William Beardsley (abt. 1605 - bef. 1661)

Born about 1605 in Derbyshire, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Harvey) Beardsley — married 26 Jan 1632 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England

Descendants

Died before 6 Jul 1661 before about age 56 in Stratford, Fairfield County, Colony of Connecticut

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William Beardsley migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 1, p. 222) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Parents

Hugh Beardsley and Margaret (Hassall) as parents are not proven, but despite the uncertainty Hugh Beardsley is the best known candidate.

Biography

Neither the names of William Beardsley's ^[1][2] father or grandfather have been proven. Some researchers have suggested that John Beardsley could have been named “Thomas John Beardsley” or “Thomas Beardsley”. However, middle names were not used at that time, and no other data has been found to prove, dispute, or change that which is suggested. Similarly, his son may have been William or Hugh, but probably not “William Hugh”. Recent ‘new’ Parish marriage records now appearing on-line only confuse the issue. Corroborating records could confirm these Parish marriage records, but none have been found to date, and their existence is unlikely. [NFD^[3]]

Birth

There seems to be no documented evidence^[4] which would support the tradition that William Beardsley was born in Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire and or born there 9 March 1603.^[2][5][1] He was most likely born in Derbyshire (where he was married) or in Hertfordshire (where the passengers of the ship "Planter" received a certificate just before emigration). He was most likely born in 1604 or 1605 (based on his age, 30 years old, when he emigrated in 1635).

Marriage

He married 26 Jan 1631/2 to Mary Harvey at Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England (St Mary's ?)^[6]

Emigration

"A Mason Wm Beardsley ... 30" was aboard the Planter, Nicholas Trarice, Master, which embarked on 02 April 1635 from England. The passengers brought a certificate from the Minister of St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, [Rev. Adam Blakeman].^{[7][5][1][8][9]} The ship arrived at Boston, Massachusetts.^[2][10][11]

Death and Legacy

William Beardsley's will was dated 28 September 1660 and was proved on 06 July 1661at Stratford, Fairfield County, Connecticut.^[12][1][13] He was buried at the Union Cemetery, Stratford, Fairfield County, Connecticut.^{[citation needed]}

William & Mary Beardslee Plaque

In the year, 1939, the 300th anniversary of the settlement of Stratford, Connecticut, the descendants of William and Mary Beardsley, placed a bronze plaque as a memorial which reads as follows:^[14]

To honor the memory of

William and Mary Beardsley

and the other first settlers of

Stratford who landed near this spot

in the year, 1639.

Erected by the Beardsley Family Association.

He was a mason by trade,^[1][10] and his descendant [Evert Lewis Beardsley] lived, and died in the house which was built by his ancestor, Henry Beardsley, in about 1760, and which has always remained in the family. It is situated on Lundy’s Lane, formerly called Rockly Land, and now known as Linden Avenue.^[15]

Events

Freeman: 07 DEC 1636 Massachusetts^[10][16]

Residence: 1638 Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut^[17]

a founder of Stratford, Connecticut: 1639^[17][16][1]

Residence: 1644 Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut

Representative: 1645 Connecticut^[12]

elected deputy to General Court seven years

Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut^[1]

Will Proved: 06 JUL 1661 Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut^[1][16]

Children

1. Mary Beardsley, born 1631 : married Thomas Wells.
2. . John Beardsley, born 1632 ; captain ; died November 19, 1718.
3. Joseph Beardsley, born 1634; mentioned below.
4. Samuel Beardsley, born. 1638; had land in what is now Bridgeport.
5. Sarah Beardsley, born 1640 ; married, June 8, 1668, Obadiah Dickinson.
6. Hannah Beardsley, born 1642 ; married Nathaniel Dickinson.
7. Daniel Beardsley, born 1644; died 1730.
8. Thomas Beardsley, mentioned by Savage.

DNA

Research Notes

See also Beardsley Family Name; Cutter on William Beardsley

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7} Orcutt: Page 1130
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Filby
3. ↑ Beardsley family researcher Nick Dann
4. ↑ New Englanders in Nova Scotia Manuscript. R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, MA. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010.) This 1939 has the Stratford story.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Marilyn Scribner
6. ↑ Great Migration 1634-1635, A-B. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume 1, A-B, by Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999. Pages 222ff
7. ↑ Hotten, John Camden, (1874) The Original Lists of Persons of Quality; Emigrants ... London: Hotten, Archive.org (Page 45).
8. ↑ Jacobus: Pages 45-46
9. ↑ Coldham, Peter Wilson, "The Complete Book of Emigrants 1607-1660" (pg. 128).
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} Savage: Page 148
11. ↑ The Planter, 1635; Olive Tree Genealogy.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Savage: Page 149
13. ↑ Cutter, William Richard, (1911) Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut, Volume II. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co, Archive.org (Vol 2, Page 726).
14. ↑ See also, Find A Grave Memorial #7649681/
15. ↑ Holt, Nellie Beardsley, (1950) Beardsley Genealogy: The Family of William Beardsley, One of the First Settlers of Connecticut. West Hartford, CT: Archive.org (Page 3).
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1 16.2} Cutter Page 1471
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} Holmes: Page xvii

• William Beardsley's Wikipedia page
• Beardsley, Isaac. Genealogical History of the Beardsley-lee Family in America (John Dove, Denver, Colorado, 1902)
• Holt, Nellie. Beardsley Genealogy, The Family of William Beardsley One of the First Settlers of Connecticut (1950) William Beardsley is Holt Record #1, Pgs. 1 thru 5.
• Planters of the Commonwealth - Banks, Charles Edward, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, Md., USA 1979
• Anderson, Robert C, George F. Sanborn, and Melinde L. Sanborn. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-1635 Vol.1: A-B (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Great Migration Study Project, Boston, 1999) Pg. 222-227.With subscription: View with Ancestry.com, or View with AmericanAncestors.org.
• Cutter, William R. New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation. (New York, Lewis Historical Pub. Co, 1913) Third Series
• The History of the Town of Catharine, Schuyler County, NY. - Mary Louise Catlin Cleaver, Tuttle Publishing Co., Rutland, Vermont 1945
• Stiles, Henry. The History of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut (Grafton Press, New York, 1904)
• "The Complete Book of Emigrants 1607-1660", page 128, by Peer Wilson Coldham.
• Find A Grave Memorial #7649681
• Holmes, Frank R. Directory of the Ancestral Heads of New England Families 1620-1720 (Genealogical Publ. Co., Inc.)
• Orcutt, Samuel. A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut (New Haven, Conn. : Press of Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, 1886) Page 1130
• Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England (Boston, Little, Brown and Company, 1862) Page 138-149
• Jacobus, Donald Lines. History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield (Genealogical Publishing Company, 1930) Page 45-6
• Cutter, William. Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut (Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1911) Page 1471
• Filby, P. William, ed. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s (Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2012) Boston, Massachusetts; Year: 1635; Page Number: 35.
• Abstract of Probate Records at Fairfield, Connecticut, Down to 1721 (n.p., ?) Page 12
• Walker Family Organization https://web.archive.org/web/20160326014750/http://www.walkerfamily.org/ancestors/pafg10.htm#19644
• Marilyn Scribner