Litzenberger Family Tree:Information about Elizabeth Beiber
Elizabeth Beiber (b. March 31, 1773, d. December 17, 1858)
More About Elizabeth Beiber:
Date born 2: September 29, 1773, Macedonia Twp., Berks Co., Pennsylvania.1
Died 2: December 16, 1854, Seneca Co., NY.1
More About Elizabeth Beiber and John George Schaeffer:
Marriage: January 15, 17931
Marriage Notes for Elizabeth Beiber and John George Schaeffer:
[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 6, Ed. 1, Tree #4125, Date of Import: Sep 30, 2000]
John and Elizabeth met in Philadelphia where John was learning the tanning trade at a tannery and Elizabeth worked in a bakery shop - the Schaeffer Family History gives a recipe she had there for crullers and which was handed down to her children: 1 pint sour cream, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 cup sugar, 4 eggs, nutmeg, flour for soft dough. They moved back to Northampton County after their marriage and became farmers. While living in Northampton County, John, along with other members of his family, became actively involved in Fries' Rebellion. Fries' Rebellion, named for its leader, was an anti-tax resistance movement among mostly German-speaking farmers in Northampton and Bucks counties in 1798 and 1799. John at the start had four children with the oldest 5 years old. The resistance took both passive and active forms, culminating in a large armed force freeing prisoners in Bethlehem in March of 1799. John was known to be vocally active in the resistance. A trial was held from April 30 to May 9, 1799. The defendents were convicted, many for treason, but before sentencing, a new trial was ordered due to a supposedly biased juror. The new trial was held one year later in late April and early May, no doubt because of the court schedule. Convictions were again obtained. Sentences were handed down May 9. About 40 men were sentenced, three to hanging. However public furor caused John Adams to pardon all but those who were scheduled to die, who were also pardoned a few days later. John's sentence was for 12 months and $600, but he only served 12 days of this sentence. He had, however, apparently, spent about 13 months in jail awaiting the first and second trials. His brother, Charles, died while in prison.
John, who may have been known primarily as George, moved his family to a 300 acre farm on Warrior Run in Northumberland County sometime after 1805. John built a house that was still standing in 1978. It is 1/4 mile south of Warrior Run Church on Rte. 14 near Turbotville. The last few of his children were born here and four or five of his children were married here. On April 22, 1822, John moved with most of his family to Fayette in Seneca County, NY. Apparently the only family members who did not go were daughters, Elizabeth and Hannah, who had married Bieber brothers. John bought 400 acres in NY and remained there until his death in 1843. There is every indication that John was a prosperous and highly competent farmer. The Schaeffer Family History, a not always reliable source, claims that John died due to shock of losing, for an unknown reason, property valued at $35,000. His age may have had something to do with it. The farm did stay in his family as first his son, Reuben, farmed at least part of the original farm until his own death in 1884 at which time Reuben's daughter, Laura, and her family stayed until at least 1909. John's funeral was said to be the largest in Seneca County to that time, with around 100 carriages in the procession. Two of his children died in infancy, but the other 13 were noted for their collective longevity, eight reaching the age of 81, with most apparently enjoying good health in their old age. They were also tall, with 7 being over 6 feet tall. The children dispersed some, with some going to Ohio, some to Michigan with some remaining in NY or Pennsylvania.
This is the notice of John's death in the Seneca Observer, Waterloo, NY on January 11, 1843: "Died; in Fayette, on Thursday last, Mr. George Schaeffer, in the 75th year of his age. Mr. Schaeffer was a firm unyielding Democrat. From his youth he was an advocate of freedom of speech and the freedom of the press, and for this, in 1799, he together with his younger brother, (who died from suffering) and also Henry Shankwiler of Fayette, were imprisoned under the noted Gag Law. Mr. Schaeffer was imprisoned 13 months and fined $600. During his imprisonment, his now widow, with her own hands, performed the labor on the farm and supported 4 children. Honest, kind and sincere, he was highly esteemed for his many manly virtues, was beloved by all who knew him, and he was followed to the grave by a concourse whose numbers gave evidence of the deep attachment of his neighbors." While there was considerable resentment about the Alien and Sedition Acts (referred to as the Gag Law above) among the German farmers, that was not the cause of John's arrest, trial and conviction.
John and Elizabeth had 15 children, ten of which are listed. The other five were William, b 9/14/1811, d 4/29/1895, m Sarah Gamber; Reuben, b 5/12/1814, d 11844, m Priscilla Schwab; Susannah, b 1818, d 1856, m Jacob Gamble; two others who died in infancy whose birthdates are not known. Amongst the grandchildren of John and Elizabeth are the following with their birthdates, if known:
a) Elizabeth - Sarah, 2/8/1820, Elizabeth, 11/20/1821, Mary, 7/8/1823, Julia Ann, 12/11/1824, John, 2/4/11826, Hannah, 11/25/1827, Eusteen Rebecca, Susannah, George
b) Hannah - David, 7/1/1823, George, 9/25/1825, John, 1/10/1828, Reuben, 4/25/1830, Elizabeth, 11/10/1832, Elias, 9/1/1835, Benjamin, 3/25/1838, Charles, 3/14/1842, William, 5/30/1844
c) Michael - George G.
d) Mary - Levi
e) Rebecca - Lovina
Sources:
1. Research of Genevieve O'Connor Driscoll
2. "Genealogy of the Schaeffer Family" by Levi Litzenberger
3. Research of I. M. Beaver
The following note was received from Pat Driscoll, in March of 1996, after synopsizing and article about Schaeffer's brush with the Alien and Sedition Act, in the "Miller Mania"family newsletter."6. Nice article about Schaeffers in MM. One comment. I have recently become aware that Elizabeth Bieber's family were probably Huguenots and thus French and not German. Many, though certainly not most,of the "Pennslyvania Dutch" it turns out were Huguenots. These Huguenots were probably in Germany - Palantine region primarily - for at the most two generations. Also there is a fair amount of mythology that has been handed down by his family regarding John George Schaeffer, particulary regarding his role in Fries' Rebellion.Mom has detailed record of the trial as well as more reliable histories of the Rebellion. One of the biggest myths is that he was arrested for making seditious comments contrary to the Alien and Sedition Law. He did speak against this law but his arrest was for taking part in an armed uprising organized by some of his German neighbors against payment of certain taxes to the US government."
Having been provided Aunt Genevieve's "detailed" record of the trial, as well as historical summaries written in the early 1800's, the issues appears to be still confused, and not clarified.Certainly Schaeffer did participate in the organized protest actions against the levying and the payment of the taxes on houses in question, but they were not charged with tax evasion.The arrest was executed well after the demonstration, and apparently even after the persons involved had allowed the appraisal and maybe even paid their taxes.Their arrests were clearly for demonstrating against the authority of the U.S. Government.The charges didn't cite the Alien or Sedition Acts, but neither did it cite any other law or act as authority.The U.S. Marshall executed the arrests.From information currently available, it's not even clear when the trial was conducted.There may have been two, a year apart.Schaeffer apparently assisted in the "rescue" of persons who had already been arrested.How the rearrest was executed is not included in the accounts available.The Alien and Sedition Acts were the subject of admonishment but the judge, and of justification by that judge, but not otherwise discussed in the accounts.I believe that a violation of the Alien and Sedition Acts was the basis of the offense under which Schaeffer was tried.Pat Driscoll believes otherwise, preferring to view the charges as a form of treason tried under a federal common law, which would not have been unreasonable at the time.The Whiskey Rebellion just a few years earlier would have been precedent.
Children of Elizabeth Beiber and John George Schaeffer are:
- Christiana Schaeffer, b. September 11, 1793, Pennsylvania, d. June 08, 1881, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York.
- George Schaeffer, b. 1797, Pennsylvania, d. 1881, Muncy, Pennsylvania.
- Solomon Schaeffer, b. May 05, 1798, Northhampton County, Pennsylvania, d. January 05, 1832, Berry Town, New York.
- David Schaeffer, b. May 27, 1801, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, d. June 04, 1869, Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County, Michigan.
- Michael Schaeffer, b. February 09, 1804, Pennsylvania, d. September 14, 1884, Milan, Ohio.
- Hannah Schaeffer, b. December 22, 1804, Pennsylvania, d. June 04, 1869.
- +Mary P. Schaeffer, b. February 23, 1805, Pennsylvania1, d. September 04, 18911.
- Rebecca Schaeffer, b. April 15, 1808, Pennsylvania, d. September 03, 1887.
- John Schaeffer, b. April 04, 1810, Pennsylvania, d. January 09, 1887, Shelby, Michigan.