THE BILLMAN FAMILY
The Billman or Beelman family seems to have come to Pennsylvania from Alsace-Lorraine. The name signifies "a hill-dweller," and first appear on record with the spelling "Buehlmann." Mr. Frank W. Billman, 375 Elmore Ave., Akron, Ohio is working on a history of this family, and in connection with the original family has studied the ancestory of three more recent immigrations of Billmans. All of these came from the Vosges Mountains region in Upper Alsace. There is on record a coat of arms granted to a Jhan Von Billman in the year 1096 for service in the First Crusade.
All the Pennsylvania Billmans are believed to be descended from either David Billman, who entered Pennsylvania in 1736, or from Dewalt Billman, who arrived in Philadelphia on September 23, 1752. As both of these men settled in the "Allemaengel" district (what is now known as Lynn Township, Lehigh Co., and Albany Township, Berks Co.,) it is hardly to be doubted that they were close relatives.
In March, 1759, David Bielman, above applied to the Northampton County court for remission of a fine imposed for selling "Cyder" on a permit granted him to sell only brandy of his own make, he bases his plea on the fact that his wife and two children have been murdered and another severly wounded by a raid of the Indians, and that most of his effects have been taken from him by the savages. Nothing certain is recorded of David after this time, but it is probable that some of his children survived and left descendents.
Dewalt Billman had a family of will-grown children at the time of his arrival in Albany township. This man is probably the ancestor of the "Bellemans"settled around Bellemans Church in Bern township, Berks County, and possibly of the (illegible) in Tulpehoeken Valley.
On Sept. 29, 1795, Conrad Billman, Sr., of Lynn township, Northampton Co., bought a 430-acre plantation in Toboyne Township, Cumberland Co., (Now Perry) form John Byers, Sr. This deed was found by Mrs. Gulles Flower of Carlisle, who has done some extensive research work on this family. Conrad died on his farm about two years later, leaving a widow and twelve children. The names of only three of these children are known, Conrad, Henry, and Jacob. Their decendents are numerous on both sides of the North Mountain. Jacob's children were six in number: Conrad, Catherine (married Adam Fry), Elizabeth, Abraham, Rosina, and Samuel.
There is another large settlement of Billman's in the vicinity of Mechanicsburg. The ancestors of on branch of these were Christopher and Christina Billman, the latter whom died in April 1820, in Allen township. They had also twelve children: Sarah (married Abraham Leamer), David, Jacob, Elizabeth (married John Smith), John, Christina (married John Mumper), Christian, George, Barbara (married George Brandt), Catherine (married Robert Hetrick), Mary and Annie.
The history of the Rupp family records a third Billman family in the vicinity of Mechanicsburg. The head of this family was a John Billman who died in 1796 in Allen township. His children were seven in number: Katherine, Peter, Christian, Jacob, Mrs. Christiana Mohler, Mrs. Frederick Schweitzer, Mrs. Reddish. In the settlement of John's estate are found references to bonds given by him to Christopher Billman, which indicate a relationship between these two men. There are also probably a close relationship to Conrad Billman, as the baptismal names in the three families ar so similar.
With a little research work it is likely that all the Billmans in the valley can trace their line back to one of these three men.
article from a newspaper, copied and sent to us
from the Cumberland Co. Historical Soc.