Robert Beasley (abt. 1630 - bef. 1695)

Born about 1630 in England

Husband of Johanna Jenkins — married 9 Sep 1689 in Berkeley Parish, Albemarle County, North Carolina

Descendants

Died before 1695 before about age 65 in Perquimans Precinct, Albemarle County, North Carolina

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BEASLEY SURNAME STUDY

This lineage tree defined as the Descendants of Robert Beasley is identified with the Beasley Genealogy Project. The "White Group" indicates that we do not have Y-DNA testing of any identified descendants. We welcome and encourage participation.

Biography

ROBERT BEASLEY was born probably in England say 1630. He died in Perquimans Precinct, Albemarle County, North Carolina, before March 1694/5, intestate.^[1] He married three times. He married first SARAH (___).^[2] Various researchers have ascribed different maiden names for her, including Scofield, Loadman, and Petit, but there is no evidence of her maiden name in any North Carolina source. A “Sarah Basly,” likely her daughter, received a cow in the will of James Loadman of Perquimans District, which was dated 14 November 1694 and probated 8 April 1695.^[3] This fact has led some researchers to ascribe “Loadman” erroneously as Sarah’s maiden name. Loadman’s land adjoined that of Robert Beasley in Perquimans Precinct, but he did not state a relationship to Sarah in the will, and hence she was likely only a neighbor (the daughter of Robert and the elder Sarah) and not a blood relation. The elder Sarah, wife of Robert, died about 1688, at least four years before James Loadman’s will. Robert married second in Berkeley Parish, Albemarle County, North Carolina, on 9 September 1689, JOHANNA JENKINS.^[4] She died about 1693. He married third about 1694, MARY (___), who survived him and filed a petition to divide his estate that was to take effect by the end of March 1694/5.^[5]

Robert settled in North Carolina after the births of his first two children but before 1678. He lived in Albemarle County in that portion known as Berkeley Precinct, which later became known as Perquimans Precinct. His name first appears in the records of Berkeley Parish, when “Robe. Ffrancis Besely, son of Robert Beseley & Sarah his wife was born ye 11th of July 1678.” ^[2]A year later on 4 August 1679, according to the same source, Peter Jones died “and was buried at Robert Beesleys.”^[2]

On 5 March 1687, Robert purchased from David Blake all rights to a tract of land on the north side of the Perquimans River adjoining Peter Gray’s land, with the deed witnessed by Gray and Stephen Manwaring or Mannering.^[6] The following year he recorded his crop mark for livestock at the Perquimans Precinct court on 1 April 1689, the mark being “a cropp in the left eare & a slit in the right ear.”^[7] Joanna Jenkins, his future wife, recorded her mark at the same time.

At about the same period Robert’s name appears in Quaker records as a witness to several marriages. On 19, 8th Month 1687, he signed as a witness to the marriage of John Belman and Sarah Wilson at the house of Jona Phelps. Johanna Jenkins, his future wife, was also a witness.^[8] His name appears again on 1, 4th month 1689 as a witness to the marriage of Gabriel Newby, son of William Newby of Nansemond County, Virginia, to Mary Tomes, daughter of Francis Tomes of “Paquimance” in Albemarle, recorded in the quarterly meeting at Ann Nicholson’s house.^[9] He also witnessed the marriage of William Bogue to Eliner Perisho, both of “Paquimance” or Perquimans, on 5, 6th month, 1689..^[10] His presence in these records suggests a strong sympathy for the Friends, but in none of the lists is he formally recorded as a member.

Robert continued to acquire land in Perquimans Precinct. On 5 October 1690, he purchased from James Johnson “my labour, that is to say my fencing & house, Excepting my Young Apple trees & peach trees,” in a deed signed by James and Rachel Johnson and witnessed by Charles Macdaniel and Samuel Nicholson.^[11] On 7 February 1693/4, he proved his rights to land by entering the names of six persons in order to secure a grant or headright for additional land. Those names included those of himself, his wife, and two children, as well as two others: Robert Beasley, Sarah Beasley, James Beasley, Johanah Beasley, Richard Cheston, and Sarah Cheston.^[12][13] His relationship to the Chestons or Chestones, if any, is not known. He received 282 acres for transporting the same six persons on 13 March 1693/4.^[14] Another grant for 200 acres followed soon after on 31 March 1694 for transporting James Johnson and Rachell his wife, William Johnson, and James Johnson Jr.^[15]

The first of the above grants was made official on 1 May 1694 in a grant from William, Earl of Craven, and specified 282 acres on the Perquimans River adjoining land of Peter Gray.^[16][17] The second patent, dated 1 June 1694, comprised a grant of 218 acres adjoining the land of James Loadman, Robert’s own land, William Bogue, Richard Cheston, and Peter Gray.^[18] Loadman, as has been shown, left a will the same year in which he left a cow to “Sarah Basly,” though no other relationship is stated or inferred.^[19] Later in 1694, Robert proved four additional rights in order to obtain additional land: James Beasley, Peter Jones, An [illegible], and Mary Lacy, with the grant assigned to Thomas Leper. A later grant named John Lacy, Mary a Negro, James Hunter, and Elizabeth Randall, with Robert transferring his right to Leper on 31 March 1694.^[20]

Before the time of his land acquisitions, Sarah Beasley, Robert’s wife, died, and the records of Berkeley Parish include notice of his second marriage: “Robert Besley & Johanah Jenkins tooke etch other as man & wife before me Alexander Lillington this 9th of Septem. 1689.”^[4] In March 1693, he received payment for “foure days attendance and six days goeing and coming” to court, while Johanna Beasley, his wife, was paid for one day.^[21] Johannah appears to have died not long after this date.

Robert and an unnamed wife, apparently Johannah, were referenced in a court case in Perquimans Precinct filed in January 1692[/3]. Steven “Manwaren” brought the suit against Robert in a case of debt, but a jury found “no cause of action” and ordered Manwaren to pay the costs. In a further notation, “that whereas Robart Besle petitioned ye court for him selfe his wife Atendin apone ye account of Steven Mannwaren on _ day ordered yt Steven Manwaren pay to Robert Besle fife Shillens & six penc.”^[22] The court required Robert to pay eleven shillings to William Vos and eleven to Robert Brightwell for their costs.

Shortly after this date but before the following March, Robert died intestate in Perquimans Precinct. At the March court 1694/5 in the records of the Superior Court in Chowan County, North Carolina, Mary Beasley, Robert’s widow, petitioned for her dower of a third of the estate. The remainder was to go to his children, who were not named in the record, with the division to occur by the end of that month.^[23] The following year on 13 April 1696, Richard Naylor mentioned in his will the cattle in the possession of “Robert Beazley of “Poquomins” [Perquimans].^[24] An undated petition of “Robart Beasly” from the 1690s claimed that Charles Mackdanel was indebted to him for £7.5.0, and the court granted him an attachment for cattle and hogs of Mackdanel to cover the cost.^[25]

The identity of Robert’s third wife, Mary, remains uncertain. The Berkeley Parish registers refer to her as Mary Jones in the marriage records of two of her children, Mary and Ann, but it is clear that this was her married name prior to her marriage to Robert. Perhaps she was a widow of Peter Jones, who had died at Robert Beasley’s house in 1679. The first marriage of Mary’s children from this first marriage occurred in 1699: “John Morgen ye Son of James Morgen and Jean His Wife Was Married to Mary Jones ye daughter of Mary Jones ye Rellock of Robart Beasle th 2 day of September Anno 1699.” ^[26]The second reference was recorded two years later in 1701: “[P]eter Albertson ye Son of Albertso [sic] Albertson and Mary His Wife was Marryed to Ann Jones ye daughter of Mary Beasley Widdow ye 17 [?] day of August 1701 by Mr. Bret.”^[27]. Mary continued to live for several more decades, and on 17 March 1735, her step-grandson James Beasley presented to the court an inventory of her estate that included an unnamed slave boy.^[28]

The identities of Robert and Sarah’s children are proven from several sources. James and Johanah Beasley are named in a headright record of their father in 1694.^[29] Later, when James married Mary Cropley, he was referred to as the son of James and Sarah.^[30] Francis Beasley’s birth was recorded in Berkeley Parish in 1678,^[2] while Sarah is referenced as the daughter of Robert and Sarah in her 1702 marriage record.^[31]

The original bio with this profile was incorrect and deleted. After the merge is complete, please remove this statement.

Sources

1. ↑ J. R. B. Hathaway, North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1978), 1: 141-142.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Haun; Births, Marriages and Deaths: Page 9
3. ↑ James Loadman/Lodman will (1694) in Stephen E. Bradley, Early Records of North Carolina (Keysville, Virginia: Stephen E. Bradley, 1994), 2: 8, no. 69.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Haun; Births, Marriages and Deaths: Page 33
5. ↑ J. R. B. Hathaway, North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1978), 1: 141-142.
6. ↑ Perquimans County, North Carolina, Deed Book A, Deed No. 50, in Ellen Goode Winslow, History of Perquimans County (Raleigh, North Carolina: Ellen Goode Winslow, 1931). See also Weynette Parks Haun, Old Albemarle County, North Carolina, Perquimans Precinct Court Minutes, 1688 thru 1738 (Durham, North Carolina: Weynette Parks Haun, 1980), 3-4; citing original page 8.
7. ↑ Weynette Parks Haun, Old Albemarle County, North Carolina, Perquimans Precinct Court Minutes, 1688 thru 1738 (Durham, North Carolina: Weynette Parks Haun, 1980), 1; citing original page 2.
8. ↑ William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1978), 1: 1.
9. ↑ Bjorkman: Page 86
10. ↑ Bjorkman: Page 87
11. ↑ Perquimans County, North Carolina, Deed Book A: Deed no. 55; in Weynette Parks Haun, Perquimans County, North Carolina, Deed Abstracts, 1681 thru 1729, Book I (Durham, North Carolina: Weynette Parks Haun, 1983), 8; citing Deed no. 55. See also Weynette Parks Haun, Old Albemarle County, North Carolina, Book of Land Warrants and Surveys, 1681-1706 (Durham, North Carolina: Weynette Parks Haun, 1987), 6, citing original page 13.
12. ↑ Haun; Surveys: Page 8; citing original page 18; and 19; citing original page 46
13. ↑ See also William B. Saunders, ed., Colonial Records of North Carolina (Raleigh, North Carolina: State Printer, 1886), 1: 396.
14. ↑ Haun; Surveys: Page 19; citing original page 46.
15. ↑ Haun; Surveys: Page 20; citing original page 47
16. ↑ North Carolina Patent Book 1: 307, in Mrs. Watson Winslow, History of Perquimans County, North Carolina (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1974), 324.
17. ↑ Haun; Surveys: 44, citing original pages 116-117
18. ↑ North Carolina Patent Book 1: 16, in Winslow, ibid, 324; see also Old Albemarle County, North Carolina, Book of Land Warrants and Surveys, 1681-1706, 47; citing original pages 123-124.
19. ↑ Bradley
20. ↑ Bradley Page 21; citing original page 50.
21. ↑ William B. Saunders, ed., Colonial Records of North Carolina (Raleigh, North Carolina: P. M. Hale, 1886), 1: 386.
22. ↑ Haun, Old Albemarle County, North Carolina, Perquimans Precinct, Court Minutes, 1688 thru 1738, Book I, 16; citing original page 35.
23. ↑ Hathaway, North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, 1: 141-142.
24. ↑ William B. Saunders, Colonial Records of North Carolina (Raleigh, North Carolina: State Printer, 1886), 141-142.
25. ↑ Haun, Old Albemarle County, North Carolina, Perquimans Precinct Court Minutes, 1688 thru 1738, 40; citing original page 99.
26. ↑ Haun; Births, Marriages and Deaths: Page 45; citing original page 64.
27. ↑ Haun; Births, Marriages and Deaths: Page 46; citing original page 66.
28. ↑ Bradley, Early Records of North Carolina, 2: 40, no. 353 (27).
29. ↑ Haun; Surveys: Page 8
30. ↑ Haun; Births, Marriages and Deaths: Page 62.
31. ↑ Hathaway, North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, 409.

Publications:

• Weynette Parks Haun, Old Albemarle County, North Carolina, Perquimans Precinct, Births, Marriages, Deaths, and Flesh Marks, 1659 thru 1820 (Durham, North Carolina: Weynette Parks Haun, 1980)
• James Loadman/Lodman will (1694) in Stephen E. Bradley, Early Records of North Carolina (Keysville, Virginia: Stephen E. Bradley, 1994), 3: 56
• Weynette Parks Haun, Old Albemarle County, North Carolina, Book of Land Warrants and Surveys, 1681-1706 (Durham, North Carolina: Weynette Parks Haun, 1987)
• Gwen Boyer Bjorkman, Quaker Marriage Certificates: Pasquotank, Perquimans, Piney Woods, and Suttons Creek Monthly Meetings, North Carolina, 1677-1800 (Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1988)

SOME BEASLEY FAMILIES OF THE COLONIAL SOUTH

A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF CERTAIN FAMILIES WITH THE SURNAME OF BEASLEY-BEAZLEY-BEEZLEY-BEESLEY IN VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, AND NORTH CAROLINA, FROM THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES

By John D. Beatty, CG Fort Wayne, Indiana Privately Published 2014