Submitted by Judy Tate

1. Jakob Beÿeler was born 1687, per the Julian Calendar, and was Christened August 8, 1687 at Guggisburg, Canton Bern, Switzerland...son of Christofhel and Anetje Beÿeler...Jakob's father was possibly second born son of Heini Beÿeler, first born son of Heini Beÿeler I.

Jakob married Veronica, known as Ferona, a derivative thereof. Unaware of any known proof that Ferona was wife of Jakob...1853 writings of Bishop Byler state that Jakob's wife was Ferona...given that assumption, it is probable that Ferona's maiden name was Yoder. Five known children were born to Jakob and Ferona: Barbara, Anna, Christophel, Maria, and Elizabeth. The names of these children, along with Jakob and Ferona, appeared on the passenger list of the Charming Nancy.

During sixteenth century Europe, a great divide took place between the meek people and the forceful power...the Roman Catholic Church began to lose its tight rein of moral and political authority. Ideas of those who took a stand against the church were conveyed to the population by use of the newly invented printing press (1452). During the Reformation Era, Martin Luther (1483-1546) made known the fundamental body of Christianity, which had been supressed for eons by the Catholic Church...salvation through faith, rather than sacraments of the church.

Appearing in Reform Proposal by Luther, 1520:

Therefore, the Christian nobility should set itself against the pope as against a common enemy and destroyer of Christendom, and should do this for the salvation of the poor souls who must go to ruin through his tyranny. They should ordain, order, and decree, that henceforth no benefice shall be drawn into the hands of Rome, and that hereafter no appointment shall be obtained there in any manner whatsoever, but that the benefices shall be brought out and kept out from under this tyrannical authority; and they should restore to the ordinaries the right and office of ordering these benefices in the German nation as best they may. And if a "courtesan" were to come from Rome, he should receive a strict command either to keep his distance, or else to jump into the Rhine or the nearest river, and take the Roman ban, with its seals and letters, to a cold bath. They would then take note at Rome that the Germans are not always mad and drunken, but that they have really become Christians, and intend to permit no longer the mockery and scorn of the holy name of Christ, under which all this knavery and destruction of souls goes on, but have more regard to God and His glory than to the authority of men.

All priests ought rightly to know, or else there should be a public ordinance to that effect, that no secret sin, of which a man has not been publicly accused, is a reserved case, and that every priest has the power to remit all sorts of sins, however they may be called, so long as they are secret; moreover that no abbot, bishop or pope has the power to reserve any such case to himself. If they attempt it, their reservation does not hold and is not valid, and they should be reproved, as men who without authority interfere in God's judgment, and without cause ensnare and burden poor, ignorant consciences. But if great public sins are committed, especially sins against God's commandments, then there is indeed a reason for reserved cases, but even then there should not be too many of them, and they should not be reserved arbitrarily and without cause; 1 Peter 5:3, for Christ has set in His Church not tyrants, but shepherds, as saith St. Peter.

Church leaders began teaching Luther's reforms, the number of reform followers was enormous. Realizing that a revolt was at hand, the demonic Duke of Alva, under direction of King Philip of Spain, murdered thousands of Hollanders and executed Hoorn, Egmont, and other noblemen. Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531), a follower of the teachings of Luther, founded the Reformed Church in Zurich, Switzerland. Desenters from his Protestant group took an even more radical stance and became known as Anabaptists, as they denounced the idea of infant baptism...an infant does not have the knowledge of good and evil, it can not have sin. These emerging Protestants continued to be a threat to the control of power held by the Catholic Church...the relentless persecution of Anabaptists and other Protestants continued, the early years of the 18th century found many seeking refuge in Palatinate, and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands an influential, new-age leader of the Anabaptists, was Menno Simons (1496-1561). Anabaptists who followed him became known as Mennonites. There were many Swiss Mennonites, perhaps Jakob was a follower. Regardless of the paticulars, he was among the many who partook of the carrot offered by William Penn to come to Pennsylvania where there was religious freedom and abundant land to be had. Jakob Beÿeler, Ferona, and the previously named children, left Switzerland and soon thereafter boarded Charming Nancy at the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The Charming Nancy, commanded by Charles Stedman, departed Rotterdam, anchored for a short stay at Plymouth, England and arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania October 8, 1737.

Upon his arrival, Jakob Beÿeler was among the many who qualified at Philedelphia as Subjects of the Crown of England...from Pennsylvania Archives 2nd Series Vol VII, Qualification of Foreigner Lists in Early Pennsylvania... Whereas divers Protestants, who were subjects to the Emperor of Germany, a Prince in Amity with the Crown of Great Britain, transported themselves and Estates into the Province of Pennsylvania...

Jakob swore allegiance to King George II of Great Britain and Ireland by pledging the following oath:

We Subscribers Natives and late Inhabitants of the Palatinate upon the Rhine and places adjacent having transported ourselves and Families into the Provence of Pennsylvania a Colony subject to the Crown of Great Britain in hopes and expectation of finding a retreat and peacable Settlement therein Do solomnly promise and engage that we will be faithfull and bear true Allegiance to His present Majesty King George the Second and His Successors Kings of Great Britain and will be faithfull to the Proprietor of this Province and that we will demean ourselves peaceably to all His said Majestys Subjects and strictly observe and conform to the Laws of England and of this Province to the utmost of our Power and best of our Understanding.

From this point forward, numerous spelling variants of the name appear in family Bibles and public record...perhaps all are descendant to Jakob Beÿeler of Guggisburg.

Much of Pennsylvania was unsettled land when Jakob and family arrived. There were only four established counties, occupying less than 1/4 the land area of the Pennsylvania Province. By January of the year Jakob died, four additional counties had been established...today there are sixty-seven counties in the state of Pennsylvania.

Jakob's wife died not long after arriving in Pennsylvania. No Doubt, she could very well have been plagued with fatigue and an illness from the voyage, as many passengers became ill and died aboard ship or in the weeks and months that followed their arrival. Shortly thereafter, Jakob would then take for his wife, Elizabeth Kallen...daughter of Hans and Anna Kallen; born Schwarden, Fruitgen Parish, Switzerland.

Volume II of Lists of Swiss Emigrants in the 18th Century to the American Colonies
...appears Elizabeth, wife of Jakob Beyeler:

1796 April 13 Frutigen-Buch D, 1147/53

Elizabeth Kallen the daughter of Hans and Anna Kallen of Schwanden in the parish of Frutigen, emigrated to Pennsylvania many years ago, and married there Jakob Beyeler of Guggisberg. The latter resides in Bern Township in Berks County. Hans Kallen, the father, died 20 years ago and his wife three years ago. Through a proxy of July 13, 1768, made out to a Michael Keller of Lancaster, Elizabeth petitions to withdraw her inheritance from her parents, which amounts to 300 Crowns, uopn giving up her land-right. The government instructs the Landvogt of Frutigen to pay over to the proxy, after deducting the tax of 10 percent, unless the commune protests.

As with Ferona, records indicate five children born to Elizabeth...Jacob, Hans/John, Sarah, Joseph, and David. Elizabeth died circa 1779 in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Jakob died in February of 1771, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

I Jacob Beiler dwelling in Bern Township Berks County on this day the 19 day of July in the Year of our Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred and sixty five, in the Presence of these Subscribing Witnesses, make my Testament and it is my last Will as follows

First, I bequeath to my Widow, which I leave behind me, a Widow Seat, to wit The old House and the Stable near it and the Garden before the Door and three Cherry Trees thereby and one Piece of Meadow it is measured off behind the old Barn , and the Privilege of Water thereto and one Piece of Land on the lower Side of the Lane where the Hemp Patch lies about an Acre more or less, she may use it as she pleases.

Secondly The Owner or Tenant shall haul out the Dung for her and plow and harrow the Land where she will have it and haul her first and second Crop Hay under Cover as also the Firewood but she must make all herself

Thirdly She has the Right to two Rows of trees in the Orchard running upwards in the Orchard, these she may chose yearly and ten Bushels of Wheat and five Rye and 20 Bushels of tow and one half quarter of Flax the Owner or Tenant must give her yearly and the Flax must be the same Land where he has Flax

Fourthly She has the Right to keep one or two Cows in the Fields or in the Meadow, to wit, where the Owner or Tenant has his Cows at Pasture, she has also a Right to keep one Hog. All these the above mentioned I bequeath to my Widow, which I leave behind, Elizabeth Beiler to enjoy as long as she remains a Widow but if she marries again the Widow seat is forfeited and hath no longer to enjoy or to demand of all these above mentioned

Fifthly I Jacob Beiler give to my Son Jacob Beiler a Right to clear 10 Acres of my Land and to build a Dwelling House thereon and the Meadow where he has begun his Tanyard which he may enjoy with the 10 Acres of Land till the 31 Day of December 1772 and these he must pay 10 Shillings Rent yearly therefor Al the End of the Year 1772 the Agreement is expired and has no further Right to dwell there or to enjoy ought except what belongs to the Tanyard he may carry away and the Executors may appraise the Dwelling House at a reasonable price and pay him for it, but if he will not leave it at at their appraisement he may take it away also

Sixthly I Jacob Beiler choose and set my Friends and Neighbors Christian Joder and Jacob Kaufman and also my Wife Elizabeth Beiler to be Executors over all my Estate and give them Right and Power over my Real and Personal Estate to receive and to pay, to buy and to sell to make over or assign under my name be it Deeds & Notes or Bonds.

Seventhly All my Estate which I leave behind shall be sold or struck off by public venue when and as the Executors shall find good, except one Cow and her Bed she may first take and the Loom and the Gears thereto belonging is bequeathed to my Son David Beiler

Eighthly I bequeath to my Widow which I leave behind the third part of the personal Estate and then the other two Parts of the Personal Estate must be reckoned with the Place and buildings and what is fastened with Nails and be divided among my 10 Children in ten Parts without respect of Persons, to one as to the other.

Ninthly The Payments to my Children which I leave behind me shall be made thus :- one year after my Death the Executors shall begin to pay and shall begin to pay my Daughter Barbara the eldest Child and give her 30 pounds and from soforth according to Age till the youngest included, personal Estate extends and if the personal estate does not reach so far as to the youngest Child for each to receive thirty pounds then they will wait till the Executors have Money from the Place When each has received 30 pounds, namely

Barbara 30 Pounds
Afterwards Anna 30 Pounds
And afterwards my Son Christian Beiler 30 Pounds
And afterwards my Daughter Maria 30 Pounds
And afterwards my Daughter Elizabeth 30 Pounds
And afterwards my Son Jacob Beiler 30 Pounds
And afterwards my Son John Beiler 30 Pounds
And afterwards my Daughter Sara 30 Pounds
And afterwards my Son Joseph Beiler 30 Pounds
And afterwards my Son David Beiler 30 Pounds

Tenthly When then each has received thirty Pounds as is here mentioned then the Executors begining with the eldest and being guided by the Payments they shall receive from the Place and pay yearly two or three Children which they shall find good till all is paid. But as some of the Children have received something and some Nothing, the first thirty Pounds Payments shall be on their Accounts

All these above mentioned Articles the Executors shall certainly truly and well administer and pay to my Heirs and if any Controversy shall happen between my Heirs the Executors shall between them in my Name

And if any Difference shall happen between my Executors then shall ye chuse two Men on each Part and let them decide between you and thereby ye shall abide

And these above mentioned articles we acknowledge and declare I Jacob Beiler and Elisabeth Beiler in good understanding for our Testament and Last Will with our Hands and Seals

signed and sealed Jacob Beiler
Elisabeth Beiler, X her mark

The following affidavit afixed to last page of the original will:

Register General's office, Reading, Berks County Pennsylvania, the twenty fifth day of March in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy one Personally appeared George Wiedmann and Christian Siber the witnesses to the foregoing writing and being German Protestants who declare themselves conscientiously scrupulous of taking an Oath do on their Solemn Affirmation according to Law respectively Declare and Affirm that they were present together and saw and heard Jacob Beiler the testator therein named sign seal pronounce publish and declare the said aforegoing writing as and for his the said Jacob Beilers Last Will and Testament and that at the time of this Doing thereof he the said Jacob Beiler was of Sound Mind Memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge and as they verily believe and further that the name Georg Wiedmann and the Mark of Christian Siber are of the handwriting respectively of the said Affirmants by them thereto subscribed as Witnesses set in the Presence of each other and in Presence and with Request of the said Jacob Beiler the Testator.

The will of Jakob was proved March 25, 1771

The ten known children of Jakob Beÿeler of Guggisburg:
Barbara Beiler, Anna Beiler, Christopher Beiler, Maria Beiler, Elizabeth Beiler, Jacob Byler, John Biler, Sarah Beiler, Joseph Byler, and David Boiler.

This section of an 1864 map shows the Beller Mill, just below the Crooked Creek Post Office, lower right hand corner of Carroll County, Arkansas.

A doomed wagon train included George and Manerva Beller Baker and her younger siblings Melissa Ann Beller age 14, and David W. Beller age 12. They were killed in a massacre near Mountain Meadows, Utah.

Harry Byron Tate and Leona Ruth Byler

(From Remnants, Plenty And Lean, by Judy Tate...)