Nicholas Bieri

1697: Born to John and Catharina Bieri, probably in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland, but perhaps in the Palatinate, DE (Germany). (1 p11) (5 p19-50)

1727 Oct 16: Immigrated to Philadelphia, PA from Rotterdam on the ship Friendship after a four month voyage on which one fifth of the passengers died at sea. (1 p11)

"... settled on the north bank of Codorus Creek, a mile or so north of the present city of York, in the area that became Manchester Township in 1742, one of the most fertile and productive townships of York county." (1 p11)

1728 Dec 1: Nicholas Beery marries Barbara George in Lancaster Co., PA. (1 p11) (2 p168) (3)

  1729 Aug  2: John
  1732 Jan  3: Magdalena
  1733 ca.   : Barbara
  1736 ___ __: Abraham
  1737 ca.   : Catharina
  1739 Jun 16: Nicholas, Jr.
  1741 ca.   : Margaret
  1743 ca.   : Susanna
  1745 ca.   : George

1736 Oct 11: Nicholas Beery is granted a patent from Thomas Penn for 200 acres of land. (2 p169)

1762 Oct 1: Nicholas Beery dies in York Co,PA. (1 p11)

Photo by Rochelle Wright Phillips, 1999

Local historians say in 1999 that the grave marker of Nicholas Bieri has become an unreadable black slate stone in the church yard of the Chestnut Grove Church of the Brethren in York Co., PA. (4)

Notes

1. Phyllis Fulk and Lois Brown Miller, History of the Beery Family of Page County, Iowa (Newport, Arkansas: Evans Press, 1976).

2. Helen Ummel Harness, "The Beery Family from Switzerland to Pennsylvania" in Mennonite Family History (Masthof Press, 2006 July), p167-170.

3. Although (1, p11) says that the first wife of Nicholas Beery is "Barbara Miller", it also says her parents are exactly as stated for Barbara George. The more recent source (2, p168) gives the same parents, but it identifies Nicholas' first wife as "Barbara George." This suggests that the "Barbara Miller" in (1) probably is some kind of publication error.

4. Ray Beery, "Nicholas Bieri Gravestone," Email to Donald I Good, 1999 Aug 9.

5. William Beery and Judith Beery Garber, Beery Family History (Elgin, IL: Brethern Publishing House, 1957). Reprinted by Higginson Book Co., Salem, MA.