What are the origins of Johann Nicholas Biehl?
We continued our Biehl research project with the end goal of identifying the German origins of Johann Nicholas Biehl. I am starting research on the second generation, who is Peter Beal. You can find that post here.
Censuses
From reviewing each censes for the Peter Beal household from 1830 to 1880, we can deduce the following:
Census Information | Implication |
Male, head, b. 1801–1804, gone by 1880 | Peter Beal (1801–4–bef. 1880) |
Female, b. 1801–1810 | Prob. Wife, Elizabeth (Painter) Beal (1801–10–?) |
Female, b. 1826–1830, gone by 1840 | Unknown |
Female, b. 1826–1830, gone by 1850 | Prob. Daughter, Mary Jane Beal (1828–1876) |
Male, b. 1831–2, gone by 1860 | Prob. Son, Albert Beal (1832–1883) |
Female, b. 1826–1833, gone by 1860 | Prob. Daughter, Melvina Beal (1835–1909) |
Female, b. 1836–1839, gone by 1880 | Prob. Daughter, Eliza (Beal) Dorton (1837–1893) |
Female, b. 1836–1846, gone after 1880 | Daughter, Annie Beal (1839–?) |
Male, b. 1838–1844, gone after 1880 | Son, John Wesley Beal (1841–1895) |
Female, b. 1836–1840, gone by 1850 | Unknown |
Female, b. 1842, gone by 1870 | Prob. Daughter, Harriet Beal (1843–?) |
Female, b. 1844–5, gone by 1870 | Prob. Daughter, Augusta Beal (1846–1865) |
Male, b. 1848–1850, gone by 1870 | Prob. Son, Sidney Beal (1849–?) |
Male, b. 1861, gone after 1880 | Grandson, Albert B. Dorton (1861–?) |
Male, b. 1841, gone after 1870 | Oliver Burch (1841–?) |
Female, b. 1846, gone after 1870 | Martha Burch (1846–?) |
Male, b. 1869, gone after 1870 | Charles Burch (1869–?) |
Female, b. 1859, gone after 1880 | Daughter-in-Law, Elizabeth Beel (1859–?) |
Female, b. 1879, gone after 1880 | Granddaughter, Ioma Dee Beel (1879–?) |
These six census enumerations provided a lot of information on the family of Peter Beal. It provides many clues to follow. It will be important to thoroughly research each of Peter Beal’s children to glean any clues to his origins. We will continue that research in the coming weeks.
Sources:
1830 U.S. census, Hawkins County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 17 (penned & stamped), line 9, Peter Beal; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 March 2026).
1840 U.S. census, Hawkins County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 255 (stamped), line 5, Peter Beal; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 March 2026).
1850 U.S. census, Washington County, Arkansas, population schedule, p. 376 (stamped), p. 751 (penned), dwelling 29, family 29, Peter Beal; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 January 2016).
1860 U.S. census, Washington County, Arkansas, population schedule, p. 325 (penned), dwelling 2195, family 64, Peater Die [Peter Beal]; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 June 2016).
1870 U.S. census, Benton County, Arkansas, population schedule, Round Prairie Township, Boudiville post office, p. 64 (penned), dwelling 432, family 435, Peter Beal in Oliver Burch household; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 May 2017).
1880 U.S. census, Benton County, Arkansas, population schedule, Batie Township, enumeration district (ED) 7, dwelling 407, family 412, Elizabeth Beel in John W. Beel household; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 January 2026).
