Abigail Beebe

HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF STONINGTON, County of New London, Connecticut, from its first settlement in 1649 to 1900, by Richard Anson Wheeler, New London, CT, 1900, p. 695

A MONOGRAPH OF THE DESCENT OF THE FAMILY OF BEEBE, from the earliest known immigrant - John, of Broughton, England, 1650, compiled and edited by Clarence Beebe, 150 Nassau Street, New York, page 11.

John Beebe, son of John, of New London, Conn., was baptized in Broughton, England, November 4th, 1628. He married Abigail Yorke (born about 1638), daughter of James Yorke, of Stonington, Conn., before December, 1660, probably not long before. She died March 9, 1725. Her father may have been the James Yorke, aged 21, who sailed from England June 20, 1635, in the ship "Philip Richard", Morgan, master. He was Sergeant of the Train-Band for twenty years, and in summer of 1676 we find Ensign John Beebe, of New London, in the company of Capt. George Denison, which was raised in New London county, for the Indian War. He was a Lieutenant in 1690. In a dispute between the people of New London and those of Lyme, over the right to mow grass on debatable land, the New London men approached, and swinging they scythes began to mow, when the Lyme men and the constable drew nigh, the latter with a warrant for the apprehension of Ensign Minor, which he began to read, when Sergeant Beebe interrupted him, crying out, "We care not a straw for your paper." A melee followed, but it was terminated without serious injury to eather party.

       In 1671/2 he was one with many others in New London presented to the Court "for an attempt to drive Mr. Matthew Griswold and Lieut. William Waller by violence off their lands, resistance to authority and assault." He probably had been for some time in the plantation of New London, in the service of John Winthrop, the founder. He came to New England in 1650, and among the lands granted to him were one acre on Sept. 4th, 1651. Five acres, December and, the same year, and lots of ten, seven and six acres March 5th the next year. Other grants came later on. He deeded thirty-one acres to his son, Benjamin, 1707, and was perhaps deceased by April 28th, 1714, when the same deed was recorded. In a deed dated 1660, he was described as a Leather Dresser.

       He is mentioned as being among the grantees of planters of the Town of New London, Conn., at the flood time of increase, 1651. House lots were given him in the Spring of the year. He had a small portion of land laid out to him in Poquiogh, and also at Fog Plain, about two miles out. In 1652 he was granted by the General Court, in Captain George Denison's Company in New London county, over the 68 men raised in that county May 11, 1676, for the standing army, and a part of the 350 men raised in the Colony of Connecticut. In June, 1676, during King Phillips War, he went on several military expeditions against the Indians, to Rhode Island, to Taunton and beyond Westfield, on the road to Albany. On one of these expeditions he went up the Connecticut River by water to Northampton, and from there joined Major Talcot with supplies, of which the army was in prime need. He was living in New London, January 21, 1707/8.