Mary Ann Albrecht 1 2 3 4 5
- Born: 3 Dec 1762, , Lancaster, PA
- Marriage (1): John Beecher Sr. on 13 Apr 1778 1
- Died: 5 Jan 1834, Salisbury Twp., Lancaster, PA at age 71 6
- Buried: Salisbury Twp.: Pequea Church, Lancaster, PA 1
Other names for Mary were Mary Ann Albert and Mary Ann Albright.7
FamilySearch ID: LHQ8-6M3.
Noted events in her life were:
1. Alt. Name:,. Many researchers have Mary Ann's surname as Albert. Genealogy papers on this family indicate Albrecht was the original German name that varied into Albert over the years.
2. She has conflicting birth information of The death notice in 1834 in the Lancaster Examiner newspaper cites she died at age 72, which places her birth about 1762. That conflicts with the date printed in the 1929 Kentucky Pioneers book., 3 Dec 1755 and Adamstown, Lancaster, PA. 1
3. Residence: John Beecher's 1793 deed notes John's land included a creek near Turkey HIll, which is located 2 miles east of Terre Hill, PA and north of Turkey Hill Road at GPS coordinates 40.1617625, -76.0024092 on 4 Apr 1793 in Earl Twp., Berks, PA. 8
4. Census in 1800 in Churchtown, Lancaster, PA. 9 John Bicher is listed in Churchtown in the 1800 Census in Lancaster County in Caernarvon Township, although he likely still lived on the same land he bought in 1793 which was right at the border of Earl and Caenarvon Townships and northeast of Churchtown. The household included:
Males (born)
Under 10 (1791-1800) = 3 sons (George, Jacob, William)
10-15 (1785-1790) = 2 sons (Samuel, John)
26-44 (1756-1774) = 1 father (John)
Females (born)
Under 10 (1791-1800) = 2 daughters (Catharine, Maria)
10-15 (1785-1790) = 2 daughters (Magaret, Magdalena "Polly")
26-44 (1756-1774) = 1 wife (Mary Ann)
.
5. Census in 1810 in Bern Twp., Berks, PA. 10 The household of John Beiher is listed in 1810 in Bern Township with:
Males (born)
Under 10 (1801-1810) = 2 sons (William & Benjamin)
26-44 (1766-1784) = 1 father (John)
Females (born)
Under 10 (1801-1810) = 1 daughter (Lydia)
16-25 (1785-1794) = 1 wife (Mary Ann)
Neighbors are surnames Witman/Wetman; Klein; Machemer. This Beiher is the only Beecher-like surname found in all of Bern Township after a page-by-page review.
6. Census in 1830 in Salisbury Twp., Lancaster, PA. 11 In 1830 in Salisbury Township is listed the household of Jacob Beacher with:
Males (born)
Under 5 (1826-1830) = 2 sons (Paris, William)
5-9 (1821-1825) = 2 sons (John, Jacob Jr.)
30-39 (1791-1800) = 1 father (Jacob)
Females (born)
Under 5 (1826-1830) = 1 daughter (Kezia)
20-29 (1801-1810) = 1 wife (Catherine)
50-59 (1771-1780) = 1 mother (Mary Ann Albrecht Beecher).
7. Obituary: Lancaster Examiner: Died - 5th inst in Salisbury twp, Mrs. Mary Beecher, relict of John Beecher, late of Berks co., decd, in her 72d yr, mother of 15 children, and at her death, 98 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren. On 16 Jan 1834 in Lancaster, Lancaster, PA. 6
8. She has conflicting death information of 11 Nov 1837 and , Lancaster, PA. 1 The 1929 Kentucky Pioneers book states she died 11 Nov 1837 but that conflicts with her obituary printed in Lancaster Examiner newspaper in 1834. The book's 1837 date must be wrong.
9. Book: Kentucky Pioneer and Court Records, 1929. 1
Background: In 1929 Mrs. Harry Kennett McAdams published a book, "Kentucky Pioneer and Court Records," and included in it some family histories, in particular two on her own ancestors, John Beecher, and his wife's Albrecht family. One section is found under John, the Albrecht section is printed here.
Family history was passed in the form of stories from Lydia Beecher (born 1805 to John Beecher and Mary Ann Albrecht) to her granddaughter Annie Laurie Wilson. Some of the info presented may be family tales and not fact. The above are thoughts of researcher Jonathan Scott Beacher. Following is the account of the family of Albrecht exactly as printed in Mrs. McAdam's book:
ALBERT (ALBRECHT) FAMILY
The above mentioned George Albert, Sr., had a sister, Mary Albert, who did not marry and who lived with her niece, Mary Ann Albert Beecher (Mrs. John), until she died, aged about 97 years and 6 months. Miss Mary Albrecht often told the story of her early life to the family and friends of Mrs. Mary Ann Beecher, and this was dictated by Lydia Beecher (the youngest daughter of Mrs. Mary Ann Beecher) to her grand-daughter, Annie Laurie Wilson. Miss Mary Albrecht said her father was a nobleman in Germany and next to the King in wealth and possessions, and had a large family of boys and two daughters. When Mary was 16 years old she and all of the brothers (except one small brother and her little sister) started for America in a ship belonging to their father, the father, mother, and the two small children remaining in Germany. The ship was attacked by pirates and all the brothers except George, the youngest (who surrendered) were killed and thrown into the sea. Mary had a deep sword cut on her head which she showed when she told the story. The ship was looted of the wealth and Mary and George were sold as slaves in Spain. They were well educated and Mary was made governess in a wealthy family and George was made clerk (or super-cargo) in a shipping business. After several years Mary and George escaped and returned to Germany, to find their father dead. George married Mary (her name forgotten). Later George and his wife, Mary; sister, Miss Mary Albrecht, and the remaining sister and brother again started for America, leaving their mother, who refused to leave Germany. They landed in Philadelphia, Pa., and as a citizen of America George discarded his title of Prince.
Children of George and his wife, Mary:
Catherine (Katy) Albrecht married Brown.
Margaret Albrecht married Epler.
George Albrecht, Jr., died, aged 90, and had 5 or 6 children, and was buried at Epler Church.
Mary Ann Albrecht, who was born near Adamstown, Pa., Dec. 3, 1755; married John Beecher, Apr. 13, 1778; died Nov. 11, 1837.
When the news came that their mother was dead and the estate waiting for the American heirs, none of the family were willing to go to Germany, except the husband of George's youngest sister. His name Lydia Beecher had forgotten, but knew that he was a lawyer in Philadelphia, and also owned a music store. He took the necessary documents and went to Germany, settled the estate and started for America, and was never heard from again and his fate is unknown. George and his family lived near Adamstown, Lancaster County, Pa., near the family of John Beecher. Miss Mary Albert probably was born in 1713; died June, 1811; buried at Epler Church. George was buried at Adamstown, Pa., all dates and the name of his wife is unknown.
(I have no record of the grand-children of John Beecher, except two families-Jacob, 12th child, and Lydia, 16th child.)
Jacob Beecher, 12th child of John Beecher and Mary Ann Albert, married his cousin, Catherine Brown, of Jonestown, Lebanon County, Pa. She was a daughter of Catherine (Katy) Albert and Mr. Brown. (Katy's sister, Mary Ann Albert, married John Beecher.) Margaret Albert, another sister, married Mr. Epler (his family built Epler's Church).
Children of Jacob and Catherine Beecher:
1. John Valentine Beecher-Died 1886; aged 65; married two times.
2. Jacob Franklin Beecher married Catherine Elizabeth Bracket, Mch. 28, 1844; had one son, Dr. A. C. W. Beecher, of Philadelphia, Pa.
3. Paris Epler Beecher.
4. Kaziah Beecher married Mr. Thompson.
5. William Lightner Beecher.
(6, 7, 8, 9-no record.)
Lydia Beecher (16th child of John and Mary Ann Albert Beecher, daughter of George and Mary)-Born June 10, 1805, Reading, Pa.; died July 81, 1885, Cynthiana, Ky. Married Mch. 19, 1822, Stephen Beecher Cook, in New Holland, Lancaster County, Pa., by Rev. Peter Philbert. Stephen was born Mch. 1, 1798; died Mch. 10, 1874, Cynthiana, Ky. They celebrated their golden wedding in 1872. Both are buried at Battle Grove, Cynthiana, Ky. When Lydia died, aged 80, there were living five of her 12 children, 26 grand-children, and 24 great-grandchildren. Stephen took the name of "Beecher" for a middle name, because when he married there was another Stephen Cook in the same town. Stephen B. Cook was son of Stephen Cook and Miss ___ Ayers, of Staten Island (where Mrs. Stephen, Sr., is buried). Stephen Cook, Sr., came over from England in a military band, during the Revolution, when he found what the Americans were fighting for, he deserted the English and joined the Americans, "Washington's forces"; no record of his services have been found, so he may have fought under another name. His brother, Dr. Cook, visited him later and some of the family settled in Ohio. The wife of President Hayes was a descendant of this Cook family. Mrs. Stephen Ayers Cook (Sr.) was a daughter of Captain ____ Ayers, of the "India Tea Co.," and during the "Embargo" was not allowed to land his "tea" in Philadelphia, Pa., (see Abagail Adams' diary) from his ship, "Polly," Dec. 28, 1773. Several histories made mention of him. Miss Ayers was educated in a convent in Madrid, Spain and when her mother died, she came on her father's ship, and was married in America. They (Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Cook, Sr.) had 6 children, birth dates not known. Three daughters: Polly mar. ___ Turman (they had son, Edward, and 2 dau.); Margaret Cook married ____ Scott (he was a Mason, and was killed by a falling scaffold), they had 5 children, the oldest son was a potter in Lancaster Co., Pa.; Eliza Cook married ___ Disbell, and lived in Lancaster Co., Pa.; the three sons were James, Jacob and Stephen "Beecher" Cook, who married Miss Ayres. (Stephen Sr. married the second time and had a family.)
[Note: the book continues about the children of Lydia and Stephen Beecher Cook and all of the descendants. See Stephen Beecher Cook in our family tree for the remaining text.].
10. Cemetery: in , Lancaster, PA in 1934. 1 Her burial place is mentioned simply as Piquea in the family recollections printed in the 1929 Book "Kentucky Pioneers and Court Records." This leaves a number of possibilities: Pequea is a creek that runs almost the full width of Lancaster County, starting in the east in Salisbury Township, then running west through Pequea Township and on to Martic Township where the town of Pequea is on the Susquehanna River.
Since her newspaper obituary in the Lancaster Examiner states she died in Salisbury Township, we suspect "Piquea" probably means a church near the creek.
A possible cemetery is St. John's Episcopal Church, 1520 W. Kings Hwy, Gap, PA 17527 where Rev. Illing who baptized her son Jacob preached, and where Jacob baptized his children in 1829. But Researcher Jonathan Scott Beacher has viewed the St. John's records on Family History Library Microfilm 20530 and no record for Mary Ann Beecher's death or burial is found in the 1830s records there.
Other possibilities are "Pequea Presbyterian Church" at 273 Cambridge Rd, Gap, PA 17527 or less likely the newer "Pequea Evangelical Congregational Church" at 5482 Old Philadelphia Pike (RT 340), Gap, PA 17527. These are located not far from New Holland and Churchtown near where the Beechers originally lived and where Mary Ann's sons lived at her death.
Since she outlived her husband by almost twenty years, it is likely following his death she moved in with a son or daughter. Further research to determine where her family was living in 1830's near a Pequea (church, township, town) would help solidify her burial location.
In the 1830 census, her sons Jacob Franklin Beecher and youngest son Benjamin Beecher were living in Salisbury Township, Chester County. Son William Beecher in 1833 had children baptized nearby in New Holland, Lancaster County. In the 1830 census, her oldest son Samuel was living further away in Earl Township, Lancaster County, and her second oldest son John was living in Churchtown, Lancaster County.
Mary married John Beecher Sr., son of Johann Engel Buecher and Elizabeth Catharina, on 13 Apr 1778.1 (John Beecher Sr. was born on 13 Apr 1760 in , Lancaster, PA,1 12 13 died on 2 Mar 1819 in Reading, Berks, PA 1 13 14 15 16 and was buried in Bern Twp.: Epler's Church Cemetery, Berks, PA 1 13.)
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