Elizabeth Beall

See Discussions page under profile of her spouse, Col. Ninian Beall, for more info on the children and relationships.

Disconnected as wife of Colonel Ninian Beall

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Beall-75#1669__Marriage_to_Ruth_Unknown

Was Ninian Married first to Elizabeth Gordon in Scotland?

Assuming the birth year estimate of 1625, Ninian Beall would have been 21 in 1646. The earliest estimate of his arrival in Maryland is 1652. This gives a period of roughly 6 years in which he could have married and had a family in Scotland. But did he?

Alice Norris Parran[41]) states that Ninian Beall married first in Scotland, wife's name unknown, and of Ninian's children, four (Thomas, John, Sarah, and James) were born in Scotland.

Elizabeth Heterick,[42] an otherwise reliable and detailed scholar, cites a Waters family book containing original papers by Edith Waters Beatty naming Ninian's Scottish wife as Elizabeth Gordon and claiming Thomas was born before coming to the colonies. Heterick cites Thomas's will: Whereas it doth please God by his Providence to cause me to leave the place and land of my nativity and intending God willing to leave for England" as evidence; however a more logical reading is that the place of nativity is Maryland, which he was leaving on the trip to England.

Another writer, J. Ninian Beall,[43] asserted, however, that two of the above children, Thomas and John, were born of the immigrant Ninian's marriage in Calvert County.

Nettie Leitch Major[2] stated, "It has been reported that he had married prior to coming to America to Elizabeth Gordon, but this has not been proved."

No actual documentation has been found to support Ninian's marriage in Scotland, in 1646 or at any other time, to a woman named Elizabeth Gordon or to any other woman while in Scotland.

In addition there is no documentation of any of the supposed children of Ninian and Elizabeth either having a continuing life in Scotland or immigrating to Virginia or Maryland.

Fielder M. M. Beall said, "Fiction writers have made the following two statements: That Ninian Beall married Elizabeth Gordon in Scotland, where she had two sons, John and Thomas; she died in Scotland. That Ninian Beall had two daughters in Maryland named Sarah and Margery. These two inventions are of their imagination, as they offer no proof of accuracy."[13]

Nevertheless, reports of an Elizabeth Gordon continue to surface. A page posted to Ancestry.com from Ancestor Lineages of Members Texas Society/ National Society Colonial Dames Seventeenth Century reports that Beall, Ninina Col/Capt, b. 1625...married 1 before 1647, Scotland, Elizabeth Gordon, d. 1648, Scotland; m 2. ca 1667, MD, Ruth Moore, b. 1652, St. Mary's Co, MD, d. 1707, Prince George's Co, MD." The entry further identifies the one son of Elizabeth and Ninian as John, Sr, b. ca 1647, died England. [44] Regrettably, the only sourcing provided in this material is membership applications to the society.