Arthur Beal (abt. 1620 - abt. 1682)

Born about 1620 in England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died about 1682 at about age 62 in York, York, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Disputed Origins

See the Research Notes for an overview of the secondary literature for Arthur, as it is referenced in this section. Citations for this section are given in the Biography proper.

Arthur Beal was a fisherman, and he first appears in Colonial records in 1663. He was undoubtably born in England, but no birth or marriage records have been found that definitively link to this Arthur Beal. The name of his wife or wives is not known. There is a high probability that he had children born between 1645 and 1664, discussed below.

George Little speculated that Arthur's father was the Colonel William Beale who was part of the group that purchased Richard Leader's Berwick saw mills in 1653.^[1] This supposition seems to be based on Arthur Beale having a probable son named William. Colonel William Beale did not leave other Colonial records, so there is very little evidence to link him to Arthur. Arthur's commonly given "arrival" year in Maine of 1655 is perhaps based on this supposition.

Charles Banks speculated that Arthur was baptized in 1638 in the parish of Plympton St. Maurice, near Plymouth, England. This would make him too young to have a son by about 1645. A birth in England in about 1620 is more consistent with what is known of Arthur. Banks also thought that there was only one Arthur Beal in York records; that he had no surviving son Arthur. In the GDMNH Libby also only treats of one person named Arthur Beal.

Little noted that Arthur Beal made his mark with a capital D, whereas his son made his mark with a combined AB, demonstrating that there was a distinct father and son of the name.

The secondary source quoted below combines various parts of the above three works:

"Arthur Beal Jr (1638-1711) came to York, Maine, c1655 from Plympton, Devonshire, England, and was soon followed by his father, Arthur Beal (1620-1682). They and their descendants were fishermen and ferry-operators at York for four generations." ^[2]

Most early fishermen in Maine were at first seasonal visitors. They often established coastal residences that eventually became year-round. Arthur was known to fish the Isles of Shoals, which are too barren to support many dwellings and the stages and flakes used to salt and dry cod. It is highly likely that he early occupied land on the south side of the York River as a place to salt and dry his catch. He mortgaged his property in 1667. By this time he had appeared in court records for more than four years, and those early court records suggest that he was established in the area, at least seasonally, earlier still.

Arthur's oldest known son Arthur was married about 1665, so was born, say, about 1643, undoubtably in England, of an unknown mother. Arthur's next probable child was born in 1662, most certainly in York. It seems likely that Arthur and his son became settled in York sometime between 1655 and 1660. Given the gap between surviving children, it is also probable that Arthur's younger children were with a different (unknown) wife.

As a result of research, Arthur has been unlinked from his "wife" Elizabeth Watts (Watts-203), and from his "parents" William Beal (Beal-82) and Nivol (Unknown) (Unknown-34047). Research on the English side of the pond will be needed to determine Arthur's origin and the name of his first wife.

Biography

Arthur Beal appears in records spanning three volumes of the "Province and court records of Maine" (PCRM), as well as in early York deeds.

• 1667: Arthur Beale Sr., Richard White, and Mannering Hilton mortgage their land and goods against a debt of 99 pounds, to be repaid in fish and staves within the following year or be forfeited. Arthur's goods include his house and land, and his fishing shallop, weighing about six or seven tons^[3] (pp. 78-9) There is a separate court record for this, PCRM, p. 281, cited below.

Some researchers have taken the Arthur of this transaction to have been the son. However, Arthur made his mark on the document with a capital "D", indicating the father was the signer. Arthur, Richard, and Mannering (Mainwaring) Hilton had close familial relationships, as Richard had married Mainwaring's widowed mother Frances about 1656, and Arthur's son Arthur had married Mainwaring's sister Agnes (Ann) Hilton about 1665.

Richard White was also a fisherman, probably about Arthur's age. In 1663 he was in court for public drunkenness and swearing, and Arthur testified against him. See the profile for his wife Frances Frances (Unknown) White (abt.1618-aft.1688) for more details about him.

The following PCRM records are grouped by volume to simplify references:

Province and court records of Maine. v.1:^[4]

• 1665: Minor complaint won Gyles Berry plaintiff (p. 233)
• 1665: Successfully sued for outstanding debt by Francis Morgan (p. 258)
• 1666: Successfully sued by Richard Styleman for a debt due of four pounds eight shillings (p. 260)
• 1674: John Frost sells land and structures to Arthur Beale, Sr. near the harbor's mouth. Arthur to pay John Frost annually ten pounds worth of fish, beef, pork, or staves for 5 years. (p. 281)

The land near the harbor's mouth was on the south side of the York River^[5]. It was adjacent to Hilton land. Arthur successfully paid off his debt for the property.

Province and court records of Maine. v.2:^[6]

• 1663: Witness against Richard White, charged with public drunkenness and swearing (p. 143)
• 1670: Francis Johnson of Boston wins a case for payment of outstanding debt of 90 pounds from Richard White, Arthur Beal Dr., and Mainwaring Hilton. (p. 186)
• 1674: Arthur plaintiff against Francis Johnson: suit dismissed (p. 275)
• 1677: Arthur and James Wiggins to replace a canoe of Francis Hooke that Wiggins borrowed but did not return. (p. 516)
• 1677: Arthur to be paid debts owed him, out of John Palmer's estate (p. 520)
• 1678: Defendent in breach of covenant by the administrators of the estate of John Frost Sr., dismissed (p.340)
• 1679: Plaintiff that Charles Martine did not pay for 7 weeks of services of Hannah Wakeley (p. 347)

The wife of James Wiggins was Magdalene (Hilton), daughter of William and Frances and sister of Arthur's daughter-in-law Agnes.

Province and court records of Maine. v.3:^[7]

• 1680: Oath of allegiance of English King (p. 5)
• 1681: Arthur loses a case brought by William Vaham for debt due. Debt to be repaid in "good Merchantable well dryed Cold fish at the Isles of Shoals". Arthur and William Hilton entered into a bond to appeal the verdict (p. 67)
• 1681: Arthur and William Hilton lose a debt case to Nathaniel Fryer, debt to be paid in fish (p. 82)
• 1681: William Moore, Arthur's neighbor, had accused Arthur of stealing staves in 1681. Moore appealed the verdict and later won a judgement that Arthur had to deliver two thousand hogshead staves to William. (page 97)
• 1682: Arthur and William Scrivine give bond on the estate administration of Arthur Champernown by his son Francis (p. 164)

Of note here is that in 1681 Arthur and William Hilton, brother of Arthur's daughter-in-law Agnes, appear to have been in a joint enterprise. (The barrel staves case is a reflection of Arthur's occupation as a fisherman, which included salting and drying the cod and sealing it in barrels for shipping. The number of staves involved in the case gives some idea of the quantity of dried cod involved).

There is no death record for Arthur Beal, but a death year of about 1683 is indicated based on the records, which seem to refer to his son Arthur starting in that year. In particular, there are no fishing-related court cases or fines after 1682. Also, in 1683 Arthur Jr. and his wife Ann alias Agnes sold land that the town of York had granted to Arthur Jr. in 1675^[8] (p. 73). This may have been because Arthur removed to his father's land about that time.

Children

The bond that Arthur and William Scrivine (Scrivin) gave in 1682 on the estate administration of Arthur Champernown by his son Francis is a clue to the probable existence of two other children of Arthur. Francis Champernown was of Kittery and the estate was his father's in England, so it seems odd that Arthur would pledge his bond to the Champernown estate administration. I will argue that the brother of Francis' wife Mary had raised two of Arthur's children to adulthood. Per the 1728 deposition cited below, Mary and her brother were very close, she often visiting him.

William Scrivin was an English immigrant and resident of Kittery until about 1684, when he left the area for South Carolina over doctrinal issues with the Puritan church. He married Bridget Cutts, daughter of Robert, in 1774^[9] (p. 209).

In 1682 Francis Champernown had recently married the widow Mary (Hole) Cutts. Mary was the sister of John Hole of Kittery and Barbados. She was the relict of Robert Cutts and the mother of Bridget (Cutts) Scrivin^[10] (page 179).

A William "Baile", age 64, deposed in 1728 (born 1664) that he had lived with John Hole, brother of Mary (Hole) Champernown, in Kittery for 18-½ years. William had obviously been raised in the John Hole household. William's sister Abishag (per GDMNH), age 66 in 1728 (born 1662) deposed that she had lived in the Hole household for ten years. A Johanna Williams, age 65 (born in 1663) also deposed that she had lived with John Hole, but no length of time is given^[11].

John Hole and his wife are not known to have had any children of their own. John was a merchant in trade with Barbados, and his wife Elizabeth, "a gentlewoman of good extraction", handled his business while he was away. John died in Barbados about 1691, and Elizabeth administered his estate. Elizabeth was killed by Indians in 1705^[10] (page 344). John and Elizabeth may have taken in children to help Elizabeth, as John was away on business for lengthly periods, and perhaps also because Elizabeth was lonely without children of her own.

William Beale married Jane Trafton of York about 1692^[12]. This means that he and Abisha would have been placed with the Hole family by about 1673, at ages 9 and 11 respectively. Abisha left after ten years, when she reached her majority. By implication, their mother must have died shortly before 1673, and Arthur, often away fishing, placed his children with John Hole. It is suggestive that in 1679 Arthur apparently had a servant named Hannah Wakely, probably his housekeeper. This is consistent with his wife having died earlier.

A Joanna Williams deposed in 1740 that she was 77 years old, so she was born in 1663, and so the same age as the Johanna Williams who deposed in 1728, and almost certainly the same person. The 1740 deposer was the daughter of Daniel Crocker. She was the widow of John Gaskin and of Paul Williams; the latter died about 1690^[9] (p. 798).

Under the above scenario, Arthur Beal had children, most certainly with two different wives:

1. Arthur (ca 1643), born in England, married Agnes Hilton about 1665
2. Abishag (Abisha), (1662), married Henry Barnes, then Francis Carman
3. William (1664), married Jane Trafton about 1692, had children

After interruptions due to the French and Indian attacks, all of Arthur's children and most of their children came to live in York.

Research Notes

There are a number of secondary sources that chronicle the Beal name in York. They are not consistent with one another and will be discussed here individually.

In the "Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, Vol. 2" Libby et. al discuss just one Arthur, who had no surviving son Arthur, saying that Arthur's will says Arthur gives to Edward "my only son". This is a misreading of the will, cited above, and contradicts the given list of Arthur's children, which includes a son Nicholas, who is known to have survived his father^[10] (pages 83-4). Libby also has short biographies of Abishag and William Beale, having them as siblings but not children of Arthur.

In his "History of York, Maine..." Charles Banks speculates that the Arthur Beal Sr. of York was the person of that name baptized in 1638 in the parish of Plympton St. Maurice, near Plymouth, England. That Arthur had a younger brother named Nicholas, and a Nicholas Beal was granted land in York. Further, Banks concludes that his son Arthur Jr. died young, Edward was his only surviving son, and that all of the York records, including the marriage of Arthur Beal to Anne Hilton, pertain to the senior Beale^[5]. Banks has William Beale as coming to York from the West Indies about 1695 after a short residence in Kittery. The West Indies connection was probably because John Hole, William's foster father, was often of Barbados.

Little, in his "Genealogical and family history of the state of Maine", treats of three generations of Beals. In 1653 Richard Leader sold his saw mills in Berwick to a group that included a Colonel William Beal (the transaction is on York Deeds). Little assumes that Arthur Sr. was a son of William, but gives no supporting evidence or further details about William. He has Arthur Sr. born about 1620 and arriving in York about 1655, again without any evidence. Little attributes two sons to Arthur Sr., Arthur Jr. and William. The son Arthur, born say 1650 (of age in 1674), married Agnes, assumed to be a Hilton. Importantly, Little notes that Arthur Sr. made his mark like a capital D, and Arthur Jr. made his like a combined AB, so they can be distinguished on those documents that they signed. The son William, born say 1660-65, married Jane Trafton. Both Arthur Jr. and William are assumed to be Arthur Sr,'s sons because they each came to occupy Beal land^[13].

Sources

1. ↑ Maine: Early Wills and Deeds, 1640-1760. CD-ROM. Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2006. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.) page 129;
2. ↑ Tibbetts, Leonard F. & Lamson, Darryl B. Early Jonesborough Families of Washington County, Maine. Rockport, ME: Picton Press, 2004. p. 45.
3. ↑ Maine: Early Wills and Deeds, 1640-1760. CD-ROM. Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2006. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.) pages 78-9
4. ↑ Province and court records of Maine. v.1 page 233; page 258; page 260; page 281;
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Banks, Charles, "The History of York, Maine, successively known as Bristol (1632), Agamenticus (1641), Gorgeana (1642), and York (1652)", 1931, pages 56-7; page 56
6. ↑ Province and court records of Maine. v.2 page 143; page 186; page 275; page 340; page 347; page 516; page 520;
7. ↑ Province and court records of Maine. v.3 page 5; page 67; page 82; page 97: page 164;
8. ↑ Maine: Early Wills and Deeds, 1640-1760. CD-ROM. Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2006. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.), page 73
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Stackpole, Everett Schermerhor, "Old Kittery and her families", 1903, page 209; page 798
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} Libby, Charles, Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, Vol. 2", pages 83-4; page 179; page 344
11. ↑ Maine: Early Wills and Deeds, 1640-1760. CD-ROM. Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2006. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.) page 191
12. ↑ Vital Records from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (Compiled from articles originally published in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB522/i/14258/96/264713605
13. ↑ Little, George Thomas, "Genealogical and family history of the state of Maine", 1909, pages 128-9]