Johann Dietrich Böhm

Burial record:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13182976/john-teter-beam

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A Patriot of the American Revolution for NORTH CAROLINA. DAR Ancestor # A007947    John Teeter Beam was born in 1732 in Hamburg, Germany. John Teeter was born near Hamburg, Germany on the Elbe river in 1732. He emigrated in November 1767.8 He died on November 15, 1807 in Lincoln County, North Carolina. He was buried in New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery, Cleveland County, NC.

9 He was also known as Johann Dietrich Böhm. He was also known as John T. Beam. John T. was the first Beam to set foot on U.S. soil. He and his wife and two sons, John & David landed in Charleston, SC sometime in Nov., 1767. His wife Rebecca died in 1779 after having six children, three sons & three daughters.

He married his second wife Elizabeth Rudolph in 1781; she was also from Germany. To this union nine children were born. He is buried at New Prospect Church in Cleveland County.

From "The Life of J. T. Beam and his Fifteen Children up to the Third Generation from 1742 to 1897", (1898) by A. R. Beam:

John T. Beam was an Elder in the Lutheran Church at the time of his death. In 1801 he built a Lutheran Church building where now stands New Prospect Baptist Church.

John Teeter Beam went from Hamburg, Germany to Geneva, Switzerland to learn the weaver's trade. There he met Rebecca Raynolds. She was of a good family, the niece of John James Rassaw, an eminent writer who died in 1778. Two of their sons, John and David, were born in Geneva.

In 1767 they planned to return to Hamburg but there had been a great overflow of the Elbe River which caused a famine in that country. John and Rebecca with their two small children joined the immigration to America. They landed at Charleston, SC sometime in November, 1767. Not being able to pay his passage, John Teeter contracted with Mr. Christy Eaker of Lincoln County to serve him seven years for paying his passage to the immigration commission. He was brought by Mr. Eaker to his home in Lincoln County. His faithful work so pleased Eaker that he was set free at six years and given an outfit for housekeeping.

Michael Beam, the father of John T. Beam, was born about the year 1702 and married Sarah Rudolph about the year 1729 or 1730. He lived and raised a family near Hamburg. His occupation was farming, tanning, and merchandising. His farm was on or near the river Elbe.

When John Teeter Beam came to America in 1767, the area west of Catawba River was included in Mecklenburg County. One year later, 1768, Tryson County was formed, including all territories west of the Catawba River up to the mountains. This county was named in honor of William Tryson, Governor of North Carolina. In 1779 Tryson County was divided into Lincoln and Rutherford Counties, with the dividing line three miles east of Shelby, but west of the pioneer's second home-site on Buffalo Creek. In 1841 Cleveland County was formed out of upper Lincoln and lower Rutherford counties. In 1846 the southern part of Lincoln county became Gaston County, throwing the original home-site of John Teeter Beam to Gaston County. Hence, as all legal records show, John Teeter Beam never moved out of Lincoln County. The two home-sites are now in Gaston and Cleveland counties, respectively.

In 1790 John Teeter Beam (Pioneer of the Beam clan) received Land Grant No. 72 for 200 acres in Lincoln County on October 9, 1783, Located on Beaverdam Creek, Southfork of the Catawba, and Land Grant No. 79 for 250 acres in Lincoln County on the same day and same location. Both grants were entered on February 4, 1780. In 1790 John Teeter Beam purchased land from William Killian on Buffalo Creek, Lincoln County. This later became his home-site, about 1794, according to Aaron Beam. (see "A History of John Teeter Beam Generations" by L. Carl Beam, page 14).

In 1794, John acquired the property that includes the site of the New Prospect Church from William Killian.

Descendants of John Teter Beam Who Came From Germany Hold Reunion at New Prospect Church - Plan to Have Big Annual Event - Splendid Dinner And Speeches.

Saturday the descendants of John Teter Beam held their first annual reunion at New Prospect church and about 100 or more were present. The weather was unfavorable but a goodly crowd of those directly and indirectly descended from John Teter Beam gathered to trace their lineage, mingle in friendly relation and organize for an annual event to grow larger and larger in scope year by year. Editor Lee Beam Weathers had charge of affairs and after a song by the crowd, Miss Mayme Beam read a sketch of the life of Mr. Beam. Then Mr. H. A. Anthony, one of the descendants, related some history about the Beam children and told how they have always been industrious, honest and law-abiding citizens.

Mr. Anthony's talk was highly interesting. He was followed by Congressman E. Y. Webb who explained the manner in which the Beams got their name. Being of German extraction, he said that Beam, meant, "bauman," a man who cut beams from timber in the Black Forest. Mr. Webb gave many illustrations of modern day inventions to show the wonderful progress that has been made since John Teter Beam came to this country.

The dinner was spread on the ground. It was a bountiful repast. Next year another reunion will be held and a committee will be appointed later, composed of descendants of John Teter's children to work out the plans.

The sketch Miss Mayme Beam read reads as follows:

JOHN TETER BEAM

Two hundred and nine years ago, in Hamburg, Germany, a man by the name of Michael Beam was born, in the year 1702 and at the age of 28 he married Sarah Rudolph, a daughter of the Emperor of Germany, and raised a family of twelve children, and among them was one named John Teter, and it was customary in that country that every male child should learn a trade of some kind. When very young he learned the weavers trade, and after learning said trade he went to Geneva, Switzerland, and while there he married a Miss Rebecca Reynolds. He remained a few years and intended going back to see his father and mother, but owing to the great floods in that country at that time on the River Elbe, on which his father's plantation lay, washing away principally all the products of the land [he did not]. It caused great alarm, so much that a great many people left that country and came to the United States and he and wife Rebecca and two children, John and David, and a man by the name of Peter Lutz in about the year 1675 started on their way to this great country of ours, the land of liberty and landed at Charleston, South Carolina. Not being financially able to pay his fare and in a way he had to sell himself and family to pay the cost of getting across the great deep. After placing himself on the soil of America he commenced looking around, possibly inquiring, who would advance the money and let him work out the cost. It happened that a man by the name of Christopher Eaker from what is now Lincoln County, and after a little conversation Mr. Eaker agreed with Mr. J. T. Beam that if he and his family would work for seven years he would settle the bill. That was agreed upon. Mr. Eaker, immediately after the contract was signed up, geared up his team and carried them to his home and H. T. Beam worked faithfully at hid trade for six years, and then Eaker gave him his freedom, also giving him a fine horse and other necessaries for housekeeping. Up to this time he had six children, three sons and three daughters. Not long after this his wife died.About two years thereafter he married Elizabeth Rudolph, all of German descent, and raised nine children, which constituted the family of John T. Beam.

The above text is presented as it appeared in the paper, no alterations or corrections were made of any kind.

Transcribed by

Larry W. Gardner - Historian, New Prospect Baptist Church

John T. was the first Beam to set foot on U.S. soil. He and his wife and two sons, John & David landed in Charleston, S.C. sometime in Nov.,1767. His wife Rebecca died in 1779 after haveing six childern, three sons & three daughters.

He married his second wife Elizabeth Rudolph in 1781, she was also from Germany. To this union nine children were born. He is buried at New Prospect Church in Cleveland County.

He was married to Rebecca REYNOLDS in 1764 in Geneva, Switzerland. John Teeter paid five shillings for Rebecca Ranyalds, his first wife. The bill of sale was at the home of Frank Beam of Lincoln County Rebecca REYNOLDS(9) was born in 1744 in Geneva, Switzerland. She died in 1779 in Lincoln County, North Carolina. She was buried in New Prospect Baptist Church, Cleveland County, Shelby, NC. Rebecca, J.T. Beam's first wife is referred to as having the maiden name Ranyolds, Raynolds, and Raynalds in the 1899 family history. She is said there to have been the niece of "John James Rassaw". This reference is believed by some of the Carolina clan to be to Jean Jacques Rousseau, the Geneva-born political philosopher whose writings were an inspiration to the French revolutionaries of the late 18th century. I have no direct evidence of the connection, however the times and dates are in agreement, that is, Rebecca could have been Rousseau's niece. As for her real name, it is tempting to think of it as having been Reynolds, since that is a proper English name and her first name (Rebecca) is acceptable as a British one. In searching Rousseau, I came across the name Raynal, another writer and philosopher of the same period, well known to and known by Rousseau. There is no other French name in the Britannica anything like Raynalds. Walter Beam, Jr.

John Teeter BEAM was born in 1732 in Hamburg, Germany. He emigrated in Nov 1767 from Charleston, SC. John Teeter with his wife Rebecca and two children, John and David, sailed for America, landing in November, 1767. Not being able to pay passage, he contracted with Mr. Christy Eaker, of Lincoln County, NC for seven years to pay passage. He had three sons and three daughters before his wife died in 1779. He died on Nov 15 1807 in Lincoln County, North Carolina.

He was buried in New Prospect Baptist Church, Cleveland County, Shelby, NC. He was also known as Johann Dietrich Böhm. John T. Beam was an Elder in the Lutheran Church at the time of his death. In 1801 he built a Lutheran Church building where now stands New Prospect Baptist Church.

John Teeter Beam went from Hamburg, Germany to Geneva, Switzerland to learn the weaver's trade. There he met Rebecca Raynolds. Two of their sons, John and David, were born in Geneva. In 1767 they planned to return to Hamburg but there had been a great overflow of the Elbe River which caused a famine in that country. John and Rebecca with their two small children joined the immigration to America. They landed at Charleston, SC sometimes in November, 1767. Not being able to pay his passage, John Teeter contracted with Mr. Christy Eaker of Lincoln County to serve him seven years for paying his passage to the immigration commission. He was brought by Mr. Eaker to his home in Lincoln County. His faithful work so pleased Eaker that he was set free at six years and given an outfit for housekeeping.

When John Teeter Beam came to America in 1767, the area west of Catawba River was included in Mecklenburg County.

One year later, 1768, Tryson County was formed, including all territories west of the Catawba River up to the mountains. This county was named in honor of William Tryson, Governor of North Carolina. In 1779 Tryson County was divided into Lincoln and Rutherford Counties, with the dividing line three miles east of Shelby, but west of the pioneer's second home-site on Buffalo Creek. In 1841 Cleveland County was formed out of upper Lincoln and lower Rutherford counties. In 1846 the southern part of Lincoln county became Gaston County, throwing the original home-site of John Teeter Beam to Gaston County. Hence, as all legal records show, John Teeter Beam never moved out of Lincoln County. The two home-sites now in Gaston and Cleveland counties, respectively.

In 1790 John Teeter Beam (Pioneer of the Beam clan) received Land Grant No. 72 for 200 acres in Lincoln County on October 9, 1783, Located on Beaverdam Creek, Southfork of the Catawba, and Land Grant No. 79 for 250 acres in Lincoln County on the same day and same location. Both grants were entered on February 4, 1780.In 1790 John Teeter Beam purchased land from William Killian on Buffalo Creek, Lincoln County. This later became his home-site, about 1794, according to Aaron Beam. (see "A History of John Teeter Beam Generations" by L. Carl Beam, page 14).

In 1794, John acquired the property that includes the site of the New Prospect Church from William Killian.