John Pitts Beasley Sr. (abt. 1739 - abt. 1792)

Born about 1739 in Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 23 May 1792 at about age 53 in Warren, North Carolina, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Amber Tovar [send private message], Jessica Baldwin [send private message], and Amy Green [send private message]

Research Note

This profile is a mistaken identity and should be merged. Documentation and DNA proves that John Pitts Beasley was the son of Jon Pitts and a daughter of William Beasley. He was married to Elizabeth. But the last name Lilse is a common misattribution of a woman who married a different John Beasley. The difference of DOB is simply because it is an estimate as there is no documented DOB. The Date of death for both profiles is correct and supported by the will indicating that these are the same person. Please accept the merge proposed.

Doug Beezley

Biography

JOHN PITTS BEASLEY, b. between 1730 and 1740... say 1735. ; d. Warren County, North Carolina, before May 1792, testate, with is will dated 31 August 1783, leaving all of his property to wife ELIZABETH (___), but not naming specifically his children.^[1] His wife is often wrongly reported as Sarah Lilse, but as is indicated in the notes below, the John Beasley who married her belonged to the Beasleys of Chowan County, North Carolina, and was not John Pitts Beasley. John Pitts Beasley was in Bute County, North Carolina, in 1777. An estate sale held on 16 December 1805 listed Thomas, Barnet, Pitts, John, and James Beasley, among others, who were perhaps his children.^[2]

It is likely that "John" and "Pitts" were the same person. Subsequently, John was known as "John Pitts Beasley Jr" and he, in turn, had a son John Pitts Beasley III. Subsequent records have also been found for Barnett but none for Thomas or James.

Parents

John Pitts and _____ Beasley, possibly a daughter of William Beasley^[3]

Military

"North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers, 1779-1782," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WT-LPL5 : accessed 30 March 2017, amb), John Pits Beasley, 15 Feb 1781; citing Halifax, Halifax, North Carolina, United States, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh.

Marriages

"North Carolina, Civil Marriages, 1763-1868", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29D-YRYR : 22 February 2016), John Beasley and Sarah Liles, 1752.

Residence

Will

In The name of God Amen I John Pitts Beasley Considering the Certainty of Death and the Uncertainty of Life do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament my Soul I bequeath into the Hand of God that Gave it. And my body to be Decently buried at the Discretion of My Executors And as for the worldly Goods the Lord Hath Blessed me with I Give and bestow in form and manner as Followeth:

Item I Lend Unto my Beloved wife Elizabeth Beesley all my Estate during Her Widowhood or Life and after Her Marriage or Death my will and Desire is that all my Estate Be Equally Divided Among my Children Except Two Negroes and one Hundred Acres of Land which I Lend Unto my Wife in Case She marrys and my Desire is that she have Choice of the Negroes and the Land.

And Lastly I do Appoint my Beloved wife Elizabeth Beesley & John Smith Executors to this my Last Will and Testament whereunto I have Set my Hand affixed my Seal this Thirty First day of August one thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty three Signed and Sealed John Pitts Beasley in presence of

Arthur Turner, Jurat; Mary (her x mark) Turner, Warren County May Court 1792

This Last Will and Testament of John Pitts Beasley Decd. was presented in Court and proved by the oath [of] Arthur Turner, a witness thereto and Ordered to be Recorded and Elizabeth Beasley as Executrix, Named in said quallifd. Accordingly to whom Letters Testamentary are Granted. Test. M. Duke Johnson"

John was born in 1740. He passed away in 1792.

John was born about 1730. He passed away in 1792. ^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ John Pitts Beasley will abstract, Warren County, North Carolina, Will Book 6: 97, abstracted in Mary Hinton Kerr, comp., Warren County, North Carolina Records, Volume III, Abstracts of Will Books, 1779-1814 (Warrenton, NC: Mary Hinton Kerr, 1969), 47.
2. ↑ Warren County, North Carolina, Will Book 14: 221, in ibid, 172.
3. ↑ Based upon comment on 12 Apr 2017 at 14:41 GMT by Douglas Beezley
4. ↑ Unsourced family tree handed down to Amy (Mizell) Green.

• Beatty, John D., CG. Some Beasley Families of the Colonial South, p. 26. Fort Wayne, Indiana Privately Published 2014
• Deed, 3/10/1761: John Pitts Beasley of Amelia Co., Va. from Edmond Harper of St. Patrick Parish and Prince Edward Co., 10 Mar. 1761, Prince Edward Co., Va. Deed Records 2:58-59, Clerk Circuit Court, Farmville, Va. 198.75 acres, part in Prince Edward Co. and part in Amelia Co. upon the Branches of Sandi River and the Branches of Flat Creek.
• Tax List, 1766: John P. Beasley on 1766 List of Tithables in Rawleigh Parish taken by Thomas Tabb, Amelia Co., Virginia, The Library of Virginia, Richmond. 1 Chariot, 1 Chair, 4 wheels.
• Deed, 11/22/1777: John Pitts Beazely, from Travis Rees and wife, Ann, 22 Nov. 1777, Warren Co., N.C. Deed Records 6:345-346, Register of Deeds, Warrenton, N.C. 289 acres in Bute Co. on Haughtree Creek near the Virginia line, adjoining Barbee, Hawkins, Alexander, and Murrey. Bute Co. became Warren Co. in 1779.
• Will, 8/31/1783: Will of John Pitts Beasley, Warren Co., North Carolina, 31 August 1783. The original will is in the County Records of the North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh. It is also recorded in Will Book 6: 97-98.
• Find a Grave
• John Pitts Beasley
• heycuz.net Ancestral File (TM) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• http://hiattfamily.org/gen/lda-2014-10-03/aqwg16955.htm
• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jeanhmz&id=I18
• Inventory of the Estate of John Pitts Beasley, 23 May 1792, Warren Co., N.C. Will Book 6:96-98, Co. Superior Court, Warrenton, N.C. Original in County Records, N.C. Archives, Raleigh. Report by Elizabeth Beasley.
• Land Division of John Pitts Beasley, 10 Sept. 1805, Warren Co., N.C. Deed Records 17:251-252, Register of Deeds, Warrenton, N.C. Divided into nine lots going to: Widow's Dower [Elizabeth], William Jones, Heirs of William Beasley, Thomas Beasley, Heirs of Wade Brooks, John Beasley, James Kid, Barnett Beasley, Pitts Beasley and James Beasley.
• Inventory of the Estate of John Pitts Beasley, 1805, Warren Co., N.C. Will Records 6:95-98, Clerk Superior Court, Warrenton, N.C. Original in County Records, N.C. Archives, Raleigh.
• Account of Sale of John Pitts Beasley, 16 Dec. 1805, Warren Co., N.C. Will Records 14:220-223, Clerk Superior Court, Warrenton, N.C. Original in County Records, N.C. Archives, Raleigh. Purchasing: Pitts Beasley, Abraham Puckett, Thos. Beasley, Barnett Beasley, Wm. Jones, John Beasley, James Kid, and James Beasley.
• http://www.beasleygenealogy.net/index.php/forum/brown-clan-discussion/21-a-proposal-for-the-parents-of-john-pitts-beasley

Research Notes

In May of 2016, I made some changes to the record for John Pitts Beasley based on DNA evidence and extensive research. I'm afraid I didn't take the time to include all the evidence and arguments that I should have. Now, the essential facts are correct but should be explicated. I have so many projects on my hands now, it will take some time. I'm willing to share information if contacted. In the meantime, let me point out some important matters:

1. A common error that has been corrected is that his spouse was Sarah (Elizabeth) Lilse or Lisle or Lylse. The correct wife is Elizabeth (possibly Barnet).

2. Because of proximity, it is often thought that he was a son of one of the male Essex County Beasley's. This is disproven by DNA evidence.

3. Matching YDNA tests of 3 John Pitts Beasley descendants and 2 descendants of John Pitts Sr of Essex County point to JPB's father being John Pitts, Jr b about 1700.

4. I have made an argument speculating that the mother may have been one of two unmarried daughters of William Beasley II of Essex County.

5. There is no explicit naming of JPB's children in the will. The most certain offspring include John Pitts Beasley II and Barnett Beasley, possibly James and Thomas.

6. I am aware of no evidence to support Elizabeth (Beasley) Kidd as being his daughter but that doesn't rule out the possibility.

7. In the current listing of JPB's son John Pitts Beasley, the listed spouse and children are incorrect.

8. Finally, an important research document for Beasley genealogy is noted in the sourcing below, John Beatty's preliminary study "Some Beasley Families...". Much of what was written about JPB in that document has been superseded although there are important pieces of evidence supporting the more recent conclusions.

I welcome inquiries. Doug Beezley (Beezley-12)

Find A Grave Memorial# 129215853 notes that caution is advised as John Pitt Beasley was not the only John Beasley living in Chowan County, North Carolina then.

Thank you to Michelle Brooks for creating Beasley-679 on 13 Oct 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Michelle and others.