| Title |
Bishop |
| Birth |
2 May 1785 |
Hammer Creek, Warwick Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania [6,7] |
| Sex |
Male |
| Eby ID |
00031-2423 |
| Died |
28 Jun 1853 |
[8,9] |
| Person ID |
I7512 |
| Last Modified |
03 May 2005 |
| |
| Father |
Christian Eby, b. 22 Feb 1734, Near Lititz, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania |
| Mother |
Catharine Bricker, b. 1743 |
| Group Sheet |
F2337 |
| |
| Family 1 |
Mary (Maria) Brubacher, b. 6 Aug 1789, Elizabeth (Part of Warwick) Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania |
| Married |
7 Feb 1807 |
[10,11] |
| Children |
| | 1. Isaac Eby, b. 30 Jul 1808, Berlin, Waterloo Co. Ontario |
| | 2. Elias Eby, b. 22 Feb 1810 |
| | 3. Susannah Eby, b. 8 Feb 1812 |
| | 4. Catharine Eby, b. 25 Jul 1814 |
| | 5. Maria Eby, b. 14 Mar 1816 |
| | 6. Benjamin E. Eby, b. 10 Feb 1818 |
| | 7. Henry Eby, b. 25 Jan 1820 |
| | 8. Christian Eby, b. 19 Jun 1821 |
| | 9. Abraham Eby, b. 21 Nov 1823 |
| | 10. Jacob B. Eby, b. 24 Mar 1826 |
| | 11. Peter Eby, b. 28 Feb 1828, Berlin, Waterloo Co., Ontario |
|
| Group Sheet |
F2342 |
| |
| Family 2 |
Magdalena ERB, b. 3 Mar 1780 |
| Married |
Aft 6 Sep 1830 |
[12] |
| Group Sheet |
F608 |
| |
| Notes |
Benjamin Eby, "the sixth son and eleventh member of the family of Christian Eby and his wife, Catharine Bricker, was born on the old homestead on Hammer Creek, Warwick Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, May 2nd, 1785. Benjamin spent his boyhood days on the farm and in his father's cooper-shop making barrels for the mills. He received a fair common school education, and during the winter evenings he continued his studies. He had free access to his father's books, as well as to his brother John's library. He was not very strong and it used to be the common saying among the neighbors: "Aus'em Bennie gebts ka Bauer, er muss Schulmaster werre!" -- "Bennie will never make a farmer, he must become a school-teacher." On May 21st, 1804, he was baptized in the Conestogo Mennonite Meeting House by Bishop Christian Burkholder, and on the same day he was admitted as a member of that body. In 1806 he came to Canada for the first time. On May 24th of the same year he came to what is now Berlin. Here he remained with his cousin, George Eby, who then resided on the place now known as the Jacob Y. Shantz farm. He purchased his land (the farm now possessed by Mr. Moses Betzner), had a small clearing of about two acres made during August, then made preparations for the erection of a log-house which was put up and completed during the following winter. On November 4th he, in company with others, set out for home. The mode of travelling in those days was on horse-back. On February 25th, 1807, he was married to Mary, daughter of Jacob and Susannah (Erb) Brubacher. She was born August 6th, 1789, and died of cholera August 18th, 1834. On June 21st, 1807, the following party arrived at George Eby's, Berlin, viz: Benjamin Eby and wife, Joseph Schneider and wife, David Eby, Daniel Eby, John Eckert, Frederick Vogt, Peter Erb and wife, Daniel Erb, Samuel Eby and a few others. On the 30th day of the same month he took possession of his farm. On November 27th, 1809, he was ordained as a minister in the Mennonite Church, and on October 11th, 1812, he was ordained bishop in that body. No sooner was Benjamin Eby ordained as minister than he advocated strongly the building of meeting-houses. His idea was to have houses of worship built in which to hold regular services. Private houses, he said, answered the purpose very well as long as the membership was small, but since we have had such a large increase in membership it has become necessary for us to have churches. He found strong opposition at first, but the Erbs, Schneiders, Brubachers, Ebys, and a few others, agreed with him on this point, and the result was that a log church was erected in 1813. (See cut.) In this church Bishop Eby taught school during the winter months. The first regularly organized school in this section was held in a little log house situated near "Indian" Sam Eby's residence, now known as "Jacob Fry's old place", on the south side of the road leading from the "Two Bridges" to Mill Creek, near the former residence of Jacob Y. Shantz. This building, containing but one room, was erected for a private house, but the party ordering its erection failed to make his appearance, hence it was turned into a school house and utilized as such until the church was built in 1813. The school was first opened some time in October, 1809, by Mr. John Beatty, a native of Ireland, who came to the Eby settlement, as Berlin was then called, some time during the summer of the same year. After being convinced that Mr. Beatty had a fair English education, the following parties, viz: Benjamin Eby, Joseph Schneider, George Eby, Samuel Eby ("Indian Sam"), Jacob Erb and others, engaged him as their teacher for the winter months. School was generally closed the week before Easter. Among the first pupils who attended this, the first school opened in Ebytown, we find David Erb, George Eby, Catharine E. Schneider, Jacob E. Schneider, Elizabeth E. Schneider, Nancy Eby, John Eby, Peter Eby and others. Mr Beatty was re-engaged as their teacher in the fall of 1810, and according to the statements given me by some of the old pupils, he must have taught there three or four years in succession. After the erection of the Mennonite church in 1813 the school was moved to that place, where Bishop Eby taught for many winters in succession. In 1833 it was thought advisable to erect a new church, owing to the fact that the log church was too small to accommodate the large congregations that assembled here to worship. In 1834 the large church still standing was erected. (See cut.) This church is still known as Eby's Meeting House, or "'s Eby's versammlungshaus".
After the decease of Bishop Benjamin Eby's first wife he was married to Magdalena Erb, widow of old Abraham Erb, the founder of Waterloo. Bishop Eby died June 28th, 1853. To him and his first wife was born a family of eleven children, viz." |
| |
| Sources |
1. [S1] Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., Ezra E. Eby, (Berlin, Ontario, 1895), 548 [View page(s) from the 1895-96 edition]
2. [S1] Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., Ezra E. Eby, (Berlin, Ontario, 1895), 344 [View page(s) from the 1895-96 edition]
3. [S2] Vol II A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., Ezra Eby, 594 [View page(s) from the 1895-96 edition]
4. [S1] Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., Ezra E. Eby, (Berlin, Ontario, 1895), 630 [View page(s) from the 1895-96 edition]
5. [S1] Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., Ezra E. Eby, (Berlin, Ontario, 1895), 616 [View page(s) from the 1895-96 edition]
6. [S1] Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., Ezra E. Eby, (Berlin, Ontario, 1895), 549 [View page(s) from the 1895-96 edition]
7. [S1] Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., Ezra E. Eby, (Berlin, Ontario, 1895), 344 [View page(s) from the 1895-96 edition]
8. [S1] Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., Ezra E. Eby, (Berlin, Ontario, 1895), 554 [View page(s) from the 1895-96 edition]
9. [S1] Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., Ezra E. Eby, (Berlin, Ontario, 1895), 344 [View page(s) from the 1895-96 edition]
10. [S1] Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., Ezra E. Eby, (Berlin, Ontario, 1895), 550 [View page(s) from the 1895-96 edition]
11. [S1] Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., Ezra E. Eby, (Berlin, Ontario, 1895), 344 [View page(s) from the 1895-96 edition]
12. [S1] Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., Ezra E. Eby, (Berlin, Ontario, 1895), 629-630 [View page(s) from the 1895-96 edition]
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| Artifacts |  | Rocking Chair
A Windsor-style rocking chair with arrowback spindles. |
| | Documents |  | Bible
Bible of Benjamin Eby with a fraktur by Abraham Latschaw. |  | Book - Kirchengeschichte und Glaubenslehre
A short church history and teachings of the faith of like-minded Christians and Mennonites by Benjamin Eby. |  | Book - Natural History
A book titled "Natural History of all the most remarkable quadrupeds, birds, fishes, serpents, reptiles, and insects, in the known world." Contains a bookplate: "Benjamin Eby sein Buch." |  | Deed
A handwritten deed dated 20th October 1808 between Christian Eby and David Eby for Lot 32 Block 2 German Company Tract, Waterloo Township, Waterloo County, Canada. |  | Hymnal - Unparteiisches Gesangbuch
An unpartisan hymnal containing ingenious songs and psalms for general usage of the true service of god, a Mennonite song book. |  | Marriage Certificate
A marriage certificate, in German, between Christian Hallmann of Dumfries Township and Leah Bechtell of Wilmot Township, District of Wellington and Province of Ontario. |  | Plan - Part of Berlin, 1857-58
A plan of part of Berlin dated 1857-8 and signed by Joseph E. Schneider, Jacob E. Snyder and Jacob S. Shoemaker, as Executors of the late of Joseph Schneider. |
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Region of Waterloo