The Stöber / Stiver family who came to Markham Township, York County, Ontario in 1794 can not be studied without learning the story of the Berczy Settlers. From the time the decision was made to join William Berczy's group to go to the United States, the lives of these settlers were intertwined on a day to day basis. We do not know if any of the group had been neighbours and friends in what would become Germany. There was inter-marriage within the group. Even today, descendants of these early settlers are working together to learn their common history.
Berczy
Who was Berczy? Johann Albrecht
Ulrich Moll, alias William Berczy or William Moll Berczy, was
born in Wallerstein, Ries, Bavaria, Germany in 1744. Berczy was
a man of many talents. An artist by trade, Berczy, while in London
in 1791, heard that a group led by Sir William Pulteney had purchased
land in the Genesee area of New York. Settlers were wanted. Berczy
must have seen that an opportunity existed and he put together
a group of German people. How he put together this group we do
not know. Contracts were signed that establish the terms of settlement.
Three vessels, the Catharina and the Heinrich and Georg
and a decoy ship left Altona, Germany in May and June of
1792 for Philadelphia with Berczy, his wife and family and some
220 settlers. Thirteen
weeks were spent at sea. Supplies ran low.
Short Stay in the United States
From a diary written by John Sommerfeldt, and documents from
the Genesee area and writings of Berczy some details can be pieced
together of their experiences while in the United States. From
Philadelphia, the settlers made their way to the Genesee lands
where they hoped to get their own property. While there, they
were put to work opening the first inland north-south road between
Williamsport and Painted Post .
However, the arrangement was not satisfactory to Berczy and his settlers. At one point, they rebelled and rioted. Amongst the list of those who came before the Court of General Sessions of the Peace at Canandaigua on November 6, 1793 was Johan Neilas Staver. [Most likely this was Johann Niclaus Stöber]
Move to Ontario, Canada
Berczy made a deal with Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe
for land so the families followed him to Upper Canada in 1794.
Because the land in Markham Township was not yet surveyed, some
time was spent in York (Toronto). The men helped clear Yonge
Street northward as part payment for the land.
By November of 1794, the people were on their land living in make shift homes. The land needed to be cleared. The first few years were very harsh. Some families left. Our Stöber / Stiver ancestors remained and there are still descendants living in the area. There is some indication that some of the family may have returned to the Niagara Region for a short time.
The Association
For more information about William Berczy,
the Berczy Settlers and the Markham Berczy Settlers Association
visit the Association's web site at Markham Berczy Settlers Association.
In 1992, the Markham Berczy Settlers Association was formed. Descendants and others interested in the founding of Markham Ontario are welcome to join. On-going research and sharing of information amongst members has been instrumental in helping me gain an understanding and the knowledge of my ancestors. The group usually meets once a year. The newsletter is informative. The group has both a Facebook page and group
Berczy Settlers Family Research Days
- July 5 to July 11, 2004
2004 marked the 210th anniversary of the arrival of the group
in Canada. To mark this event, a week of activities and research
was held in Markham, Ontario. It was an exciting time as we discovered
together more about our ancestry.