Back, who convinced him to include his fraudulent genealogy about Harman Back in his book. Although Dr. Holtzclaw was extremely skeptical of Troy's claims, he agreed to include them in his book, so that Troy could join the organization. But Dr. Holtzclaw also stated in his book that, "There is no proof that John and Henry Back were the sons of Harman Back of the Little Fork group." In fact, there was no evidence that men named Henry Back or John Back had ever lived in Little Fork, because their names were never seen in any of the Little Fork Tax Lists. However, Troy had accomplished this important first step, in his plan to "get rich," by making money off of his fraudulent genealogy...he was able to get his fraudulent genealogy printed in an important book that was written by a highly respected historian from The Germanna Foundation.
Henry Back & John Back
Henry Back & John Back
Henry Back & John Back
There really was a man named Henry Back, who had a brother named John Back, and they really did marry two sisters named Elizabeth and Margaret Hoffman. They were the daughters of John Hoffman and Maria Sabina Folg. But Henry and John's father was John Henry Back (Johann Heinrich Bach). That Back (Bach) family lived about 11 miles southwes
There really was a man named Henry Back, who had a brother named John Back, and they really did marry two sisters named Elizabeth and Margaret Hoffman. They were the daughters of John Hoffman and Maria Sabina Folg. But Henry and John's father was John Henry Back (Johann Heinrich Bach). That Back (Bach) family lived about 11 miles southwest of Culpeper, and practically next door to the Hoffman family. The two Back brothers married the two Hoffman sisters, around 1775, probably in a double ceremony. John Back died in 1794, and his widow Margaret moved to Rockingham County, Virginia. Henry Back died in 1809, and his widow Elizabeth moved to Rockingham County to live next to her sister. Elizabeth was seen living there, in the 1810 Census Report (with her son Aaron); she was also listed in the 1810 Tax Lists (as "Aaron Back & mother"); and she was listed in the 1815 Tax List as well. Elizabeth Hoffman Back died in Rockingham County, around 1815; her sister Margaret died there, around 1831. Elizabeth Hoffman Back never went to Kentucky, and so she never established the Back (Bach) family there.
Aaron Back
Henry Back & John Back
Aaron Back
Aaron Back (1785-1868) was the son of Henry Back and his wife Elizabeth Hoffman Back. There is no dispute about that. Even The Back-Bach Genealogical Society managed to get that right, in their book. (There was no other man living in early America with the name of Aaron Back.) After Aaron's father died, in 1809, he moved with his mother,
Aaron Back (1785-1868) was the son of Henry Back and his wife Elizabeth Hoffman Back. There is no dispute about that. Even The Back-Bach Genealogical Society managed to get that right, in their book. (There was no other man living in early America with the name of Aaron Back.) After Aaron's father died, in 1809, he moved with his mother, and his two older sisters, to Rockingham County, Virginia, so that his mother could live near her sister Margaret, who lived there, along Wolf Run. Aaron's name was seen on the 1810 Land Tax List, and the 1810 Personal Property Tax List, in Rockingham County, as "Aaron Back & mother." Aaron was also listed in the 1810 Census Report, living in Rockingham County. His mother Elizabeth, who was then 64 years old, was listed in the column for females age 45 and over. Aaron's future father-in-law, Henry Hammer, lived right next door. Aaron married his daughter Margaret, the next year. After Aaron's mother Elizabeth died (late 1815/early 1816), he and his family moved to Preble County, Ohio. In 1836, they moved onto Huntington County, Indiana, where they later died.
More proof that Elizabeth moved to Rockingham County, virginia
On August 19, 1816, Aaron Back and his wife, Margaret Elizabeth Luger Hammer Back (known as "Elizabeth"), sold 50 acres along Wolf Run, in Rockingham County, Virginia, which had belonged to his mother, Elizabeth Hoffman Back, who had recently died. A copy of that deed has recently been found. The deed contains information about how Aaron had purchased that land. It said that he and Margaret Hoffman Back (his aunt, who was his mother's sister) had bought 100 acres from Margaret's daughter Elizabeth Back Embry and her husband John Embry, back on April 10, 1809. Margaret was already living on 50 acres of that land; the other 50 acres was for Aaron's mother Elizabeth (Margaret's sister) to live on. This proves that Elizabeth Hoffman Back, the widow of Henry Back, moved to Rockingham County, Virginia, after Henry died, in 1809, and that she did not move to Kentucky. The deed shows that Aaron and his wife Elizabeth sold his mother's 50 acres to his wife's brother, Henry Hammer Jr., on August 19, 1816, which must have been shortly after Aaron's mother had died. This proves that Elizabeth Hoffman Back, the widow of Henry Back, died in Rockingham County, Virginia, and that she never moved to Kentucky. The signature portion of the deed is shown here, showing Aaron Back and his wife Margaret "Elizabeth" Luger Hammer Back making their "marks." The original deed can be found online, in the "Burnt Records Collection," at the Rockingham County courthouse.
This deed is is absolute proof that Elizabeth Hoffman Back, the wife of Henry Back (who died in 1809, in Madison County, Virginia) never moved to Kentucky; she moved to Rockingham County, Virginia, after her husband Henry died, to live next to her sister Margaret, on 50 acres of land that her son Aaron had bought for her; Elizabeth later died there, either in late 1815, or early 1816.
The Back (BACh) Family Bible
The Back (BACh) Family Bible
The Back (BACh) Family Bible
One of Dr. Holtzclaw's main concerns about Troy Back's claims concerned the old Family Bible that belonged to the Back (Bach) family in southeastern Kentucky. Inside of the old book was a handwritten statement from 1762 that said, "We Came from Thuringia." It was written by John Henry Back (Johann Heinrich Bach). Obviously, he wanted to
One of Dr. Holtzclaw's main concerns about Troy Back's claims concerned the old Family Bible that belonged to the Back (Bach) family in southeastern Kentucky. Inside of the old book was a handwritten statement from 1762 that said, "We Came from Thuringia." It was written by John Henry Back (Johann Heinrich Bach). Obviously, he wanted to make sure that his future descendants would know where their family had originally come from, which was Thuringia, Germany. Dr. Holtzclaw had seen that handwritten statement inside of that Bible, years before, as had many other people, including Dr. Wilgus Bach. In contrast, Harman Back (Hermann Bach) and his family came from Freudenberg, Germany, which is nowhere near Thuringia. The old Back (Bach) Family Bible also had the name of Elizabeth Hoffman Back and her date of birth (July 13, 1746) in it, proving that she married into John Henry Back's family, and not the family of Harman Back. Therefore, Dr. Holtzclaw concluded that there were two separate Back (Bach) families: one was from Freudenberg, and the other one was from Thuringia.
The Bible WAS vandalized
The Back (BACh) Family Bible
The Back (BACh) Family Bible
In the spring of 1969, Troy retired from his job in Washington, D.C., and he returned home to Kentucky. The next step in his plan to "get rich" was to eliminate as much of the actual proof of his own family's genealogy as possible, so that he could later publish his fraudulent genealogy. He knew that he definitely had to get rid of that
In the spring of 1969, Troy retired from his job in Washington, D.C., and he returned home to Kentucky. The next step in his plan to "get rich" was to eliminate as much of the actual proof of his own family's genealogy as possible, so that he could later publish his fraudulent genealogy. He knew that he definitely had to get rid of that 1762 handwritten statement in the old Back (Bach) Family Bible that said, "We Came from Thuringia," because Harman Back had come from Freudenberg. That old handwritten statement had also been the main concern that Dr. Holtzclaw had, about Troy's fraudulent genealogy. So, Troy went to see Amanda Bach, who was the widow of Dr. Wilgus Bach, because she kept that old book at her house. She had always let anyone see it, and she had even lent it out to people, to take to their own homes. When Troy arrived, she got the book for him. When she left the room, he took out a razor blade that he had hidden in his pocket, and he cut out that old handwritten statement from the book. He later threw it away. Nowadays, you can clearly see where that statement had been cut out from the old book.
The Hoffman Family Bible
The Back (BACh) Family Bible
The Hoffman Family Bible
John Hoffman (1692-1772) was the father of Elizabeth Hoffman, who married Henry Back. Mr. Hoffman also maintained a Family Bible, for his family, for many years. His Family Bible was actually just four small pieces of blue paper, which he kept inside of an old book. On those four pieces of paper, he recorded his name and date of birth, t
John Hoffman (1692-1772) was the father of Elizabeth Hoffman, who married Henry Back. Mr. Hoffman also maintained a Family Bible, for his family, for many years. His Family Bible was actually just four small pieces of blue paper, which he kept inside of an old book. On those four pieces of paper, he recorded his name and date of birth, the names and dates of birth of his two wives (Anna Catherine Haeger, and Maria Sabina Folg), and the names and dates of birth of each of his seventeen children, including his daughter Elizabeth. The entry for her said, "In the year 1746, July 13th, my daughter Elizabeth was born; baptized August 3rd; her witnesses were Nicklaus Jaeger and Susana his wife, and Anna Margaretha, the wife of Baltz Blankenbuechler." Her date of birth was exactly the same date of birth for the Elizabeth Hoffman Back who was recorded in the Bible that belonged to John Henry Back (Johann Heinrich Bach). This conclusively proves that the daughter of John Hoffman married into the family of John Henry Back (Johann Henrich Bach), and not into the family of Harman Back (Hermann Bach).
John Hoffman (1692-1772)
John Hoffman (1692-1772)
John Hoffman (1692-1772)
John Hoffman was born in Germany. He sailed to America, in 1714, and he settled in Germanna, Virginia. In 1729, he and several other men became angry with Gov. Spotswood, and so they (and their families) moved east, to land along the Robinson River. There, John and his second wife Maria Sabina Folg had twelve children, including two daug
John Hoffman was born in Germany. He sailed to America, in 1714, and he settled in Germanna, Virginia. In 1729, he and several other men became angry with Gov. Spotswood, and so they (and their families) moved east, to land along the Robinson River. There, John and his second wife Maria Sabina Folg had twelve children, including two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret. In 1775, those two sisters married two sons of their neighbor, John Henry Back (Johann Heinrich Bach), who was a successful millwright, and who owned 786 acres along nearby Crooked Creek. Yet, Little Fork was 30 miles away. How would John Hoffman's daughters have even met anyone up in Little Fork? John Hoffman had moved away from Germanna, long before Harman Back (Hermann Bach) arrived in the nearby community of Little Fork, in 1739, so it is highly doubtful that they ever even knew each other.
Dr. Wilgus' Book
John Hoffman (1692-1772)
John Hoffman (1692-1772)
Dr. Wilgus Bach (1887-1936) was born in Breathitt County, Kentucky. He became a physician, and he later owned and operated The Bach Hospital, in Jackson, Kentucky. He was very respected, and everyone called him "Dr. Wilgus." In the early 1900s, he became interested in the genealogy of his Bach family. So, he interviewed a large number of
Dr. Wilgus Bach (1887-1936) was born in Breathitt County, Kentucky. He became a physician, and he later owned and operated The Bach Hospital, in Jackson, Kentucky. He was very respected, and everyone called him "Dr. Wilgus." In the early 1900s, he became interested in the genealogy of his Bach family. So, he interviewed a large number of people, and then he wrote a genealogy book about his family, and thirty other families who lived in the county. He died young, and after his widow Amanda died, in 1977, her family donated his valuable genealogy book to the Kentucky Historical Society. However, Troy Lee Back went there, around 1970, and he got hold of that book. While he sat alone, somewhere in that building, Troy used an ink pen and a bottle of white-out, and he changed Dr. Wilgus' research, from the actual genealogy that Dr. Wilgus had written, to the fraudulent genealogy that Troy had created himself.
Outright Theft occurred
John Hoffman (1692-1772)
Outright Theft occurred
From about 1970 until 1990, Troy and his cohorts went to every library and historical society, in Kentucky, and in Virginia, with a disturbing mission. They secretly removed from those places books and documents that contained the actual genealogy of their family. But if they were unable to get a book or a document out of the building, or
From about 1970 until 1990, Troy and his cohorts went to every library and historical society, in Kentucky, and in Virginia, with a disturbing mission. They secretly removed from those places books and documents that contained the actual genealogy of their family. But if they were unable to get a book or a document out of the building, or if they were caught, they simply went back later, pulled out an ink pen, and when nobody was looking, they crossed out the actual genealogy of their family, and then they wrote in their fraudulent genealogy, right next to it. Librarians all across Kentucky and Virginia have seen this, and they are absolutely appalled by it. The Back-Bach Genealogical Society has a terrible reputation, for marking up books and documents like that. Troy and his cohorts also went to museums and stole artifacts that had been owned by their family, which they later destroyed. They worked very hard to erase the truth.
Submission to DAR
Lots of Newspaper Articles
Bud Phillips' BOOK
Troy saw DAR as just another opportunity to push his fraudulent genealogy onto the public. So he sent in an application to DAR for Harman Back and Henry Back. He falsely claimed that Henry was Harman's son, and that two children of Henry's brother Joseph (John and Henry) were Henry's children. Back then, DAR was not nearly as strict as t
Troy saw DAR as just another opportunity to push his fraudulent genealogy onto the public. So he sent in an application to DAR for Harman Back and Henry Back. He falsely claimed that Henry was Harman's son, and that two children of Henry's brother Joseph (John and Henry) were Henry's children. Back then, DAR was not nearly as strict as they are now. Sadly, many people saw that false information in the DAR database, and so they believed it was true. However, recently, DAR did a great deal of research about this matter and realized that what Troy had told them was false. They have now made corrections to their database.
Bud Phillips' BOOK
Lots of Newspaper Articles
Bud Phillips' BOOK
In 1987, Bud Phillips was doing research for a book that he was writing about the Maggard family, who were his ancestors. One of his Maggard ancestors married into the Back (Bach) family. While Bud was visiting southeastern Kentucky, on a research trip, he met Troy Lee Back. Troy told him all about the fraudulent genealogy of his family,
In 1987, Bud Phillips was doing research for a book that he was writing about the Maggard family, who were his ancestors. One of his Maggard ancestors married into the Back (Bach) family. While Bud was visiting southeastern Kentucky, on a research trip, he met Troy Lee Back. Troy told him all about the fraudulent genealogy of his family, but he presented it as being true. Because Troy was so convincing, Bud included it in his book, Coming Down Cumberland: A History of the Maggard Family of Eastern Kentucky. Several years later, Bud discovered that what Troy had told him was a lie, however, his book had already been published by then.
Lots of Newspaper Articles
Lots of Newspaper Articles
Lots of Newspaper Articles
From 1933, when the first Back (Bach) family reunion was held in Breathitt County, Kentucky, until about 1995 or so, there were lots of newspaper articles published about the reunions, mostly in Jackson, Kentucky and in Lexington, Kentucky. Most of the articles outlined the genealogy of the family, as immigrating from Thuringia, Germany,
From 1933, when the first Back (Bach) family reunion was held in Breathitt County, Kentucky, until about 1995 or so, there were lots of newspaper articles published about the reunions, mostly in Jackson, Kentucky and in Lexington, Kentucky. Most of the articles outlined the genealogy of the family, as immigrating from Thuringia, Germany, first settling in Culpeper County, and then migrating to southeastern Kentucky. Many articles also correctly stated that the family was related to the famous musician Johann Sebastian Bach, and that Joseph Back (1745-1819) and his wife Elizabeth founded the Back (Bach) family in southeastern Kentucky.
Elizabeth's gravestone
Custer Admitted They did it
Elizabeth's gravestone
Around 1922, Dr. Wilgus Bach found the small, original gravestone for his ancestor, Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back, the matriarch of the Back (Bach) family, in southeastern Kentucky. It was in The Maggard Cemetery, along the Poor Fork of the Cumberland River. He decided to honor her by having a larger gravestone made, with more informatio
Around 1922, Dr. Wilgus Bach found the small, original gravestone for his ancestor, Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back, the matriarch of the Back (Bach) family, in southeastern Kentucky. It was in The Maggard Cemetery, along the Poor Fork of the Cumberland River. He decided to honor her by having a larger gravestone made, with more information on it. But he made a couple of errors on the inscription. In the fall of 1988, Troy Lee Back and his cousin, Custer Back, actually pulled up her gravestone, from the ground, and threw it over the hill, as part of their sick plan to eliminate the family's actual genealogy. It was shocking, and illegal.
Dr. Bach's Errors
Custer Admitted They did it
Elizabeth's gravestone
Dr. Wilgus Bach made two errors in his inscription on Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back's gravestone. He inscribed that she was born in Thuringia, because he had seen "We Came from Thuringia," in the old Back (Bach) Family Bible. However, that statement referred to her husband's family, not her. Dr. Bach also inscribed that her date of birt
Dr. Wilgus Bach made two errors in his inscription on Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back's gravestone. He inscribed that she was born in Thuringia, because he had seen "We Came from Thuringia," in the old Back (Bach) Family Bible. However, that statement referred to her husband's family, not her. Dr. Bach also inscribed that her date of birth was July 13, 1746, because he had seen that date of birth, in the old Family Bible, for a woman named Elizabeth Back. However, he did not know that the name of Elizabeth Back in the Family Bible was actually Elizabeth Hoffman Back, the wife of Henry Back, who was Joseph Back's brother.
Custer Admitted They did it
Custer Admitted They did it
Custer Admitted They did it
Custer Back was one of the primary members of The Back-Bach Genealogical Society, and one of the authors of their fraudulent genealogy book. In October of 1988, Custer got an article published in The Filson Club Historical Quarterly titled, "True Ancestral Record of the Eastern Kentucky Backs." But there was nothing "true" in that articl
Custer Back was one of the primary members of The Back-Bach Genealogical Society, and one of the authors of their fraudulent genealogy book. In October of 1988, Custer got an article published in The Filson Club Historical Quarterly titled, "True Ancestral Record of the Eastern Kentucky Backs." But there was nothing "true" in that article, of course. It was just a presentation of their fraudulent genealogy. Custer also wrote that, "Action has been initiated to replace the marker at Elizabeth Back's grave with one bearing the true information." So Custer admitted that they were going to remove the gravestone of Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back.
front of fake gravestone
front of fake gravestone
front of fake gravestone
After Troy and Custer had removed Elizabeth's gravestone from the cemetery, they had a new gravestone made, which described her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Hoffman Back, who had married her husband Joseph's brother, Henry. They then placed it on top of the remains of Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back! Ever since then, members of The Back-Bach
After Troy and Custer had removed Elizabeth's gravestone from the cemetery, they had a new gravestone made, which described her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Hoffman Back, who had married her husband Joseph's brother, Henry. They then placed it on top of the remains of Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back! Ever since then, members of The Back-Bach Genealogical Society point to that new gravestone that they erected themselves, and claim that it's "proof" that Elizabeth Hoffman Back, the wife of Henry Back, moved to southeastern Kentucky, and founded the family there.
back of Fake Gravestone
front of fake gravestone
front of fake gravestone
On the back of their fake gravestone, Troy and Custer listed the alleged seven children of Elizabeth Hoffman Back and Henry Back. (Their dates of birth were later included in their book.) But only four of those children were actually theirs. The other three (John, Mary, and Henry) belonged to Henry's brother Joseph and his wife, Elizabet
On the back of their fake gravestone, Troy and Custer listed the alleged seven children of Elizabeth Hoffman Back and Henry Back. (Their dates of birth were later included in their book.) But only four of those children were actually theirs. The other three (John, Mary, and Henry) belonged to Henry's brother Joseph and his wife, Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back. Joseph's children were included because they were well-known as living in southeastern Kentucky. But by including all seven, it resulted in Henry and Aaron being born just four months apart! That was never explained in their book.
Wardie and Hazel craft
front of fake gravestone
Wardie and Hazel craft
Wardie Craft and his wife Hazel Bach Craft owned and operated The Memory Hill Museum, in Caney, Kentucky, from 1943 until about 2009. The museum was packed full of artifacts, which had been donated to them by the descendants of many of the early settlers in southeastern Kentucky. Behind the museum, they had established The Memory Hill Ce
Wardie Craft and his wife Hazel Bach Craft owned and operated The Memory Hill Museum, in Caney, Kentucky, from 1943 until about 2009. The museum was packed full of artifacts, which had been donated to them by the descendants of many of the early settlers in southeastern Kentucky. Behind the museum, they had established The Memory Hill Cemetery. When Hazel found out that Troy and Custer had thrown Elizabeth's gravestone over the hill, she and Wardie retrieved it. They brought it home, encased it in concrete, and then they put it on display, in The Memory Hill Cemetery.
Memory Hill cemetery
Another fake gravestone
Another fake gravestone
After Wardie and Hazel put Elizabeth's gravestone in The Memory Hill Cemetery, Troy and Custer soon heard about what they had done, and they were furious. So, they sent a stone mason over to Memory Hill, in order to carve the word "INCORRECT," in big, bold, black letters, across the bottom of the gravestone. It was incredibly hateful. Eit
After Wardie and Hazel put Elizabeth's gravestone in The Memory Hill Cemetery, Troy and Custer soon heard about what they had done, and they were furious. So, they sent a stone mason over to Memory Hill, in order to carve the word "INCORRECT," in big, bold, black letters, across the bottom of the gravestone. It was incredibly hateful. Either Wardie and Hazel were not home at the time the stone mason came, or they were unable to stop him. So, not only did Troy and Custer remove Elizabeth's gravestone from the ground, and throw it over the hill, they defaced it as well. Hopefully, Elizabeth's gravestone is still there, at The Memory Hill Cemetery. Someone needs to take it back to The Maggard Cemetery and place it back on top of her remains, where it belongs, and get rid of that fake gravestone that's there now.
Another fake gravestone
Another fake gravestone
Another fake gravestone
When Troy and Custer created a fake gravestone for Elizabeth Hoffman Back, the wife of Henry Back, they also created a fake gravestone for Henry Back (1822-1877). He was the son of Henry Back (1785-1871) and Susannah Maggard. Henry Back (1785-1871) was the son of Joseph Back and Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back, who founded the family in so
When Troy and Custer created a fake gravestone for Elizabeth Hoffman Back, the wife of Henry Back, they also created a fake gravestone for Henry Back (1822-1877). He was the son of Henry Back (1785-1871) and Susannah Maggard. Henry Back (1785-1871) was the son of Joseph Back and Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back, who founded the family in southeastern Kentucky. But since the fraudulent genealogy claims that the widow of Henry Back (1743-1809) founded the family there, that means they claim that Henry Back (1822-1877) was the grandson of Henry Back (1743-1809), making him the third Henry in the line. So they made a gravestone for him, with his name as "Henry Back III." (But he was a "Jr.," not a "III.") They referred to this gravestone that they made, as being "more proof" of their fraudulent genealogy.
Harman back jr.
Another fake gravestone
Harman back jr.
The only proven and documented child of Harman Back, who survived past infancy, was his son, Harman Jr., who was born in Germany, in 1737. Harman Back sailed to America, with his wife and their infant son, in 1738, and they settled in Little Fork, Virginia. There are no records anywhere of Harman Back ever having any more children. The Ta
The only proven and documented child of Harman Back, who survived past infancy, was his son, Harman Jr., who was born in Germany, in 1737. Harman Back sailed to America, with his wife and their infant son, in 1738, and they settled in Little Fork, Virginia. There are no records anywhere of Harman Back ever having any more children. The Tax Lists began in Little Fork, in 1782. The only men listed there with the last name of Back were Harman Jr. and his son, Joseph. There was never a listing in Little Fork for a man named John Back, or for a man named Henry Back. But there were listings for John Back and Henry Back, down in the far southern part of Culpeper County, along the Robinson River, where John Hoffman and his family lived. John and Henry married two of Mr. Hoffman's daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth.
"annual meetings"
Reedus ruined the reunions
Reedus ruined the reunions
In the spring of 1994, Reedus Back and his cohorts were waiting for their book to get printed. But Reedus realized that he could not simply present his fraudulent genealogy at the next family reunion, that fall, because the people who lived in southeastern Kentucky already knew the actual genealogy of their family, and so they would not a
In the spring of 1994, Reedus Back and his cohorts were waiting for their book to get printed. But Reedus realized that he could not simply present his fraudulent genealogy at the next family reunion, that fall, because the people who lived in southeastern Kentucky already knew the actual genealogy of their family, and so they would not accept his fraudulent one. So he came up with a devious plan. He decided to hold separate and secret family reunions, in Lexington (100 miles away), for a few years, and only invite people to attend them who were not born in southeastern Kentucky, who did not live there, and who had never attended any of the prior family reunions. That way, they would not know his genealogy was a fraud, and would buy his book. He figured he could build a base of support for his fraudulent genealogy, before he presented it at the regular family reunions, in southeastern Kentucky. But he didn't call his separate reunions, "reunions." He called them, "annual meetings." He held them in the fall of 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997, at a hotel in Lexington. By his 1997 annual meeting, he had about 200 people in attendance, who believed his fraudulent genealogy. So, in the spring of 1998, he mailed out a newsletter to every member of the Bach (Back) family who lived in southeastern Kentucky, announcing that he was "in charge" of the family reunions, from then on, starting that fall.
Reedus ruined the reunions
Reedus ruined the reunions
Reedus ruined the reunions
When Reedus Back took over the family reunions, in the fall of 1998, he ruined them. Most people who lived in south-eastern Kentucky had heard about his "annual meetings," and his book, and so they didn't go that year. In fact, they never attended another reunion, after Reedus "took over." He also moved the reunions, from a farm in Quicks
When Reedus Back took over the family reunions, in the fall of 1998, he ruined them. Most people who lived in south-eastern Kentucky had heard about his "annual meetings," and his book, and so they didn't go that year. In fact, they never attended another reunion, after Reedus "took over." He also moved the reunions, from a farm in Quicksand, where they had been held for 64 years, down to the Pine Mountain Grill, in Whitesburg, over 60 miles away. He even charged people $25 to attend their own reunion! Nobody had ever paid any money to go to their own reunion before! He charged an extra $15, to take people to The Maggard Cemetery, to see the new gravestone he had made, which he claimed "proved" that his (fraudulent) genealogy was correct. At the reunions, he stood up at the podium and talked down to the handful of attendees, most of whom were from out-of-state. He treated them like they were children. He bossed them around, and told them what to believe. If anyone dared to ask a question about the actual genealogy, or Johann Sebastian Bach, he made fun of them. He only talked about Harman Back, and he continually begged the attendees for money. Before 1998, about 1,000 people attended the reunions, who were mostly from southeastern Kentucky. Starting in 1998, the attendance dropped to about 50 people, mostly from out-of-state. By 2010, nobody showed up.
TILDEN BACH
Reedus ruined the reunions
TILDEN BACH
Tilden Bach (1928-2009) was born in Jackson, Kentucky, the son of William Back and Cleta Landrum, and a direct descendant of Joseph Back and Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back. He had a long and successful career as an accountant. When he retired, he became interested in the genealogy of his father's family. He spent many years, researching a
Tilden Bach (1928-2009) was born in Jackson, Kentucky, the son of William Back and Cleta Landrum, and a direct descendant of Joseph Back and Elizabeth Hoffman-Maggard Back. He had a long and successful career as an accountant. When he retired, he became interested in the genealogy of his father's family. He spent many years, researching and writing about it. He discovered numerous old documents that further proved his family's genealogy, which was the one that Dr. Wilgus Bach had written about. Tilden also figured out the connection, between his family, and Johann Sebastian Bach, which was through Sebastian's cousin, Johann Christoph Bach. Tilden published several books about the actual genealogy of his family, but he was never able to obtain widespread attention for any of his books, because they were always overshadowed by the fraudulent genealogy book that was published by The Back-Bach Genealogical Society. One day, Tilden invited Reedus Back to his house, to show him proof of the actual genealogy of the family. Reedus didn't say one word, while Tilden showed him the massive amount of proof. Finally, as Reedus was leaving, and the men stood on Tilden's front porch, Tilden asked Reedus what he thought. Reedus shockingly replied, "Since I got my book published first, that is the genealogy that future generations will remember." Then he simply turned around and left.
Another author tried TO PUBLISH THE ACTUAL GENEALOGY
In 2012, a woman who writes under the pen name of T. Bach, published a large genealogy book about the Bach (Back) family from southeastern Kentucky. The book was titled, We Came from Thuringia: Genealogy of the Bach Family in Breathitt County, Kentucky.
The book was extremely well-sourced, and it contained extensive evidence about the actual history of the family, starting in the 1500s, in Thuringia, Germany, and continuing down to the present-day. Her research was based upon the work done by Dr. Wilgus Bach in the early 1900s, and the work done by Tilden Bach in the late 1900s. The book was full of fascinating pictures as well.
However, shortly after the book was published, a bizarre attack was launched against the book. Someone bought over 10,000 domain names, and set up over 10,000 corresponding websites, giving away her book for free. Their hateful campaign must have cost them over $250,000. It was the largest crime of copyright infringement, of a genealogy book, in the United States. The author was absolutely heartbroken.
Our Beloved Ancestor
Johann Christoph Bach (1642-1703)
Every person who has Back (Bach) ancestors from southeastern Kentucky is a direct descendant of Johann Christoph Bach.
He was the first cousin (once removed)
to Johann Sebastian Bach.