Part of a group of German-speaking Protestant refugees from the Palantine who were provided passage to America by the British government. They arrived in NYC and were settled in NY (Schoharie Colony, est. 1709). The British restricted each family to only 10 acres of land, which was inadequate for farming. In 1723, they petitioned William Penn to settle in Pennsylvania. Penn gave them permission to settle in western Pennsylvania, partly to serve as a buffer against the Indians.

"Henry Boyer" is listed as one of the first settlers in the Tulpehocken Settlement in Pennsylvania.