The BEARDSLEYS: Before and After the Revolutionary War

In my last blog post I wrote about Enoch Marshall and his parents David Marshall and Elizabeth Beardsley. Today I am going to focus on Elizabeth’s Beardsley line.

Elizabeth is my 5^th great grandmother. Her death registration states she was born in Wilmot and died on August 17, 1867 in Port Williams, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia at the age of 81. This information lines up with Wilmot Township Book, p1 where it tells us she was born June 1, 1786 in Wilmot. Her death registration also tells us that her parents names are Beverly R. and Sarah Beardsley and that her father was a farmer.

In searching for documents about Beverly R Beardsley I found two possible matches:

1)     A land grant for Wilmot and Granville Townships, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, where in the list of grantees is a “Beardley, Robinson” (Area 4, Port George) and a “Beardsley, B.R.” (in trust, Area 3, East Arlington)

2)     An entry for “Robinson Beardsley, 1, 0” in Wilmot, Annapolis County, 1792, in the Poll Tax Records, 1791-1795, Census Returns, Assessment and Poll Tax Records, 1767-1838, Nova Scotia Archives.

Hitting a wall in Nova Scotia records, I broadened my search. In the book Genealogical History of the Beardsley-lee Family in America it states, “When the English troops vacated New York, April 26, 1783, one of (Austin)’s sons, Beverly Robinson (Beardsley), went with them to New Brunswick. Rev. John Beardsley, Chaplain of a British regiment and brother of Austin, also accompanied them. (p66)” It states on the previous page (65), “9. Paul. Went with his brother, Chaplain John, to New Brunswick, 1783, where he drew lot 374; and was buried at Maugerville, New Brunswick, July 3, 1797.” As well, in History of the County of Annapolis, p. 497 it states, “Rev. John Beardsley, of Poughkeepsie, NY, b. at Stratford, Conn., 1732, was in 1778, Chaplain of the Loyal American Regiment, commanded by Col. Beverly Robinson. In 1783 he came with his regiment to Saint John, New Brunswick, lived at Maugerville and Kingston, and died 1810.”

From these excerpts we learn:

·        Beverly Robinson Beardsley’s father’s name is Austin Beardsley

·        Beverly and his father’s brothers, John and Paul, all left New York on April 26, 1783 and went to New Brunswick

·        John Beardsley was born at Stratford, CT in 1732

·        He resided in Poughkeepsie, New York at or about the time of the American Revolution

·        He was a Reverend and Chaplain the Loyal American Regiment which was commanded by Col. Beverly Robinson

·        Beverly’s uncles, John and Paul lived in Maugerville, NB

·        Paul Beardsley died and was buried in Maugerville, July 3, 1797

·        John Beardsley also lived in Kingston, NB, and died there in 1810 (further research will show a close but different year of death)

After reading this information I realized that on the Land Grant where “Beardley, Robinson” and “Beardsley, B.R.” are listed, there is also a “Robinson, Beverly (Lt. Col.)”, (Area 3, East Arlington & Area 4, Port George). This corroborates the information in Genealogical History of the Beardsley-lee Family in America about these men, which are said to have come up from NY to NB in 1783, are documented in records, proving they were in Nova Scotia after the Revolutionary War, and were in close proximity to each other.

Then, in a search for land grants in New Brunswick I found a few records for a Paul Beardsley and John Beardsley. They are listed together on two of the records:

1)     1785, Sunbury County, NB, names on petition: John Beardsley, Paul Beardsley and Robert Coletart

2)     1786, Sunbury County, names on petition: Paul Beardsley, John Beardsley and Robert Coletart.

As well, on the 1785 petition, it states there is 1 military unit related to this petition. That unit is the Loyal American Regiment led by Col. Beverly Robinson, the same unit Beverly Robinson Beardsley and his uncles, Rev. John Beardsley and Paul Beardsley were said to be with according to Genealogical History of the Beardsley-lee Family in America.

Although I was unable to find much in the way of primary sources for Beverly R. Beardsley, there are a few books that provide information about him. So, going back to the main source I began with, Genealogical History of the Beardsley-lee Family in America states that Beverly is the son of Austin, who is the son of John, who is the son of John, who is the son of Joseph, who is the son of William. He was born about 1760 and after the death of Col. Robinson he was made Colonel of the regiment and he held that position until his death. It also states he married Sarah Hatch on July 15, 1785. With no other information turning up for him in my searches, I redirected my focus to the person this document states is his father: Austin.

Since there is no indication that Beverly’s father made the trek with the group to Nova Scotia, I searched for records in and around New York. I found an Austin Bardsley in New Milford, Connecticut on the 1756 Tax List. The close connection geographically, along with the close spelling of his surname makes me think this could be the correct person we are looking for.

I found a potential match on the New England Historic Genealogical Society’s website, americanancestors.org, in the CT Vital Records to 1870 (The Barbour Collection), Vol: Stratford, p.7: “BEARDSLEY, Augustine, s. John, Jr. & Keziah, b. Feb. 9, 1726/7.” Although his first name is different, it is close enough to possibly be the same person, and if the Genealogical History of the Beardsley-lee Family in America is correct then this document corroborates Austin’s father’s name being John Beardsley. As well, the birth dates for both John Beardsley and Austin Beardsley are feasible to be father and son.

I then came across a handwritten manuscript on the New England Historic Genealogical Society’s website called New Englander in Nova Scotia Manuscript, by R. Stanton Avery Special Collections. In it was information about John, Joseph and William:

·        (p.517) “Rev. John Beardsley, b. in Stratford, Conn., April 23, 1732; was an Episcopal minister, and settled over the church, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. In 1778, he was appointed chaplain in the Loyal Regiment, commanded by Beverly Robinson. At the peace he went to Nova Scotia, and was settled over the parish in Maugerville, now in New Brunswick. He was the son of John 4 and Kezia (Wheeler); grandson of John 3 and Abigail (Wakely); and a great grandson of Joseph (William) and Abigail (Dayton). He d. in Kingston, N.B. in 1810, leaving sons and daughters.”

·        (p.517): “Joseph Beardsly (William 1), b. in England, and came over with his parents when about one year of age. He was a seafaring man, but his father in his will, offered him certain advantages on condition that he married and left the sea. He m. Abigail Dayton, and had eight children. (see Conn. Families, Vol. 2, p. 926; History of Stratford, Vol. 2).”

·        (p.517): “William (1) Beardsley, the American immigrant, was b. in England, in 1605, came to America in 1635, in the ship “Planter”, with wife, Mary, and children Mary, John, and Joseph. He settled in Stratford, Conn., and family tradition says that he was a native of Stratford-on-avon, the home of Shakespeare, and that he gave the name of Stratford to the settlement in which he located. He was a mason by trade; deputy to the General Court seven years. He died_____, and his will was proved, July 6, 1661. Children b. in Stratford were: Samuel, Sarah, Hannah, and Daniel.”

·        (p.375): “Thomas (2) Wells (Hugh 1), eldest child, b. in England, 1620; m. in Hartford, Conn., May___, 1651, Mary, dau. Of William Beardsley, a mason by trade, who came from England in 1635, in the “Planter”; settled at Stratford, Conn.; but who, a few years before his death removed to Hadley, Mass., and d. there in 1676. His widow, Mary, m. (2) in 1678, Samuel Beldon, son Richard, and d. before 1691.”

With fresh leads to follow, I began to search for records that could prove/disprove the new information the manuscript presented. I found the following records in the New England Marriages Prior to 1700, p.56, americanancestors.org:

·        “BEARDSLEY, William (1605-1661) & Mary LAWRENCE?; in Eng. 1631; Hartford/Stratford, CT”

·        “BEARDSLEY, Joseph (1634-1712) & Phebe [DAYTON], Brookhaven; 1665, b. 1666; Stratford, CT/Brookhaven”

·        “BEARDSLEY, John (1668-1735) & Abigail [WAKELEE/DAYTON?] (?1665-1753); b. 1692; Stratford, CT”

I also found the following records in the Connecticut Vital Records to 1870 (The Barbour Collection), Vol: Stratford, p. 9:

·        “BEARDSLEY, Joseph of Stratford, m. Phebee Deighton, of Brookhaven, [1728(?)]”

·        “BEARDSLEY, John, s. Jno & Keziah, b. Apr. 23, 1732

As well, in the Pension Applications For Widows And Family Of British Military Officers, 1776-1881, I found a record for a Mary Ann Beardsley (“The Widow”) of Maugerville, New Brunswick. This record supplies us with a wealth of information, confirming she was the wife of Beverly Robinson Beardsley’s uncle, Rev. John Beardsley, as well as when he died:

·        “Mary Ann Beardsley came this Day before me, and made oath, that she was lawfully married on the 11^th day of June 1800 to the Reverend John Beardsley late a Chaplain on Half Pay of the Loyal American Regiment of Foot who died at Kingston in New Brunswick on or about the twenty second day of August 1809 and that she has no Pension, Allowance, or Provision from Government.” Signed by Mary Ann Bearsdsley, Maugerville New Brunswick. “Sworn before me, at Fredericton in the County of York, New Brunswick this 10^th Day of June 1822.” Signed by the Magistrate. “…We do hereby certify to the best of our Knowledge, that Mary Beardsley now residing at Magerville in New Brunswick was the lawful Wife of the Reverend John Beardsley late a Chaplain on Half Pay of the Loyal American Regiment of Foot who died at Kingston in New Brunswick on the 22d of August 1809 leaving her in distressed Circumstances. Wherefore we do humbly recommend her as a deserving Object of HIS MAJESTY’S Royal Bounty. Given under our hands, this Day of” space for the Colonel to sign, followed by the Agent to sign, both are blank.

·        “Revd. John Beardsley of the Parish of Maugerville Sunbury County and the Widow Mary Ann Quair of said Parish was Married by the Revd Richard Clarke of the Parish of Gager(cut off) Town Queens County on the eleventh day of June 1800 as appears on his record of Marriages. This is to certify that we the undersigned was at the Revd Richard Clarkes house and saw the above named John Beardsley and the Widow Mary Ann Quair Married, by Revd Richard Clarke on the day and date above written.” Signed by Saml Clarke and Daniel Babbit.

·        “This may certify that the Widow Mary Ann Quair was married to the Reverend John Beardsley of Maugerville the eleventh day of June one thousand eighteen hundred by me. Richard Clarke Missionary & Rector in Queens County of St. Johns Church in Gagetown.”

Lastly, in the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick website, in Daniel F. Johnson’s New Brunswick Newspaper Vital Statistics database there is an entry from The Daily Sun, July 20, 1892, Saint John, Saint John County: “Rev. John Beardsley of Maugerville m. Mary Quain, widow by neighbour Mr Clarke on June 11, 1800.”

Another entry in the same database is the death notice of this same John Beardsley: Sept 11, 1809, York Co, Fredericton, The NB Royal Gazette, “d. Kingston, 23^rd Aug, Rev. John BEARDSLEY, age 78.”

Now, comparing the books with the records, we find corroborating evidence for:

·        William Beardsley was the first of this line to immigrate from England

·        His wife’s first name was Mary

·        He lived in Stratford, CT

·        Joseph married a “Dayton” but her first name according to two records (N.E. Marriages Prior to 1700 and CT Vital Records to 1870) was Phebe/Phebee. Her last name had two spellings: Dayton and Deighton.

·        Austin/Augustine Beardsley was the son of a John Beardsley

·        Austin and John had the same parents: John Jr/Jno & Keziah, confirming they are brothers

·        John Beardsley (Austin’s brother) was a Reverend and a chaplain with the Loyal American Regiment

·        He died August 22/23, 1809 in Kingston, NB

Taking all of this information into consideration, including the variations and errors, we can confidently say we have found sufficient documentation to confirm this Beardsley line… and once I was able to confirm the connection to William Beardsley, I was able to find him in The Great Migration! …but I will save that for next time.

Until then, happy hunting, fellow gene geeks!

Sources:

·        Annapolis County Land Grants – Map 28 (Wilmot and Granville Townships) (ancestry.ca)

·        Beardsley Genealogy The Family of William Beardsley one of the first settlers of Stratford, Connecticut, Nellie Beardsley Holt

·        Census Returns, Assessment and Poll Tax Record 1767-1838, Poll Tax Records, 1791-1795 (Nova Scotia Archives)

·        Connecticut Vital Records to 1870 (The Barbour Collection), Vol: Stratford, p. 7 (NEHGS)

·        Genealogical History of the Beardsley-lee Family in America, Isaac Haight Beardsley, 1902

·        History of the County of Annapolis: including Old Port Royal and Acadia, William Arthur Calnek, 1897

·        New Englander in Nova Scotia Manuscript, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, MA

·        New Milford: Tax List of New Milford, Connecticut, 1756, p.70 (NEHGS)

·        Pension Applications For Widows and Family of British Military Officers, 1776-1881, The National Archives (ancestry.ca)

·        Wilmot Township Book, Ross and Ruth Burgess, 2002 (Nova Scotia Archives)