[184-3] ANDREW BEYER[E 189], } about 1733; d Apr. 19, 1773; s Abraham and Rosina (Jackel) Beyer (184]; m Nov. 7, 1758, PHILIPINA WEYAND (WIEAND), who lived to be 100 years old.
Children (10):
“Andrew Beyer was married to Philipina Weyand by Rev. George Michael Weiss.” [Perk. Reg., Vol. III, p 186.]
“Philipina Weyand married 2nd time, Henry Frick; she was a daughter of Wendel Weyand and Margaretta Fisher.” [Perk. Reg., Vol. I, pp 180-1382.] REWARD FOR A RUNAWAY REDEMPTIONER (Translation)
Andrew Beyer of Methacton in Worcester Township in Philadelphia County announced that during the night of May 7 a German servant named John Becker ran away. He is of'short and thick stature; about 18 years of age, 5 ft. 5 in, tall; has a fresh brownish face, brown hair: speaks good English; and when he departed he wore a good felt hat, a blue cloth ‘“‘camisol’’ with metal buttons, a brown doublet with brass buttons, a finely woven shirt, a yellow (vest), a silken tie, good goat-skin breeches with metallic buttons, blue woolen stockings, good calf-skin shoes with brass buckles. He also broke two locks off a chest belonging to a single person named Jacob Rebert, opened the drawers, and took with him 22 dollars and 22 pence. He also took with him Jacob Rebert’s indenture, with which he could likely be called by afalse name. This said indenture was made before Mr. Plumstead of Philadelphia, Sept. 16, 1751, signifying he has seven years to serve, who would be free in 244 years.
Whoever apprehends and arrests the said servant so that his master may get him again, or whoever brings him to prison, shall be rewarded with 5 pounds, besides reasonable costs, from me. Andreas Beyer [Pennsylvanische Berichte, May 22, 1761.] Wi. or ANDREW Brver “In the Name of God, Amen.”
“T, Andrew Beyer, of Worcester Township, of the County of Philadelphia, in the Province of Pennsylvania, yeoman, am weak in body, but of perfect mind understanding and memory, thanks be to God, therefore do this fifteenth day of January Ao. Di. one thousand seven hundred and seventy three make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner following, that is to say, First I recommend my soul in the hands of my Creator and my body to the Earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my hereunto named Executors.
Secondly, whereas it hath pleased God to bless me in this life with Worldly Goods and Effects I direct and dispose the same in manner following:
First I Will that all my Just Debts and funeral charges be duly Satisfied and paid out of my whole Estate by my hereunto named Executors. Item—I give unto my well-beloved Wife, Philipina, the sum of one hundred pounds to be paid to her within one twelfmonths after my decease; I also give unto her my big Walnut Chest, her Spinning Wheel, her Side Saddle, her Hymn Book and my bedstead with my usual beddings and furniture thereunto belonging. It is further my Will and desire that my said Wife with all my children shall live together where I now live, keep all my stock, and Work, and manage both my Lands and Tenements together as we used to do whilst I was living until my Eldest Son, Abraham, is twenty-one years of age, then it shall cease, and all my personal goods and Effects shall be sold (Except what will be hereafter Excepted) and if my said Wife Philipina should at that time be a Widow yet of my name then I give her further the Yearly Interest of two hundred pounds to be paid to her within one year after my son, Abraham, is twenty-one years old and afterwards yearly during the time of her said Widowhood. I further give her privilege to live in my new dwelling house to have her bed in my now Stove room and free diet Sufficient and in good peace all during the time She remains my Widow only. I further give to my said Son, Abraham, one bedstead with a good Common usual Beddings when he is of age, and likewise the same to my son, Jacob, when he is of age, each first and foremost. Item—TI also give and devise unto my said Son, Abraham, my dwelling place where I nov live on Situate part in Worcester and part in Norriton Township, Containing one hundred and sixty-one acres of land with all and singular the buildings, Improvements and Appurtenances thereunto belonging to hold toe him his Heirs and Assigns forever.
T also give to my said Son, Abraham, my newest Copper Still, my Iron Apple Mill, my Pumps and Utensils thereto belonging, ten good two bottomed and ten one bottomed hogsheads.
Item—I give and devise to my son, Jacob, my Plantation in Norriton adjoining my aforesaid place Containing fifty acres of Land with all and Singular the Buildings Improvements and Appurtenances belonging To hold to him his Heirs and Assigns forever. And my said son, Abraham, shall have his place at seven hundred pounds and Jacob his at three hundred pounds. And if Abraham should die before he is of age and without Issue, then I give all his devise, above said to his next brother in age, and if my Son Jacob should die under age and without Issue then I give his devise aforesaid likewise to his next brother in age to each likewise to Heirs and Assigns forever and so forth in regular Course till to the youngest if the eldest should die as aforesaid.
Item—lI Will that none of my Books shall be sold but shall be Equally divided among all my children by two Impartial men, but all the remainder personal of my Estate I Will (as aforesaid) and direct to be sold at Publick Sale when my Son Abraham is of age two hundred pounds thereof to be put on Interest for the use of my said Wife as aforesaid if she is, and as long as she is my Widow, and after that I give the said two hundred pounds to all my Children then living, Share Alike: And all the Residue of my personal Estate then remaining and being together with the seven hundred pounds, and three hundred pounds to be paid by my two Sons as aforesaid in manner hereinafter directed, Shall be Equally divided among all my Children, Share Alike, viz.: Abraham, Jacob, Wendel, Daniel, Andrew, Rosina, Ann Mary, and another my said wife is now pregnant with, and if any of them should happen to die under age and without (Issue) I Will that they so living inherit that or them so dying Share Alike.
It is my Will further and J do direct that my said Son, Abraham, or his Successors, Shall pay yearly the Sum of Sixty pounds his whole Share being first deducted of the Whole Seven hundred pounds, and my said Son, Jacob, or his Successor shall pay yearly the sum of Twenty pounds, his Whole Share being likewise first deducted of the said three hundred pounds until the whole dividend be paid each and all without Interest, beginning at the oldest till to the youngest the boys twenty-one, and the Girls Eighteen years old. And I Will and direct further when my Son Abraham is of age that all the Remainder Children of mine Shall live with him and Work for him peaceably the brothers till twentyone the Sisters till Wighteen years old and if any of the brothers incline to learn a Trade he or they shall be set to such Trade as he or they shall like best at the age of Seventeen years old, and he shall find them during the time they and each of them are with him, Sufficient Meat, Drink, Washing, Lodging, and Cloathing.
Item—I Will that from the time of my decease till Abraham is of age all my said children shall be teached well to read and write the Dutch Language out of my whole Estate. I further impower my hereunto named Executors to take care of my lands and Tenements that no part thereof be allowed to clear of the Woodland no timber Sold and not wasted or destroyed during the time till my children take it into their possession. And Lastly I Constitute and Appoint my trusty friends, Melchior Wagener and William Shaffer to be my Whole and Sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament and I do hereby Disanull and make void all former Wills by me heretofore made and do Acknowledge this present Writing to be my Last Will and Testament.
In Witness Whereof, I, the first above named, Andrew Beyer, have hereunto set my Hand and Seal the day and year first above written. ANDREW BEYER. Signed, Sealed, Published and Declared by the said Andrew Beyer as his last Will and Testament in The Presence of we, the Subscribers:
Andrew Larwell
Abraham Anders.”’ Prob. May 8, 1773. Abraham Anders made ‘‘Solemn Affirmation,’* Andrew Larwell on ‘‘oath.”’
: [Philadelphia Wills—Book P, p 408, No. 284.)
The final statement of the executors was made Nov. 26, 1782. In the same eredit is claimed as follows:
‘Paid to the deceased widow and to her second husband, Henry Frick, the further sum of Two hundred Sixty-two pounds, it being the profit got by well managing said estate since the decease of the said Andrew Beyer, and allowed towards the Widow’s Dower which other ways was insufficient and would not have abided by the will........... £262,
Balance due the Estate........ £311.9 s. 9 d.
Balance on first settlement to be disposed of agreeable to the will £2.15s. 1d. Nov. 5, 1774.
DAVID BEYER
There is a great deal of contention concerning David Beyer, the son of Andrew Beyer and Philipina Weyand. According to the tradition in the family of Dr. J. Monroe Beyer of Bustleton, Pa. [184-398], David Beyer, the son of Andrew and Philipina (Weyand) Beyer, while still a young man, became involved financially and borrowed five hundred dollars from his brother Jacob and two hundred dollars from his brother Abraham; then suddenly one night he disappeared, and the family was never able to learn of his whereabouts. He was a blacksmith by trade, and it is supposed that he followed this occupation in his new place of abode. His mother, Philipina, who lived to be a hundred years old, was said to lament the fate of her son, David, on stormy and snowy nights, and she would say in German, “Ich wunder wo der arme Kerl ist’’—(I wonder where the poor boy is).
This tradition exists from the statements made by Dr. Beyer’s father, Samuel Beyer [184-163], who lived to be ninety-eight years of age and who recalled seeing Philipina Weyand Beyer. During the latter part of his life, Samuel Beyer made his home with his son, Dr. J. Monroe Beyer, who recorded these statements. This Samuel Beyer retained his faculties beyond his ninety-third year and was a storehouse of information and history, as he was possessed of a good memory and had lived through many experiences. For more than forty years he was a drover and his dealings took him to various parts of the country. He stated that on one occasion when he was in Gettysburg, Pa., buying cattle, he met a man by the name of Beyer who claimed relationship with Andrew and Daniel Beyer of Lancaster Co., and with David Beyer who had settled in that region (Adams Co.) many years ago. It was stated that this David Beyer by cheap purchasing had gradually accumulated a large amount of property, owning at one time seven hundred acres of land; that towns had grown up on land once owned by him; that he became wealthy, and was worth at that time, $300,000.00. It was thought that this David Beyer was the blacksmith who had disappeared.
However, an investigation of court records in York and Adams Counties establishes the following conelusions:
(a) A David Byers of Hamiltonban Twp., Adams Co., Pa., made a will on Aug. 5, 1828, and this will was probated May 21, 1831. His tombstone gives the date of death as May 11, 1831, and his age as 76 yr., 2 mo., and 23 days; thus he must have been born in 1755.
(b) It was also ascertained that this David Byers was the son of Samuel Byers of Lancaster Co. A granddaughter of this David Byers, Mrs. Sarah Roth who lives at Mummasburg, Pa., was interviewed. She had never heard of the Schwenkfelders nor of any relationship existing between the Byers family with which she was connected and the Schwenkfelder branch.
(ec) No other person by the name of ‘‘Beyer” or ‘‘Boyer’’ is listed in the indexes of the records in Adams and York Counties with a history to fit the tradition stated above.
(d) The tradition respecting the relationship in Lancaster Co. as related by Samuel Beyer is accounted for by the fact that Samuel Byers, the father of David Byers of Adams Co., came from Laneaster Co. The name of ‘Beyer’ or ‘‘Byers’’ has been a familiar one in York Co. since 1765. IT.
That there was another David Beyer practically contemporaneous with David, the son of Andrew Beyer, is quite evident, but there seems to be confusion among genealogists in properly placing this David Beyer.
Dr. Charles Boyer in his book ‘‘American Boyers,” p. 184, has the following: ‘“‘David Beyer, son of Andrew Beyer and Philipina Weyand, was born Sept. 7, 1763. Lay preacher. Fine man. He came from Valley Forge to Sinking Valley, Pa. Married, Nov. 5, 1785, Sarah Crum. (See Rebecca Westbrook’s letter.) Children: John, William, Mary, George, David, Sarah, Elizabeth, Susan, Doctor Samuel, Rebecca. Abram and Aaron.”
Also Mr. J. Simpson Africa in ‘“The History of Blair County,” Pa., p. 44, makes the following statement: ‘‘David Beyer, of whose ancestors but little is known save the fact that they came from Germany, was born near Frederick Town, Md., Sept. 7, 1763. The death of his parents when quite small threw him upon his own resources for a livelihood . He married Miss Sarah Crum and for a few years lived near Baltimore *. He moved with his family to the Sinking Valley about 1797. He raised a family of thirteen children, and died Dec. 1, 1841.”
This second David Beyer who married Sarah Crum had twelve children as follows:
Dr. Charles C. Boyer under date of June 14, 1920, wrote the Editor asfollows: “I amas certain as human records can make matters that David Beyer (who married Sarah Crum) was a son of Andrew Beyer and Philipina Weyand.”
He draws his conclusion from the correspondence that he carried on and the investigations that he made. The Editor has been in correspondence with various other members of the Beyer family descended from this David Beyer and Sarah Crum line, who also think their ancestor was the son of Andrew Beyer and Philipina Weyand. This conclusion, apparently, is based largely on the records found in a Bible which was in the hands of Mrs, Rebecca Westbrook of Huntingdon, Pa., for many years. This book is now (1921) in the possession of Prof. Thomas P. Beyer of Hamline University, St. Paul, Minn., a nephew of Rebecca Westbrook. Under date of Apr. 10, 1922, Prof. Beyer writes as follows:
“(1) There is nothing whatever in the record regarding David Beyer’s parentage or ancestry. Sarah Crum’s parents are cited, but not his.
*“(2) The extract from ‘The History of Blair County’ by J. Simpson Africa is in exact accordance as to dates of birth and death, and the number of his children. I have no doubt the author got his information from this source.
“*(3) There is no evidence in this Bible that it was the property of David Beyer or his wife, Sarah Crum, but my aunt, Mrs. Rebecca Westbrook, of Huntingdon, Pa., told me explicitly that it was the Bible which her grandmother, Sarah Crum, read during her last years. The book was published in 1829 and as she died in 1845, I suppose there is little reason to question the accuracy of my aunt’s statement.”’
Mrs. Ruth Beyer Storer of Pittsburgh, Pa., a descendant of David Beyer and Sarah Crum, says that she has an old record in her possession which states that the only sister of David Beyer in the state of Pa. was Christianna, who married Mathias Beamer, and had the following children: Adam, John, Samuel, Sarah, Catharine, and Solomon. This would also seem to indicate that the David Beyer who married Sarah Crum was not the son of Andrew Beyer and Philipina Weyand, as there is no daughter named Christianna found in Andrew Beyer’s family. Andrew Beyer and several of his children are buried in the Methacton Mennonite Burying Ground in Fairview Village, Pa. Many of the dates in the record included in this book are taken from tombstones in that cemetery. An examination of the will of Andrew Beyer is also an indication that he had no daughter by the name of Christianna. It will be noticed that Andrew Beyer names all his living children in his will and provides for a posthumous child which was undoubtedly David, and who must have been born after his father’s death, on Apr. 19, 1773.
If the David Beyer who married Sarah Crum was born in 1763, as stated by Boyer and others, there is very little doubt that there must have been two David Beyers living about the same time; therefore the many descendants of David Beyer, the preacher, are not the descendants of David Beyer, the blacksmith, who disappeared after borrowing money from his brothers. Mrs. Storer states that David Beyer, the preacher, claimed that he was an orphan and alone in the world.
Another statement needs to be recorded. Dr. William F. Beyer of Punxsutawney, Pa., claims that he belongs to the lost branch of the Beyer family, which consists of many of the descendants of Andrew Beyer who located near the Maryland line. He says he has been told that he possesses the well-marked face of the Schwenkfelder Beyers. This he demonstrated by picking out all those of Beyer blood, without making an error, at a reunion of the Jacob Beyer family near Norristown, Pa., which he attended a few years ago. Dr. Beyer says he is the son of Samuel Beyer, who was the son of John, the son of David Beyer who married Sarah Crum, and that this David Beyer was the son of Andrew, the son of Abraham Beyer who came to Pennsylvania in 1736. He also states that his great-grandfather, David Beyer, lived on the edge of Maryland for a time and later lived south of Valley Forge, Pa.; he located in Sinking Valley in 1787, married Sarah Crum in 1785, and died in 1841.