Bernardhus Van Leer (1687–January 26, 1790) was a German-American early settler of the

Province of Pennsylvania The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn, who received the land through a grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania was derived from ...

. He worked as a physician and was father of American Revolutionary War Captain

Samuel Van Leer Captain Samuel Van Leer (January 7, 1747 – October 15, 1825) was a military officer from Pennsylvania who served as a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and as a lieutenant in the Chester County Light Horse Vo ...

. He built the Barnardus Van Leer House in Marple Township, Pennsylvania, c. 1742 and owned the land in

Tredyffrin Township, Pennsylvania Tredyffrin Township ( ) is a township located in eastern Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 29,332 at the 2010 census. Settled in the late 17th century, Tredyffrin is bounded by Delaware and Montgomery counties. ...

, on which his son Isaac built the Van Leer Cabin c. 1800.

Biography

Van Leer was born near

Isenberg Isenberg was a County of medieval Germany. It was a partition of the county of Altena and was annexed to Limburg-Hohenlimburg, Limburg(Lenne) in 1242. Counts of Isenberg (1191–1242) * Eberhard I, Count of Berg-Altena (1140–1180) count of Alt ...

, Germany in the electorate of

Hesse Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...

to Johann George and Mary van Lohr. He emigrated to the Province of Pennsylvania with his family at age 11 in 1698. During his youth, he was sent back to Europe to be educated as a physician. As an adult, he traveled to Germany and studied medicine for several years. He returned to Pennsylvania and opened a medical practice in Chester County. Van Leer maintained an exclusive office practice, which was unique for the time. Van Leer built the Barnardus Van Leer House in Marple Township, Pennsylvania, c. 1742 with assistance from his father in law. In 1759, Van Leer purchased 109 acres in what is now Treddyffrin Township, Pennsylvania.

Personal life

Van Leer married Mary Branson, the daughter of wealthy merchant, William Branson, who owned the historical Warrenpoint William Branson House and was a leader in the colonial iron industry Together Bernardhus and Mary had five children. Mary died and Van Leer took a second wife and together they had an additional nine children. Bernardhus' son

served as a military officer for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. His other son Benjamin Van Leer became a prominent doctor in Philadelphia. He was known locally as "the centenarian". He kept his health well into his later years and was known to travel 30 miles by horseback between his properties even at the age of 100. He was beaten by burglars in his home at the age of 102 and never fully recovered from his injuries. He died on January 26, 1790, at the age of 104.

Legacy

After Bernardhus's death, his son Isaac built the Van Leer Cabin on the Tredyffrin property that had been deeded to him.

External links

Wayne Van Leer Jones Genealogy Collection at Northwestern Archival and Manuscript Collections

Notes

Citations