Seventh Generation

370. Robert D. Bedwell^503,504 was born on 20 Apr 1820 in Bedford County, Tennessee.⁵⁰³ He died on 28 May 1895 in Los Angeles County, California.^65,505 He was buried in Little Lake Cemetery, Santa Fe Springs, Los Angeles County, California.⁶⁵ He was a farmer.

• From An Illustrated History of Los Angeles, published in 1889:

"R. D. Bedwell was one of the first settlers of Downey, coming to this place April 16, 1866. He is a native of Tennessee, born April 20, 1820, his parents being James Bedwell and Susanna (Rawson) Bedwell, the latter of North Carolina. His father moved to Poinsett County, Arkansas, in the year 1840, and there farmed till his death, which occurred in 1860. The mother's death took place in 1866. The subject of this notice was married August 29, 1837, in Marshall County, Tennessee, to Miss Elizabeth Culver, of North Carolina. This union was blessed with five children: Hester A., Samuel C., Mary J., James K. Polk, and Susan Elizabeth. The mother of these children died April 1, 1847, and September 3 of the same year, Mr. Bedwell, in Jackson County, Arkansas, married Miss Louisa Ann Pierce, a native of Tennessee. The fruit of this union was one child, Emily C., now the wife of J.W. Potts, the well-known capitalist of Los Angeles. Mrs. Bedwell died Mar 1, 1884. October 16, 1885, Mr. Bedwell was again married, choosing for his third companion Miss Susan C. McComic, also of Tennessee. Of this union one child has been born, Bob W. When first coming to this county Mr. Bedwell purchased twenty-five acres of land where he now lives, and great, indeed, have been the improvements that he has made, and that have been made around him. Where once the mustard grew rank and wild, may now be seen an orchard of the most beautiful oranges, and fruitful fields of corn and alfalfa. Mr. Bedwell is a Christian gentleman and a God-fearing man, was once a deacon in the Baptist Church, but at present is not a church member. Politically, he is a Republican, and was at one time deputy sheriff of Jackson County, Arkansas. He is one of the true pioneers of Los Angeles County, and of such men as he the county should ever be proud. He left his home in Western Texas, with his family, February 20, 1865, and by ox teams crossed the plains, landing in Los Angeles, April 16, 1866. Many, indeed, were the hardships they endured on that famous journey, and our forefathers who landed on Plymouth Rock and other places on our Eastern sea board, and made homes, are deserving of no more praise than are the humble men who crossed the Rockies, seeking homes for their loved ones."

• From an article in Frontier Times, August 1946, Vol. 23 - No. 11 ("published monthly at Baird, Texas") titled "Lost Creek and Voca in McCulloch County" (Texas):

"The first family ever to reside on Lost Creek, so far as is known, was that of John Bomar who moved there in 1859. A year or so later, quite a number of other families moved into the vicinity. Among the families living there between 1860 and 1866, was Joe Miller, J.N. Willis, R.D. Bedwell, Jim Whitehead, Bill Manor, Marion Coon, W.J. Hill, Antney Conner, Matt Trousdale, R.A. Ragsdale, Elihu Woodall, Dan Wills, Tom Harvey, Noah Taylor, Jim Connell, Bill Black, Wade Black, and Meredith Spiller."

The article also states that R.D. Bedwell was "McCulloch County Assessor and Collector" in 1862.

• From United States. Bureau of Land Management. Arkansas Land Records. [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 1997-. Original electronic data from: United States. Bureau of Land Management. Arkansas Pre-1908 Homestead & Cash Entry Patents. General Land Office Automated Records Project, 1993:

Name: ROBERT D BEDWELL; Land Office: BATESVILLE; Document Number: 7753;
Total Acres: 40; Signature: Yes; Canceled Document: No; Issue Date: June 16, 1856; Mineral Rights Reserved: No; Metes and Bounds: No; Statutory Reference: 3 Stat. 566; Multiple Warantee Names: No; Act or Treaty: April 24, 1820; Multiple Patentee Names: No; Entry Classification: Sale-Cash Entries; Land Description: 1 NWSW 5TH PM No 10N 2W 24.

• 1840 Arkansas Census shows Robert D. Bedwell, a resident of Poinsett County.

• 1850 Census for Cache Township, Jackson County, Arkansas, taken Nov 1850, shows Robert Bedwell, age 30, a farmer, as head of household including: Louisa, age 23; James, age 9; Hester, age 6; Elizabeth, age 5; and Emily, age 2. The parents were born in Tennessee, the children were all born in Arkansas.

• 1870 Census for Los Nietos Township, Los Angeles County, California shows Robert D. Bedwell, age 50, a farmer who owns $4000 in real estate and $300 in assets, with wife Louisa Jane, age 43. Both were born in Tennessee.

• 1880 Census for District 30, Los Angeles County, California shows R.D. Bedwell (incorrectly listed as Bidwell in ancestry.com index), age 61, a farmer born in Tennessee, as head of household containing: wife L.A., age 51, born in Tennessee; Mary Gillis, age 18, born (illegible) of parents born in Scotland, "living in family"; neice Hannah Hurly (?), age 17; neice Emma Hurly, age 15; and neice Grace Hurly, age 11. The three Hurly girls appear to have been born in Arkansas of a mother born in Tennessee, but their father's birthplace is blank.

• 1900 Census for Downey Township, Los Angeles, California shows William Smith, born 1844, a painter born in Pennsylvania, as head of household with: Susan C., born Apr 1850 in Tennessee, his wife of zero years; and stepson Bob W. Bedwell, born Dec 1887 in California.

Robert D. Bedwell and Elizabeth Culver were married on 29 Aug 1837 in Marshall County, Tennessee.⁵⁰³ Elizabeth Culver⁵⁰³ died on 1 Apr 1847 in Arkansas.⁵⁰³ She was born in North Carolina.⁵⁰³ Robert D. Bedwell and Elizabeth Culver had the following children:

1328
i.
Samuel C. Bedwell⁵⁰³ was born between 29 Aug 1837 and 2 Apr 1847.

Not shown with family in November 1850 census. May have died before this time.
1329
ii.
Mary J. Bedwell⁵⁰³ was born between 29 Aug 1837 and 2 Apr 1847.

Not shown with family in November 1850 census. May have died before this time.
1330
iii.
James K. Polk Bedwell⁵⁰³ was born about 1841.⁵⁰⁶
1331
iv.
Hester A. Bedwell⁵⁰³ was born about 1844.⁵⁰⁶
+1332
v.
Susan Elizabeth Bedwell.

Robert D. Bedwell and Louisa Ann Pierce were married on 3 Sep 1846 in Jackson County, Arkansas.⁵⁰⁷ Louisa Ann Pierce died on 1 Mar 1884. She was born in Tennessee. She was buried in Little Lake Cemetery, Santa Fe Springs, Los Angeles County, California.⁶⁵ Robert D. Bedwell and Louisa Ann Pierce had the following children:

+1333
i.
Emily Catherine Bedwell.
1334
ii.
Archie Bedwell⁶⁵ was buried in Little Lake Cemetery, Santa Fe Springs, Los Angeles County, California.

• Findagrave.com shows an Archie Bedwell, birth and death dates unknown, buried in Little Lake Cemetery next to the graves of Robert D. Bedwell and Louisa Bedwell. His identity is unconfirmed, as he does not appear in census or any other records. However, given where he is buried and that Archibald is a traditional name in this branch of the Bedwell family, speculation is that he was a child of Robert D. and Louisa Bedwell who may have died young, sometime between census records.

Robert D. Bedwell and Susan C. McComic were married on 16 Oct 1885 in Los Angeles County, California.⁵⁰⁸ Susan C. McComic⁵⁰⁹ was born in Apr 1850 in Tennessee.^505,508 She died after 13 Jan 1920.⁵¹⁰ Robert D. Bedwell and Susan C. McComic had the following children:

+1335
i.
Bob Westley Bedwell.