My Paternal

 

beissel

 

Family Ancestors

Beissel

 

Family History

Origins of the Surname

Variations of the Surname

Armorial Bearings

 & Motto(es)

Ancestral Lineage

Ancestral Locations

Source Documents

Web Resources

Family Images Gallery

 

 

Family history

Family history

beissel

Family History

 

 

     My Beissel lineage has been traced back to, my 12th great-grandfather, Peter Beyssel, Sr. who was born around 1540 in the town of Eberbach now found within the Rhine-Neckar district of Baden-Wurttemberg.  Eberbach lies at the foot of the Katzenbuckel, an extinct volcano and the highest elevation of the Odenwald located in the Naturpark Neckartal-Odenwald, on the romantic Burgenstraße (Castle Road) along the river Neckar.  Peter lived in the area of Eberbach until his death in that part of Igelsbach located within the Bergstrasse District of Hesse.* 

     Peter Beyssel, Jr. was born at Igelsbach in 1562, and with his wife Barbara produced as son named Johann Wilhelm Beissel in 1616.   Peter Beyssel died in Eberbach at the age of 59 years. 

     Johann Wilhelm, son of Peter and Barbara Beyssel, lived his entire life at Eberbach.  Around 1638 he married Anna Barbara Helcker with whom a daughter Anna Barbara was produced in 1642.  Johann Wilhelm Beissel died in 1679 at the age of 63 years.

     My 9th great-grandmother Anna Barbara Beissel, daughter of Wilhelm and Anna Barbara, was born at Eberbach in 1642.  She married Johann Michael Abel and most likely lived in or around Eberbach or possibly the town of Neider Liebersbach, Bergstrasse, Hesse, located about 15 miles distant.  Anna Barbara produced Johann Peter Abel in 1664.  It is through him that my direct ancestry continues.  Anna Barbara was only 32 years old when she passed away in 1674. 

 

* The border with Hesse runs through the borough of Igelsbach. Therefore, only the northeast half, called Badisch Igelsbach, of the borough belongs to Eberbach. The southwest half, called Hessisch Igelsbach, belongs to the Hessian municipality of Hirschhorn.

 

Origins of the surname

beissel

Origins of the Surname

An Introduction to the Surname

Source/Meaning of the Surname

History of

the Surname

Immigrants to North America

More About Surnames

An Introduction to the Surname 

             The practice of inherited family surnames began in England and France during the late part of the 11th century.   Surnames were first utilized in the Germanic region of central Europe during the second half of the 12th century.  The custom of taking on surnames began in the southern areas of Germany, and gradually spread northward during the Middle Ages.  It took about three hundred years for this tradition to apply to most families and become a constant part of one’s identity. 

     With the passing of generations and the movement of families from place to place many of the original identifying names were altered into some of the versions that we are familiar with today.  Over the centuries, most of our European ancestors accepted their surname as an unchangeable part of their lives.  Thus people rarely changed their surname.  Variations of most surnames were usually the result of an involuntary act such as when a government official wrote a name phonetically or made an error in transcription.  Research into the record of this Beissel family line indicates that the variations, meanings and history of this surname are most likely linked to that area of Europe where German linguistic traditions are commonly found. 

Source and Meaning of the Surname

German surnames, as means of conveying lineage, were developed from four major sources: (1) Patronymic & Matronymic surnames most common in northern Germany are based on a parent’s first name, such as Niklas Albrecht (Niklas son of Albrecht);  (2) occupational surnames are last names based on the person’s job or trade for example Lukas Fischer (Lukas the Fisherman);  (3) descriptive surnames are based on a unique quality or physical feature of the individual like Karl Braun (Karl with brown hair); (4) geographical surnames are derived from the location of the homestead from which the first bearer and his family lived such as Leon Meer (Leon from by the sea), or derived from the state, region, or village of the first bearer's origin for example Paul Cullen (Paul from Koeln/Cologne).

     Beissel is German from the Swabian word for a breeding boar, hence a nickname for someone who kept such an animal or was thought to resemble one in some way. Beissel may also be an occupational name for one who hunts falcons, a falconer.

History of the Surname

The German surname Beissel, and its variant spellings, have traveled widely in many forms throughout Europe.  First found in the Germanic region of central Europe, where the name was closely identified in mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout this geographical area.  Beissel is a very early Germanic descriptive and occupational surname and is one of the very first recorded in that country. 

Early Immigrants to North America

     During the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries hundreds of thousands of Europeans made the perilous ocean voyage to North America.  For many it was an escape from economic hardship and religious persecution.  For most it was an opportunity for to start over, own their own land, and make a better future for their descendents.  Immigration records show a number of people bearing the name of Beissel, or one of its variants, as arriving in North America between the 17th and 20th centuries.  Some of these immigrants were:  Conrad Beissel who came from the German Palatine to America in 1720, and eventually settled Conestoga Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Nickolaus and Johan Peter Beissel arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1749.  Hans Peter Beissel came to Philadelphia in 1733. 

          The Beissel surname appeared quite early into the former British colonies of North America, especially William Penn’s colony of Pennsylvania. One reason for this was that after the kings of Hanover, Germany, also became kings of England in 1715, German emigration to America was greatly encouraged. Many of these German immigrants, particularly those with easy English equivalents, were encouraged and in some case required to change to an English spelling.   Also many German surnames were re-spelled in America because of the close relationship between the English and German languages.  In some cases Germans are able to transform their names to the English form just by dropping a single letter. This was the case with many sea captains or their agents who, when making up the ships passenger lists, found it easier to use a more familiar English spelling.   After the start of World War One, Germans in great numbers Anglicized their names in an effort to remove all doubt as to their patriotism. 

Use the following links to find more early immigrants with this surname:

$ Search Ancestry.com Immigration Records; or Free Ship’s Passenger lists at OliveTreeGenealogy.com

More About Surname Meanings & Origins

German Surnames

 Many German names have their roots in the Germanic Middle Ages. The process of forming family names began early in the 12th Century and extended through the 16th century. All social classes and demographic strata aided in the development of names. First Names (Rufnamen) identified specific persons. Over time the first name began to be applied to the bearer's whole family.  At first through verbal usage, family names (Familiennamen) were later fixed through writing.  Until the 17th century, first names played a more important role. The earliest family names derived from the first name of the first bearer (Patronym). Later names derived from the place of dwelling and location of the homestead.  If a person of family migrated from one place to another they were identified by the place they came from.  Of more recent origin are names derived from the vocation of profession of the first bearer. These names comprise the largest group and the most easily recognizable, for they tell what the first bearer did for a living.  Another group are names derived from a physical or other characteristic of the first bearer.  Finally, there are names that tell you the state or region a first bearer and his family came from; the age old division in tribes and regions (Low German, Middle German and Upper German) is often reflected in names.

Variations of the surname

beissel

 

Variations of
the Surname

 

Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to unfold and expand often leading to an overwhelming number of variants.  As such one can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames because in early times, spelling in general and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized.  Later on spellings would change with the branching and movement of families.  Spelling variations of this family name include: Beissel, Beyssel and many others.

 

The complexity of researching records is compounded by the fact that in many cases an ancestors surname may also have been misspelled.  This is especially true when searching census documents.  The Soundex Indexing System was developed in an effort to assist with identifying spelling variations for a given surname.  Soundex is a method of indexing names in the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 US Census, and can aid genealogists in their research.  The Soundex Code for Beissel is B420.  Other surnames sharing this Soundex Code: Bagley | Bagwell | Baxley | Beachley | Beagle | Beasley | Beazley | Beckley | Beesley | Beezley | Begley | Besley | Besly | Bickel | Bickle | Bickley | Bigelow | Bigley | Bissell | Biswell | Bixley | Bogel | Bogle | Boskill | Bosley | Boswell | Boxall | Boxwell | Bozile | Buckalew | Buckle | Bucklew | Buckley | Bushell | Bussell | Buswell | Buzzell.

 

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beissel

Family coat of arms

Armorial Bearings & Motto(es)

 

In the Middle Ages heraldry came into use as a practical matter. It originated in the devices used to distinguish the armored warriors in tournament and war, and was also placed on seals as marks of identity. As far as records show, true heraldry began in the middle of the 12th century, and appeared almost simultaneously in several countries of Western Europe.  Heraldry spread to the German burgher class in the 13th century, and even some peasants used arms in the 14th century.

 

  The armorial bearings for a Beissel of Gymnich are recorded in Reitstap’s Armorial General.  Gymnich is a part of the city of Erftstadt.  Erftstadt is located about 20 km south-west of Cologne in the Rhein-Erft-Kreis, Land of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.    The coat-of-arms shown at the left is credited as being that of a Beissel other than the aforementioned Beissel of Gymnich.

     No Beissel family mottoes are known. It is unusual for a German Achievement to include a motto.

 

A Coat of Arms is defined as a group of emblems and figures (heraldic bearings) usually arranged on and around a shield and serving as the special insignia of some person, family, or institution.  Except for a few cases, there is really no such thing as a standard "coat of arms" for a surname.  A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, is a design usually granted only to a single person not to an entire family or to a particular surname.  Coats of arms are inheritable property, and they generally descend to male lineal descendents of the original arms grantee.  The rules and traditions regarding Coats of Arms vary from country to country. Therefore a Coat of Arms for an English family would differ from that of a German family even when the surname is the same.  The art of designing, displaying, describing, and recording arms is called heraldry. The use of coats of arms by countries, states, provinces, towns and villages is called civic heraldry.   Some of the more prominent elements incorporated into a  coat of arms are :

Crest - The word crest is often mistakenly applied to a coat of arms.  The crest was a later development arising from the love of pageantry.  Initially the crest consisted of charges painted onto a ridge on top of the helmet.

Wreath or TorseThe torse is a twist of cloth or wreath underneath and part of a crest. Always shown as six twists, the first tincture being the tincture of the field, the second the tincture of the metal, and so on.

Mantling – The mantling is a drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. It forms a backdrop for the shield.

Helm or Helmet - The helmet or helm is situated above the shield and bears the torse and crest. The style of helmet displayed varies according to rank and social status, and these styles developed over time, in step with the development of actual military helmets.

Shield or Arms - The basis of all coats of arms.  At their simplest, arms consist of a shield with a plain field on which appears a geometrical shape or object.  The items appearing on the shield are known as charges.

Motto - The motto was originally a war cry, but later mottoes often expressed some worthy sentiment. It may appear at the top or bottom of a family coat of arms.

Direct Ancestors

beissel

Ancestral Lineage

 

Descendant Register

Generation 1

Peter Beyssel Sr.-1 was born on 1540 in Eberbach, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He died on 1580 in Igelsbach, Bergstrasse, Hessen, Germany.   Peter Beyssel Jr., B: 1562 in Igelsbach, Bergstrasse, Hessen, Germany, D: 09 Apr 1621 in Eberbach, Rhine-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.

Generation 2

Peter Beyssel Jr.-2(Peter Beyssel Sr.-1) was born on 1562 in Igelsbach, Bergstrasse, Hessen, Germany. He died on 09 Apr 1621 in Eberbach, Rhine-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. He married Barbara Beyssel (nee)?. She was born on Abt. 1605.  Child of Peter Beyssel Jr. and Barbara Beyssel (nee)? Is, Johann Wilhelm Beissel, B: 21 Jan 1616 in Eberbach, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, D: 20 Nov 1679 in Eberbach, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, M: 1638.

Generation 3

Johann Wilhelm Beissel-3(Peter Beyssel Jr.-2, Peter Beyssel Sr.-1) was born on 21 Jan 1616 in Eberbach, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He died on 20 Nov 1679 in Eberbach, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He married Anna Barbara Helcker on 1638. She was born on 1617. She died on 28 Feb 1685 in Eberbach, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.  Child of Johann Wilhelm Beissel and Anna Barbara Helcker is, Anna Barbara Beissel, B: Apr 1642 in Eberbach, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis,   Baden-Württemberg, Germany, D: 17 Nov 1674 in Germany.

Generation 4

Anna Barbara Beissel-4(Johann Wilhelm Beissel-3, Peter Beyssel Jr.-2, Peter Beyssel Sr.-1) was born on Apr 1642 in Eberbach, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She died on 17 Nov 1674 in Germany. She married Johann Michael Abel. He was born on Abt. 1639 in Germany. He died on 17 Jul 1723 in Germany.  Child of Anna Barbara Beissel and Johann Michael Abel is, Johann Peter Abel, B: Jul 1664 in Germany, D: 18 Apr 1740 in Germany.

Additional information about our DIRECT ANCESTORS  as well as a complete listing of individuals with this surname may be reviewed by clicking on the following LINK.

DKPS Surname Locator

Free Genealogy
Surname Search 
From Google

Use this free genealogy site to help you get the best genealogy searches from Google™ by using your family tree, for your research. It will create a series of different searches using tips or "tricks" that

will likely improve your results. The different searches will give you many different ways of using Google and the Internet to find ancestry information about this or any other Surname. 

Ancestral locations

beissel

 

Ancestral
Locations

 

Researching the locations where my ancestors lived has provided me with valuable evidence needed to fill-in the gaps in my family trees.  It has also led me to many interesting facts that enhance the overall picture of each family group.  The names of states and counties on the following list were derived from the known places where the persons in the “Direct Ancestors” list (see above) were born, married, and / or died.

COUNTRY

STATE

COUNTY / SUBDIVISION

GERMANY

Hessen

Bergstrasse District

Baden-Württemberg

Rhine-Neckar District

 

Use this LINK to find out more about the locations listed above.

ANCESTRAL LOCATIONS

 

Where in the World
are My Ancestors?

Resources which enhance our knowledge of the places inhabited by our ancestors are almost as important as their names. The LINK to the left will take you to Maps, Gazetteers,   and  other  helpful   resources 

MAPS

GAZETTEERS

that will assist in discovering Ancestral Locations.  These web sites comprise only a small portion of what is available for researchers interested in learning more about the areas in which their ancestors lived.

Click on the LINK to the right to see more information about the World distribution of this surname. 

You can get greater detail for any of the following maps by clicking on the area, i.e state, county that you are interested in.

Source documents

beissel

 

Source
Documents

The documents contained within the “Source Documents Archives” have been located during my research of this family, and used as evidence to prove many of the facts contained within the database of this family’s record.

 

     Most of these documents can be considered as primary or secondary evidence.  Primary evidence is usually defined as the best available to prove the fact in question, usually in an original document or record.  Secondary evidence is in essence all that evidence which is inferior in its origin to primary evidence. That does not mean secondary evidence is always in error, but there is a greater chance of error.  Examples of this type of evidence would be a copy of an original record, or oral testimony of a record’s contents.  Published genealogies and family histories are also secondary evidence.

     Classifying evidence as either primary or secondary does not tell anything about its accuracy or ultimate value.  This is especially true of secondary evidence.  Thus it is always a good idea to ask the following questions: (1) How far removed from the original is it, (when it is a copy)?; (2) What was the reason for the creation of the source which contains this evidence?; and (3) Who was responsible for creating this secondary evidence and what interest did they have in its accuracy?

SOURCE:  Greenwood, Val D., The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 2nd edition, Genealogical Publishing  Co., Baltimore, MD 21202, 1990, pgs. 62-63

 

You are welcome to download any of the documents contained within this archive.

  Should you encounter a problem obtaining a copy you may get in touch with

 us via the contact information found at the end of this page.

Use the following LINK to view the source documents pertaining to this family.

SOURCE DOCUMENTS

Web resources

beissel

 

Web Resources

 

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information to assist with

your research about this topic.

General Surname Resources

 

Our SURNAME LOCATOR AND RESOURCES web page contains the following: (1) links that will take you to an updated listing of all surnames as posted in our three databases at the Rootsweb WorldConnect Project; (2) the Surname List Finder a tool that finds sound-alike matches for a given surname from among RootsWeb's thousands of surname lists; (3) the Soundex Converter that can be used to find the soundex code for a surname, plus other surnames/spellings sharing the same soundex code;  (4) Surname Message Boards the world's largest online genealogy community with over 17 Million posts on more than 161,000 boards; (5) Surname Mailing Lists of all surnames having mailing lists at RootsWeb, as well as topics that include (6) Surname Heraldy, and  (7) Mapping a Surname. 

 

Your genealogy research of this surname can be facilitated by use of SURNAME WEB. This website links to the majority of the surname data on the web, as well as to individual family trees, origin and surname meaning if known, and many other related genealogy resources. 

 

SURNAME FINDER provides easy access to free and commercial resources for 1,731,359 surnames. On each surname specific "finder" page, you can search a variety of online databases all pre-programmed with your surname.

 

Use ALL SURNAMES GENEALOGY to get access to find your surname resources .  There are almost 1300 links in this directory.

 

Additional Sites That We Recommend

Linkpendium Surnames - Web sites, obituaries, biographies, and other material specific to a surname.

Cyndi's List - Surnames, Family Associations & Family Newsletters Index - Sites or resources dedicated to specific, individual family surnames.

Free Genealogy Search Help for Google - This free genealogy site will help you use Google™ for your research. It will create a series of different searches using tips or "tricks" that will likely improve your results. The different searches will give you many different ways of using Google to find ancestry information on the Internet. 

FamilySearch.org - Family History and Genealogy Records - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

Top Genealogical Websites - These mighty roots resources compiled by “Family Tree Magazine”, will give you the power to bust through research brick walls and find answers about your ancestors—all from your home computer.

SurnameDB Free database of surname meanings - This site SurnameDB.Com contains a large FREE to access database (almost 50,000 surnames) on the history and meaning of family last names.

 

Our Genealogy 
Reference Library

The following Link will take you to our library of genealogy reference books.   Here you will find bibliographies, family histories and books about names.  In addition, there are texts that pertain to ethnic and religion groups, history, geography as well as other books that will assist you with your research.

 

 Research Library – Table of Contents

Go directly to the collection for Names

 

Images gallery

beissel

Family Images
Gallery

During my research I have collected images and photographs that are of general interest to a particular family.  Some of them are presented on this website because I believe they tend to provide the reader with additional information which may aid in the understanding of our ancestors past lives.

 

If you have any photographs or other images relating to this

ancestral family we would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

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FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS and IMAGES

 

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Enter the topic you are searching in the box and click “Search Images”. At the “Images” display page you will see the image, as well as the website of which it is associated.

Contact Information

 

Email

Snail Mail:

Fred
889 Dante Ct.
Mantua, NJ 08051

USA

Email

Snail Mail:

Fred
889 Dante Ct.
Mantua, NJ 08051

USA