Charles Beasley

CHARLES BEASLEY the son of William Beasley, was born in Old Rappahannock or Essex County, Virginia, say 1695-1700. He died in Caroline County, Virginia, before 9 January 1766. T. E. Campbell also shows 1766 but gives no other details.[1]

Charles received “all of the remaining part of my land” from his father in the latter’s 1719 will, but of what exactly it consisted is not known.[2] He moved to Caroline County at an early date, probably soon after the county was created in 1728. On 10 May 1733, he petitioned the court to order Thomas Rucker to be “surveyor of the road in his room.”[3]

Charles purchased or leased several tracts of land in Caroline County, but the extent of his holdings remains unclear due to the loss of the early deed books. He acquired land from Henry and Mary Powell in 1735, but its description is not known; however, the Powells’ acknowledged their “deeds of lease and release of land indented to Charles Beazley” and were recorded on 13 June 1735.[4] A similar deed of lease between Charles and Philip and Johanna Tinsley occurred on 12 March 1735/6, when Tinsley acknowledged them and Johanna released her dower.[5]

With his brother John, Charles became involved with road building in Caroline County. On 13 November 1736, the court, on the motion of John Taylor, gent., ordered that William Daniel, John Beasley, and Charles Beasley “view the road between Thos. Rucker’s and Charles Beasley’s across the head of Daniel’s mill and make report.”[6]

Charles’s name also appeared in connection with other small suits. On 12 May 1738, William Daniel received a judgment from the Caroline County court for an attachment or garnishment against James Hearn.[7] The constable made the return, listing several persons indebted to Hearn, including both John Beasley and Charles Beasley. “Charles Beasley declared he has in his hands belonging to Hern 117 pounds of tobacco. It’s ordered he pay the same to Daniel and that the other persons pay to Daniel what shall appear.”[8] On 12 May 1738, a case by Frederick Coghill against Charles Beasley was dismissed when both parties agreed.[9]

Charles acquired more land of an undetermined amount from Thomas Rucker and his wife Elizabeth and from James Rucker and his wife Margaret, which was affirmed at court on 14 September 1739.[10] He also had at least one slave. At a court session on 10 October 1740, Harr[y], a Negro boy belonging to Charles Beasley was judged to be nine years old, while another unnamed male slave belonging to Charles Beasley Jr. was judged to be ten.[11] This record offers the first evidence of there being two people named Charles, likely father and son.

On 14 January 1742/3, Charles Beasley and John Beasley sat on a jury for an action of debt brought by several persons named Harris against Eliza and Moses Pen, executors of John Pen.[12] On 11 February 1742/3, Charles and John, together with John Sneed, were ordered to lay out a road for David Tinsley.[13] On 12 August 1743, he was ordered with John Beasley, David Tinsley, and Thomas Ship to appraise the estate of Richard Goode.[14] On 10 February 1743/4, he was again ordered with John Beasley to appraise the estate of Eliza Cowing.[15] On 11 May 1744, the surveyor of the three notched road at Charles Beasley’s to Portobago Road was presented to the court for not keeping posts of directions.[16] During this same period he served on several juries.[17] On 11 August 1744, a presentment against Charles by a grand jury was dismissed, though the charge was not specified in the order book.[18]

Charles gifted his son Charles Jr. an unknown tract of land, and while the deed itself does not survive, the gift was acknowledged by the Caroline County court on 12 April 1745.[19] Charles served on a jury on 14 June 1745 in case involving Peter Williams against Thomas Pitman of Drysdale Parish for the theft of a hog.[20] On 13 September 1745, Charles was ordered with John Beasley and Charles Jr. and several others to appraise the estate of Moses Daniel.[21]

Court records document a series of disputes involving Charles, beginning with Henry Powell in 1746 or early 1747. On 14 February 1746/7, Powell pressed charges on an unknown cause, but the court found in Charles’s favor and ordered that he recover his costs, possibly for building a road.[22] However, during the March term the court ordered Charles to pay John Beasley 225 pounds of tobacco for nine days’ attendance at court in providing testimony for him,[23] as well as 380 pounds of tobacco to James Zachary, and 680 pounds of tobacco to Richard Keese.[24] On 9 July 1748, Mannis Fegan pressed charges against Charles Beasley for trespass, assault, and battery, but this case may have pertained to the younger Charles.[25] On 14 July 1749, a slave boy named Jack that he owned was judged to be ten years old.[26] On 9 February 1749/50, he testified on behalf of Thomas Harris in a case against Micajah Pickett in which John Beasley also testified.[27] Three more slaves belonging to him, Frank, Jenny, and Tom, were judged by the court to be ten, eight, and eight years old respectively on 12 October 1750, 13 August 1752, and 13 September 1753.[28]

By the mid-1750s, Charles’s court appearances became less frequent. On 10 November 1752, the court ordered John Hipkins to pay Charles 150 pounds of tobacco for six days’ attendance at court.[29] William Hord was appointed overseer of a road in Charles’s room on 8 May 1755.[30] On 11 December of the same year, he joined John Beasley Jr. and Thomas Pickett in appraising the estate of William Powell.[31] On 12 November 1756, he was ordered with Charles Story, William Heard, and Thomas Croucher to settle the estate of Thomas Jackson.[32] On 11 August 1757, he was ordered with Charles Story and Thomas Dudley to view a road proposed by John Sneed Jr.[33] In 1760, he continued to live in the vicinity of Thomas Pickett and Oliver Towles, and his road that lead by Pickett was said to be in disrepair.[34] On 13 August 1761, he was ordered with Thomas Dudley and Ralph Bowdry to view a “convenient bridgeway from Reynolds and McKinny’s to the main road.”[35] On 12 November of that year, he was appointed overseer of a road in the room of Joshua Lindsey.[36] On 11 March 1762, he was appointed with Oliver Towles and Thomas Ship to appraise the estate of Joel Halbert.[37] He was ordered with William Howard and James Lyndsay to appraise the estate of Thomas Croucher in September 1763.[38] He was living on 10 May 1764, when Thomas Dudley and Thomas Heath and their gangs were ordered to build a road from the glebe to Colonel Baylor’s, and from Charles Beasley to Charles Beasley Jr.[39] He appears to have purchased land from William and Elizabeth Daniel, which was acknowledged at court on 14 June 1764.[40]

On 14 June 1765, the court ordered Thomas Dudley to serve as overseer of a road “from the Glebe by his own house into the Courthouse road and to have besides his own hands Hannah Curtis’s quarter, William Harrison’s, Ann Beazley’s quarter, Charles Beazley’s quarter, John Pemberton, Henry Pemberton, William Ale, John Billups, Abraham Martin Sr., Thomas Chandler, Henry Webster, John and Moses Webster to help clear and keep it in repair.”[41] The identity of Ann Beazley referenced nearby is also unknown. Later that year, Cornelius Beasley was ordered to serve as overseer of the same road with the same hands, possible indirect evidence that Cornelius was the son of Charles.[42]

Charles was certainly dead by 9 January 1766, when his will was proved by William and Reuben Beasley, who were both witnesses.[43] On 12 June 1766, Cornelius Reynolds took an oath to serve as the executor of the will.[44] Campbell lists these as separate records, but they pertain to the same estate.[45] Since the actual will does not survive, one cannot determine for certain the identity of his wife or children.

William Beasley DNA Chart

https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Beasley-677

This is a DNA relationship chart I created to show how recent DNA evidence relates to the documented individuals in the line. It also shows a line that is commonly connected with William Beasley but appears to be the result of a Non-Paternal Event (NPE)

References

• “SOME BEASLEY FAMILIES OF THE COLONIAL SOUTH” By John D. Beatty, CG. This Document, was last updated Oct 2015. Significant new information and corrections are available. Please use this ONLY as a general guide. For questions or comments, contact Doug Beezley, Beasley Name Study: administrator AT Beasley genealogy.net < PDF >
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Beazley-185
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: May 14 2016, 21:23:14 UTC