Detweiler and Detwiler Genealogy Information

Census Information

Here is the information I've got on the Detweiler surname. Most of the census information is from Franconia Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania census records for the year indicated. All other information is from church records from and around Franconia Township. This information is provided to support your genealogy research. Note: It is definitely not complete. Refer to the actual records for more information.

The 1780 Tax List shows the following Detwiler, Detwiller, and Detweiler families in Eastern PA.

name (as spelled in the document)countytownship
Abraham DetwilerPhilWorchester
Jacob DetwilerPhilFranconia
Martin DetwilerPhilFranconia
Samuel DetwillerBuckRockhill
Jacob DetweilerLancasterCocalico
Jacob DetweilerPhilFrederick
Jacob DetweilerPhilUpper Hanover
Jacob Detweiler Jr.PhilUpper Hanover
John Detweiler Sr.PhilShippack

In the 1790 Census of Montgomery Co., I found:

In the 1790 Census of Bucks County, I found:

The 1800 code starts with males under 10, then 10 to 16, 16-26, 26-45, over 45, and the same for females.

Christian Detwiler10010 10010Franconia
John Detwiler22201 02110Franconia
Samuel Detwiler40010 40010Upper Salford

1810 Census Information for Franconia and neighboring townships
1810 Detweiler/Detwiler families:age and gender code
John Detwiler20201 01301Franconia
Christian Detwiler11010 21001Franconia
Samuel Detwiler22001 01100Upper Salford
1820 Detweiler families in Franconia: age and gender code + agri(8) or mfg(1)
Samuel100010 11011 0100
Christian010001 21210 0100
John301411 20221 0401
Daniel410010 00200 0100
Joseph010100 20100 0100
1830 Detweiler families in Franconia:(age by 5's, til 20 then by 10) males are first listed, then females
Christian00001001 00121011
Daniel003101 11011
Abraham212111 020101
Jacob110001 000011
Samuel100001 011011
1840 Detweiler families in Franconia: age and gender code
George DetwilerI didn't note the codes
Jacob DetwilerI didn't note this
Samuel DetwilerI didn't note this
1840 Detweiler families in Hatfield: age and gender code
Jacob DetwilerI didn't note the codes
Christian DetwilerI didn't note this
1840 Detweiler families in Towamencin: age and gender code
Benjamin DetwilerI didn't note the codes
Henry DetwilerI didn't note this
1850 Detweiler families in Franconia: agegenderoccupation
Jacob53MFarmer
Mary48F
Tyron21M
Danice20M
Barbara15F
Mary13F
Fronica10F
1850 Detweiler families in Lower Salford:agegenderoccupation
Henry Detweiler62M
Rebecca20F
Mary15F
Sarah3/12F
Peter Keller24M
Henry Detweiler51Mdidn't note
Elizabeth47F
Sarah Price12F
Garret Detweiler31Mdidn't note
Fanny31F
Catherine6F
George4M
Mary2F
Garret1M
Benjamin Detweiler56Mdidn't note
Magdelena50F
Samuel25M
Henry22M
Mary-Ann20F
Jacob17M
Elizabeth15F
Sarah12F

Detweiler Information from Other Records

Joseph Detwiler bought 13 acres in Whiteplain in 1777. In his will (1786), he left the mill and 110 acres to his son Joseph. Son Joseph then added 20 acres in 1796. In 1841 this Joseph passed on, leaving widow and children: Jacob, Benjamin, Ellis, George, Joseph, Catharine (who married Daniel Beaver), Mary (who married George H. Spencer), and Elizabeth (who married Owen Smith). Jacob held the land, which according to my notes, transferred to Owen Smith in 1842. The third Joseph Detwiler died in the early 1880s.

I also found an Isaac Detwiler who bought 88 acres from Steghen Porter in Whiteplain/Skippack. Isaac died in 1844 and left a wife Barbara and sons Henry and Isaac, and a daughter Susannah. Note: He also had a son Martin (deceased) whose children were Barbara and Ann. This will entered probate on 26 Dec 1844.

The Old Goshenhoppen Church (Luthren and Reformed) records from Upper Salford show:
Samuel Detweiler b. 2 Jan 1783 d. 24 Nov 1831.
Susanna Detweiler (wife of Tobias Nes) b. 27 Jan 1819 m. 2 Sep 1838 d. 4 Jan 1884

From the Central Mennonite Church burial records:
Henry Detweiler b. 1 Feb 1787 d. 26 Apr 1867

From the Plain Mennonite, Hatfield Township records:
Abraham Z. Detwiler b. 18 Oct 1832 d. 19 May 1883
Anna Detweiler (wife of Frederick Alderfer) b. 1712 d. 18 Jan 1767

Somewhere here the church records switch over to Salford Mennonite church records (sorry for not keeping better notes):

Samuel M. Detwiler b. 19 Mar 1825 d. 15 Feb 1890 and wife Catharine b. 27 Feb 1819 d. 12 Sep 1878
Eliza Detwiler (daughter of John and Anna) b. 8 Jun 1825 d. 6 Mar 1850
Sarah Detweiler (wife of Jacob Moyer) b. 27 Feb 1795 d. 24 Oct 1845
Henrich Detweiler b. 12 Jun 1798 d. 11 Sep 1868
Benjamin M. Detweiler b. 3 Jun 1793 d. 22 Mar 1868

Germantown Mennonite:
Sarah Detweiler b. 1800 d. 8 Dec 1886
John K. Detweiler b. 1825 d. 1850
John Detweiler b. 1809 d. 4 Aug 1859

Family Group Sheet Information

Besides some known information, I am attempting to put together (align) all Detweiler children with their parents. Some of the below is input from others (off-colors) or assumptions (pink). Second or third hand information is from individuals via email, on genforum.com, or from familysearch.org. I trust it is all valid. Note: Whenever an individual is repeated, I will use a specific color on the birthdate to show a connection.

Martin Kolb Detweiler b. 1748 in Montgomery Co., PA d. 1819 (parents Jacob DETWEILER b. 1712 and Neltgen Van Sintern KOLB b. 1712 (Philadelphia Co.). Martin married Maria Meyer (father Christian Meyer II). Children are: Christian (b. 3 Aug 1762), Isaak, Samuel, Joseph* (m. Mary Moyer dau. of Mary Overholt), Hannah, Susanna, Maria, Abraham, Sarah, Barbara, Benjamin, and Jacob** (m. Mary Kulp). *Joseph's son Henry married Magdalena Detweiler (dau of John and gdaughter of Jacob). Henry moved to Sterling, Whiteside Co., Illinois. Also Samuel Detweiler, son of Joseph, married Barbara Nold. Mary O. was the dau. of Magdalena Detweiler (sister to Martin Kolb Detweiler). Joseph and Mary M. moved to Beaver Twp, Columbiana Co, Ohio. They spelled their name Detwiler. (per SD)
**Jacob and Mary had a son Joseph who married Hannah Souder Bergey (per DNB).

Martin Detweiler (#2) (came to America on the "Crown" in 1749). Sisters were Susanna (married Christian Meyer III) and Mary (married Jacob Meyer). Note: This family may have moved south; and the surname may be spelled Deadwyler.

Note: Mistakes in the history of Bucks Co. mixed the two Martins up, and thanks to Sam Detwiler (who descends from the first Martin), I believe the above to now be totally accurate.

Jacob Detweiler b. abt 1762 in Bucks Co., PA married Maria Funk b. abt 1767. Children are: Maria (b. 10 May 1775 d. 22 Sep 1850 m. George Shoemaker), Joseph (b. 28 Jan 1777 d. 8 Jan 1900 m. Susanna Shoemaker), Jacob (b. 25 Nov 1778 d. 8 Aug 1858 m. 15 Dec 1803 Susanna Rosenberger), Barbara (b. abt 1779), Susanna (b. abt 1780 m. Mr. Hendrick), Joshua (b. 3 Jul 1781 d. 21 Jul 1841 m. Catharine Alleback), Sarah Detweiler* (b. 14 Sep 1782 d. 22 Mar 1851 m. Peter HECKLER), Elizabeth (b. 17 Jul 1785 d. 7 Oct 1825 m. Philip BOWMAN), Anne (b. abt 1787), Catharine (b. 15 Nov 1788 d. 2 Oct 1850), and John (b. abt 1795). *Sarah and Peter had at least seven children; one of which was Abraham Heckler from whom I descend.

Christian Detweiler b. 3 Aug 1762 d. 30 Aug 1843 m. Elizabeth REIFF. Children are: Joseph (b. 26 Oct 1797 d. 1 Jul 1861 m. Elizabeth Aldefer), Elizabeth (b. 4 Mar 1800 d. 1 Jan 1885 m. Michael Young), Mary (b. 6 Jan 1803 d. 21 May 1886 m. Benjamin Landis), George R. (b. 1 Jan 1806 d. 26 Nov 1883 m. Mary Wismer), Sarah* Detweiler (b. 8 Apr 1809 d. 21 Aug 1884 m. NO INFORMATION), Ann (b. 13 Feb 1812 d. 9 Oct 1857 m. John M. Hagey), and Hannah Detweiler (b. 9 Apr 1815 d. 18 Mar 1873 m. Abraham L. Moyer). *Note: This Sarah supposively died single according to the Moyer family book by A. J. Fretz.

Johannes Kolb Detweiler who married Catherine Cassel Fun had son John Detweiler b. 1786 from Telford Township, Montgomery Co., PA d. 14 Aug 1864. John married Anna Hunsicker Detweiler (daughter of Jacob Detweiler and Anna Hunsicker) b. 1790. The only child noted is Sarah D. Detweiler. Note: There is probably more; but this is all I recorded. Thanks to Donna Null Basinger for the information on Johannes and John.

To correct or add any information, please email me at gerry_benner@yahoo.com

I appreciate any and all help that you can provide. My ultimate objective is to discover the ancestry of a Sarah DETWEILER born abt 1804 who married Abraham HECKLER b. 13 Nov 1801. I know that this Sarah Detweiler lived in Towamencin Township in 1850. Note: This is a different Sarah Detweiler than the one who married Abraham's father Peter.

This is definitely incomplete, so please don't think that your ancestor's information is unavailable. For more information, try the genealogy forum , or familysearch.org which both have tremendous amounts of data.

Best of luck in your research.

.... Gerry

P.S. According to Sam Detwiler (genforum.genealogy.com), who has a lot of knowledge concerning the Detwiler surname, the name is most likely from the county Datweil in Switzerland; however, he also points out that there is a small village in Alsace named Detwiller(sp).

Email from Cousins

Hello. I have a Detwiler connection, and your names and locations look so close I must be related to one of your lines. Here is what I have:

  Daniel Detweiler, b. 11 Apr 1806, d. 26 Dec 1885, Easton
 m. Maria Stonebach, b. 15 Sep 1813, d. 6 Sep 1891, Easton
     Elizabeth, 1834
     Catherine, 1836
     John, 1839
     Samuel, 1841
     Robert, 1846
     Emaline, 1849
And then, I show a really intriguing Maria Detwiler, married to Abel Kerr. Abel was born 28 Oct 1820, in Woxall, Montgomery, PA. This Kerr line is almost unique--there are plenty of Kerrs in the world, but apparently not the ones I am related to!
If you show any of these Detwilers in your lines, I would really appreciate hearing from you.
nls1116@aol.com
Nora