Help finding Eunice, Mrs. Nehemiah Beach of Stratford, CT

Question

I photographed tombstones at the Old Congregational Burying Ground in Stratford, CT. awhile back. I've uploaded pictures for:

1. Nehemiah Beach (1739-1770)
2. Eunice Beach Jr (1770-1775), his daughter

Eunice Jr was baptized the same month her father died, so she would almost certainly be the last born of Nehemiah's children, and Eunice's mother (Eunice Sr) his wife/widow, would most likely have been his last wife.

Eunice Sr. and Eunice Jr. share a tombstone. (Photo at Eunice Jr's link.) Unfortunately, the stone broke and was repaired. A few key digits are missing. I'm trying to find her, records, dates, LNAB. No luck yet.

Eunice Jr's inscription: In memory of Eunice Beach, daughter of Mr. Nehemiah & Mrs. Eunice Beach who departed this life Augt 24th AD 1775, in the 6th year of her age.

Eunice Sr's inscription (same stone): In memory of Mrs. Eunice Beach, wife of Mr. Nehemiah Beach, who departed this life November 11th AD 17--, in the 4- year of her age.

Here on WikiTree, we've got Nehemiah married 1760 to Sarah Fairchild (no dates, no parents, no source, no manager). Beach family Genealogy (a slim, privately published volume) has him married to Sarah Middlebrook, no dates.

Barbour Collection has another Nehemiah Beach, also born in Stratford, 18 May 1750, son of Benjamin & Patience. Sarah Middlebrook b. 31 May 1750 m. Nehemiah Beach 1771. Eunice's father died 1770, so two different Nehemiahs, and the Beach Genealogy looks to be in error.

So there's two questions: Where did WikiTree get Sarah Fairchild for spouse? And what about Eunice, Sr? Dates, parents, anything!

I found a will for Eunice Beach, d. 1784, probated in Hartford. She remembered children Jerusha (Mrs. John Beardsley) and son James, which matches the surviving children for our Nehemiah on WikiTree. I found where there's a Mrs. John Beach some have assigned this Mrs. Eunice to, Eunice Heaton. But John Beach (1734-1785) outlived his wife, so she wouldn't be leaving land to her children most probably. Her executor would more likely have been her husband than her brother. Eunice Heaton's surviving children as of 1784 don't match the 1784 Hartford probate. So, maybe not 1784 death for Eunice (Heaton) Beach, Mrs. John Beach.

If it hadn't been for this dual tombstone found on a visit to the cemetery, I would not have noticed this mother/daughter duo buried together. Since I did, now there's a puzzle to solve. Help appreciated for this one!

Comments

In your 3rd paragraph from the bottom you say 'Susan Wheeler." Where did she come from? Don't you mean "Sarah Fairchild"? :)

---

Yeah, I do mean Sarah Fairchild. Fixed.

---

Ancestry.com recites the marriage of Nehemiah Beach and Sarah Fairchild in 1760 in its database: U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900.

Of that database, it says: "Original data: This unique collection of records was extracted from a variety of sources including family group sheets and electronic databases. Originally, the information was derived from an array of materials including pedigree charts, family history articles, querie."

In other words, NO SOURCES that are reliable. No doubt a number of folks used this as a "source" and went on their merry ways, and one of their gedcoms ended up in WikiTree.

Searches in familysearch and americanancestors find several Sarah Fairchilds, but none are good candidates for a marriage to Nehemiah in Stratford. The only Sarah Fairchild I found who married in 1760 married a John Crowel in Middletown.

Given the info you now have on Eunice, you might consider suggesting detaching Sarah as a spouse. At the very least, it should be questioned in a research note.

---

Eunice's will, which MAY be Mrs. Nehemiah Beach, also mentions beloved brother Samuel Bard as executor. That might be Beard, so I'm working at it from the Beard angle for now.

1760 is a little early for a marriage for Nehemiah anyhow. He was only born in 1743, and 17 was a little early for marriage back then, especially for men.

---

Actually, Nehemiah Beach and Sarah Fairchild don't have profile managers. So there's not much of anyone to ask, aside from this G2G post. It might be the way to go. Too bad Sarah hasn't got any other family connected to her.

---

With further thought, I have disconnected her. I "sent" a private message to the person who uploaded the GEDCOM in 2010, but got a message that the email was never confirmed. For now, she's got nothing: No connections, sources or dates. But I've adopted her, so she's in my Watch List. One of these times when I review the WatchList, I'll figure out something to do with her.

I thought I'd read there's a boneyard for profiles like this to be re-used. But I might have got that wrong; never tried to use it. At any rate, I can't find it. Only a maintenance category for Recycled Unknowns.

Answer 1

Eunice's stone has been broken a long time - way back in 1886 when Orcutt wrote the Hist of .. Stratford and ... Bridgeport.

Eunice's 1784 will is most probably your Eunice. 1784 - 41= 1744 1784-49=1735 so in a good birth range. I checked for Nehemiah's to see if his distribution gave her land in stratford and (looks like New Hampshire) didn't find one

I'm thinking because of the coincidence of Names & timing  Eunice & Samuel might be children of Samuel Bird and Eunice Wadsworth m 1730.

My internet is abysmal today and I keep falling asleep while pages load so I can't do this hunt justice.

 

Here's a spot I found Sarah Fairchild. I think Sarah must be an error, merge her away

From Everton's Genealogical Helper v. 14 no 3 p. 92 https://www.gengophers.com/book.html#/book/1334?page=28&given=Nehemiah&surname=Beach

Query Sarah Fairchild bpt 1738 Conn m. Nehemiah Beach (1739-1788) (was Sarah dau of Samuel and Dina Burwell Fairchild?)

Comments

Samuel Fairchild who m. Dinah Burwell died in 1705, so that can't be it. Sometimes, wives are widows. Not that there's any real evidence of Susan Fairchild as wife anyhow, but suppose she were the Widow Fairchild? I'm still keeping that in the back of my mind.