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John Beckham (1736 - abt. 1787)

John Beckham
Born in Granville, North Carolinamap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
Descendants descendants
Died about at about age 50 in Santuck, Union, SC, USAmap
Problems/Questions
Profile last modified | Created 16 Apr 2011
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Contents

Biography

Marriage

Husband: William Beckham
Wife: Phyllis Green
Child: Simon Beckham
Child: John Beckham
Date: Abt 1728
Place: NC

DNA

DNA AncestryDNA Link to distant cousin; member Sandra Merchant(DJM)
Date: 13 MAY 2013

Note: Mary "Molly" was a daughter of Elizabeth (Henderson) Beckham and John "Jack" Beckham, a notorious spy for the Colonies during the American Revolution. Elizabeth was a refined and educated lady; however, Jack was not literate. Jack was more concerned about the welfare of our young nation than about his own large family (12 to 15 children.) As such he could not afford the luxury of employing a teacher for his children. (Of course, there were no public schools at that time.) John trained horses for Wade Hampton. John Beckham came from NC in 1774, was a hunter, trapper. Being a scout & spy during the Am. Rev., he suffered at the hands of the British & Tories who stole even the last quilt he had. After the war, the n'er-do-well trained horses for Gen. Wade Hampton, I. The expert horse trainer died before he could apply for a Rev. War pension leaving a widow & several daughters.

John "Jack" Beckham died in Santuck SC and was buried in an unmarked grave in Hodge Grave Yard, Union District, SC.

John Beckham, his [William Henderson's] father-in-law [should be brother-in-law] was a most active Whig, and fearless scout. While Morgan was encamped on Grindal's Shoals, he kept him in constant motion, and he did valuable service. On one occasion, when closely pressed by the Light Horse of Tarleton, he plunged headlong down a fearful bank into the river, and made his escape. It was on the plantation of old Wm. Hodge, who was also a true Whig. A comrade named Easterwood, from whom the shoals take their name, was with him in this race Easterwood rode a big clumsy horse, and was big and heavy himself. His horse striking his foot against a log, fell sprawling, and Easterwood was made prisoner. Beckham's mare, a magnificent animal, soon left them in the rear. He could have got off easier, but stopping at Hodge's to light his pipe, (he was an incessant smoker), the British were close upon him, while he was yet holding the fire. He swore he would light it before he budged a foot. After gaining the opposite side of Pacolet, he slapped his thigh, and looking back at his pursuers, 'Shoot and be d---d," he cried, his pipe still in his mouth. He is said to have done all his scouting and fighting with his pipe in his mouth. He survived the war, and lies buried on Hodge's plantation. His only son removed to Kentucky; his daughters all married and moved to the West." (p. 38-39) A subsequent paragraph about William Hodge states "His place was some three miles above Grindal's Shoals; it is now occupied by his grandson, Moses Hodge.

Sources


  • William Rice Feaster's "A History of Union County, SC, Union County" Historical Foundation, A. Press, Inc., Greenville Co., SC, p. 18
  • We learn a little more about John Beckham in a biography of Col. William Henderson, the brother of Elizabeth Henderson. This biography appears in John H. Logan, A.M., A HISTORY OF THE UPPER COUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA .... P. 38 (Southern California Geneal. Soc., Burbank).
  • Family Data Collection - Individual Records Author: Edmund West, comp. Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000.




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with John by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with John:

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Comments: 2

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Beckham-150 and Beckham-39 appear to represent the same person because: dob & dod seems to match, both suggest spying during Rev War, both mother's first name is Phillis / Phyllis.
posted by Gary Peery
Beckham-54 and Beckham-39 appear to represent the same person because: They look like the same person as the only details I see (first name and spouse) are the same
posted by Jerry Murdock

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