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Hist.
Mss. 1-872
Solomon K. Beiler, 1798-1888
Copy Book, 1858-78
Introduction
This copy book was written by Solomon K. Beiler, an Amish bishop who
served in the "Middle District" of the Kishacoquillas [Big] Valley,
Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. This is near Belleville,
Pennsylvania. Beiler copied many letters of the Amish division which
took place in Alsace, and are dated in the late 1600s and early 1700s.
He copied them down because the Amish church in Pennsylvania was going
through some changes. He also used the book to copy down family records.
History of the Copy Book
This copy book belonged to Solomon K. Beiler, Mifflin County,
Pennsylvania. It was at one point passed on to a grandson, Amos E.
Yoder (1871-1968), Wayne County, Ohio. Yoder's mother was Sarah
(Byler) Yoder (1843-1923), the youngest daughter of Solomon K. and
Sarah (Hertzler) Beiler.
Sarah Byler married Moses P. Yoder. The copy book came to Harold
S. Bender and the Mennonite Historical Library, Goshen, Indiana, in
1961 via a Martin D. Moser, 322 Eat Oak Street, Orrville, Ohio.
The copy book was transferred to the Archives of the Mennonite
Church, Goshen, Indiana, in 1992 by John D. Roth.
Copy Book 1858-78
1. Letters of the Amish Division Pages 1-70
"Copied on 8th December, in the Year 1858"
A. Jacob Amman Letter, November 22, 1693 Page
5 (John B. Mast, pages 28-48)
B. Peter
Geiger Letter, no date Page 48 (John B. Mast, pages 69-74)
C. Jacob
Amman's Warning Letter, 1693 Page 57 (John B. Mast, page 49)
D. Letter
of Confessions, 1700 Page 58 (John B. Mast, pages 98-99)
E. Letter
to John Reist, December 27, 1697 Page 62 (John B. Mast, pages 52-56)
2. A Confession of Faith of the "Anabaptists" in Greece, 1627.
OR "The Confession of the three Greeks or Christians
from Thessalonica." Pages 71-81
"Copied by Solomon K. Beiler .. the 1st November
1860 .."
The first two pages are a foreword which
discusses Article 3 on Baptism. This was probably written by
Solomon
K. Beiler. Beiler then copies the 15 Articles of this Confession.
This
confession has not been translated by John B. Mast. One version of this
"Confession" has been
translated and published in Mennonite Quarterly Review (MQR) Vol. 29
(January 1955): pages 64-66. It is included in the article by Robert
Friedman, entitled "Christian Sectarians in Thessalonica and their
relationship to the Anabaptists." Comparing Beiler's copy to the MQR
article, Beiler's copy skips articles II, IV, and inserts IV as 12,
skips XII, and has some other variants.
3. From the Seven Bishops in the Year 1864. Page 82. One loose
leaf placed on page 82.
Comments about the 1864 controversy of whether
a deacon should be ordained as a bishop. See Paton Yoder's discussion
of this in his book, Tradition and Transition, page 161.
4. Letter to Christian Beiler and wife Page 141
Includes only a beginning greeting.
Loose
page placed with family records on page 141.
5. Family Records of Solomon K. Beiler and Sarah Hertzler Page 142-149
Found at the back of the copy book.
Parents
of Solomon K. Beiler:
Christian
Beiler, 1752-1804
Anna
Koenig, ? - 1816
Parents
of Sarah Hertzler:
David
Hertzler, 1767-1855
Maria
Yoder, 1770-1856
Were
married in 1794
Solomon
K. Beiler, 1798-[1888], born in Lebanon County, PA
Sarah
Hertzler, 1799-[1887], born in Mifflin County, PA
Were
married in 1820
Had 6
children between 1821-1843
Sources
Notes on this Copy Book and its comparison to John B. Mast's
translation come from Nelson P. Springer, Retired Curator, Mennonite
Historical Library.
Friedman, Robert. "Christian Sectarians in Thessalonica and their
relationship to the Anabaptists." In Mennonite Quarterly Review, Vol.
29 (January 1955): 54-69.
Mast, John B. Translator and Editor. THE LETTERS OF THE AMISH DIVISION
OF 1693-1711. Oregon City, Oregon: Christian J. Schlabach, 1950.
Printed by Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, Pennsylvania.120
pages.
Yoder, Paton, TRADITION AND TRANSITION: Amish Mennonites and Old Order
Amish, 1800-1900. Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1991.
Name and Subject Tracings
Amish
March 15, 2004 /
Reformatted by Kathryn Yoder
March 22, 1993 / Dennis Stoesz
Archives of the Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana
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