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ABEL'S ANCESTORS
Early English records contain a number of variations of the
Beals name. For example, the name Bele is found recorded in
the "Curia Regis Rolls" in Sussex, England in the year 1194. In 1201 the name Alexander Filius Bele was recorded in the
Lincolnshire "Pipe Rolls". Thomas Bele appears in 1206
records of Essex; John Bele, 1275, Worcestershire; Ralph le
Bele, Cambridgeshire, 1279; Joan Beles 1327, Somerset;
William Beall, 1379, Yorkshire.
The earliest available genealogical record of an ancestor of
Abel Beals pertains to Rev. Edward Beales. He was appointed Rector of
Wramplingham (Norfolk County, Eng.) parish church August
22, 1568. Edward was married three times and had a rather
large family of nineteen children. He died in 1612 and his
will was probated in Norwich the same year. It was dated
January 4, 1610 and provided for his wife Martha, sons
Edward, John, Francis, Edmond, Tymothe and Nathaniell, and
his daughter Martha. His other children are not mentioned
and can be assumed deceased or provided for separately. In
addition to money to children, Edward Beales willed lands
and buildings in Hingham, bought from Mr. Thornton, to
Edward. Property called Dallymores in Hingham and property
in Wramplingham was left to his third wife, Martha. She died
April 21, 1625 and was buried in Hingham. Details of Edward's
family:
EDWARD BEALES, buried, 12 Aug 1612, m. (1) 16 June
1572, Marye Harvy, m. (2) 27 May 1585, Winyfryd Peeke,
m. (3) abt. 1586/7, Martha Stone.
He had issue by his 1st wife: |
| (1) | John, chr.10 Jan 1573/4, d.3 Mar 1573/4. |
| (2) | Henry, chr.1 Dec 1576. |
| (3) | Marye, chr.1 Jun 1578. |
| (4) | Rose, chr. Nov 1580. |
| (5) | Samuell, chr.21 Apr 1583. |
Issue by his 2nd wife: none. |
Issue by his 3rd wife: |
| (6) | Edward, chr.6 Jun 1588. |
| (7) | Suzana, chr.9 Sept 1590. |
| (8) | Christopher, chr.28 Oct 1591. |
| (9) | Phillipe, chr.15 Oct 1592. |
| (10) | John, b. 1588 in Wramplingham, Eng. d.1 Apr 1688 in
Hingham, Mass., m. (1) 11 June 1616 in Wymondham,
Norfolk Co., Eng., Frances (15 Apr 1584-15 Mar
1630), dau of William and Elizabeth Ripley,
m. (2) 13 July 1630 in Hingham, Norfolk Co.,
Eng., Nazareth (1600-23 Sept 1658), dau of Edmund
and Margaret (Dewey) Hobart, m. (3) 10 Mar 1659
in Hingham, Mass., Mary (1599-15 Jun 1681), dau
of Edward and Mary (Clark) Gillman. His second
wife was the widow of Robert Turner and his third
wife was the widow of Nicolas Jacobs. There was
no issue by his third wife. |
| (11) | Francis, chr.8 Sept 1594. |
| (12) | Edmond, chr.8 Oct 1595. |
| (13) | Sara, chr.20 Apr 1597. |
| (14) | Tymothe, chr.11 Sept 1598. |
| (15) | Elizabetha, chr.25 Feb 1599/1600, d.5 Mar 1599/1600. |
| (16) | William, chr.6 Aug 1601. |
| (17) | Bridgett, chr.31 July 1603. |
| (18) | Nathaniell, chr.5 Oct 1606. |
| (19) | Martha, chr.6 Jan 1607. |
JOHN BEALES, the tenth child of Edward Beales, was the one who
brought the name (which he spelled "Beal") to North America. It
wasn't until he had reached the age of 50 that he took up
the challenge of leaving his homeland and became a pioneer
in a strange new country. He came from Hingham, Norfolk Co.
and arrived at Boston on the vessel "Diligent" on August 10,
1638. He brought with him his wife, Nazareth, five sons,
three daughters and two servants. (One of the servants may
have been his brother Edmond's son also named John). They
settled in Hingham which is a few miles southeast of Boston. John
was no doubt well aware of the new settlement. Ralph
Smith had come from Hingham, Eng. in 1633 and founded
Hingham, Mass. Additionally his wife's brother, Rev. Peter
Hobart, was already settled there and was the first minister
of the town.
Not long after arrival John Beal became a landholder
obtaining a grant of six acres for a house lot on what is
now the south side of South Street west of Hersey Street. On
the 13th of March, 1639, he was admitted to the freedom of
Massachusetts Colony and thus became a "freeman". He was
deputy to the general court in 1640 and 1659. He was a
shoemaker, a trade that seems to have been passed down to
succeeding generations. John Beal died at the age of 100. Family details follow:
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Issue by his 1st wife: |
| (1) | John, b.1 Jan 1619, died in infancy. |
| (2) | Martha, b. ca. 1620, d.26 Apr 1690, m. (1) 16 Mar
1640, William Falloway, m. (2) 29 June 1649,
Samuel Dunham. He was burnt to death in his house
at Plymouth, Jan 24, 1687. |
| (3) | Mary, b. 1622, d.12 Dec 1696 or 12 Feb 1697,
m.30 Dec 1647, James Whiton (d.26 Apr 1710). |
| (4) | Sarah, b. 1624 or 1625, d.9 Nov 1710, m. (1) 22 Mar
1648, Thomas Marsh (d.2 Sept 1658), m. (2) 5 Sept
1662, Edmond Sheffield. |
| (5) | John, b. 1627, d.12 Sept 1694, m. (1) 6 Jan 1658,
Elizabeth --- (d.1 Feb 1659), m. (2) 14 Nov 1660,
Mary (d.27 Jun 1701), dau of Thomas Gill. |
| (6) | Nathaniel, b. 1629, d.20 Dec 1708, m. Martha
Chubbuck (d. 10 May 1692). |
Issue by his 2nd wife: |
| (7) | Jeremiah, b. 1631, d.10 Aug 1716, m.18 Nov 1652,
Sarah (d.29 June 1715), dau of William Ripley. |
| (8) | Joshua, b. 1633, d. 1718, m. (1) ca. 1660, Elizabeth
--- (d.12 Jan 1688), m. (2) 10 Apr 1689, Mary
(d.24 Oct 1708), widow of Sam Stowell and dau of
John Farrow. |
| (9) | Caleb, b.30 Oct 1636, d.18 Jan 1716, m.30 Dec 1664,
Elizabeth (d.31 Dec 1712), dau of Thomas Huet or
Hewett. |
| (10) | Rebecca, bpt. Feb 1614, d.13 Dec 1686, unm. |
| (11) | Jacob, bpt.3 Oct 1642, d.7 Jan 1717, m.15 Jan 1678,
Mary (1649-13 Jan 1717), dau of Elisha Bisbee. |
JEREMIAH BEAL, the seventh son of John Beal, was known as
"Lieutenant" having been commissioned to the rank in the
Hingham Train Band May 20, 1683. He was Constable in 1672, a
Selectman in 1671, 1673 and 1684 and a Representative in
1691, 1692 and 1701. He and his family lived on Bachelor
(Main) St. near the meeting house of the First Parish. He
was a blacksmith and a cabinet maker and had a cabinet shop
in the nearby town of Cohasset. In 1690 he built a house for
his son John on East St. near Hull St. and in later years
lived there with his son and family. That house still exists
although it has undergone many alterations and additions. And Jeremiah still lives there too ... as a ghost! The
present owners (1980) of the house from time to time have
felt his presence as have the owners of the house now on the
land where Jeremiah's cabinet shop once stood. Details of
his family follows:
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(1) | Jeremiah, b.13 May 1655, d.21 Apr 1703, m.22 May
1677, Hannah (30 Sept 1658-19 Sept 1719), dau of
Andrew and Triphany Lane.
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(2) | John, b.8 Mar 1656, d.30 Dec 1735, m. 1686, Hannah
---.
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(3) | Sarah, bpt.3 July 1659, d.13 Dec 1693, m. 21 Jan
1679, John Lane (d.12 Mar 1729), son of Andrew
and Triphany Lane.
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(4) | Lazurus, b.7 Sept 1661, d.18 Aug 1723, m.18 Feb 1689
at Barnstables, Susanna Lewis (d.28 Sept 1748).
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(5) | Phebe, b.2 Mar 1663, d.12 July 1665.
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(6) | Mary, b.6 May 1666, d.22 May 1719, m.23 Dec 1702,
John Orcutt of Bridgewater, Mass.
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(7) | Elizabeth, b.16 May 1669, d.30 July 1716, m.29 Dec
1708, Ephraim (d.1 Dec 1715)(as his 2nd wife) son
of Andrew and Triphany Lane.
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JEREMIAH BEAL (Jr), the first child of Jeremiah Beal Sr.,
was a blacksmith and lived on the paternal homestead on Main
St. He was the Sexton of the parish for many years and was a
Selectman in 1690, 1692 and 1696. Family details follow:
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(1) | Jeremiah, b.2 May 1678, m.2 Jan 1700, Esther
(b.28 Jun 1675), dau of John Jr. and Mary
(Hilliard) Farrow. They lived in Weymouth, Mass.
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(2) | Sarah, b.5 Mar 1679, m.3 Dec 1707, Christopher
Wheaton (1679-8 Jun 1718).
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(3) | Hannah, b.31 Dec 1681, d.9 May 1750, unm.
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(4) | Jael, b.21 Nov 1683, m.23 Feb 1723, John Pratt
(b.4 Mar 1693) of Weymouth, Mass.
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(5) | Andrew, b.27 Jan 1685, d.10 Jan 1762, m.14 Dec 1715,
Rachel (b.14 July 1696), dau of Joshua and
Rachel (Tower) Bates.
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(6) | Jedidiah, b.4 Nov 1688, d.1 May 1766, m. (1) 2 Dec
1714, Mary (1 Nov 1692-7 Nov 1733), dau of Enoch
Whiton, m. (2) Grace ---.
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(7) | Abraham, b.26 Oct 1690, d. 1749, m. Apr 1714,
Deborah Shaw. They lived in Weymouth, Mass.
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(8) | Bathsheba, b.19 Feb 1692, d.28 May 1759, m.8 Apr
1724, Samuel (d.20 Jan 1772), son of Stephen
French.
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(9) | Rebecca, b.8 Apr 1695.
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(10) | Benjamin, b.8 Apr 1697, d.14 Oct 1723.
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(11) | Abigail, b.13 Dec 1699, m.24 Nov 1720, Robert
Townsend.
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ANDREW BEAL, the fifth child of Jeremiah Beal Jr., lived in
‚Hingham on Hull St. near Jerusalem Road. His family
‚consisted of the following:
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(1) | Benjamin, b.19 Sept 1716, m.13 Oct 1742, Martha
Hudson (b.14 Oct 1717)
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(2) | Rachel, b.25 Aug 1719, d.15 May 1805, m.25 Oct 1739,
Isaac (6 Jun or 27 Sept 1719-29 Dec 1784), son
of Ebenezer and Hannah (Gannett) Kent. They moved
to Nova Scotia in 1760.
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(3) | Joshua, b.22 Sept 1722, d.9 Feb 1804, m.5 Jan 1743,
Priscilla Paine (d.22 Apr 1807).
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(4) | Adam, b.20 Aug 1725, m.25 Nov 1745, Jael Worrick
(b.20 May 1725).
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(5) | Hannah, b.20 Aug 1727, d.18 July 1783, m.29 Oct
1746, Benjamine Barnes (6 Jul 1726-13 Jul 1803).
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(6) | Abel, b.20 Oct 1733, d.19 Apr 1805, m. (1) 11 Mar
1755, Deborah Lambert (1734-1788), (2) 6 Feb
1789, Mrs. Susannah Humphrey.
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(7) | Rebecca, b.26 Apr 1737, m.19 Oct 1757, Seth Albey
of Mendon, Mass.
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ABEL BEAL, the sixth child of Andrew Beal, was a soldier
with the rank of Corporal in the American Revolution. He
lived in Hingham on Hull St. near Jerusalem Road. All his
children were by his 1st wife. Details follow:
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(1) | Abel, b.6 July 1755, d.23 Aug 1830, m. his cousin
Abigail (1 Mar 1752-1 Apr 1820), dau of Isaac and
Rachel (Beal) Kent. He moved to Nova Scotia at an
early age.
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(2) | Deborah, b.16 Apr 1757, d. unm.
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(3) | Susanna, b.30 May 1759.
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(4) | Celia, b.16 Nov 1762, m.8 Feb 1781, her cousin
Daniel (b. 15 Jan 1762), son of Joshua and
Priscilla (Paine) Beal.
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(5) | Seth, b.13 Dec 1765, d.13 Jan 1836, m. Sarah H.
Willett (d.11 Sept 1862).
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(6) | Stowers, b.20 Mar 1767, d. May 1821, m.9 May 1792,
Mary, dau of Moses and Martha (Brainhall)
Leavitt. They lived in Winchendon, Mass.
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(7) | Micah, bpt.6 Sept 1772 or b.14 July 1776.
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(8) | Ruth, bpt.5 Mar 1775.
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(9) | Anna, bpt.6 Dec 1778, m.16 Apr 1798, John Cook. They
lived in Winchendon, Mass.
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(10) | Susan.
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(11) | Abigail, bpt.12 Dec 1784, m.27 Mar 1804, Christopher
Church. They lived in Maine.
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ABEL BEAL (Jr.), the oldest child of Abel Beal Sr., is our
ancestor who brought the name to Nova Scotia and changed the
spelling to "Beals". He is the focus of our attention
throughout most of the remainder of this book and we will
learn more about him in succeeding chapters.
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