Jacob Bicher Jr. ^{2 3 4}

   Other names for Jacob were John Jacob Bicher ^{5 8} and Johan Jacob Bicker.⁶

   FamilySearch ID: KFRQ-34Y.

  Christening Notes:

Sponsors were John Beck and wife. (Note: This is probably Hans Peter Beck who married his aunt Elizabeth Bicher.)

  Noted events in his life were:

1. He has conflicting birth information of 18 Dec 1782 and Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. ⁶ Egle's History of Lebanon County reports his tombstone inscription as 18 Dec 1782 for his birth date, a conflict with the church records from Salem Lutheran Church which list 18 Oct 1782. [Egle did report tombstones were worn and hard to read many years later.].

2. Census in 1790 in Lebanon, Dauphin, PA. ⁹ In the 1790 census Jacob Beacherd is listed in Lebanon township, Lancaster County, with this household:
Males under 16 (born 1775-1790) = 2 (sons Jacob and William)
Males 16 and over (born <=1774) = 1 (father Jacob)
Females = 2 (daughter Magdalena and mother Catherine).

3. Census in 1800 in Lebanon, Dauphin, PA. ¹⁰ Jacob Becher is listed in the 1800 census in Lebanon boro, Dauphin County (today's Lebanon County) with this household:
Males (born)
26-44 (1756-1774) = 1 (son Jacob or William)
45 & over (<=1755) = 1 (father Jacob)
Females (born)
26-44 (1756-1774) = 1 (?)
45 & over (<=1755) = 1 (mother Catherine)
.

4. Newspaper: Der Freymuthige Libanoner, 20 Apr 1808, Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. Marriage notices: Mr. Jacob Biecher with the lovely Maria Meikel, both of this city. Married by the Rev. Mr. Lochman, on Sunday evening last.

5. Alt. Name: Christened as surname Bücher, Jacob adopted surname Bicher, pronounced like Beecher in PA Dutch country., about 1809, in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. The typewritten Salem Lutheran Church record for his christening has his name appearing as Jacob Buche, a poor transcription of Bücher. But when his children are christened there starting in 1809, their name is always spelled Bicher, as is their father, Jacob Bicher. Church records for his brother, William, also show up as Bicher thereafter. It appears by 1809 the Bicher name was adopted over Bücher, which in German would be pronounced like Bicher. In Pennsylvania Dutch country, Bicher is pronounced like Beecher. Descendants in this family line later adopted Beecher, Beacher, Biecher, or Beicher spellings.

6. Census in 1810 in Lebanon Twp., Dauphin Co, , PA. ¹¹ Jacob Beker is listed in Lebanon Township in Dauphin County with this household:
Males (born)
16-25 (1785-1794) = 1 (either son Jacob or William)
45 & over (<=1765) = 1 (father Jacob)
Females (born)
Under 10 (1801-1810) =
10-15 (1795-1800) = 1 (daughter Magdalena)
45 & over (<=1765) = 1 (mother Catherine).

7. Cause of Death: Died from a wound self-inflicted with a sickle while farming., 7 Jun 1812, Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. ^{1 8 12} The records of the Salem Lutheran Church in Lebanon carry these notes about his death: Bicher, Jacob, died June 1812, aged 29 years, 9 months, 20 days. Son of Jacob Bicher and wife Catarina. Born Oct. 18, 1782. Baptized and confirmed. 4 years ago he married Mary Michal. They had 2 children. He died from a wound self-inflicted with a sickle.

8. Dauphin Orphan's Court Settles Estate of Jacob Buecher on 26 Oct 1813 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA. ¹³ Buecher Jacob decd.
his adm. settles his account

Jacob Buecher administrator of Jacob Buecher late of Lebanon township deceased, appears in court and produces an account of his administration upon the estate of the said deceased, duly passed by the Register, by which there appears to be a balance in his hands of five hundred and ninety-seven dollars and twenty one centers, which account is approved and confirmed
By the court.

9. He has conflicting burial information of Graves moved to Mount Lebanon Cemetery, Nov 1898 and Lebanon, Lebanon, PA. Jacob Bicher Sr., his wife Maria Catharina, and their son Jacob Jr. were all buried in the old Salem Lutheran Church yard cemetery that was behind the Salem Lutheran Church on the corner of 8th and Willow Streets and set apart for burial purposes in 1765.

Unfortunately, when the cemetery land was needed by the church for a new Memorial Chapel and parking lot, the old cemetery graves were reinterred in September-November 1898 to Mount Lebanon Cemetery in a single vault with no identification. The church notes for the graves show some of the tombstone inscriptions were unreadable. Luckily, the tombstone inscription was described years earlier in Egle's History of Lebanon County published in 1883. The tombstones read according to Egle:

Jacob Bicker b. Dec 1, 1758 d. Feb 23, 1842
Johan Jacob Bicker b. Dec 18, 1782 d. 1812
Maria Catharina Bicker Sep 25, 1747 Dec 8, 1830

In addition the church records show this tombstone existed:
Maria Magdalena Bicher Jan 27, 1780 Aug 8, 1812.

Note that Egle listed the names as Bicker whereas the church records record them as Bicher, which is consistent with the church christening records. Obviously the worn "h" on old tombstones looked like "k" to Egle.

Another list of burials is in Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church; Lebanon, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania; burial records, 1773-1876 by Frederick Weiser, published in 1969.

Jacob married Maria Michael on 17 Apr 1808 in Lebanon: Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lebanon, PA.¹ (Maria Michael was born on 11 Apr 1781 in , , PA,^{14 15 16} died on 18 Apr 1861 in Lebanon, Lebanon, PA ^{15 16} and was buried in Lebanon: Mount Lebanon Cemetery, Lebanon, PA ¹.)

  Marriage Notes:

Witnesses were Jacob Bicher Sr. and wife. ⁵