Genealogies of Pennsylvania Families
The Tobias Bickels of Old Tulpehocken
[Note: There were 3 contemporary Tobias Bickels]
1. Tobias Bickel (Boeckel, Bockel) The Moravian
The record of this man and his family is relatively complete. The family was written up in the Historical Review of Berks County some years ago. From this source and the Moravian Archives at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the following review is given to help distinguish him from other Tobias Nickels.

Tobias Bickel, the Moravian of North Heidelberg Township, Berks County, was the son of John Gotthard Bockel and wife Anna Sybilla Gastenberger, and was born 13 November 1711, at Durkheim, Rhenish Bavaria, Germany. Tobias, with his family, sailed from Rotterdam on the Ship Saint Andrew and qualified at Philadelphia on 26 September 1737. After coming to Philadelphia, Tobias settled in North Heidelberg Township. Although baptized in the Lutheran Church in Germany, Tobias became a Moravian about 1744, after his settlement in Berks County.

“Tobias acquired 282 acres of land at Heidelberg. The deeds to him from the sons of William Penn are dated 1748 and 1765, but probably Tobias occupied the land, or at least part of it, shortly after his arrival. The records show that shortly before his death he divided the farm into two, parts and gave one-half to his son Anthony and the other half to his son Tobias (or John Tobias), Jr.” Tobias Bickel, the father, was the warrantee for the following tracts of land in Heidelberg Township:
(1) Tobias Beekil, 50 acres in Lancaster County, warrant dated 28 October 1742.
(2) Tobias Boeckel and Tobias Bechtel, 200 acres in Lancaster County, warrant dated 20 August 1747.
(3) Tobias Bockel, two warrants for 20 acres each in Berks County, each dated 10 June 1756.

Tobias deeded the above 50 acre tract on 20 May 1748 to “Joseph Spagonberry, Charles Brogden and Timothy Housfield.” In this deed he was referred to as “Tobias Boeckell of Heidelberg Township.” The tract had been presented to him 13 May 1748, and was located adjacent to other land he held. Tobias Boeckel was taxed on 150 acres in Heidelberg Township in 1779; but Tobias Bickle, Sr., was taxed only for personal property in 1784, while Tobias Bickle (Jr.) was taxed for 116 acres.

In his will dated 14 June 1789, and probated at Reading on 21 April 1792, Tobias Boeckel made provision for his second wife Mary Elizabeth. To his sons John Tobias and Anthony he bequeathed his “land and plantations as they have parted it among them, for which they must pay 400 pounds to my other children as follows: to Elizabeth, Magdalena, Frederick, John Nicholas, Mary and the heirs of my deceased son John”

From various sources and burial records of North Heidelberg Church it appears Tobias Boeckel was born 13 November 1711 in the Palatinate, and died 29 September 1791. He married 1st, in the Palatinate on Palm Sunday 1734, ANNA CHRISTINA KUESTER. Anna Christina was born 6 May 1714, a daughter of Jacob Kuester (Kyester) and his wife Elizabeth Dill, and died 31 January 1775. Tobias and Anna Christina had either 14 or 15 children, of whom 7 or 8 survived. Tobias married 2nd, in 1779, Maria Elizabeth Tock (Dock), widow of Nicholas Flat, who survived him.

Known issue of Tobias Bickel and his 1st wife Anna Christina Kuester:
1. Catharine Elizabeth Bickel, born 1734; died January 1735 in Germany
2) Anna Elizabeth Bickel, born 1736; died 1737 aboard ship off the coast of Holland
3. Tobias Bickel, born March 1738; died December 1738
4. Eva Elizabeth Bickel, baptized 28 November 1739, died February 1743
5. John Nicolaus Bickel born 20 October 1741, died 13 September 1822; married Barbara Moll
[my note: Thus he was the first child to survive beyond infancy!]
6. Frederick Bickel, born 9 November 1743, died 1 October 1802, married Anna Barbara Frey
7. Maria Bickel, born 30 November 1745, living when her father wrote his will in 1789, no further information
8. Daniel Bickel, born 8 January 1748, died 1 February 1748
9. Philip Jacob Bickel, born 17 December 1748, died 6 February 1749.
10. John Bickel, born 6 April 1750, died 1 September 1782, married Mary Eva Batteicher
11. Magdalena Bickel, born 9 May 1752, died 14 January 1814, married Joseph Knauss
12. John Tobias Bickel, born 6 December 1754, died 24 December 1814, married 1st Salome Flat, married 2nd Elizabeth Feiser
13. Anthony (Anton) Bickel, born 23 February 1757, living in 1789 when his father will was written, married Magdalena Romig
15. Elizabeth Bickel, born 13 April 1759, died 17 December 1821, married Abraham Knaus
End of entry

findagrave.com
Tobias Boeckel
Birth 13 Nov 1711, Kallstadt, Landkreis Bad Dürkheim, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Death 29 Sep 1791 (aged 79), North Heidelberg, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA
Burial North Heidelberg Church Cemetery, North Heidelberg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA
Plot No tombstone
Memorial ID 73800816
Buried in "God's Acre" part of cemetery, born in the Palatinate. Was married twice. First wife Christina Kuster and second to Maria Elizabeth, nee Dock, widow of Nicholas Glatt. Father of 15 children, all born to his first wife. Known as "Tobias the Moravian" this cemetery is on land that Tobias once owned and deeded 1st 3 acres for the church and cemetery.
Spouses
Anna Christina Kuster Boeckel 1714-1775 (married 1734)
Maria Elizabeth Dock Boeckel 1720-1804
Children
John Nicol Boeckel 1741-1822
and others