John B. Becher ^{1 2 3 4}

  Noted events in his life were:

• Census, 1840, Leacock Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA. ⁵ In the 1840 Census Manuel Becher is listed with this household:
Males (born)
10-14 (1826-1830) = 1 son John
60-69 (1771-1780) = 1 father Manuel
Females (born)
Under 5 (1836-1840)
50-59 (1781-1790) = 1 mother

The next listing on the same page is Emanuel's son Jacob Becher:
Males (born)
20-29 (1811-1820) = 1 father Jacob
Females (born)
Under 5 (1836-1840) = 1 daughter
20-29 (1811-1820) = 1 mother

• Census, 1850, Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA. ² Emanuel Becher, carpenter, 74, was with wife Elloner, 67; and daughter Emma, 34. Emanuel's real estate was valued at $700. With them was probably Emanuel's son, John Becher, tailor, 23; his wife, Ann, 22; and Eliza, 1. Elloner was born in Maryland, the others in Pennsylvania.

• Census, 1860, Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA. ⁶ John Becker [handwriting could be Becher], master tailor, 33, was married to wife Ann, 32. Living with them: Eliza, 11; Emanuel, 8; Emma, 4; Henry, 3; John, 10 months when the census was recorded on 15 Jun 1860. Also in the home is Elizabeth Meixel, 45, who has real estate valued at $550 and possessions worth $50. Since John has no real estate value, this implies he was living in Elizabeth Meixel's home.

• Census, 1870, Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA. ⁷ John Becher, tailor, 43, was married to Mary, 25. Living will them was Amos Mull, 7; and Benjamin Beacher, 8. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. John had no real estate of value, and his possessions were worth $200. The post office was Gap.

This census is most interesting. It appears John has a new and much younger wife, Mary. From the 1900 Census, we later learn John and Mary were married about 1865, so the child Amos Mull living with them is not theirs, but probably Mary's by her first marriage to a Mull.

Benjamin may have been born illegitimately, since John didn't marry 2nd wife Mary until 1865, three years after Benjamin was born. But Benjamin's first wife, Ann, kept all of her children, who no longer lived with father John in 1870. The fact that Benjamin was living with John in 1870 indicates John's first wife had nothing to do with him; further, the Census curiously lists Benjamin's surname as Beacher while spelling John's name as Becher. It is, of course, also possible John is not the father of Benjamin, but then why would he be living with him?

• Census, 1880, Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA. ⁸ John Becher, saloon keeper, 54, was living with wife Elizabeth, 63; and John, founder, 23. Everyone and their parents were born in Pennsylvania.

• Census, 1900, Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA. ⁹ Living on Diller Avenue in New Holland in 1900, John B. Becher, tailor, 73, born Oct 1826, was married for 37 years to wife Mary E., nurse, 54, born Jun 1845. She had given birth to 8 children, 6 still alive in 1900. In their home: Garfield, farm laborer, 19, Jan 1881; Daniel, laborer, 16, Aug 1883; and Charles, laborer, 14, Mar 1886. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania, as was their parents, except John's father was from Germany and his mother from Ireland.

John married Anna E. (Anna E. was born on 6 Mar 1827 in , , Pennsylvania, USA,^{2 3} died on 23 Feb 1865 ³ and was buried in New Holland: Seltenreich Reformed Church, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA ³.)

John next married.

John next married Mary Elizabeth Mimm <1865>. (Mary Elizabeth Mimm was born on 26 Jun 1845 in , , Pennsylvania, USA,^{3 7} died on 24 May 1915 ³ and was buried in New Holland: Seltenreich Reformed Church, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA ³.)