BYLER
First Generation

1. Jakob Beÿeler b. 7 Aug 1687, Guggisburg, Bern Canton, Switzerland, m. (1) Veronica YODER, d. __ ___ 1737, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, m. (2) __ ___ 1737, in Phil, or Oley Twnshp, Lancaster Co, PA, Elizabeth KALLEN, b. Schwarden, Fruitgen Parish, 
Bern Canton, (daughter of Hans KALLEN and Ann KALLEN) d. Abt__ ___ 1779.  Jakob died __ ___ 1771, Oley Twnship,
Lancaster County, PA.
      It has been known for several years that Jakob Beyeler emigrated from Guggisburg, Bern Canton, Switzerland about 1735. 
He and his family took ship from Rotterdam, Holland for passage to Pennsylvania.  Their ship was the "Charming Nancy" 
commanded by Charles Stedman.  After departing Rotterdam they stopped briefly at Plymouth England and arrived in Philadelphia 
on the 8th of October, 1737.  That same day Jakob Beyeler swore allegiance to King George II of Great Britain and Ireland,
becoming a subject of the crown of England.  Now an English subject, the spelling of his name was changed from Beyeler, the 
Swiss spelling, to Beiler or Byler, depending upon who was writing the name. In this report we will use the spelling taken by Jacob 
Byler, the son of the immigrant.
      Shortly after arriving in Philadelphia, Jakob Beyeler's first wife, Barbara Fredona Yoder died leaving Jakob with five small
children for whom he had to care.  So it is thought that either before he left Philadelphia or shortly after arriving in Oley Township, 
Lancaster County, (later called Berks County) he married Elizabeth Kallen, the daughter of Hans and Ann Kallen, natives of 
Schwarden, Frutigen Parish, Bern, Switzerland.  By his second wife, Jakob became the father of five more children among whom 
was Jacob Byler, father of Abraham, and grandfather of the Bylers who moved to Izard County, Arkansas.
      There is more work to be done on the ancestors of Jakob Beyeler, the immigrant from Switzerland.  At present there are two 
Jakob Beyelers listed as being baptized in the church at Guggisburg.  One was baptized on the 7th of August 1687, the other on
the 14th of August 1687, and the parents' names are different.  So now we have two Jakobs and the question is which is the
immigrant?
      Source: The Ancestry of the Byler Family in Izard County, Arkansas by Edgar D. Byler, III - LUNENBURG HALL -Route 2, 
Box 291, Collinwood, TN  38540 The Izard County Historian, Vol 13, Nr 4 - Oct 1982, pp 17-29 and The Izard County Historian, 
Vol 14, Nr 1 - Jan 1983, pp 15-23.
                                ________ Beiler/Byler Surname, The Missing Family Group Of Pioneer Jacob Beiler, by Allen R. Beiler.
   The Beiler family is of German-Swiss origin.  Jacob Beiler, our immigrant ancestor, was thought to have been born in Guggisburg, Switzerland.  However, German was his native language and his will was written in German.  Five of his children were born in 
Switzerland and brought to America with him.
   In the German language a "beil" is an ax and therefore, by extension, a "beiler" may be one who makes axes, or one who uses an
axe lake a woodcutter.
   When surnames first came into general use (about the twelfth century) they were often used to designate the occupation of the
person.  Thus it may be that the first Beiler had been a maker of axes, or may have been a woodcutter in the forrest, and added "er" 
to his name.
   We learn from history that many German people who lived in the Palatinate region emigrated to Switzerland because of the 
desolation wrought by the Thirty Years War and the accompanying religious persecution.  The Beiler family may have originated
in the Black Forest region of Germany, although we have no definite information of the family prior to the time of Jacob Beiler 
[Beÿeler].
   In the ship's list of Strassburger and Hinke at the courthouse in Philadelphia, List C gives the names of the following Beilers: 
Jacob, Christopher, Elizabeth, Veronica,  Maria, Anna, and Barbara, who on October 8, 1737, emigrated on the ship "Charming
Nancy" (some accounts list it as the "Charming Polly").  Charles Stedman, Master from Rotterdam, Holland, piloted the ship from 
Plymouth, England.
   Jacob Beiler and his family settled in the vicinity of Myerstown in Berks County, Pennsylvania.  Jacob's son, Christopher, later
purchased six hundred acres of land on the Conestoga Creek in East Lampeter Township in Lancaster County near Binkley's Bridge.
   Soon after arriving in America Jacob's first wife Veronica apparently died. Jacob Beiler married a second time to an Elizabeth 
Kallen (or Keller).  Notes taken out of a book owned by a George Beiler of Philadelphia read in part as follows:
   "An Elizabeth Kallen (or Keller) 14 April 1769, daughter of John and Anna Kallen of Schwanden, in the Parish of Fruitigen,
immigrated to Pennsylvania, and has for many years been married to Jacob Beyeler (Beiler), formerly of Guggisburg, Switzerland,
and now resides in Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania."
   Evidently this is proof that she was the second wife of Jacob Beiler and that his first wife died soon after the move to America. 
Since the Kallen girl (Elizabeth) is listed under a parish, she was neither Amish nor Mennonite.
   There were five children born to Jacob's second marriage:  Jacob, Jr., Hans (or John), Sara (or Sarah), Joseph, and David. 
It appears that none of this last group of children embraced the Amish way of life.
   Some members of the Beiler family changed the spelling of the family name and now use the anglicized form "Byler."  an early
example of this was an Amish bishop, John (Hannas: also frequently referred to as "Hans" or "Hansley") Byler, a son of Christopher
Beiler and grandson of Pioneer Jacob Beiler.  Bishop Hannas was born in Berks County on March 1, 1761, and settled in Mifflin 
County in 1806.
   In addition, several of Pioneer Jacob Beiler's children to his second marriage changed the spelling of their surname to Biler. 
Several members of this second marriage family group are buried in a private cemetery in Exeter Township, Berks County, 
Pennsylvania.  also, it is interesting to note that there were many Bleiler and Blyler surnames in Berks County and the northern
bordering counties.
   The will of immigrant Jacob Beiler was found in the courthouse in Reading and lists ten children (five children from each of
his two marriages). Pioneer Jacob Beiler died in 1772.  The location of his burial (or of his wives) is unknown.
   Fortunately, the family records of Pioneer Jacob Beiler's son, Christopher, have been fairly well kept and can be traced to the
present time.  The records of Pioneer Jacob Beiler's family to his second wife, Elizabeth Kallen, are sketchy and have not been
traced to the present generations.  This is referred to as the "missing family group."
   Several historical accounts state that Jacob Beiler was the only Beiler known to have come to America during the colonial 
period and that all of the Beilers in America are descendants of Jacob Beiler.  However, recent information suggests that there
could have been some other Beilers who were early immigrants to America.  There may be Beilers who are still living in Switzerland. 
One Beiler man is reported to have come to Philadelphia early in the 1900s.  He had no children and is reported to have died 
several years ago.
   The members of the Jacob Beiler family now number many thousands and are scattered all across America.  A seventh-generation descendant, Jonas K. Beiler, born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1881, changed his name to John P. Dove and is reported 
to have moved to California.  There is no further information available regarding Mr. Dove.
   There are many variations of the Beiler/Byler name as evidenced from a paper (author unknown) received from the private
collection of Florence B. (Kurtz) Beiler.  This paper will be published in a "Beiler-Byler Genealogy" book now under preparation,
and lists the names Baylor, Beiler, Bleiler, Blyler, Byler, Behler, Bealer, Beeler, Beelor, Bieler, Biler, Bleyler, Pyler, etc.
furthermore, it suggests that some of these people were from the "german Beiler Family" and changed to "anglicize" themselves.
   We believe this paper may provide additional clues to the Jacob Beiler family as time and further research permits.  However,
all of the name variations for Beiler/Byler are not necessarily related to the Pioneer Jacob Beiler family. Veronica: Roger L. Byler
says her name was Verona or Veronica.  Edgar D. Byler, III gives the name as Barbara Fredona Yoder.  Alen R. Beiler says the
name was Veronica of Feronica, last name unknown. Elizabeth: Jakob married Elizabeth sometime around 1737 or 1738.  In a
letter in 1767, Elizabeth gave her brother her power of attorney to collect her inheritance from her parents estate in Switzerland.
 In that letter she stated that she had married to Jakob Beyeler, a native of Guggisburg, Canton Bern, Switzerland.
    Children:
    2. i Barbara b. __ ___ 1723.
    3. ii Anna b. __ ___ 1726.
    4. iii Christian b. __ ___ 1727.
      iv Maria BEILER b. __ ___ 1732, Switzerland.
      v Elizabeth BEILER b. __ ___ 1735, Switzerland, m. Jacob KAUFMAN.  Elizabeth died __ ___ 1762.
    5. vi Jacob b. __ ___ 1740.
    6. vii John C. b. __ ___ 1740.
      viii Sarah BILER b. __ ___ 1741.
      ix Joseph BILER b. __ ___ 1742.  No further information. Unconfirmed reports say that Joseph was a Captain in the 
Revolutionary War.  A tombstone in a private cemetery in Berks County (where several Bilers are buried) has a Revolutionary 
War marker.  The only readable markings are "Died 1822" and "D". Source: Mennonite Family History, October 1991, p. 141.
    7. x David b. __ ___ 1743.