I was looking for possible unexpected cross linkages that might be "updating" Notes without your being aware of it, but from your reply I don't see anything that looks suspicious.

The links with email accounts are because some services such as Google, etc. also have address books, calendars, and even notes that are tied to their email accounts. It enables synching all these different services. If you don't use the other provider's services the linkage is superfluous. Personally I don't want my address book, calendar, notes, reminders, etc. scattered all over the internet. It makes me feel too vulnerable to exploitation. I do have all of those items linked to my iCloud account for backup and sharing with my iOS devices however.

Please excuse me if this is way too obvious, but I have on occasion thought I had lost something on an iOS device only to find the app was working in an unexpected manner. just to be sure I am going to describe what I see in Notes on my iPhone 6 Plus.
  • There are multiple windows or screens in Notes, typically when I open Notes it will show the last Note I was working on. At the top of the window there is
    Quote:

    < Back

    a date time stamp of the note

    the note text
  • If I touch < Back I see a window that looks something like this
    Quote:

    < Folders New

    First line of note 3
    date time stamp

    First line of note 2
    date time stamp

    First line of note 1
    date time stamp
  • If I touch New I am taken to a blank Note page
  • If I touch Folders I am take to a screen where I see
    Quote:

    ICLOUD

    All iCloud >

    New Folder >

    Notes >
  • If I touch either All iCloud or Notes I am taken back to the previous window
  • Is it possible your Notes are still there, but buried in another folder?
As to Text Pad, I am unfamiliar with the app, but it sounds like it is "phoning home" and/or attempting to connect with a remote database/cloud service. (A lot of third part app developers choose not to use iCloud because they do not like Apple's rigorous constraints for using iCloud. Personally Apple's constraints give me a warm fuzzy feeling of security and reliability.) I would contact the developer and if they do not respond in a reasonable length of time I would find another app.


"All you've got to do is own up to your ignorance
honestly, and you'll find people who are eager to
fill your head with information"
--Walt Disney