Joseph “Black Joe” Belsley b. 20 Mar 1812 Alsace Lorraine, FR d. 23 Oct 1879: The Schrock-Birkey Connection
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Joseph “Black Joe” Belsley

Male 1812 - 1879  (67 years)


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  • Name Joseph “Black Joe” Belsley  [1, 2, 3, 4] 
    Birth 20 Mar 1812  Alsace Lorraine, FR Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Gender Male 
    Immigration 1831  Baltimore, MD Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Along with David Shirtz family
    Death 23 Oct 1879  [4] 
    Burial Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Belsley cemetery
    Person ID I4839  Schrock-Birkey Connection
    Last Modified 20 Mar 2021 

    Father Michael Bellesley (Pelsey, Pelzel),   b. 1 Jan 1783   d. 1848, Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 64 years) 
    Mother Katherina Schertz,   b. 1793, Buhl-Lorraine, Sarrebourg, Moselle, FR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 15 Apr 1864, Tazewell Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 71 years) 
    Marriage 9 May 1811  St. Jean Kourtzerode, Moselle, FR Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 6, 7] 
    • Their’s was a double ceremony with her older brother David and Michael’s sister Catherine.
    Family ID F3419  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Barbara Engel,   b. 8 Feb 1821   d. 6 Feb 1880, Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 58 years) 
    Marriage 25 Feb 1840  [2] 
    Children 
     1. Peter Belsley,   b. 7 Dec 1841, Spring Bay, Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1899 (Age 57 years)
     2. Solomon Belsly
     3. David Belsly
     4. Jacob Belsly,   b. 22 Dec 1853   d. 23 May 1855 (Age 1 year)
     5. Catherine Belsly
    Family ID F3420  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 9 Jan 2010 

    Family 2 Barbara? Rosenkranz   d. 1835? 
    Marriage by 1835  [2] 
    Family ID F8058  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 9 Jan 2010 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsImmigration - 1831 - Baltimore, MD Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - Woodford Co., IL Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Notes 
    • Traveled to America with his uncle, who paid his passage. Joe worked two years to pay back, then began his own life. He lived briefly in PA, then on to Butler Co., Ohio for a time, then to Illinois. Joe lived in “Fort Clark” (Peoria) for some years, then in Woodford Co., eventually buying a tract of land on section 24, Spring Bay.

      Black Joe and Barbara Engel had 12 children, five died in infancy, leaving seven sons. [8]

  • Sources 
    1. [S190] Jean Francois Lorentz, Schrag, Berki, Pelsey:.

    2. [S731] Steven R. Estes, Love God and Your Neighbor: The Life and Ministry of Christian Engel, (Robert and Juliet Engel Schertz for IMHGS, Metamora, IL).

    3. [S427] The Black Joe Belsley Cemetery.

    4. [S129] Portrait and Biographical Album of Woodford County, Illinois, (Chapman Brothers, Chicago).

    5. [S731] Steven R. Estes, Love God and Your Neighbor: The Life and Ministry of Christian Engel, (Robert and Juliet Engel Schertz for IMHGS, Metamora, IL), Gives month as May.

    6. [S67] Belsly Rudolphe & Gerber Barbara (tableau général).

    7. [S269] GeneaNet Family Tree of Jean François Lorentz.

    8. [S398] Joseph Staker, Amish Mennonites in Tazewell Co.


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