"PHILLIP BOHMER, came to the Port of Philadelphia, on the sailing ship, NEPTUNE on September 23, 1751. The NEPTUNE, sailed from Rotterdam, last from Cowes, with 154 passengers, but only 83 names are given - men and boys above twelve. James Weir was the captain. This informaiton is taken from the book compiled by Prof. I. Daniel Rupp's - THIRTY THOUSAND NAMES OF IMMIGRANTS - a collection of upwards of 30,000 names of German-Swiss-French-and others. IMMIGRANTS in Pennsylvania - 1727 to 1776. In this list the names of JOHAN WILHELM BOHMER and JOHAN PHILLIPUS BOHMER appear.
"This same information is included in CHAMBERS GERMAN PIONEERS, Vol. 1, page 466: Present at Court House of Philadelphia, Monday the 23rd, Sept. 1751.
"From the fact that the FAMILY BIBLE was purchased from the HAUSSLARS, a book store, in FRANKFORT-AM-MAIN. It may be supposed that the BOHMERs came from that area.
"The name spelled with the two dots above the "O" is the German spelling. In New Jersey, and in Ontario, the spelling is either Beemer or Beamer; only the oldest son, John, used the Bemer spelling as fas as I can find out. His sons all used "BEEMER." The name came from baum - a tree. Not Bohemia, as was formerly supposed. A tree-log was used for the bar on the toll road. From that the keeper of the toll bar was first called the baumer, and later it became BOHMER (with unlaut), but pronounced Beemer.
"It is said that JEHAN WILHELM and his wife died in New Jersy. The likely had other children, but so far I can find no information on them, nor on Philip till his marriage. Philip was born in Germany on February 8, 1739, and was twelve years old when he came to Philadelphia. He married Anna (Marie ?) DeWitt on December 18, 1761. She was born on March 3rd, 1747. No data on her parents.
"They went to what is known as German Valley, in Morris County, New Jersey in 1763. There they raised their 13 children and lived there till they fled to the Long Point Settlement. They were the D.P.'S of our Revolutionary War, and were known with the many many thousands who went to Canada as UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS. Many were given homesteads of 200 acres by the crown.
"They both lived out their latter years with their son, Henry. in Waterford and are buried in the old Cemetary where the old Bowlby Stone House stands in Waterford.
"Miss Anna Turnbull gave me the names of their children and the dates.
"There are many other Beemer descendants in both the United States and also in Canada. I have not been able to connect them with this family. A small booklet - BEEMER LORE - was printed after a Society Meeting of Beemer Descendants in 1928. I am confident that the Peter Beemer, - as is Mrs. Violet Beemer Duncan on page 27, is the second son of Philip and Anna.
"Joseph, who was the seventh child of this family was my ancestor, along with his many ancestors and descendants. He must have very recently married Julia Smith from down on the Susquehannah River in Delaware, when they came to Canada.
"Julia Smith, had a sister, Dorcas..... or she may have been a Mrs. Darkis. The three brothers were - William - David - and Jesse. They went to Florida in 1804.
"So far I have not learned where they first settled, nor what Joseph did. They lived at Alymer, and the sons, Abram and John lived there. Not too much information on either family.
"Mary Ann Beemer, daughter of Joseph Beemer and Julia Smith, married Capt. Richard Howarth. His life story has been written by a grandson and will be given in full as he wrote it.
"Julia lost her husband, Joseph, on August 14, 1813. The minister of the Alymer Baptist Church, at about the same time, lost his wife. He was the noted Elder Crandall, who had established Baptist Churches in that area. Elder Crandall and Julia were married very soon after the deaths of their mates, and the church did not like it. And so, in my research, the Minister of the church who delivered the address on the early preachers at the 100th Centinniel, sent me his notes to include in this booklet. So it is an interesting side-light on the family and the thinking of that time.
"Many of the grandsons have been named for him in the Howarth families."
same source, page 6:
same source, page 6:
-- src: Beemer Book 1964
Notes For JOHAN PHILLIPUS BOHMER:
Following is a large passage from page 4 of the Beemer Book, 1964 by Vera Van LydeGraff:
"Johan Wilhelm Boehmer and wife, name unknown, and 12 year old son, Johan Phillipus Bohmer, cmae [sic] on the ship Neptune to Philadelphia, Spetember [sic] 23, 1751. 'ROUP'
The family Bible was bought in Frankfort-am-Main, so it is likely that they came from the Rhine or Neccar River Valleys in that area. The name comes from baum... a log or tree and means a toll-gate keeper.
Except that the parents died in New Jersey, it is not known where they first settled, nor is anything known of Philip till his marriage to Anna Marie Dewitt.
The eldest son John, the old Squire of Colbourn, left for Canada about 1787, with his wife and two or three small children. The rest of the family left the farm in German Valley in 1794. Some of the older children were married. They went to the Long Point Settlement. Philip and Anna lived out their latter days in Waterford with son Henry."
" Julia Smith came from Delaware. Her brothers, William, David and Jessie went to Florida in 1804. Her sister was DORCAS ? Julia married Elder Reuben Crandall after the death of JOSEPH BEEMER."
[ i. ] ESQUIRE JOHN BEEMER, b. May 23, 1763, German Valley, New Jersay; d. Oct 21, 1829, Windham Cemetary; m. HANNAH LEWIS, Abt. 1783; b. Jul 02, 1764, New Jersey, USA; d. Sep 02, 1854, Old Windham Cemetary, Simcoe.
John Beemer was the eldest sone of Philip and Anna DeWitt. Born in New Jersey, possibly just before or just after the time they settled in German Valey, Morris County, New Jersey, in 1763.
He married about 1783, and had 3 small children. Anna, eldest daughter, born May 5, 1784; Levi - born Oct. 21, 1786 and Mary in 1787, a babe in arms when they made the trip to Canada.
They came first to the Niagara District, settling on Lots 1 & 2, Grimsby Twp. Concession 18. In 1790 when the Township established the first Municiple Council, John Beemerwas elected Constable. In 1793-94, he was appointed Collector.
Grimsby was the birthplace of the 4th child, Philip, who was the only son to survie him, and the two daughters, Marie and Hannah. In 1797, John sold the Grimsby property to Andrew Hunter and moved to the Long Point Settlement. In 1800 he was appointed asw a Justice of the Peace in one of the first Courts. He was a deacon of the Presbyterian Church when it was first organized in the area.
In 1804, he settled on the Carpenter Farm. John Jr. and Sarah were born at Long Point in 1800 and 1802. Frank the youngest son may have been born there as I have no date for either his birth or death. Susanna was in 1805.
On August 9, 1807, h3c43d3if3ec qcGrant of 200 acres, Lot 1, Concession 13, in Townsend, Twp. adjoining the village of Colbourne. He lived there till his death in 1829. In 1827 the big house was built. Philip was the 2nd son, as Levi died in the War of 1812. He is the only son to survive his father. The homestead was left to him Philip left it to his son John and it passed on to Harry Beemer and to Harry his son. The noted Beemer carriage was a part of his inheiritance."
"Left for Canada about 1787 with his wife and 2 or 3 children. The rest of the family left the farm in German Valley in 1794. Some of the older children were married. The went to the Long Point Settlement. Phillip and Anna lived out their latter days in Waterford with son Henry. Headstone is labeled 'Bemer.' " src: Bohmer Book 1964
[ ii. ] MARY BEEMER, b. Jun 25, 1764, Sussex, Morris, NJ; d. Oct 18, 1828, Ontario; m. LEVI LEWIS, Feb 13, 1784, Frankfort Twp, Sussex, New Jersey; b. Oct 30, 1762, Near Mendham, Morris Co., New Jersey; d. Oct 18, 1828, Ontario.
[ iii. ] PETER BEEMER, b. Dec 24, 1765, German Valley, Morris, New Jersay; m. SARAH ROSZEL; b. <Sussex, NJ>.
"Peter Beemer is said to have married three times but the names of his wives are unknown excpet one - a Miss Rozel - and some of her children have the initial "R" after their name. To which wife, or the order of their births is not known, Mrs. Charles Duncon, who was Orson Beemer's daughter, gave this information which she evidently had prepared for BEEMER LORE a magazine of the Beemer Reunions held in 1924 - 1928. This would be a very good project for research for some one closre to the are.
"PETER BEEMER was born Dec. 24, 1765, in German Calley, New Jersey. He is said to have served in the Continental Army before coming to the Long Point Settlement in 1794. ut in 1812, he served with the British. Peter had 6 sons for which he took up land in 1804. There was Philip R., Henry R., and Joseph. Another may have been Jacob. The others are not known.
"HENRY R. (Roszel) BEEMER was born Dec. 22, 1801, in Oakland Township.
[ iv. ] PHEBE BEEMER, b. Mar 15, 1769, Sussex, Morris, NJ.
[ v. ] ELIZABETH BEEMER, b. Jul 18, 1770, Sussex, Morris, NJ; d. Of Fingal, Elgin, Ontario.
[ vi. ] PHILIP BEEMER, b. Dec 06, 1771.
[ vii. ] JOSEPH BEEMER, b. Mar 19, 1773, Sussex, Morris, NJ; d. Aug 14, 1813, Alymer, Elgin, Ontario; m. JULIA SMITH, 1794, German Valley, Morris, New Jersey; b. Apr 21, 1778, , Delaware; d. Sep 19, 1847, Aylmer, Elgin, Ontario.
" Julia lost her husband (Joseph), on August 14, 1813. The minister of the Alymer Baptist Church, at about the same time, lost his wife. He was the noted Elder Crandall, who had established Baptist Churches in that area. Elder Crandall and Julia were married very soon after the deaths of their mates and the church did not like it. Many of the grandsons have been named for him in the Howarth families." src: Bohmer Book 1964
[ viii. ] HENRY BEEMER, b. Sep 07, 1780, German Valley, Morris, New Jersay; d. Dec 19, 1848, Waterford, London District, Ontario; m. CATHERINE SOVEREIGN, Nov 21, 1802, Long Point, London District, Ontario; b. Apr 20, 1776, Schooly's Mt., Morris, NJ; d. Apr 23, 1851, Waterford, Haldimand Norfol, Ontario.
[ ix. ] ABRAM BEEMER, b. Mar 27, 1783, Sussex, Morris, NJ; d. Dec 10, 1814; m. EUNICE CULVER; b. <Sussex, Morris, NJ>.
[ x. ] SALLY BEEMER, b. 1785; m. JOSEPH SMITH.
[ xi. ] SUSAN BEEMER, b. 1787, German Valley, Morris, NJ; m. TERRY PELLET; b. <German Valley, Morris, NJ>.
[ xii. ] HANNAH BEEMER, b. 1789, German Valley, Morris, NJ; m. WILLIAM SKYLER; b. <German Valley, Morris, NJ>.
[ xiii. ] ANNA BEEMER, b. 1791, German Valley, Morris, NJ; m. JOHN SHUHOFF; b. <German Valley, Morris, NJ>.
Endnotes:
Notes For ESQUIRE JOHN BEEMER:
" The name was spelled ohmer in Germany, with the 2 dots above the o: Boehmar was American spelling, John used Bemer, but his sons seemed to use Beemer.
--src: Bohmer Book, 1964 page 7.
Notes For PETER BEEMER:
" PETER BEEMER was the third child of PHILIP and ANNA. MARY, who married LEVI LEWIS, was the second member of the family.
HATHAWAY, his son, a millwright by trade, lived in Simcoe. He is the one who changed spelling to Beemer to avoid confusion with the many Beemers in Simcoe. He died in 1922 at the age of 92 years. HENRY, son of Hathaway, lives in Tillsonburg. CHARLES A. son of Henry, lives in Flint, Michigan." --src: Bohmer Book, 1964
Notes For JULIA SMITH:
"Julia Smith Came from Delaware. Her brothers, William, David, and Jessie went to Florida in 1804. Her sister was Dorcas ?. Julia married elder Reuben Crandall after the death of Joseph Beemer.
Marriage Notes for HENRY BEEMER and CATHERINE SOVEREIGN:
Bohmer Book, 1964 page 16 shows the wedding date as June 28, 1802.
1. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (TM), (July 1996 (c), data as of 2 January 1996).