1. James¹ Beazley was born on an unknown date. He died August 12, 1803 in Orange Co., Virginia.⁽¹⁾

James married Ann Reynolds on an unknown date.⁽²⁾ The first mention of Ann as the wife of James Beazley was recorded in an Orange Co, Virginia deed dated November 23, 1758 (Deed book 12, p. 485-586).

Ann was born between 1716 and 1734.⁽³⁾ SAR national application no. 36053 states that Ann was in fact "Mary Ann Anderson." No documentation has been found to support this assertion, and the linkage between Ann and the Reynolds family is largely circumstantial. Ann was the daughter of Cornelius Reynolds and Martha Margaret Beazley.

She died February 27, 1810.⁽⁴⁾ She probably died in Orange Co., Virginia.

He is alleged to have settled in Swift Run Gap in Orange Co., Virginia in 1740.⁽⁵⁾ James Walker Allen's SAR application indicates that "The Beazleys attended Swift Run Baptist Church in Orange County, Va...." In his treatise on the McMullan family, W.L. Davenport speaks of "James and Ann Beasley, who came over with the Scots-Irish during the 'Religious persecution...'" As the Reynolds family can be traced back to Essex County, and as James Beazley is likely related to the Beazleys of Caroline and Essex Counties, this statement seems unlikely.

James Beazley was in the road crew of John Blackey on November 26, 1747 in Orange Co., Virginia.⁽⁶⁾ He purchased land from Thomas Chew on November 7, 1748 in Orange Co., Virginia.⁽⁷⁾ "Indenture 7 Nov 1748 between THOMAS CHEW, Gent., and JAMES BEAZLEY, both of Parish of St. Thomas, Orange County .. for twenty six pounds .. deeds of lease and release .. for 300 acres .. by the Goose Pond Mountain .. Fork of Swift Run .. Thomas Wood's Plantation. . . ." This is the first recorded land transaction of James Beazley in Orange County.

He made a will December 12, 1798 in Orange Co., Virginia.⁽⁸⁾ The text of James Beazley's will:

In the name of God Amen, I, James Beazley, of the County of Orange and Commonwealth of Virginia do in perfect mind and memory make this my last Will and Testament. I commend my soul to God and my body to be decently buried, and as to my worldly goods I give in the manner following: To wit I give to my son James Beazley one hundred acres of land adjoining whereon I now live on the other side of the river which I purchased of John Goodall Junr.: To wit I give to my son Charles Beazley one half of the number of acres of land whereon I now live and bounded as followeth: Beginning at Isaac Davis's corner and mine upon swift run, thence up the said run till it shall extend half way from the beginning corner to Charles Goodall's corner and mine upon the above mentioned run, thence from the said run to my back corner adjoining David Goodall and Edward Ancell, also one Negro named Wiatt, but if my son Charles Beazley should be without his lawfully begotten of his body from this date, then shalt the above mentioned land be sold by my executor and divided between my children hereafter mentioned. To Wit: and whereas my children Sarah Beazley, Ann Jones, Theodosia Mullans, Elizabeth Watts, Mildred Neal, and John Beazley, Edmond Beazley and William hath received their portion, the are not to [receive] any more of my estate. To wit: I give to my Wife one bed and [illegible...] one cow and calf, also two Negros Dick and Doll to be at her disposal. To wit my desire is that the balance of my land whereon I now live after my Wife's decease shall be sold for cash and divide between my sons James Beazley, Charles Beazley and my daughter Caty Paul, also two hundred acres of land more or less which I purchased of Thomas Barbour and William Bell, also two hundred acres of land upon long point shall be sold giving twelve months credit and the money arising from the two latter tracks shall be divided between my three above mentioned children James Beazley, Charles Beazley and Caty Paul, and the balance of my estate both real and personal to be sold for cash and divided between my wife, my sons James Beazley, Charles Beazley and Caty Paul, any wife's part of the real and personal estate shall be at her disposal and I hereby appoint my wife Ann Beazley and my son James Beazley executors to this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all others heretofore made.

As witness my hand and seal this 25th day of December one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight. James Beazley {seal}, in the presence of David Goodall, William Davis, Jeremiah Benson, John Beazley.

James's will was probated October 24, 1803 in Orange Co., Virginia.⁽⁹⁾ His estate was inventoried July 13, 1804 in Orange Co., Virginia.⁽¹⁰⁾ According to The Family of Early, Robert Sanford Beazley, great-grandson of James Beazley was "of English ancestry, a descendant of Robert Beazley who was a Burgess from Isle of Wight county in 1655."

James Beazley and Ann Reynolds had the following children:

+ 2 i. John² Beazley.

+ 3 ii. Ann Beazley.

4 iii. Edmund Beazley.⁽¹¹⁾ Edmund married Nancy Moore by marriage bond on September 26, 1787 in Wilkes Co., North Carolina.⁽¹²⁾

Edmund Beazley was a witness to a land transaction between Russell Jones and William Dunham on May 21, 1786 in Wilkes Co., North Carolina. The name of the witness is recorded as Edward Beazley, but this is believed to be Edmund Beazley.⁽¹³⁾ Edmund Beazley was a witness to a bill of sale where Randolph Holbrooks sold goods to Russel Jones on May 25, 1797 in Franklin Co., Georgia.⁽¹⁴⁾ Edmund Beazley entered the Georgia land lottery of 1805, but did not receive any land. He was a resident of Franklin County, Georgia at the time of the lottery. In The Heritage of Wilkes County, Edward R. Dittmer asserts that Edmund Beazley may have gone to Kentucky. He may or may not have gone to Kentucky, but it would appear that he went to Georgia. As his brother-in-law, Russell Jones, migrated from Wilkes County, North Carolina to Franklin County, Georgia, Edmund may have preceded him in his move or migrated with him.

+ 5 iv. Theodocia Beazley was born June 16, 1757.

+ 6 v. Elizabeth Beazley.

+ 7 vi. James Beazley was born August 10, 1760.

8 vii. Sarah Beazley.⁽¹⁵⁾ According to different sources, Sarah allegedly married Jeremiah Beazley, but no evidence has been found to support this assertion. Jeremiah was thought to have been the son of Bennett Beazley, whose will was probated in 1758 in Orange County, Virginia.

+ 9 viii. Mildred Beazley was born in 1765.

+ 10 ix. Charles Beazley was born April 16, 1770.

+ 11 x. Catherine Beazley was born July 13, 1772.

+ 12 xi. William Beazley.

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