Prudence Beals (1730 - 1815)

Born 3 May 1730 in Chester, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Wife of Richard Williams — married 11 Oct 1746 in Maryland

Descendants

Died 25 Jun 1815 at age 85 in New Garden, Guilford, North Carolina, United States

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Biography

Prudence was a Friend (Quaker)

A grandson of Prudence (Beales) Williams in his published "Reminiscences" wrote of her in 1876. "My grandmother remained a widow for the rest of her life, and died respected by all who knew her. She was an Elder in the Religious Society of Friends for many years, and was highly esteemed. She was opposed to slavery and a friend of the oppressed." She was born 3rd month 1st, 1730 ; died 6th month 26th, 1815.

Prudence Beales was the daughter of John Beales, of Bealesville, Maryland. John Beales, Sr., was a member of the Society of Friends who settled near Aston, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He married in 16S2, Mary, the daughter of William Clayton, Sr., and later moved to Nottingham, Pennsylvania, where he died in 1726. His children so far as definitely known, were John, Jr., William, Jacob, Mary and Patience. Prudence, daughter of John Beales of Nottingham and later of Bealesville, who married Richard Williams, isl, had 11 brother named Thoui.-is «iul probably one named I'.owatcr. It is certain that Prudence and Thomas Beales were children of John Beales, but whether of the father or his son John, is not known, probably of the latter. Thomas Beales was a Minister of the Society of Friends and was the first white settler in the State of Ohio, having gone there in 1702 from North Carolina under the auspices of his Meeting to preach to the Indians.

She married Richard Williams November 10, 1746 in Frederick County, Virginia at the Fairfax Monthly Meeting. Richard was born in 1726 at Monocacy, Prince George's County, Maryland. He was the son of George Williams and Sarah Williams. The Williams family came originally from Wales to America in 1685.

The family moved from Frederick County, Maryland to Frederick County, Virginia, until 1745 and then they moved to North Carolina. First they settled in Cane Creek and the in June of 1749 they transferred to the Carver's Creek Monthly Meeting and then they eventually moved to Guilford County with other members of the family and settled in the vicinity of the New Garden Monthly Meeting. Prudence and Richard remained there until their deaths.

At the end of the Revolutionary war, a battle was fought at the Guilford County Court House. The British Officers at the battle were quartered at the Williams home and Richard contracted smallpox from one of them and died on May 6, 1781.

Prudence remained in the house and eventually died there at the age of eighty-eight years on June 25, 1811. Both are buried at the New Garden FBG. ^[1]

"The first authentic record of George Williams is in the Minute of Fairfax (Virginia) Monthly Meeting, recording the marriage of Richard Williams and Prudence Beales, October 11, 1746, at Monocacy, in Maryland, just across the Virginia line, which states that Richard was the son of George Williams. Coldspring, or Monocacy Meeting at that time came within the jurisdiction of the Monthly Meeting of Fairfax, Loudon County, Virginia. About five miles from Monocacy is the town of Bealesville, probably founded by the family of Prudence Beales, wife of Richard Williams.^[2]

Prudence Beales was the daughter of John Beales, of Bealesville, Maryland. John Beales, Sr., was a member of the Society of Friends who settled near Aston, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He married in 1682, Mary, the daughter of William Clayton, Sr., and later moved to Nottingham, PA where he died in 1726. His children so far as definitely known, were John, Jr., William, Jacob, Mary and Patience.

Prudence, daughter of John Beales of Nottingham and later of Bealsville, who married Richard Williams, had brother named Thomas and probably one named Bowater. It is certain that Prudence and Thomas Beales were children of John Beale but whether of the father or his son John, is not known, probably of the latter. Thomas Beales was a Minister of the Society of Friends and was the first white settler in the state of Ohio, having gone there in 1780 from North Carolina under the auspices of his Meeting to preach to the Indians. ^[3]

William Clayton, father of Mary Clayton who married John Beales, Sr., arrived in the ship "Kent" from London in company with certain commissioners sent by the Proprietors of New Jersey, to purchase lands from the Indians, etc., in 167S. He purchased the share of Hans Oelson, one of the original grantees of Warcus Hook, and settled at that place.

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.billputman.com/Beals.pdf
2. ↑ "Genealogy of the Williams family : descendants of George Williams" by Richard Jordan Williams, publ 1908 ", page 10,11 https://archive.org/stream/genealogyofwilli00will#page/10/mode/1up
3. ↑ https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Beals-54

See also:

• State of North Carolina Archives [1]

• Westfield Monthly Meeting -Men's Minutes, 1828

Name: John Williams

Birth Date: 18 Mar 1773

Birth Date on Image: 18 Third 1773

Birth Place: Surry, North Carolina

Father: Richard Williams

Mother: Prudence Williams

Monthly Meeting: Westfield Monthly Meeting

Historical Meeting Data: Search for this monthly meeting in the 'Quaker Monthly :Meetings Index'

Yearly Meeting: North Carolina Yearly Meeting

Title: Men's Minutes, 1828

Meeting State: North Carolina

Meeting County: Surry

Documentation Source:

Swarthmore, Quaker Meeting Records. Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.