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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.
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John is 25 degrees from Zendaya Coleman, 27 degrees from Sting Sumner, 15 degrees from Josh Brolin, 22 degrees from Timothée Chalamet, 17 degrees from José Ferrer, 19 degrees from Frank Herbert, 16 degrees from Richard Jordan, 22 degrees from David Lynch, 15 degrees from Virginia Madsen, 18 degrees from Charlotte Rampling, 26 degrees from Patrick Stewart and 19 degrees from Denis Villeneuve on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.