Richard Beasley (1761 - 1842)

Ancestors Descendants

Biography

Richard Beasley was the son of Henry and Mable Beasley. He married Henrietta Springer in 1791, and they had 8 children, 3 sons and 5 daughters. In his life, Richard was a office holder, fur trader, businessman, JP, politician, militia officer, and farmer. He was captured by rebels on Sept. 14, 1777 during the America Revolution. In 1783, he formed a partnership with Peter Smith in the Indian Trade, and they built trading houses in Toronto and Port Hope. Beasley took up land in Barton Township at the head of Lake Ontario. Patrick Campbell visited him there in 1792 and recorded that he "keeps a shop and trades much with the Indians in Peltry". He also noted that he had a sawmill and grist-mill in Ancaster Township on a creek emptying into Burlington Bay. In the early 1790's Beasley took up land on the southeast end of Burlington Heights. He built a house, a stable and a barn. Richard spent the rest of his years in various occupations, and passed away in 1842. He was buried in Hamilton, Ontario. ^[1]

War of 1812
In 1804, he became the lieutenant colonel of the 2nd York Militia. ^[2]

On January 2, 1809, he enlisted in the 2nd York Militia. ^[3]

He took an oath of allegiance on March 25, 1812. ^[4]

Richard Beasley served as the lieutenant colonel of the 2nd York Militia during the War of 1812. In September, 1812, he led a detachment looking for deserters and absentees. ^[5]

On March 4, 1813, he was reported living in Barton Township. ^[6]

In March, 1813, he took 3 companies of militia men to Niagara for drill at Fort George. His son David went with them. ^[7]

After the capture of York on April 27, 1813, he and Capt. Hector McKay visited the city but were not captured. ^[8]

In May, 1813, the Beasley home and farm were taken over by the British army prior to the Battle of Stoney Creek. ^[9]

As his property on Burlington Heights had been taken over by the British in June of 1813, he later made a claim for lost rent, the destruction of his orchard, and the burning of his fences for fuel. ^[10]

He served July 29 to 31, 1813. ^[11]

He served in the Niagara District, September 17 to October 24, 1813. ^[12]

He reported the use of 2 horses from September 17 to October 24, 1813. ^[13] He received compensation for the use of 2 horses from September 20 to December 24, 1813. ^[14]

In January, 1814, he served on a board investigating people suspected of having aided the enemy and served with a group of magistrates to consider just prices for farm supplies. ^[15]

On March 24, 1814, he was appointed a commissioner with the power to “secure and detain” persons suspected of “treasonable adherence to the enemy”. ^[16]

He was at Hutes Huas near St. David’s, July 4 to 24, 1814. The 2nd York was scouting the American position at that time. ^[17]

He received compensation for the use of two horses from July 4 to December 24, 1814. ^[18]

He was at Burlington Heights, July 25 to August 7, 1814. He was present at the Battle of Lundy’s Lane on July 25th. ^[19]

On August 8, 1826, Major Titus G. Simons wrote a letter explaining why he had taken command from Richard Beasley during the Battle of Lundy’s Lane. He also testified at Beasley’s court martial. ^[20]

Richard served at Burlington Heights, August 20 to September 24, 1814. ^[21] He served November 5 to 12, 1814. ^[22]

After the war he made a number of war claims for his losses at Burlington Heights and merchandise captured by the enemy on September 6, 1814. On June 8, 1813, Major Titus G. Simons signed a receipt for a large grubbing hoe and a spade he received from Richard Beasley for work at Burlington Heights. Capt. Isaac Swayze signed a receipt for the use of Richard Beasley’s meadow at Burlington in July, 1813, by the Horses of the Royal Artillery. In the fall of 1813, Mjr. Gen. John Vincent signed a receipt for the renting of Richard Beasley’s house at Burlington Heights as an officer’s quarters from June 1 to October 9, 1813 and forward to January 9, 1814. Mjr. Gen. John Vincent signed a receipt for Richard Beasley for 11,000 rails destroyed from June 1 to December 31, 1813 and for 1,000 feet of fence boards. The rails had been used to bake bread and biscuits for the troops stationed at Burlington. On September 15, 1815, Richard and Samuel Hatt signed a receipt for the occupation of Burlington Heights from June 1, 1813 to September 1, 1815 by British troops. The fences had been burnt by troops and Indians, timber was cut down, meadows were destroyed, the crops in the fields in 1813 were destroyed, and the house, barn, garden, and orchard had all been injured. On September 11, 1815, Major Titus G. Simons and Wagon Master John K. Simons both certified that they had been at Burlington Heights in June, 1813, and witnessed threshed wheat, rye, and hay in the barn, the army horses fed on Richard’s grain, sheaves of wheat taken to the boats for beds for the wounded after the Battle of Stoney Creek, and the destruction of fields by army horses. On September 12, 1815, Richard Beasley made a claim for the previous items and damage done by digging trenches and the loss of a wagon harness, a shed and stable burned, eight large hogs, rents owed, and a boat load of merchandise captured by the Americans on September 6, 1814. On January 17, 1816, he made a war claim for merchandise lost on September 6, 1814 when his boat was taken by the enemy at Presquile Point on Lake Ontario. He claimed for two casks of nails, two boxes of window glass, a keg of pepper, a box of shot, two chests of tea, a box of mustard, a keg of snuff, two barrels of port wine, a barrel of teriffs wine, a barrel of shrub, a barrel of peppermint cordial, and sundry other articles. ^[23]

On September 12, 1815, Richard made a second war claim for the loss of two sheds burned by the troops in December, 1813 at Burlington Heights. The first was 12 by 40 feet. He claimed for 620 feet of timber, 1600 feet of inch boards, nails, and the carpentry work. The second was a thirty-five foot square sheep shed filled with timber. He claimed for 1600 feet of timber, 2000 feet of inch boards, 6000 shingles, nails, and shingling and carpentry work. John Aikman and Abraham Lockman, house carpenters, certified the claim. They also certified the amount of damage to the brick house occupied by the troops since June, 1814. On September 4, 1823, he resubmitted his claim for his boat load of merchandise lost in 1814. Henry Beasley certified that claim. ^[24]

Legacy
The Beasley neighbourhood in Hamilton, Ontario, is named after Richard Beasley, as is Beasley Park.^[25]

Sources

• 1801 Land Deeds Old York Land Deeds, Ontario Canada. Film # 008199938
  • Dated: 1 June, 1801 (image 65/504)
    • Richard Beasley of Barton Twp, and Henrietta his wife sold land.
  • NOTE: There are a LOT of land deals between Richard Beasley, James Wilson and Jean-Baptiste Rousseau. See images 15, 36, 43, 44, 47, 51, 53-59, 61, 62, 63, 64. (and probably more). 66

1. ↑ Robert L. Fraser, “BEASLEY, RICHARD,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 7, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed December 22, 2017, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/beasley_richard_7E.html.
2. ↑ David Richard, Beasley, From Bloody Beginnings, Richard Beasley’s Upper Canada, Davus Publishing, Simcoe, Ontario, 2008, page 226
3. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10383, pages 1040-1044
4. ↑ Oath transcription, taken by Colonel Richard Beasley, 2nd York Militia, March 25, 1812 before Wm. Applegarth J.P and oath transcription, taken before Colonel Richard Beasley, on March 25 & April 4, 1812 by 23 officers
5. ↑ Thomas Melville Bailey, Editor, Dictionary of Hamilton Biography, Volume 1, W.L. Griffin Limited, 1981, page 16
6. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10383, pages 1040-1042
7. ↑ David Richard, Beasley, From Bloody Beginnings, Richard Beasley’s Upper Canada, Davus Publishing, Simcoe, Ontario, 2008, page 270
8. ↑ David Richard, Beasley, From Bloody Beginnings, Richard Beasley’s Upper Canada, Davus Publishing, Simcoe, Ontario, 2008, page 274
9. ↑ James E. Elliott, Strange Fatality, The Battle of Stoney Creek, 1813, Robin Brass Studio Inc., 2009, page 54
10. ↑ Thomas Melville Bailey, Editor, Dictionary of Hamilton Biography, Volume 1, W.L. Griffin Limited, 1981, page 16
11. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10384, pages 180-181, 187-188, & 191-192
12. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10384, pages 11 & 23-25
13. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10383, page 1065
14. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10383, page 1065
15. ↑ Thomas Melville Bailey, Editor, Dictionary of Hamilton Biography, Volume 1, W.L. Griffin Limited, 1981, page 16
16. ↑ Ernest Alexander Cruikshank, Documentary History of the Campaign Upon the Niagara Frontier, Vol. 9, Lundy’s Lane Historical Society, printed at the Tribune Office, Welland, 1908, online at www.ourroots.ca, pages 253 & 255.
17. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10384, pages 36-38, 42-44, & 55-59
18. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10383, page 1065
19. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10384, pages 29-32, 40-42, & 45-54
20. ↑ Collections Canada, RG9 I-B-1 Volume 13 courtesy of Ross Petty, 2014
21. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-10384, page 27
22. ↑ Collections Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, Microfilm t-1034, pages 62-66
23. ↑ Collections Canada, The War of 1812: Board of Claims for Losses, 1813-1848, Microfilm t-1127, Pages 344-378
24. ↑ Collections Canada, The War of 1812: Board of Claims for Losses, 1813-1848, Microfilm t-1130, Pages 302-311
25. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Beasley, Hamilton," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beasley,_Hamilton&oldid=745759708 (accessed December 22, 2017).

See also:

• Wikipedia contributors, "Richard Beasley (politician)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Beasley_(politician)&oldid=783397556 (accessed December 22, 2017).
• The Loyalists in Ontario: The Sons and Daughters of the American Loyalists of Upper Canada. Lambertville, NJ, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1973, William D. Reid, po. 305-306. Image on Ancestry.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #65089957 Christ's Church Anglican Cathedral Cemetery, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada