The Bever Family

Article from Our Cooper Family

They left their homes in Alsacs, some from Hirschland and other parts of Germany. In the small sailboats in which they came, all were huddled together, numbering from one hundred to sometimes four hundred people. Their Trials and experiences, in many ways were sad and pathetic. Some were not able to stand the hardships and were buried at sea.

Most of our Ancestors arrived at the port of Philadelphia, Pa. Some were four months buffeting the high seas in their slow and tedious voyage. They first settled in Chester, Berks and Northampton Counties Pa. The readers will note that the original spelling of the name was Beiber: those who moved into English Communities changed the spelling to Beaver, Beiver, Beeber, etc., but all belonged to the same family. the Beiber,- Beaver Family has been prominent in America for more than ten generations. Many of its members has been specially gifted with brilliant intellects, which have been used to the finest and most distinctive advantages, not only to themselves, but to their fellow workers and fellow citizens as well.

I.M Beaver
Reading, Pa. August 1, 1939

The Original Family Home

In LaGrande Encyclopedia, Vols. 5 and 10, we learn that the original family name for Beiber Beaver) was de Beauvoir. This was the original family of Huguenots in France.

The little village of Beouvoir in France on the Yonne Tucy, formed, formerly a feudal estate, which gave it's name to a family from Burgundy, known since the beginning of the 16th Century, at which time it acquired through marriage, the feudal estate of Beau voir. This family had as head, at the turn of the end of the 14th Century, William DeBeauvoir, Lord of Auxerre, of Chastellux, etc., Father of Claude De Beauvoir, Vice Count of Avallon, Marshall of France, who played an important during the troubles which distinguished thr Reign of Charles VI, who enthusiastically espoused the English cause during the first years of the reign of Charles VII. His eldest son was Jean De Beauvoir, Lord of Chastellux, Vicount of Avallon, father of Phillippe, page of the court of Charles VIII. This Phillippe left; among other children, Phillippe, second of that name whose family became extinct in the third generation: Oliver, founder of the branch of the Lords of Colonges, extinct after having furnished some officers of Merit, and Louis, founder of the branch of the Marquis of Chastelux, perpetuated to our day and made famous by brilliant Military services. One of the representatives at the end of the 18th Century was a friend of Washington.

Claude DeBeauvoir, born about 1392 at Chastellux, died in 1453, Warrior in the service of Jean Sans Peur (John the fearless), whose councilor and Chamberlain he became. He became Governor of Nivernais, the cities of Mantes, Neulan, Poissy, and Pantoise. Raised the siege of Bar-Sun-Aube (1414), surprised Paris and entered it May 291418. Marshall of France, then Commander-in-Chief of Normandy (September 2, 1418), Was defeated and taken prisoner at Louviers, but the King paid his ransom. Took possession of Cravant-Sur-Yonne, which he gave to the chapter of Auxerre (1423), which gave him and the eldest of his descendants the title of II Premier Chanoin" (Chief Cannon of the church).

La Grande Encyclopedia contains a number of Beauvoir Huguenot Captains and Diplomats who took an active part in the Religious Wars. The Queen Mother tried in vain to win Nocle De Beauvoir over by offering him 50'000 gold pieces, knighthood and a company of armed men. He remained faithful to the Protestant cause. In 1752 he was present at the wedding of Henry Navarre. By a miracle he escaped the Catholics: he received as a bourgeois on the 29 of September with many other refugees. In 1573 he crossed the frontier and was almost massacred. This obliged him to return to Switzerland.

From the foregoing the reader will note that the family name of the Huguenot family in France, from which our family is descended is de Beauvoir The de Beauvoir family in France is the Beiber- Beaver family in Germany. After the revocation of The Edict of Nantes in 1685 the Huguenots were obliged to leave the country and with other French Protestants the family went to Deux Ponts, Alsacs, and there take an German equivalent of their names. Alsacs was then German and the change was then and desirable.

The Original French family name was deBeauvoir. This was changed into Beiber, German Beaver, English. Keiffer is the German equivalent for Tonnellier which is the French name, or Cooper in English.