This is a direct line only genealogy. Most of my information on the Royer family comes from:

Francis, Jay Gottwals. Genealogical Records of the Royer Family in America. Lebanon, Pennsylvania: n.p., 1928.

SEBASTIAN¹ ROYER was born at Metz, France, on 1676, and died at Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, between 3 August 1758 (will) and 24 February 1759 (probate). He married first ________ _______, who died in Europe before 1718. He married second at Pennsylvania after 1718 AGNES ________.

Sebastian Royer was of the Reformed faith. As a child he fled with his family at the time of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685) to the Palatinate (Pfalz) There he grew up, married, had four sons, and became a widower. The family tradition is that his sons talked him into coming to Pennsylvania. The family genealogy claims that they came to Pennsylvania in 1718. Sebastian Royer owned land in Leacock Township, Lancaster County, in 1735. He acquired land in Elizabeth Township in 1742.

Sebastian Royer was remembered as a strict churchman. He gave the land for Zion Reformed Church, often called Royer's church, near Brickerville, Elizabeth Township. The family record claims he was a deacon in the Lutheran Church. As Lutheran and Reformed often worshipped together in union churches, it is possible to have some confusion on this point.^[1]

EMIG² ROYER (Sebastian¹) was born at Europe on 18 December 1707, a son of Sebastian Royer and his first wife. He died at Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, on 2 April 1769. He married about 1731 CATHERINE ________. She was born at Europe on 1713, and died after 1759.

Emig Royer (sometimes called Amos in records) grew up the first part of his childhood in the Palatinate, and grew to adulthood on the frontier in Pennsylvania. Soon after marriage he affiliated with the Church of the Brethren. In 1737 he purchased land adjacent to his father's, but in 1747 he purchased land in Cocalico Township. Emig and Catherine had seven children.^[2]

PHILIP³ ROYER (Emig², Sebastian¹) was born at Lancaster County on 1 September 1733 a son of Emig and Catherine Royer. He died on 12 September 1804. He married about 1758 ELIZABETH HERNLEY. She was born on July 1729, a daughter of Christian Hernley. She died on 24 September 1804.

Philip Royer farmed in Manheim Township, Lancaster County. He was affiliated with the Church of the Brethren. He and Elizabeth had five children.^[3]

PHILIP⁴ ROYER (Philip³, Emig², Sebastian¹ ) was born at Manheim Township on 5 December 1759 a son of Philip Royer and his wife Elizabeth Hernley . He died on 13 July 1810. He married about 1784 ELIZABETH ________. She was born on 30 September 1763, and died on 26 October 1845.

This Philip Royer was baptized into the Church of the Brethren in 1787. He farmed in West Cocalico Township, near Schoeneck. Philip and Elizabeth had five children.^[4]

SAMUEL⁵ ROYER (Philip^4-3, Emig², Sebastian¹ ) was born at Lancaster County on 12 January 1788, a son of Philip and Elizabeth Royer. He died at Lancaster County on 8 October 1853. He married about 1810 SALLY KURTZ KELLER. She was born at Pennsylvania on 19 May 1791, a daughter of Samuel L. Keller and his wife Anna Maria Martin. She died on 26 March 1873. "Sally" was a nickname for "Sarah," and this Sally was occasionally called Sarah.^[5]

Samuel Royer farmed in West Cocalico Township. The 1850 Census reported Samuel Royer, 62, farmer, Sarah Royer, 59, and their two youngest children, Sarah, 22, and Edward, 19, living there.^[6] The next entry on the Census listed their son, Daniel, and his family.

Following Samuel's death in 1852, widow Sally Royer lived with family. The 1860 Census reported her as a separate household at the same residence as her son Daniel, in West Cocalico Township.^[7] The 1870 Census reported Sarah Royer, "retired house keeper," 79, living with her son Edward and his family in West Cocalico Township.^[8]

Samuel and Sally Royer had eight children.

MARY⁶ ROYER (Samuel⁵, Philip^4-3, Emig², Sebastian¹) was born at Lancaster County on 13 March 1821 a daughter of Samuel Royer and his wife Sally Keller. She died on 25 August 1903. She married on 21 November 1843 CHRISTIAN S. WENGER. He was born at Lancaster County on 24 May 1810, a son of Christian Z. Wenger and his wife Esther Stoner. He died on 22 July 1885.^[9]

¹Jay Gottwals Francis, Genealogical Records of the Royer Family in America (Lebanon, Pennsylvania: n.p., 1928), 8-10.
²Francis, Genealogical Records of the Royer Family in America, 15-18.
³Francis, Genealogical Records of the Royer Family in America, 20.
⁴Francis, Genealogical Records of the Royer Family in America, 32.
⁵Francis, Genealogical Records of the Royer Family in America, 50.
⁶Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population, West Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, p. 364a, household 33, Samuel Royer family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 20 December 2020); NARA Microfilm Publication M432; Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
⁷Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population, West Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, p. 901, household 212, Sally Royer family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 20 December 2020); NARA microfilm publication M653; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
⁸Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population, West Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, p. 419B, household 432, Edward Royer family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 20 December 2020); NARA microfilm publication M593, Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
⁹Francis, Genealogical Records of the Royer Family in America, 57. Samuel S. Wenger, The Wenger Book: A Foundation Book of American Wengers (Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania German Heritage History, Inc., 1978), 202.

Francis, Jay Gottwals. Genealogical Records of the Royer Family in America. Lebanon, Pennsylvania: n.p., 1928.

United States Department of the Census. Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2020.

________. Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2020.

________. Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2020.