John Beecher

Info. by Harold Robinson:

John Beecher owned and operated a cooper shop in West Haven. He died at the age of 42 leaving Mary with eight children, Isaac, tha last was born three months after his father's death. John Beecher was the father of the Southbury Beecher families. His widow, Mary and her family of children, moved from West Haven where they were born, to that section of Southbury called White Oak, soon after the settlement of the estate in 1790. 'White Oak' was named for a large white oak tree whose branches had sheltered a company of fifteen families who had left Stratford in the spring of 1673 to seek a new home in the wilderness of the Pomperaug valley.

John Beecher (4), d. Nov 3, 1786. Made no will. His estate was settled

according to law. Probate records, vol 15, p. 154. Court appointed

"widow Mary" admx. on estate of John Beecher, late of West Haven,

Deceased.

Probate Records, vol 15, p. 206. Court of Probate held in Newhaven, in said district, on ye sd. 7 day of April, 1788. Mary Beecher, admx. on ye sd. estate of John Beecher, deceased, exhibited an amount of debts due from sd. estate amounting to 38 Lbs. 19s. 3d.

Probate Records, vol 16, page 101. Inventory of John Beecher's estate, received for Record Nov 5 1787, Silas Kimlkberly and Samuel Candee, apprizers. Among the items enumerated are: One sett cooper's tools, 1 pr. oxen, 1 cart, 12 chains, 1 horse, 2 cows, 1-32 part sloop Bachelor, dwelling-house, barn, cooper's shop, 7 parcels land amounting to 54 acres. All apprized at L262 16 0. Apprizers appeared and sworn in Court before Justice peace Nemiah Smith.

Mary Beecher, Admx.

Sworn in Court

Test, Wm. J Whilting, Clerk

Probate Records, vol 15, p.237, Nov., 1788. Mary Beecher, admx. of estate of John Beecher, late of Newhaven, decd., exhibited an account of ye sd. sale of nine acres and 49 rods of land in ye sd. Court to Silas Kimberly for 27 lbs 17s 9d.. according to order of Court ye sd. residue of ye said estate, amounting to L176 2 3. This Court is to be divided according to law among ye sd. 8 children of ye sd. decd; a double share to ye eldest son, and a single share to each other child; first setting ou to ye sd. widow 68 lbs., being one-third part of the real estate. Ye sd. decd. died possessed of, which will yield to ye eldest son 24 lbs. 0 6 and to each other child 12 lbs 0 3. Freeholders are Deacon Nathan Smith, Capt Sam Candee and Capt Silas Kimberly. Sworn and return of their doing to this Court.

Final Distribution was made and recorded Dec 20, 1790. The widow was to have half the house at West End, the barn and 10 acres of land at Westfield. Nathaniel to have the cooper's shop and a double share and the other children a single share each and a right in the house.

One-thirty-second of the sloop Bachelor belonged to the estate. The land distributed among the eight children.

Apprizers made oath before justice to the distribution as above. The apprizers in surveying the land found three acres more which, being added to the estate, yielded to the widow Mary L69 16 0, and to each of the children receiving a single share L12 8 6, and a double share to the

eldest son, L24 16 6.

Probate Records, vol 18, page 218. We the subscribers made oath to the distribution of the estate before

Nemiah Smith, Justice of Peace.

Samuel Candee

Silar Kimberly

Newhaven, Dec 20 1790.