Henry Beasley

HENRY BEASLEY/BEAZLEY, the third son of William Beasley, was born in Old Rappahannock County, Virginia, say 1686-92, possibly later. There is no record of him after 1739, but he may have died in Essex or Caroline County without a probate record. The name of his wife is unknown. In his father’s 1719 will, Henry received “50 acres of land next to my son Benjamin” in Essex County.[1] He was mentioned as being seated on 50 acres near that of either his father or brother William “Biesle” in the will of Thomas “Peatrooss” dated 27 December 1715, so he occupied the land before his father’s 1719 bequest.[2] Thomas Peatross had a son John. Bennet Beasley would later marry Ann, widow of a John Peatross (either the son or nephew of Thomas), which suggests that Bennet was possibly Henry’s son, given that they lived in the same neighborhood and the two families had adjoining land.

Henry first appears in his own right in the Essex County court records in 1722 when a suit brought against him by Robert Jones was dismissed.[3] On 18 June 1728, Henry “Beesley’s” house was mentioned in a road order to his brother William that also included neighbors William Goulding and Thomas Ship near the King & Queen Road.[4]

On 15 September 1729, Henry purchased a tract of land from his brother John, now of Caroline County, for 1,500 pounds of tobacco.[5] It included “all that parcell of land which was given unto the sd John Beazley by William Beazley late of Essex County” containing 50 acres “with all & singular ways, woods all other profits belonging (onely the sd Beazley doth except halfe an acre of land conveniently adjoining and including the Burying Place).”[6] This cemetery was probably the burial site of their father, though no gravestones are known to be found there.

Henry was appointed jointly with William Clark “or either of them” executor of the will of James Landrum of St. Ann’s Parish and made his mark as a witness.[7] On 13 November 1739, Henry “Beazley” of St. Ann’s Parish, Essex County, sold to Edward Vawter of the same county for 2,000 pounds of leaf tobacco clear of cask the tract of 92 acres in Essex County.[8] It was described as “being the land the said Henry Beazley now lives on it being the land which was left by William Beazley to his said Son Henry Beazley…Bounded Beginning near the head of a Branch that headeth up in Beazley’s old field and on the South side of the said Branch and in the line of the land of Mark Boulware, thence with the said Boulware’s line & also with the line of Benjamin Beazley North to the land of Payne now Warings thence with the said line binding thereon South to the Road which leadeth to Caroline Court, thence with the said Road South East to the Corner of the woods thence by the Woods side East to the Beginning.”[9] The deed was witnessed by Nicholas Atkinson and Aaron Sadler, but no wife released a dower, indicating perhaps that Henry was not married at the time.

What became of Henry after 1739 is not known. He may have been the father of both Bennet and James Beazley, though there is no evidence of a relationship except for the Peatross connection previously discussed. Bennet’s marriage to Ann, widow of John Peatross, whose uncle, Thomas, was a neighbor of Henry, places him in the same vicinity.

Possible though unproven children of Henry Beasley, born probably in Essex County:

i. possibly BENNET BEASLEY, b. say 1710; m. ANNE (____) PEATROSS.

ii. possibly JAMES BEASLEY/BEAZLEY, b. say 1715-20; m. ANN REYNOLDS.

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