Henry Beck (abt. 1617 - abt. 1686)

Born about 1617 in Dover, Kent, England

Husband of Ann (Frost) Beck — married 1645 in Dover, New Hampshire

Descendants

Died about 1686 at about age 69 in New Castle, New Hampshire

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Henry Beck migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 1, p. 228) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Henry Beck was the first of his name in America. He was from Dover, Hertfordshire, England; he came to America in July of 1635, age 18, on the Blessing and settled on Sagamore Creek near Portsmouth, Province of New Hampshire.^[1] An eighteenth-century written record from his grandson Henry Beck (son of Thomas & father of Mary) of Greenland, Rockingham Co., NH claimed that "My grandfather Henry Beck was born In the Paresh of geywareck in warickshear In old england."[sic]^[2] This means that this Henry was born in Guy Warwick, Warwickshire, England.^[3] According to Stearns, Beck is an ancient name in the East of England.^[2][4]

In Hotten's Immigrants to America, page 108, is written: "Theis under written names are to be transported to New England imbarqued in the Blessing, John Lester Ms, the parties have brought Cert. from minist, and justices of their conformitie in Religion and that they are no Subsidy Men". Henry Beck was one of these men.

In the Portsmouth Church Records of 1693, it states: "Henry Beck occupied a seat under the pulpit." He married Anne Frost of Piscataqua, and had the following children:

1. Joshua Beck
2. Caleb Beck, born 1645, died 1698, married 1. Anna Mabie 2. Hannah Bolles
3. Henry Beck born 1647, died 1715
4. Thomas Beck born 1657, died 7 November 1734
5. Mary (married Deacon White)

"Beck's Slip", otherwise known as "Harford's Ferry" is at Beck's Point on the Fore River in Dover, Strafford co., NH. It is indeed named for this Henry Beck. The point was part of his land grant and he had and ran the ferry rights from this point in Dover to Kittery (now Eliot), York co., ME. He also used it as a shipping & receiving point for goods and trade. He may have begun his business there as early as 1636. ^[5]

Beck signed the "Combination Document" at Dover, Strafford co., NH in 1640.^[5] Dover was settled from Hilton's Point in 1623 on back through Dover Neck in 1633 and the Back River District in 1642. Scales describes this as "...one of the best farmland sections of the town & the dwellers therein have always been among the best citizens of the town.^[5] "Land grants of 20 acre lots were made in 1642 and Henry received lot #21. He appeared on the tax list during the 1640s. The "town rate of 4d. on a £ was made" with Henry Beck being assessed at £40 16s. 0d. and taxed at £0 13s. 7d.^[5]

Around 1645 when Henry was 28, he first married Ann FROST, in Dover, Strafford co., NH.^[1][8,9,10,11,12] Ann was born in Piscataqua, NH and died before 1675/1680.^[1][2]

On 16 June 1648, Henry received a land grant in Cocheco Marsh (now mostly Rollinsford), Strafford co., NH of Lot #9... "Henry Becke, 6 yeackers"^[5]

Henry received a 10 acre land grant of one of the "out lots" in Portsmouth, Rockingham co., NH^[2] -- a.k.a. Strawbery Banke -- on 13 January 1652. He lived there until he moved to New Castle (also known as Great Island and Goat Island), Rockingham co., NH by 11 August 1685 (when he deeded house and land there to Richard Welcome, of Star Island).^[2]

Around 1660, he moved to the Sagamore Creek area of Portsmouth, Rockingham co., NH and was definitely there by 28 June 1659, when he sold land in Dover and listed Sagamore Creek as his current residence.^[2] In the Court Records of Portsmouth in 1668, "Henry Beck of Sagamore Creek in ye town of Portsmouth, planter" & his wife Ann are mentioned.^[2]

Stearns records several real estate transactions of Henry's: "...On June 28, 1657, 'henrie beck' of Sagamore Creek (Portsmouth), sold to Thomas Laiton, of Dover, land in Dover. Henry and Ann Beck sold land in Portsmouth to Joseph Walker, September 1 1668. They deeded to Thomas Beck (their son) land, buildings and personal property January 6, 1679, all then being of Portsmouth.."^[2]

On 14 December 1658, Henry first subscribed 5 shillings for the support of the Portsmouth ministry (church unknown) and continued this for many years.^[2]

About 1675/1680 when Henry was 58, he married his second wife Elizabeth [surname not known], in Great Island (New Castle), Rockingham Co., NH.^{[1][2][6][7][8]}

Henry died at his home in New Castle, Rockingham co., NH in 1686; he was 70.^[2] Henry's estate was administered on 26 April 1686, with his widow Elizabeth as administratrix.^{[2] [9]}

Research Notes

• Death:1686, New Hampshire^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Mathews, Catharine T.R., "The Founders of the Beck and Mabie Families in America," April 1907 by Catharine T. R. Mathews pages 98 - 100. (https://books.google.com/books?id=wfpbjUEE1hcC&pg=PA102&lpg=PA102&dq=caleb+beck+1660+genealogy&source=bl&ots=QiQfOaaxEf&sig=ACfU3U04ziQ6iYNTfXxTJ3qeKQ8X065KQA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjY546d6r_lAhWEvJ4KHW57AQQQ6AEwBXoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=caleb%20beck%201660%20genealogy&f=false)
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11} Stearns, Ezra S., "Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire," Page: Vol. 1, pp 148-9. New York, 1908. digital images: Archive.org (https://archive.org/details/genealogicalfami01stea/page/148/mode/2up : Accessed 22 May 2021)
3. ↑ New England Historic and Genealogical Register. Vols. 1+, (Boston: New England Historic and Genealogical Register, 1845+), [NEHGR or Reg.], [NEHGR or Reg.], 2:77; 11:256; 23:395; 24:360; 38:285.
4. ↑ Savage, James, "A genealogical dictionary of the first settlers of New England showing three generations of those who came before May 1692, on the basis of Farmer's Register." Volume 1, Page 150. (https://archive.org/details/agenealogicaldi00unkngoog/page/n170/mode/2up?q=+beck : Accessed 22 May 2021)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4} Scales, John, "Colonial era history of Dover, New Hampshire," pages 117-118, 201, 232-235. Maryland, 1923.
6. ↑ McIntire, Robert Harry, "Ancestry of Robert Harry McIntire and of Helen Annette McIntire," page 41. Baltimore 1980. Text: Henry Beck, b. abt. 1654; d. 1686.
7. ↑ Noyes, Sybil, Charles Thornton Libby and Walter Goodwin David, Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, (Portland, ME: Anthosensen Press 1928-1939; rpt Baltimore: Gen. Publ. Co., 1972), pages 85, 86, 224. Note: The unindexed book can be viewed online at FamilySearch.org from the card catalog
8. ↑ Snow, Nora Emma, The Snow-Estes Ancestry, 2 vols., (Hillburn, N.Y.: privately printed, 1939), [Snow-Estes], 2:5.
9. ↑ Page: v 31, p 302 Object: Format: png File: henrybeck_probate.png Title: Note: Scrapbook: N Primary or Preferred: N Type: PHOTO
10. ↑ Page: v 31, p 302 Object: Format: png File: henrybeck_probate.png Title: Note: Scrapbook: N Primary or Preferred: N Type: PHOTO

• Anderson, Robert Charles, "The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635," Page: v A-B, pp 228-30. Boston 1999. Text: Removed to Portsmouth 1652 Ancestry.com link and NEGHS Link

See also:

• Coldham, Peter Wilson, The Complete Book Of Emigrants, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing co., Inc., 1987), [Coldham], p. 150.
• Ham, John R., Dover, New Hampshire Marriages, 1623-1823, (Dover, NH., 1880-1902), typescript, DoverNHMar
• Odiorne, James Creighton, Genealogy of the Odiorne family in America., (Rev. in 1966), p. 36.
• Parsons, Langdon B., History of the Town of Rye, NH From Its Discovery and Settlement to December 31, 1903, (1905; repr. Bowie, MD: Heritage Press 1992), [RyeHist], p. 468.
• Newbury, Essex co., MA Vital Records, [NewburyVR], II:548.
• Kristinhall.org (http://kristinhall.org/fambly/Beck/Henry1Beck.html)