Most of the Bergeys now living in the United States and Canada are descendants of John Ulrich Bergey and his wife, Mary, who settled in what is now Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is believed that he came from Switzerland in 1719.
At this time colonies were forming in North America. Pennsylvania was a colony of the British. William Penn, a Quaker, had been given the land in payment for a debt by the king of England. Penn invited settlers to join him in the new land.
The Mennonites believed that Christians should not participate in war and experienced persecution in Switzerland because of their religious views. They began emigrating to North America hoping to practice their religion freely, avoid military service and get farmland. Most of them settled in Eastern Pennsylvania.
But after escaping military service in Europe, the Mennonites in Pennsylvania were soon to find themselves in the middle of a revolution.
The information that follows on this page can be found in the "Genealogy of the Bergey Family" researched by Dr. David H. Bergey and published in 1925.
The book is out of print but it can be purchased from Higginson Book Company, 148 Washington Street, Post Office Box 778, Salem, Massachusetts 01970. Or visit their web site: www.higginsonbooks.com.
John Ulrich Bergey was a Mennonite. He and his wife Mary lived in Lower Salford Township, near Perkiomen Creek in Pennsylvania. They had a family of eleven children, six sons and five daughters.
They were Mennonites. He was one of the originators of the Mennonite congregation in Salford in 1738. He was a man of prominence in the community and was trusted by his associates and neighbors.
John Ulrich Bergey died in 1762, Mary died in 1789. They are buried at the Salford Mennonite Meeting House, where a monument was erected by the Bergey Family Association in 1907.
The sons of John Ulrich Bergey used different spellings of the name: Bergey, Berge, Berky, Barky and Bergy. The Bergeys in the U.S. and Canada today can probably trace their ancestry to one of the sons based on the spelling of their name. The names of the sons were John (some of his descendants write the name "Berky"), Michael, Isaac (some of his descendants write the name "Berge" and some write "Bergy"), Samuel, Christian and Abraham (all of his descendants write the name "Bergy").
The names of the daughters were Mary, Elizabeth, Anna, Fronica, and Salome.
John Bergey2* (1728 - 1804)
John and his brothers and sisters lived during the time of the American Revolutionary War. Because of their religious views, probably none of the family participated in the war. John was a blacksmith. His wife's name was Anna. They had six children: John12, Jacob13, Elizabeth14, Abraham15, Margaret16, and another daughter17.
Michael Bergey3
Michael Bergey never married. He inherited his father's homestead in Lower Salford, but for some reason he had to sell the farm at Sheriff's sale and his brother Christian was the purchaser.
Isaac Bergey4 (1734 - 1805)
Isaac moved to Franconia Township. He married twice. His first wife was Susanna Landis. Isaac and Susanna (Landis) had three children: Jacob18, John19 and Isaac20. Isaac's second wife was Susanna Hunsberger. Isaac and Susanna (Hunsberger) had ten children: Abraham, Mary21, Magdalena22, Christian23, Henry24, Elizabeth25, Sarah26, Joseph27, Samuel28, and Michael29.
Samuel Bergey5
Samuel Bergey was born about 1736.
Elizabeth Bergey6
Elizabeth married a man whose last name was Walter.
Christian Bergey7 (1741 - 1819)
Christian was a farmer and spent nearly his entire life on his father's farm in Lower Salford. His wife's name was Mary. They had eleven children: Abraham30, Mary31, Jacob32, Margaret, Catherine33, Barbara, Sarah34, Anna35, John36, Christian37, and Elizabeth38.
Abraham Bergey8 (1743 - 1818)
Abraham moved to Limerick Township. He married twice. First he married Salome Gorgas. Abraham and Salome had three children: Mary39, Margaret40, and Salome41. Abraham's second wife was Esther Shantz. He and Esther had seven children: Catherine42, Hannah43, Esther44, Susanna45, Jonas46, Mary (Magdalena)47, and Abraham48.
Anna Bergey9
Anna lived in Franconia after she was married. Her husband's last name was Landis.
Fronica Bergey10
Fronica's husband's last name was Lapp.
Salome Bergey11 (1753 - 1833)
Salome married Henry Garges. They lived near Doylestown, PA in 1833. Salome and Henry had ten children: Mary49, Abraham50, M.W. (a child who died in infancy), Henry, John51, Priscilla52, Sarah53, Margaret54, William55, and Elizabeth56.
* Red numbers indicate numbers in the Bergey Book.
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