Balthasar Beil was born in Brandau, Hesse, Germany. So of Johann Georg & Anna Maria Beil. Baptized 2 Feb 1715 in Neunkirchen, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany.

Balthasar Beil's translated Will.

In the name of God, Amen.

Today, the 12th day of July in the year Seventeen Hundred and Ninety One, I, Balthasar Beil, residing in Upper Saucon Township, Northampton County, have envisioned to die once when God should command, in God's Will and Jesus Christ my Master. Amen.

Now, I will write my last will and testament with hope that peace and unity shall prevail among my survivors after my death.

First, I elect my son Johannes Beil to be my Executor. He should administer my last will and testament, as follows.

First I leave my wife Anna Maria, one hundred pounds of hard money in Gold and Silver, which should be paid to her the day after my funeral, or let her decide when, so she may do with her inheritance whatever she pleases. After that, I leave to my wife something special, namely, Rest and help from my children. The entire household my wife brought along. Further five bushels of corn, three bushels of wheat and whatever is left over after my death of flour, meat, butter, sugar, juice, tea, spices and one bushel of salt. She may take these without any arguement.

Further the land I own in Upper Saucon Township should be sold at a good deal and the money should be added to my estate and then divided into five equal parts under one condition that the stepmother should receive entirely what I left her plus the little gifts I have written in my notebook. Hannes Beil should receive five pounds of hard money and the Schlauch children ten pounds less than the other brothers and sisters because Conrad Blank received ten pounds from my daughters part.

Now you will know how to divide, because I cannot say just how things will happen.

As many of the children can be present at the dividing of the Estate, as are living. If some are dead, their children should take their place.

I also remember that my will is that my son Heinriche's part of my land should go to him on the condition that it never be sold. My son Johannes and his brother, Heinrich, should take the money to pay brother Wilhelm and the Schlauch children so far as his part will go. The first and second year after my death, he should pay in full what he owes on his note which he gave Wilhelm and Schlauch and not renote. It is my wish that he should not use the note to his advantage.

In regards to my bonds, notes and other things, I will make notes in my book because of increases and decreases.

Further, I appoint my son Johannes as Executor and give him Power of Attorney for my last Will and Testament and confirm the above with my name and seal on the same day as, above, noted.

His signature

His sealed last Will and Testament was confessed and declared by the above mentioned Balthasar Beil, in the presence of Witnesses. Wihelm Schaffer, Peter Schaffer.

Thomas H. Beil ( THB)

Balthasar was married three times,first the mother of all his children,Maria Elisabetha, last name unknown. He married second, Maria Catharina Keaper, third and last Anna Maria, named in his will,she died sometime after 1791.

Balthasar Beil, being the last son of Johann Georg Beil, would have no Heir Rights. Why he came to William Penn's new colony can only be a supposition. He was only 22 years of age. His home in Brandau was located about 20 miles from the Rhine river. The voyage down the Rhine River to Rotterdam in Holland was reported to take about six weeks. At Rotterdam they must wait, perhaps, a month until a ship is leaving for the American Colonies. If he had money, he would have spent it to live during that period. The English ship captians would take all passingers. Those without money signed an aggrement that they could not pay on arrival, he could be sold or indentured into service, for a period of three to four years, with the person who paid his passage. These were called Redemptionist's.

The travel time across the Atlantic Ocean was ususally two months and sometimes tragically, longer. Picture those early sailing galleys crowded with 200 to 300 men, women and children during a hot Summer crossing. Food and water were rationed and their quality questionable. A fellowship of suffering was established among the passingers who survived. Only 7 ships, bearing immigrants, arrived at Philadelphia during 1737.

On September 27, 1737, the ship " St. Andrew Galley" , captioned by John Steadman, arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Among it's passingers was Balthasar Beil. ( see Strassberger books (JJB)

Upon arrival, all male passengers were taken to the Court House and required to sign a pledge to King George and the Proprietors of the Colony. Our ancestor signed his name "Balsar Beil ".

The original is preserved at the Pennsylvania State Archives at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania., .. copies are available. (THB)

Between 1737 and 1740 no information on Balthasar was found. We can assume that he was a Redemptionist and was in service to someone who paid his passage. Another supposition is that Johannes Appel, an older fellow passinger and his wife from Pfungstat, near Brandau, was his financial source. Johannea Appel bought 300 acres of land in Upper Saucon Township of Bucks county near where, Balthasar Beil later bought his first land. When Balthasar had his first son, he named him Johannes, and Johannes Appel and his wife sponsored the Baptism. This is recorded in the records of St. Paul's Lutheran "Blue church near Coopersburg, Upper Saucon Township of (now) Lehigh county.

Beil Genealogy by Thomas Beil.

Transcribed as written by JMB

His death is recorded as Dec. 16, 1791. He was 76 years old. He had had three wives, five children, and at least 25 grandchildren. He had been in America for 54 years, been through the French and Indian Wars, the American Revolutionary War, and saw the forming of the United States of America. He had help to develop and populate the State of PA. His and Anna Maria's gravesites are unknown, he could have been buried on his land and the sites are now lost.

Beil Genealogy by Thomas Beil.

Transcribed by SER