Mathias Brothers of Bedford Co. PA & Stark Co. OH
Need some help from a Brothers family expert!
I'm trying to track a Henry Becher in Stark County back to his roots in Bedford Co. PA, and he married Magdalena Brothers, a daughter of Mathias Brothers of Bedford Co.
Can you provide:
1) info on her and her father
2) indication of where they lived in Bedford circa 1790-1800. (I realize at that time the border of Bedford was very large and included several other of today's counties.)
In "Portrait and Biographical Record of Stark County" published in 1892, there is a bio about John Becher b.1806 that includes this info about his father Henry, his mother nee Brothers and Mathias Brothers.
"Henry Becher, was a native of Germany, having been born in Wittenberg, where his father died when he was two years old. lie was then brought by his mother to America, she locating in Huntingdon County, Pa., where the grandfather was reared to manhood. Being trained to farm pursuits, he worked out on farms by the day and month until attaining his majority, when be was married, and made his home in Bedford County, where he resided until the fall of 1815, at which time he came to this county. He was a patriot in the War of 1812, and served under Gen. William Henry Harrison in the battle in which Tecumseh was killed. Later, he was under the command of Oliver Perry at the battle of Lake Erie. His father-in-law, Mathias Brothers, had located in Pike Township in 1806, and after the close of the war, in 1818, Henry Becher visited this section on his way home and was so well pleased with the outlook that he purchased land on the southeast quarter of section 10.
"Returning to Pennsylvania, he disposed of his property there, and in the fall of 1815 came to Stark County and made this his future home. The journey, which was made across the mountains with a six-horse team, consumed six weeks' time, the route lying most of the time through a dense wilderness. Grandfather Becher on arriving in this county made his home in a log cabin on an uncultivated tract of land, and was employed, like other pioneers of the day, in subduing Nature, clearing and breaking prairie, etc. Deer, bears and all kinds of wild animals were very numerous about his home, and lie brought down many a deer with his trusty old rifle. He was a very hard-working man, and was one well calculated to aid In the building up of a new country, being energetic, affable and kind-hearted. He resided on his farm until his decease, which occurred in his sixty-sixth year.
"The maiden name of our subject's grandmother was Magdalena Brothers; she was a native of Bedford County, Pa., and by her marriage with Henry Becher reared a family of four children, namely: John, Peter, Mary and Elizabeth. She departed this life on the old home farm when sixty-eight years of age."
I have two Henry Bechers in Stark Co. circa 1820. One is born about 1763, the other in the 1780-90 period. I suspect the younger Henry is the one who married Magdalena, so getting her dates would help know.
There is a Mathias Brothers in the 1820 census in Pike Township, Stark County, OH who was born <1775.
Listed a few lines above him (but on the previous page) is a Henry Becher with this household:
Males (born)
Under 10 (1811-1820) = 1 son
10-15 (1805-1810) = 1 son
26-44 (1776-1794) = 1 Henry Becher
Females (born)
Under 10 (1811-1820) = 2 daughters
26-44 (1776-1794) = 1 wife Magdalena Brothers?
For many years after, Brothers & Becher are found as neighbors in the Stark Co. census.