Jacob Forney was born about 1721, and immigrated to Pennsylvania, and landed in Philadelphia on September 3, 1739 on the ship "Friendship". Jacob was age 18 when he landed. He was listed as Jacob Faree on the passenger list. He lived and worked near Philadelphia, PA in an iron works. Upon reaching the age of maturity he returned to Alsace, Lorraine, in France to procure his legacy. In 1752 he embarked again for America on the ship St. Andrews arriving in Philadelphia on September 23, 1752. Jacob was listed as sick. Family tradition has it that during his second passage a young girl named Maria Bergner had taken care of him in his sickness. They soon fell in love and were married shortly after arriving in Philadelphia. In 1754 Jacob Forney and Mary Bergner left Lancaster County to settle in Lincoln County, NC.

Jacob Forney and Mary Bergner went to stay with Johan Adam Forney at Conewago Settlement, York County, Pennsylvania. They then proceeded to the Cocalico creek district of Lancaster County, where they stayed for 2 years. It is believed they stayed during these two years on the Forney farm of Peter Forney and Ann (Smith) Forney. This information would give cause to believe Jacob Forney was related to Johan Adam Forney of York County and also related to Peter Forney of Lancaster County, thereby connecting the York and Lancaster Forney's.

Family tradition states Jacob was orphaned at the age of 4. Another interesting piece of information handed down is that it is believed Jacob Forney's father was Pierre Chevalier De La Ferney. Pierre is said to have owned a chateau in the town of Ferney in France. It is believed was Pierre Chevalier De La Ferney was killed during the Huguenot exodus from France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by King Louis the XIV. The chateau was later occupied by Voltaire in 1759 until his death in 1778. This information was the result of numerous letters written by a Monsieur Forney in France eager to claim relationship with the American Forneys. The letters were written to John W. Forney of Philadelphia. John W. Forney was said to have had a meeting in France with Monsieur Forney in 1875. Unfortunately Monsieur Forney died shortly after and the meeting never took place.

According to John K. Forney of Abilene Kansas the letters that had been written were given to a Carpenter (Zimmerman) cousin. When John K. Forney inquired as to why they were given to a Carpenter, he was told the Carpenters and Forneys were related in "the old country". The Carpenters were neighbors of Peter Forney and Ann Smith in Lancaster County, PA and very much intermarried. What we now know for a fact is that the father of Jacob Forney was NOT a Pierre Chevalier De La Ferney nor was he orphaned at the age of four. We now know Jacob Forney was the son of Hans Jacob Forney and Barbara Brack. He was born October 12, 1721 and his father was forced to christen him on December 04, 1721. We also know Jacob was not orphaned at the age of four because his father stood as a sponsor at the christening on July 10th, 1728 of Anna Magdalena Brücker daughter of Peter Brücker and Christina Jülchin. Jacob had to have been at least seven years old before his father died.