Heinrich Bare (1725 - bef. 1771)

Born Nov 1725 in Earl Township, Chester County (now Lancaster County), Pennsylvania [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died before 28 Jan 1771 before age 45 in Heidelberg, York, Pennsylvania

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ann Risso [send private message]

Biography

Henry Bear was born in November, 1725, probably in Earl Township, then part of Chester County, Pennsylvania (now Lancaster County), where his parents, Heinrich Berr and Barbara Eby, were living at the time. He died sometime around January, 1771, in Heidelberg Township, York County, Pennsylvania. His birthdate and parents names come from a three-generation family record in a Bible in possession of Muddy Creek Farm Library, Ephrata, Pennsylvania, which includes information on his siblings, parents and grandfather.^[1] His death information is based on the date his will was proved - January 28, 1771.

According to Jane Evans Best in her January, 1999 article Bear Saga Update: Part Three, he was the son of the Henry Baer who died intestate in Lancaster County sometime before December 15, 1749 when his four minor children (John, Christian, Michael and Elisabeth) are granted guardian Andrew Schultz. (Information that came to light after that article was written demonstrates that that man was the same as the Henry Bear from Earl who died in 1738.) Best's conclusion regarding this man's father is supported by the fact that in this profiled Henry's will, he names his brother Michael as his executor, and one of the three witnesses to the will was Christian Bear, likely one of the other minor children referred to in the Orphan's Court record. Another of the witnesses, "Elisba Cath Bar" might be his sister, or might be Christian's wife, who was Elisabeth Danner.^[2]

After his first wife, Mary, died, Henry married Elisabeth. Henry and Elizabeth had four children: Sarah, born ca 1762; Nancy, born ca 1766; Abraham, born ca 1768; and Jacob, born after Dec. 15, 1770.^[3]

In his will, where he goes by the name Henry Bear, he is said to be of Heidelberg, York County, Pennsylvania. The will was written December 15, 1770 and proved January 28, 1771. He names his wife Elizabeth, his brother Michael (his executor), and the following 13 children (plus an unborn child):

From his first wife:

1. Barbara;
2. Hanna;
3. Elisabeth;
4. Isaac;
5. Henry;
6. Salome;
7. Samuel;
8. John;
9. Mary
10. Michael.

From his present wife:

1. Sarah;
2. Nancy;
3. Abraham;
4. and an unborn child.

The witnesses were James Calhoun, Christian Bear and Elisba Cath Bar. ^[4]

Research Notes

This man was not the son of Jacob (Bär) Bear (1695-1736), as previously recorded. When that Jacob died, his only surviving children were three daughters.

Information from A Bear Saga: Albis to America, by Jane Evans Best

In this 1686 article, Best provides information that is substantially the same as the article mentioned above. (In the later article, she says that the information there supersedes all her previous accounts of the family):

According to A Bear Saga: Albis to America, October, 1986, he is "Henry Bear (51802)" in her numbering system. She says there:

• that this profiled Henry was the son of Henrich Bar (5180), the man who died intestate in Lancaster County and whose four minor children in 1749 (John - 51804, Christian-51805, Michael-51806 (John Michael Baer (1736-1809)) and Elizabeth - number not in article) were given Andrew Schutz as guardian;

• that the brother of this profiled Henry, John Bare - 51804, was the storekeeper of Lancaster who for a short time was a partner of Henry William Stiegel in his Elizabeth Furnace operation;

• that the brother of this profiled Henry, Michael-51806 (John Michael Baer (1736-1809)), died in 1809 in Franklin Township in Adams County and had son Martin Bare (518067) who was the Mennonite minister who moved to Preston, Ontario in 1801;

• that this profiled Henry was an older brother;

• that she believed the family also included the George Bear (51801) who moved to Frederick, Maryland, with his wife, Magdalena, by 1758 and the Jacob Bear (51803) who died in 1778 in Germany Township in York County.^[5]

Other Easily Confused Men named Henry Bear or similar

• One Henry Bear, who has a profile at Heinrich (Bar) Baer (1715-1771), lived in Leacock, Lancaster County, and left a will with very similar dates. It was written on December 3, 1770 and proved January 14, 1771, naming wife Barbara (Barbara (Good) Bear (abt.1727-1812)) and children David and Henry (adults) and "all my children" (not named). His wife is to have access to his estate to "raise up the small children." The executors were his friend John Barr of Leacock and Christian Moyer (residence not named). ^[6]

• Henry Baer (abt.1720-bef.1794) lived in Hempfield, Lancaster County. He was the son of Heinrich Baer (1695-abt.1750) and Barbara (Widmer) Baer (abt.1698-bef.1781). His first wife was Elizabeth (Eshleman) Baer (abt.1725-aft.1761).

Information from a previous version of this biography - unsourced

He was born 22 DEC 1715, in Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland, the son of Jacob Bear.

Sources

1. ↑ Research Tips in Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage July, 2019, page 103, which also says that "a copy of the record was shared for Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society files."
2. ↑ Best, Jane Evans. Bear Saga Update: Part Three. Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage, Volume 22, Number 1. January 1999.
3. ↑ Best, Jane Evans. A Bear Saga: Lancaster County and Beyond. Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage, Vol. X, No 1, January, 1987, p. 35. This article is the second part of the story of fifteen generations of the family of Hans Bar of Albis in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. The first part, "A Bear Saga: Albis to America," appeared in the October 1986 issue of this magazine and told about the first five generations.
4. ↑ Will C-16 in York County, Pennsylvania Wills 1749-1779, Volumes A-D. Frame 635 of 647, at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L99B-KCL4?i=334&wc=9PM8-FM9%3A268493601%2C270202601&cc=1999196.
5. ↑ Best, Jane Evans. A Bear Saga: Albis to America. 1986, page 17 at https://occgs.com/projects/rescue/family_files/files/BEAR%20Family.pdf.
6. ↑ Baer, Willis N. The Genealogy of Henry Baer of Leacock, Pennsylvania. p. 23, at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89060749736&view=1up&seq=49&skin=2021&q1=henry%20baer.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Sandy Minder for creating WikiTree profile Bare-180 through the import of Delong gedcom.ged on Apr 27, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Sandy and others.