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John Beals was the son of John & Mary Clayton Beals of Chester County, Pennsylvania. We are indebted to Bill Putman who has researched this family extensively and provided us with a large packet of material.
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John Beals born 1/20/1686 Chester Co, Pa died about 1745 Virginia |
Sarah Bowater born 8/17/1688, Chester Co, Pa died 1777 York County, Pa |
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Married: 8/14/1711 Chester MM, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Children: Sarah Beals born 5/29/1713 Chester Co, Pa; married John Mills, Jr. Mary Ann Beals born about 1715; married (1) Thomas Hunt, (2) William Baldwin John Beals born 2/17/1717 Chester Co, Pa; married Margaret Esther Hunt, sister of Thomas Hunt (More below) Thomas Beals born 3/14/1719 Chester Co, Pa; married Sarah Ankram Phebe Beals born 1720 Chester Co, Pa; married (1) Charles Canaday (2) Robert Sumner Prudence Beals born about 1723; married Richard Williams at Fairfax MM in Virginia (more at bottom of the page) Bowater Beals born about 1725; married Sarah Cook at Warrington MM in York Co, Pennsylvania (More below) Hannah Beals born 1/31/1729; married Azariah Pugh in Virginia Rachel Beals born 1730. |
History of Beals and Bowaters in PennsylvaniaJohn Beals Sr and JrThe will of John Beals [Sr.father of this John], written the 11th day 8th month 1726 in Nottingham, proven Dec 17, 1726, verifies the names of John Beals, Jr.'s first five children. Abstract: To eldest son John, bed and furniture and 5 pounds, he paying to his five children; viz Sarah, John, Thomas, [Mary] Ann and Phebe, 10 shillings when of age. To daughter Mary Harrold 8 [pounds], she paying to each of her children, viz Elizabeth, Rachel, Jonathan and Richard 10 shillings each when of age. To son Jacob, 12 pounds, he paying to each of his 4 children, viz John, Jacob, Mary and William 10 shillings when of age. To daughter Patience Jones the 8-15 pounds that is due of bond of her husband and five pounds more paying to their 4 children, viz Judith, Mary, Sarah and Charity 10 shillings each, when of age. To James Wright 40 shillings. To kinswoman Mary Davis of Philadelphia 20 shillings. Executors: sons John and Jacob. Witnesses: James McMullin, Wm. House.John Beal is listed as one of the 24 original landholders in Concord in 1681 (see Land). A deed in Aston Township 5 Dec 1688 between a Richards father and son mentions a tract in Aston bounded by land of ...John Beales... . This is shown on "Holme's Map of the Province of Pennsylvania, with Names of Original Purchasers from William Penn, 1681." along Chester Creek in "Ashton Township." We don't find a Beal listing in Concord on that map. John Beale [Sr.] witnessed a land deed on 10 March 1691 in Chichester in Chester County. In 1695 John Beales witnessed another deed for land bounded by Chester Creek. In 1709 John Beals witnessed another deed in Chichester bounded by Broad Street and the Great Road. We do not know if the Chichester John Beals is the same as the one owning land along Chester Creek but the distances between the townships was not great and he might have witnessed for friends who lived nearby. We did not find a deed for the Beals themselves, but then we do not find the Woodwards early deeds in the land records, only in the court records. Chichester and Chester Townships were located right along the coast in present day Delaware County (See Chester County Map Page) as was Ashton Township in 1681. An Abraham Beals witnessed a deed in 1696 for land along Chester Creek. He was probably a brother of John, Sr.. A deed in 1708 refers to land of Abraham Beales that he had purchased of John Simcock. This land was in Edgmont. John and Thomas BowaterThe Bowaters also lived in Edgmont. John Bowater purchased 50 acres in Edgmont 24 November 1685 and resold it on 9 August 1704 to Joseph Baker, husband of Martha Woodward. A tract of 250 acres was sold for 20 pounds to John Bowater of Chester, farmer, on 24 September 1697. On 14 December 1697 John Bowater sold 100 acres for 10 pounds in Middletown, bounded by Ridley Creek, that he had previously purchased. On 10 March 1700 a 150 acre tract was sold for 25 pounds to John Bowater of Middletown, yeoman. Thomas Bowater was also involved in land transactions: he purchased 100 acres in Edgmont on Ridley Creek on 2 March 1695, but released his interest on 15 September 1697. In 1711 a lease in Goshen describes the tract lying by land of Thomas Bowater and others.On 4 March 1705 John Bowater is deceased and his widow Frances Bowater of Westtown granted his 400 acre plantation in Westtown for 350 pounds to George Smedley. Analysis of acreage and names of neighbors shows that the 400 acre plantation was probably composed of the 150 acre and 250 acre tracts above. Probably the names of the areas were changing, not the location. On 21 December 1708 widow Frances Bowater bought a 115 acre tract called "Podington" located on the west side of the Delaware River and bounded partially by Chichester Creek. She sold Podington 22 August 1713. Frances wrote her will 29 January 1720 and names daughters but does not name Sarah - hence we know those family records showing Sarah as daughter of Frances and John are not correct! Abstract of Will of Frances Bowater (Book A, page 110, Chester County, Pa): "Frances Bowater of Concord, widow. January 29, 1720/1. 12/28/1720/1. To daughter Mary Ails �10. To daughter Eliza Pusey �5. To daughter Ann Chandler �16. To daughter Eales [Alice] Mendenhall remainder of household goods. To daughter Phebe Scarlet �25. To grandson Saml Pyle �4 at 21, to be paid his mother Ealse Mendenhall. Executors: sons in law, Wm. Pusey, Moses Mendenhall. Witnesses: Wm. Brinton, Nathan Newlin, Jean Brinton." John & Sarah Bowater Beals named their first two sons John & Thomas, John for John Beals, Sr. and Thomas for Thomas Bowater. After John, Jr., died in 1745, Sarah Bowater Beals transferred back to Pennsylvania on a certificate on 4/25/1748 to Warrington Monthly Meeting in York County where she married Alexander Underwood. She was accompanied by son, Bowater Beals, who married Sarah Cook, granddaughter of Alexander Underwood. More Beals HistoryIn 1871 Gersham Perdue wrote a letter to a William Foster outlining the history of the Beals family. (The letter was published in an article "Early Settlement of Friends in N. C.: Traditions and Reminiscences II," The Southern Friend) Perdue writes: "From that worthy man, John Beals, descended a very large number say some thousands of the members of our widely extended Yearly Meeting of Friends in Indiana, Western ?, and Iowa (added by editor - and now 1894, Kansas and Oregon and Wilmington, Ohio) and some yet remain in North Carolina and Philadelphia Yearly Meetings. On many of these descendants precious gifts in the ministry have been conferred...From Chester County, as it then was, John Beals, with his family moved to Monocacy, Carroll's Manor, Maryland. At what time, or how long they stayed at that place I have no account, but while here, son Thomas married, and from Monocacy they moved to Opequan, near Hopewell, near Winchester, Va. I find it told that John Beals died in the year 1745, three years before the family moved to North Carolina, but did not say where he died, I presume it was in Virginia." There are a couple of sources for Monocacy: Pioneers of Old Monocacy, the Early Settlement of Frederick County, Maryland 1721-1743 by Tracey & Dern, 1987. (A portion of this book is online at Pioneer Quakers of Monocacy.) The Beals genealogy is a little off in this book but it is interesting history. The Monocacy book also refers to Poverty in a Land of Plenty, Tenancy in Eighteenth Century Maryland by Stiverson, 1977. Carroll's Manor is not listed in that book but again it is good history.In preparing the page for son Thomas Beals, we found several errors in dates in Perdue's letter. Above he implies that the family moved about 1748. In the minutes of Cane Creek Monthly Meeting set up in 1751 only Robert and Phebe Beals Sumner are mentioned as charter members but others are mentioned in the first 18 months after setup. Mentioned are Bowater Beals, Sarah Beals, Thomas Beals, John Mills (husband of Sarah, Jr.), Thomas Hunt (husband of Mary). Some of these witnessed a marriage 4/22/1752 so were there by that date. John Beals, Jr., followed by certificate to New Garden Monthly Meeting on 5/27/1758. More on the Children of John and Sarah Bowater BealsJohn (III) and Margaret Hunt BealsWe have a lot of information on this family but will only include an outline here. John Beals married Margaret Hunt, daughter of William and Mary Woolman Hunt, on 13 May 1738 at Hopewell Monthly Meeting. They had children: John Beals IV (b abt 1738 Va m (1)Sarah Dicks and (2)Susanna Johnson); Rachel Beals (m James Dicks); Ruth Beals (m. John Hoggatt); Lydia Beals (b abt 1739 m Christopher Hiatt); Hannah Beals (b abt 1745 m. (1) William Hoggatt and (2) Joseph Cloud); William Beals (b Aug 1743 m. (1)Rachel Green and (2) Rachel Johnson).James and Rachel Beals Dicks had daughter Elizabeth Dicks who married Thomas Beard. Bowater and Sarah Cook BealsBowater Beals married Sarah Ann Cook, daughter of Thomas and Mary Underwood Cook 10 Feb 1752 at Warrington MM, York County, Pa. Bowater Beals was received on certificate from Fairfax MM, Montgomery Co, Pa as noted at Cane Creek MM in North Carolina. Bowater Beals was recommended a minister at New Garden MM in North Carolina 1/30/1779. Their children are listed at New Garden MM (all as Beales): Ann (b 9/3/1755 NC m. Jacob Jackson);Ruth (b 17 Jun 1757 m Curtis Jackson); Phebe (b 23 Mar 1759 m John Jackson)(the three Jacksons were brothers, sons of Samuel); Thomas (b 12 Jun 1762); John (b 26 May 1764 m. Lois Branson); Jacob (b 27 Nov 1766); Nathan (b 25 Jan 1769 m. Esther Fisher); Mary (b 17 Jan 1771); Sarah (b 17 Aug 1776); Charity (b. abt 1778 m Benjamin Hoggatt).There is a Branson/Cook Website with information on Lois Branson who married John Beals, son of Bowater. Lydia Jackson, daughter of Jacob and Ann Beals Jackson m Joseph Thornbrough 6 Feb 1812 at Fairfield MM in Highland County, Ohio. Joseph was son of Joseph and Rachel Brown Thornbrough and granddaughter of Joseph and Ann Armfield Thornbrough. Richard and Prudence Beals WilliamsThe location of the home of Richard and Prudence Beals Williams in North Carolina is shown on a map of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Richard Williams died there in 1781 from smallpox incurred from wounded British officers quartered in his home after the battle. Marvin Miller has submitted information on the Richard and Prudence Beals Williams family to the Rootsweb World Connect Project. |
