Mary Ann (Fare) Beasley (abt. 1773 - aft. 1850)

Born about 1773 in Surry County, Province of North Carolina

Ancestors

Wife of William F. Beasley Sr — married 29 Mar 1786 in Surry County, North Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died after 1850 after about age 77 in Humphreys County, Tennessee, United States

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Birth Name

The original family name was Fehr. Her father's German name, Johann Bernhard Fehr, was anglicized to Barnabus Fare or Fair. According to his 1787 Will transcript^[1], the beginning says "I Barnabus Fair" but the signature in German is Johann Bernhard Ferh. The text of the will refers first to daughter Mary Ann Fair, though he had approved the marriage license in 1786 referring to her as "Fare" and himself as both Fair and Fare.

Biography

Mary (Fare) Beasley was a North Carolina colonist.

The only certain information about Mary Ann Fare (or Fair) is her marriage license application to William Beasley. (See attached document photo including transcription). That Barnabus Fare or Fair (presumably her father but possibly her brother) signed suggest that she may have been underage, suggesting a DOB after 1765. Analysis of census 1810-1840 suggests a DOB 1770-1775 which would be consistent. Perhaps married at age 15 or 16, estimate the DOB 1771.

Mary Ann was likely born in Surry County, NC. Her father was born in Germany and landed in Pennsylvania in 1749^[2]. According to the Pension application of her brother Barnabus in 1832, he presented as being 74-75 years old (1757)^[3]. He was told that the family moved to Surry County, NC at "a very young age", thus before Mary Ann's birth.

The family likely left North Carolina shortly after marriage for Warren County KY. Children born in the early 1790's identify their place of birth as Kentucky. For family information between marriage and 1840, please see William Beasley

Date of death is uncertain but after 1850. She was living with her son, William, in 1850 but not in 1870. I have not been able to find the family in 1860, These same early census reports suggest that she and her husband had as many as 16 children.

Please see attached CensusMate document

Sources

1. ↑ http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/stokes/wills/fair01.txt
2. ↑ Arrival date: 1749 Arrival place: Pennsylvania; Page Number: 292. https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=pili354&h=2994089&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt
3. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1995/MIUSA1775D_135529-00596/20051?backurl=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/9312066/person/24025830431/facts/citation/100054764601/edit/record#?imageId=MIUSA1775D_135529-00601

See also:

• 1. 1820 U.S. Census of Humphreys County, TN. [1]
• 2. 1830 U.S. Census of Humphreys County, TN. [2]
• 3. 1840 U.S. Census of Humphreys County, TN., Dist. 1. [3]
• 4. 1850 U.S. Census of Humphreys County, TN., Dist. 1. [4]
• 5. North Carolina, Marriage Records, (1741 - 2011). [5]