BEER (Beere, Bear, Beare, Bere)
Family legend has it that he was shaving an officer in the barbers' tent behind the lines when it was hit by an enemy shell.
Late news of our BEER research
Where are they now?
We have researched the BEER family back to before 1700 in Whitfield, Alkham, River, Buckland and Dover , to George BEER of Northbourne (c1650 - 1726; we have a will for this one, but not his marriage or baptism). We have found a single, isolated, baptism for a George BEERE, son of George, at Barham in 1645 - is this him? (see our Late News page for details). There are no other BEER events in that parish for 50 years before and after but, if it was our George, why Barham? We are currently trying to establish a link to George Beer, who died at Winkland Oaks (Sutton) and was buried at Whitfield on 19th July 1692, or Thomas Beer the elder of Beaufield (Whitfield), who died in 1622 (we also have a will for this one). Can anybody help? Please e-mail us at bill@eastkent.freeuk.com.
We have found another member of the family in Oregon, USA, apparently descended from this same line.
There was a manor of Bere, just outside Dover (a farm of the same name still exists at Swingate), dating from well over 1000 years ago, from which the family took its name (originally Abere, from "At Bere", or "Of Bere"). A memorial to this family was once to be found in the church at Ringwould. The manor passed into the TOKE family some time after 1066.
Please Note: there are many BEERs in the West Country, especially Devon, where there are a number of places called BEER. There is, as far as we can tell, no connection between these and the BEERs of East Kent, although we have found at least one distant cousin in Hampshire. We do not have any information on the West Country BEERs, so cannot answer any queries in respect of these families - sorry.
Late news of our BEER research
If you have any information that might help, or you can connect to this family, please e-mail:
bill<at>beer-genealogy.freeuk.com
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