Phoebe (Beals) Sumner (1725 - 1805)

Born 3 Oct 1725 in Chester, Province of Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Wife of Charles Canaday — married 1740 (to 1745) in Prince George's County, Maryland

Wife of Robert Sumner Sr — married Sep 1746 (to 1 Dec 1775) in Virginia

Descendants

Died 19 Aug 1805 at age 79 in Orange, North Carolina, United States

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Biography

Phoebe was a Friend (Quaker)

Phoebe Beals was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania in about 1720. She married Charles Canaday in 1740 in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Charles Canaday was born about 1715 or 1716. He is found living in Prince George County, Maryland, just over the Pennsylvania border in the 1730s. It was here that he met and married Phoebe Beals.

Charles and Phoebe Canaday had their first child, John Canaday on April 5, 1741 while still living in Prince George's County, Maryland. They had their second child, Charles, a few years later on November 4, 1744 after moving to Fairfax County in northern Virginia. This area was still mostly wilderness at the time, and problems with the Indians were common. It was in the Indian wars of Virginia that Charles Canaday was killed sometime in 1745. He is buried somewhere in what is now Loudoun County, Virginia.

Phoebe Canaday remarried the following year, September 1746, to Robert Sumner. Robert was not a Quaker at the time, so the marriage was `out of unity.' Phoebe was disowned. In 1749, Robert became a member of the Quaker faith, and the family was received and restored to membership in Fairfax (Loudon County) Virginia Monthly Meeting.

In 1751, the family moved to North Carolina. They were members of the Carver's Creek Monthly meeting in Bladen County in February of 1751, the Cane Creek Monthly Meeting in Orange County in July of 1751, and finally the New Garden Monthly Meeting in Guilford County in 1754. Phoebe and Robert Sumner remained in what is now Guilford County (was part of Rowan County at the time) in North Carolina. They had ten more children whose birth dates are recorded in the minutes of the New Garden Monthly Meeting

The fourth of eight children born to John Jr & Sarah C (Bowater) Beals of Chester Co PA, Phebe married:

1) Charles Canaday in 1740, the son of John & Elizabwth (Douze) Canaday of MD; he died in 1745 during the Indian Wars. They had two sons, John and Charles Jr. 2) Robert Sumner on 26 Sep 1746 in Fairfax Co VA, the son of James & Mary (Blanchard) Sumner of NC; they had ten children, six sons and four daughters.

At a Monthly Meeting of Quakers held on 29 Sep 1746, Phebe was disowned for marrying Robert, who was not of the faith. However, on 26 Jun 1749, Robert became a Quaker and he and Phebe were received into New Garden MM. In 1751, the family moved to Bladen Co NC and were welcomed as members of Carver's Creek Friends. By Jul 1751 however, they were members of the newly founded Cane Creek Friends in Orange Co NC. Yet again, in 1754, they were members of Tom's Creek Friends in Rowan Co NC.

In 1770, the eastern part of Rowan Co was combined with the western part of Orange Co to create Guilford Co, in NC. This is where both Phebe and Robert passed their days and were buried in Jamestown.

Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol I, Pg 170 and Hinshaw's Encyclopedia of Quaker Genealogy: "The name was changed to Westfield Meeting House from Tom's Creek Meeting House, when the monthly meeting was established in 1786."

Prior to 1752, Quaker records were read in the 'Old Style', using the Julian calendar; the first month was March and the last month was February. In and after 1752, dates were read in the 'New Style', using the present day Gregorian calendar; the first month is January and the last December.

BURIAL Friends Burying Ground Jamestown, Guilford County, North Carolina, USA

Sources

• WikiTree profile Beals-82 created through the import of Shurtliff Family.ged on Jun 20, 2011 by Mark Shurtliff. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Mark and others.
• http://www.billputman.com/Beals.pdf
• Family Ramblings blog
• Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy; compiled by William Wade Hinshaw; 1936
• Hatchett, Karmen - information sent 10/5/96
• Beals, Thomas - First Minister by Harlow Lindley; Ohio State Archeological and Historical Quarterly; Jan/Mar 1610

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56355805/phebe-bowater-sumner