The name Topfel is the German form of what was Toffin or Toffinus in 1312. The name probably came from the Latin first name Dolfus. Later forms of the name are Toffy, Tolfis and Totfil. This family of probable Latin origin was one of the oldest and largest families in the Saanen Valley. In the 13th century 2 large huben were maintained by people of this name. One was east of the village of Saanen and the other was at Buehl, east of Kauflishbach creek. The latter was referred to as the Topfel farm in 1324 and as Toffintere in 1355.The entire property of first Toffinus in the village of Saanen was divided up after his death. According to the tax rolls it was only partially owned by his descendents in 1312. Among those was Petrus Toffin who in 1312 paid 12 schillings in taxes on his property, apparently a piece of the inheritance. Also Rodulfus Toffin, who had a piece of property at the same location consisting of 5 acres of cultivated land and 3 mahd of meadowland, paid 18 pfennigs in taxes. Rodulfus also held 10 mahd at Wilharisberg near Lauenen for which he paid 18 pfennigs to the Lord of Ayent, as well as a one acre homestead for which he was taxed 12 pfennigs. As far as can be determined, the Bossimant and the Gerignioz families were also later owners of land from the orignal Topfel huben.
We have more information concerning the second hube at Buehl than we do of the one in Saanen. At its founding, the original settlers of the estate at Buehl obtained 36 acres and 10 mahd of meadowland from Wouterius de Gissiney. Shortly thereafter, several additional parcels were added in the neighboring Cuvinies: at Rohr 30 mahd of meadowland, in Weisse Fluh 30 mahd, and at the Moesern and Follier 6 mahd, for which the owners paid 5 schilling, 2 pfennigs and 1 obolus. Newer additions then followed: across from the old farmhous, 12 1/5 acres and 17 mahd, and at Duerri near Feutersoey, 8 mahd for which 11 schillings were paid anually.
A common ancestor of all the Topfels in the Saanen Valley today was Peter Toffin, who in May 1312 was still living with his son Rodulfus on a farm which they jointly held. Since the other children are listed as already owning their own farms in 1312, it seems this was a rare situation in which the heirs took possession of the land during the lifetime of the parent. This was a practice which was discouraged as late as 1439. Peter's son Heyny died before 1312. Heyny's children therefore, received his representative share of the property when their grandfather's property was first divided up.
In every case, Topfel family members took the same name and were free citizens. Each one of them also received 4 acres of the original farm land. Because the tax records indicate a clear family relationship between the holders of this divided hube, it is easy to assume that the original
owner of the hube was a Toffin.
Before his death, Heyny bought some equipment used for making cheese in the mountainlands from Wylly de Gissiney for 20 pfennigs. A drawing in the 1312 tax register, however, indicates that the equipment didn't belong to the people who used the mountain for grazing, but instead belonged to the Lord of Vanel. It is also noted that the brothers Michael, Uldricus and Peter had back debts to pay to the overlord Wouterius de Gissiney.
The same register informs us of two other members of the Topfel family: Uldricus, who was a free citizen who had property at Wispillen for which he was assessed 6 schillings, and his father Bartholdus, who was a vassal who held 8 acres, for which he was assessed 2 schillings in taxes, and another piece for which he paid 16 schillings. It is possible that Bartholdus' property was once a part of the original Topfel hube which was located at Buehl. Neither of these countrymen were mentioned in the 1324 records.
It is also interesting to note that Bartholdus was the only Topfel who at that time was still in vassalship to the noblemen. We can't tell whether the land records indicate this status because of the nature of the property he held or whether it was his actual social station. It could be that the family as a whole were once vassals and that Bartholdus was the last remaining member left carrying this status. In both the 1312 and the 1324 tax registers the other Topfels were listed as free landowners from whom no tribute to the noblemen was required.
In 1312 the Topfel family was already divided up into several branches and many residents of Saanen who carried this name. There were at least two generations of Topfels in the province during the 13th century.
As mentioned before, the de Gerignioz family obtained several parcels of the original Topfel Hube. Ten acres and 2 mahd at Buehl, 20 mahd at Wilharisberg for which they paid the Lord of Ayent 3 schillings and 6 pfennigs, and finally 23 mahd at Cuvinies east of Buehl for which they were taxed 3 schillings and 4 pfennigs by the Lords of Vanel. The original owner of the Topfel farm in Buehl was apparently very wealthy. His farm is referred to as the "domus eis Toffins" or the farm of Toffin. The farm is recorded as having consisted of "octo peciis" which is Keltisch for "eight parcels". Some time previous to the rule of the Greyerz family over this part of Switzerland, 8 parcells of land had been surveyed off at this place. To this farm a particular reference is made in the records: "de antiquo", which suggests that certain pieces of land had belonged to the Topfel farm three generations previous to the time they began keeping land records in 1312. All these place names mentioned in the record, including Cuvinies, Octo Pecaie, Rohr, Wilharisberg, and Follier, have long been forgotten.
At about 1355 the members of the Topfel family held land in the village of Saanen, Buehl, Schoenried, Riedhubel, Grubenbach, Gstaadruetti, Gstaadwiler, Cuvinies and Bruschenledi. In 1360 they also had land in Rohr, Turbach, Cuvinies, Braende, Bruschenledi, Sali near Gsteig, Schoenried, Schwabenried, Halten, Griden near Gstaad and Buehl. At about 1360 Petrus, the son of Uldricus Topfel owned a mill near Brueschen. The record of 1355 makes mention of a loan Rodulfus Topfel and his wife Agnesa made to Petrus Synffen of 2 acres in Salzwasser for which he paid taxes of 2 schillings and a collateral payment of 6 pounds. On the same day Synffen loaned the couple in return 9 acres in Neuert for which they paid a 15 pfennig tax and 5 schillings as collateral, the witness of this transaction being Heinrich Topfel. It apparently involved some sort of land trade. Finally, Jacobus Topfel is mentioned in a record with several other Saanen townspeople as loyal subjects and servants of the Count of Greyerz.
The Topfels were related to the Reymundus family during the 14th century. The Mauritus church record mentions Rodulfus and Jacobus Toffil as witnesses to a donation in 1417. In addition, the payment records of the Lord of Aymon de St. Germain in Saanen in 1433 lists Kuntzo Toffi as owing Hermann Wuersten 5 Schillings for several pieces of leased property. Finally in 1448 Willinus Totfil is mentioned as a witness in a ransom notice to Count Franz of Greyerz. All the additional Topfel generations can be found in the church records of Saanen after 1556.
A Tofpel coat of arms has not yet been discovered.