Peter Meyer

Brief Life History of Peter

When Peter Meyer was born on 3 March 1795, in Metternich, Kreis Euskirchen, Rhineland, Prussia, his father, Peter Meyer, was 26 and his mother, Barbara Biehl, was 25. He married Maria Catharine Dorshide in January 1815, in Nassau-Saarbrücken, Holy Roman Empire. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 6 daughters. He lived in Mettnich, Trier, Rhineland, Prussia in 1795. He died on 8 February 1880, at the age of 84, and was buried in Sheldon, Wyoming, New York, United States.

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Family Time Line

Peter Meyer
1795–1880
Maria Catharine Dorshide
1797–1858
Marriage: January 1815
Peter Meyer
1815–1884
John Meyer
1817–1902
Catharine Meyer
1820–1891
Nicholas Meyer
1822–
Michael Meyer
1824–1883
Maria Anna Meyer
1826–
Elisabeth Meyer
1830–1832
Matthias Meyer
1833–1838
Jacob Meyer
1836–
Magdalene Meyer
1838–
Mary Myers
1838–
Elizabeth Meyer
1842–1877

Sources (9)

  • Peter Meyer in household of Ferdinand Brauner, "United States Census, 1870"
  • Petrus Meyer, "Germany Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898"
  • Peter Meyer, "Find A Grave Index"

Parents and Siblings

World Events (8)

1797 · Albany is Named Capital of New York

Albany became the capital of New York in 1797. Albany is the oldest continuous settlement of the original 13 colonies.

1800 · Movement to Washington D.C.

While the growth of the new nation was exponential, the United States didn’t have permanent location to house the Government. The First capital was temporary in New York City but by the second term of George Washington the Capital moved to Philadelphia for the following 10 years. Ultimately during the Presidency of John Adams, the Capital found a permanent home in the District of Columbia.

1819 · Panic! of 1819

With the Aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars the global market for trade was down. During this time, America had its first financial crisis and it lasted for only two years. 

Name Meaning

German and Swiss German: from Middle High German meier, a status name for a steward, bailiff, or overseer, which later came to be used also to denote a tenant farmer, which is normally the sense in the many compound surnames formed with this term as a second element. Originally it denoted a village headman (ultimately from Latin maior ‘greater, superior’). This form of the surname is also established in France (mainly Alsace and Lorraine); see also 3 below. Compare Maier , Mayer , Meier , and Myer .

Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish personal name Meyer, from Hebrew Meir ‘enlightener’, a derivative of or ‘light’ with the prefix m-. Compare Maier , Majer , Major , Mayer , Mayor , Meier , and Meir .

Dutch: variant, also Flemish and Americanized, of Meijer , a cognate of 1 above. This surname is also established in South Africa, where it was also brought from France (see 1 above).

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

Possible Related Names

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