Andrew Byerly was born of German parents in Alsace in 1715. In November 1738, he set out for America in the ship "Charming Nancy". He first settled at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, along with Michael Byerly, a noted resident of that place. Other Byerly's at Lancaster were John Jacob Byerly and Casper Byerly, the latter having many descendants in this country.
Andrew Byerly baked for Braddock's army at Fort Cumberland, Md., under General Braddock. He had been a baker and innkeeper at Lancaster, Pa., where he erected one of the first inns in the town. He lived there with his second wife by whom he had children, sons and daughters, and here she died and was buried. At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, probably 1775, he had taken his youngest son, Andrew, from western Pennsylvania back to Lancaster for better educational advantages with his half-sisters who lived there. It was while on this visit that he died and was buried at Strasburg a few miles southeast of Lancaster.
Andrew knew Col. George Washington and at Fort Cumberland, with Washington's backing, ran a foot race with a Catawba warrior, which was intended to test the relative prowess and fleetness of the two races. He won the race and 30 shillings.
An old record dated October 25, 1745, contains that of a deed from James Hamilton to Andreas Byerly for a lot of ground on the east side of North Queen Street, a frontage of 65 feet, 4 ½ inches, and a depth of 245 feet, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, (Record Book B., page 349).
Baptismal records of the First Reformed Church of Lancaster mention Andreas Byerly as standing sponsor for a child February 1745. Also, on May 3, 1750, he and his wife served in the same capacity for a child named Houck (?) from Strasburg Township, and again for one named Wackenstopp (?) on February 4, 1753.
Andrew Byerly baked for Braddock's Army during his campaign of 1755 in the French and Indian War, and was with him in the ill-fated attack on Fort Duquesne when Braddock was slain and his army routed. A wrong plan of advance toward the Monongahola River had been made, which tradition has it might have been with different consequences if Byerly's advice as to a different route had been taken.
In November 1758 Col. Bouquet and Col. George Washington under General Forbes took Fort Duquesne where a permanent link was forged in the chain of Forts and posts from Philadelphia to Detroit via Carlisle, Fort Bedford, Fort Ligonier, Fort Pitt, Lake Erie and Sandusky. Fort Duquesne, which had been destroyed by the French when they evacuated it at the approach of the British, was rebuilt and named Fort Pitt. These forts were kept in communication by express riders who took their lives in their hands as they rode through the country infested with hostile Indians.
Andrew Byerly was induced to establish a relay station for these express riders at Bushy Run, midway between Fort Pitt and Fort Ligonier. He had married a third time and with his wife and family of young children settled here in the midst of a wilderness. He had been given a grant of land from Col. Bouquet and the provincial government on which he erected buildings for his station. His relations with the Indians were friendly and he became well established with his herd of milk cows.
In 1760 he was for a time in Fort Bedford where he baked for the British garrison and where his son Jacob was born. His third wife was Beatrice Guldin, a native of the Canton of Berne, Switzerland, which was also the home of Col. Bouquet who was given the command of the American Army to guard the forts and keep the Indians in check. Another Swiss, Colonel Ecuyer, who had command at Fort Pitt, was also from Berne. Very friendly relations were maintained between these Swiss soldiers and the Byerly family who's home was a convenient stopping place as they journeyed back and forth to the forts. Many hours were spent at Bushy Run in conversation about friends across the sea amid the lakes and the Alps.
In 1763 the peace and growing prosperity of western Pennsylvania was broken by Pontiac's Conspiracy. Pontiac was an Indian chief who ununited the Indians of Ohio and Michigan, the Ottawa's, the Catawba's, with the Five Nations of New York, to drive out the English and win back Canada and the middle west lost by the French in the French and Indian Wars. On April 27, 1763, a great council was held near Detroit where Pontiac persuaded the Indians to engage in a concerted attack on all the forts the next month, each tribe attacking the fort nearest them. Thus, nine forts were captured by stratagem or assault and their garrisons for the most part massacred. LaBoeuff, Verango, Presque Isle and Mackinaw all were captured and Detroit, Niagara (?), and Fort Pitt were attacked at the same time. Posts along the line were attacked and records of that time said that over a hundred traders lost their lives and their property to the amount of two and one half million dollars taken.
A letter written by the commander of Fort Pitt, Captain Simon Beuyer (or Ecuyer), to Col. Bouquet, dated May 29, 1763 tells of the danger to the fort and the impending uprising. He tells of the robbing of one settler and the murder of another. He says, "The Indians have told Byerly to leave his home within four days or he and his family will be murdered."
The warning of the Indian was put off as long as safety was at all possible, for Mrs. Byerly was confined to her bed with a small babe only a few days old. Her husband had gone with a small party to bury some persons at some distance from his station. At night a friendly Indian who had often received food from Mrs. Byerly came and told her that the family must leave before daylight or they would be killed. She got up from her bed and left a note on the door to inform her husband of their whereabouts when he should return. A horse was saddled and she, with the baby, got on. A child not two-year-old was fastened behind her. Michael, the eldest boy, led and carried a little brother who had a stone bruise on his foot.
They started out for Fort Ligonier thirty miles to the east. Fort Pitt would have been nearer and provisions there were more plentiful and this Fort was more likely to hold out, but the Indians were coming from that direction. They drove their cows along with them but were forced to abandon them in the woods as the Indians came close. The father in some way joined them and, eluding the savages came into the fort with his family. Meanwhile the siege of Fort Pitt was on which lasted five days and five nights.
Col. Bouquet, coming from Fort Bedford which he had relieved from the siege, arrived at Fort Ligonier August 2, 1763. This fort had been under siege for two months. Leaving his heavy baggage and provisions, he started two days later for Fort Pitt with 340 packhorses loaded with supplies for the garrison.
Andrew Byerly and his son, Michael, accompanied the troops with the hope of recovering some of their property at Bushy Run. For some reason Michael was sent back to Fort Ligonier after they had gone a few miles and on his return saw where numerous Indian tracks had passed over the dusty road where the army had gone.
On August 5, 1763, the troops were on their way. A detachment of 18 soldiers went on in advance with the news that Bushy Run station, their stopping place, was only a half-mile distant. As they were pushing on with renewed vigor, they were suddenly startled by rifle shots in front. The vanguard had been attacked by Indians and twelve of the eighteen, fell before reinforcements came. The fight went on and before night 60 soldiers had fallen. They were cut off from water and that night Byerly, at his own imminent risk, managed to bring in a few hat-fills of water from a spring nearby. (Marked on road maps as Byerly Spring.) The fight was carried on the next day and finally the Indians were driven off with considerable loss, among the dead being the Indian leaders.
After the battle of Bushy Run and the soldiers had successfully driven the Indians out of that part of the state, the Byerlys went back to their holdings at Bush Run. They stayed there until about the beginning of the Revolutionary War when, as has been stated before, Andrew died at Lancaster while on a visit there. His son, Michael, served in the Revolutionary War and was a 2nd lieutenant. Francis Byerly also served for a shot time in the Revolutionary War and Jacob at the age of 16 was a soldier too.
A dispute arose as to the ownership of the tract of land held by the Byerlys. A certain Ephraim Blaine, by a patent confirmed by the Pennsylvania Executive Council in 1786, managed to get control of 300 acres of land long after the death of Andrew Byerly, when for some reason the heirs did not establish their claim.
Some years after the death of Andrew Byerly, his wife married a Mr. Lord. She was buried among her children in the old Bushy Run cemetery. She established a Sunday school for the children in her neighborhood and seems to have been an intelligent and able woman.
The following information was furnished about 1953 by Dr. Alpheus Byerly of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Apparently there are reasonable grounds to assume that the Byerly family had its origin in 40 B.C. when a certain Roman tribune named Berlius appeared in history. This Berlius was married to a Messilian (?) girl of the ancient city of Marseilles. From them are traced the Byerlys of Europe and America.
The Byerlys were early converts to Protestantism and knew pangs of religious persecution in the early days. They located in France where the name became known variously as Berliet, Berle, Bierle, Berhile, Birley and Berlius. During the persecution of the Protestants in France the Byerlys were scattered through the German provinces, in other sections of Europe and in England. The entry into England was probably at the time of, or before, the Norman Conquest, which was begun in 1066 and completed in 1071.
As in other countries the Byerly name has undergone many changes in the United States. Andrew, founder of the largest and most notable of the Byerly family in America, was born near Strasbourg, Germany, of forebears probably from Holland. In 1760 Strasbourg was the home of Juan Louis, Baron de Beyerly, Councilor and Treasurer to the king and director of the Strasbourg mint. It was there in 1760 that Baron Byerly started the noted factory producing hard paste porcelain, which is very rare today. Some of the early pottery is marked "Byerly and Wedgewood". In the china section of the Art Institute in Chicago there is a drawing or etching of the early Byerly Shop.
Andrew Byerly came to the United States November 9, 1738, in the ship "Charming Nancy, Charles Steadman, commander, from Rotterdam, last from Cower, 200 passengers". In the passenger list appears the name "Andreas Byerle".
In coming to America, Andrew Byerly followed his brother Michael who had come to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1760, only twelve years after the founding of the town. The two brothers were among the first purchaser of lots there. Michael established a bakery and one of the first inns in the town. Andrew was a baker also. He followed his trade later with the army of General Braddock at fort Cumberland in Maryland in 1775.
The following excerpts: (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) are from the "Life of Andre Byerly" by C.N. Martin as furnished by the Newberry Library in Chicago.
(a) In the office of records of deeds of Lancaster County in Book "B", page 391, is transcribed the deed by James Hamilton, grantor, to Andreas Byerly, dated October 25, 1746, recorded November 24, 1746 for a lot of ground on the east side of North Queen Street, fronting on said street 64 feet, 4.5 inches, extending 245 feet deep, a...
The preceding three pages of transcript was graciously provided by Marti Dell, a BYERLY researcher. I will check with Marti to see if the continuation of the above is available.
Sincerely,
Margaret (Byerly) Filbin