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Jacob Nagle was the oldest child out of fourteen children of John Nagel and Christina Brunner. He was born September 13, 1780, in Douglass Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  He was baptized October 5, 1780 at Falkner Swamp Reformed Church, and named after his grandfather Joachim (Jacob is an English equivalent).  He was confirmed on May 22, 1796, at Falkner Swamp Reformed Church.

Jacob served in the military during the War of 1812. The following comes from Joachim Nagel and His Descendants by Marion Nagle Rhoads and Janet Snyder Welsh (Mennonite Family History, Elverson, PA (1990)).

"When Berks County issued a call to arms during the War of 1812, Jacob Nagle, Colebrookdale, was enlisted as 3rd Sergeant in the First Regiment, Second Brigade which was stationed at York, Pennsylvania, from August 28,1814, to March 5,1815.

"The Regiment was commanded by Lt. Col. Jeremiah Shappell, and Capt. John Mauger was in charge of the company made up primarily of men from Douglass Township.  Jacob was on a good team.  In the same unit, his brother-in-law Henry Mauger was the 2nd Sergeant, brother-in-law Frederick Mauger was 3rd Corporal, and brother John Nagle was a private."

Jacob was married twice. His first wife was Maria (Mary) Hornetter, the daughter of Valentine and Catherine Hornetter.  Maria was born February 25, 1785, and was baptized June 26, 1785, at New Hanover Lutheran Church in New Hanover, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. No children of Jacob and Maria are known at this time.  If they did have children, it appears that none were living at the time of Jacob's death, because the nine children mentioned in his estate records are all accounted for as children of his second wife. Maria died in May 1817 at the age of 32. She is buried in Union Church Cemetery in Boyertown, Pennsylvania.

Jacob's second wife was Magdalena Wise/Weiss, who might have been the daughter of Erhart Weiss, whom he married in about 1818 or 1819. At first they resided in Colebrookdale, Berks County, and were members of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran in Boyertown, Berks County.  Later, the 1840 Federal Census for Pennsylvania lists a Jacob Nagle in Upper Bern Township.

Jacob was a millier, apparently working at a mill in the area of what is now either Upper Bern or Upper Tulpehocken Townships in Berks County. It appears that his son-in-law Joseph Berger was also a miller for a while.

Jacob Nagle died July 3, 1843. An obituary of a Jacob Nagle in the Reading Adler on July 25, 1843 probably refers to this Jacob Nagle. The age of 69 years, 9 months, and 1 day, reported in the obituary does not agree with the known September 13, 1780 birth date for Jacob. Nonetheless, the evidence suggests the obituary is his.

Jacob died intestate, and his son-in-law Joseph Berger was appointed Adminstrator of the estate (Berks County, Vol.16 p.28). The Orphans Court Records for Berks County contain a petition by Joseph Berger regarding the surviving minor children: "... Jacob Nagle left issue nine children, three of whom ... are minors, under the age of fourteen years ..."

Jacob and Magdalena are known to have had nine children, two sons and seven daughters. Their first four children were baptized at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran, Boyertown, Berks County.

1. Marian Nagle, born March 03, 1820; baptized June 11, 1820, at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran, Boyertown, Berks, Pennsylvania; and died November 19, 1901. She married Willliam Rentschler and is buried in St. Michael's Church Cemetery in TildenTownship, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

2. Matilda Nagle, born January 08, 1822; baptized March 31, 1822, at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran, Boyertown, Berks, Pennsylvania; and died August 02, 1860. She married William K. Siegenthaler and is buried in St. Michael's Church Cemetery in TildenTownship, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

3. Sarah Ann Nagle, born October 01, 1823; baptized November 23, 1823, at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran, Boyertown, Berks, Pennsylvania. She married Joseph Berger, son of Johannes Berger and Catharine Kauffman, on April 23, 1842 in Trinity Lutheran church, Reading, Pennsylvania. Sarah died of pneumonia, complicated by the general disability of old age, on September 20, 1909, in Shamokin, Pennsylvania.  She was buried September 23, 1909, in Pottsville Cemetery, Pottsville, Pennsylvaina.

4. Jonathan Nagle, born March 18, 1826; and baptized July 16, 1826, at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran, Boyertown, Berks County, Pennsylvania. He married Elizabeth Fried.

5. William Nagle, born about 1828 and confirmed on May 26, 1844, at St. Michael's Church, Tilden Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Berks County Orphans Court records show that William Rentschler was assigned as guardian of William Nagle, son of Jacob Nagle, deceased, on January 14, 1845. He might be the same William Nagle living with the family of Conrad Williams in the 1850 Census for Perry Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

6. Louisa Nagle, born before January 1829. Berks County Orphans Court records show that Daniel Wagner was assigned as guardian of Louisa Nagle, daughter of Jacob Nagle, deceased, on January 14, 1845.

7. Rebecca Nagle, born November 6, 1831, and baptized April 22, 1832, at Freiden's Lutheran Church, Bernville, Berks County. Berks County Orphans Court records show that Daniel Wagner was assigned as guardian of Rebecca Nagle, daughter of Jacob Nagle, deceased, on January 14, 1845. She is probably the Rebecca Nagle living with the family of Michael Boyer in the 1850 Census for Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

8. Lovina Nagle, born about 1834. Berks County Orphans Court records show that Samuel Heilig was assigned as guardian of Rebecca Nagle, daughter of Jacob Nagle, deceased, on January 14, 1845. Then, on January 5, 1849, John Folk was appointed guardian at her own request. She is probably the Lovina Nagle living with the family of John Rentschler in the 1850 Census for Upper Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

9. Sophia Nagle, born Abt. 1837. Berks County Orphans Court records show that Samuel Heilig was assigned as guardian of Sophia Nagle, daughter of Jacob Nagle, deceased, on January 14, 1845. Then, on January 1, 1849, John Potteiger was appointed guardian at her own request. She was living with her sister Mary Ann (Marian) and her husband William Rentschler at the time of the 1850 Census for Upper Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.