Sir Heinrich Kress I of Neunhof

This information is taken from pages 94 and 95 of Kress Family History by von Frank.

Sir Heinrich Kress I of Neunhof received the freedom of the City of Nuremberg on July 28, 1307 in the same year as Seyfried de Dachhosteten and Hermann Stayner, as has been recorded in an old book, written on parchment "Laws and Regulations of this Town (Nuremberg) from 1302 to 1314, containing the names of those, upon whom the rights of citizenship were conferred from year to year." His bondsmen were Ulrich Eseler and Erckenbrecht Koler, who were members of the then most distinguished noble families of Nuremberg. Thus recorded by Johannes Mullner, former clerk of the council of Nuremberg.

That he settled at the same time in the country, that is at a manor called Neuenhof near Nuremberg, is indicated by a document, December 13, 1334. According to that document, Jacob the Cramer brought a claim against him before the magistrate and the aldermen of the town, because he had a ditch filled up, with which Jacob Cramer had diverted the course of the brook at Rabersreid near Neunhof to his meadows for watering purposes. However, after hearing the testimony of Kress and the witnesses, a decision was returned, which was unfavorable to the claimant, because it was stated that Cramer had no right to dig a ditch and divert water, but that in the future the brook should flow in its old course and that nobody had a right to divert it. Significant about this document is not only the fact that Heinrich I had as his domicile a manor of Neuenhof, but more so that he was addressed with "Herr", a title which at that time was conferred only upon persons of knightly birth. (In this way, "Herr" would be similar to the English title of "Sir.")

The dates of his birth and death as well as the name of his wife have remained unclear. He was the founder of the line at Dormentz and Ermes.