Benjamin Beeler 1827 will: here. 3 scanned pages plus an abstract.

Anyone up to transcribing it?
This was the Beeler item I promised last weekend, delayed by a computer failure. I will write more about it later; invite comparisons between Julie's posting earlier & the land tax entries for Beeler in late 1820's - 1830's.
Will probably change that will folder to make it a little more accessible as time permits.

Update: added a few links (cross references) to related material after "invite comparison"

Southern Jefferson Co, 1809, from the Varles map: here. Pick the "low" version unless you want to print.

I will edit that web site & put in contact & other info later.
Note "Hamonds ferry" and the location in relation to where I have been arguing "Mount Hammond" must be.
Thomas Hammond mentioned, is the brother of James Hammond.
The course of the Shenandoah looks quite different than its appearance on modern maps.

There is also a piece of the 1883 S H Brown plat map of Jefferson Co provided by Julie here.

Land tax book thru 1855.

This is just about the end of this reel (1856). I will finish up w/o further notice. As I said before, I want to assess, and go back thru some of these names and pick up deeds, to track the Hammond & Beeler land carefully.

Found a website re George Beelor which gave some interesting info. For one thing it might explain the closeness of some of these people we are looking at with the Quakers. George's wife Elizabeth Vestal was a Quaker and she was disowned for marrying him.  Apparently her parents were also for consenting to the marriage and allowing it to be held at their house.

This is from the website:

"1772 eight month third day (Quaker calendar) George Beeler and Elizabeth Vestal were married. During this time there were several entries in the records of the Hopewell Monthly Meeting in Frederick Co. concerning the Vestals and this marriage.

6-1-1772. John Vestal hath consented to his daughters marriage out and made her a wedding at his house. James Steer and Richard Ridgway Jr. to visit him.
8-3-1772. John Vestal and wife Ann disowned. Richard Ridgway and Abel Walker to read.
9-7-1772. John Vestal reported inclined to appeal.
2-1-1773. John Vestal & wife’s testimony returned. recorded. signed by Benj. Thombrugh & Sarah Pickering.
2-1-1773. Elizabeth Bealor, formerly Vestal, daughter of John and Ann Vestal, disowned 8-3-1772 for marrying by hireling to one not a member.10"
Hopewell Monthly Meeting, Frederick Co. VA, Vol. 2. 1759 - 1791,
    pgs. 104 – 110, FHL Film #0441486.

It also gives some sources we might want to check out. Among them an article on

George's father Christopher Beelor. Don't  know what info it might provide but maybe there is something we don't know. Here is the cite:

Pappas, Carolyn H. “Christian Beeler, 1705-1775”, THE VIRGINIA
    GENEALOGIST, Fall and Winter of 2000 - 2001, VOL. 44, pgs. 24-26.

It also contains other info on George, the sale of the land on Evitts Run and where he went then. Again to quote from the website:

"1778 June 16. George Beeler was appointed constable in Berkeley County and was summoned to appear at the next court to be foreman.1.1, p.23

1779. George Beeler appointed overseer of the mountain road in the boom of Robert Goldbury.1.1, p.364

1779 Sept 10. George Beeler, his wife Elizabeth, and Charles Beeler, sold 232 acres on Evitts Run where “George Beelor now lives”. This was part of a tract of land purchased by his grandfather, Christopher Beeler from Samuel Walker on 31 August 1752. Christopher, in turn, sold it to his son, Frederick Beeler, in 1760. The property was located in that part of Frederick County, VA, that became Berkeley County in 1772 and Jefferson County in 1801. This was probably the land that was sold to his uncle Benjamin Beeler.13

(13.O’Dell, Cecil. PIONEERS OF OLD FREDERICK COUNTY, VA, Walsworth Publishing
    Co., Marceline, MO, 1995, p. 224.)

1779. With the sale of the property in Berkeley County, this might have been the time that George Beeler moved to Ohio County, VA, later Marshall County, WVA. "


Anyway if you want to look at this particular website URL is : http://www.rootsweb.com/~wvmarsha/beeler-gen.htm

 

Land tax book thru 1843-44.

A discontinuity occurs at 1840. There is no tax record for this year, apparently, and there are some changes I can't follow across the gap of that year. I have lost some traces of the possible Helm land owners (Washington, Herberts) as they did something between 1839-1841 and the land ownership is different.

It's time to pull some deed records and figure out which owners need to be tracked.

The Beeler descendents posting was very helpful -- I was able to pick up at least one more daughter family, and trace some of the others as they married. I also tracked down the Carter family (this land seems to have been bought by Abraham and Sarah Beeler Isler.

It looks like "Elizabeth Howard" must be some relation of Benjamin F Beeler's wife, as transactions in the 1834-36 show the land changing around between Elizabeth Howard, Beeler, and finally winding up with Abraham Isler.

If time permits, more on this Beeler family over the weekend.

The following chart may help sort through the later land/tax records.

Benjamin Beeler's widow, Sarah Warden Beeler married Abraham Isler about 1841.  Isler is shown on the 1852 S.H. Brown map. Benjamin's daughter Mary (see below) married George G. Grove. He is also shown on the 1852 S.H. Brown map and his land adjoins to the south of the James L. Hooff parcel. Abraham Isler's parcel  borders to the south of Grove's parcel.


1-Capt. Benjamin Franklin Beeler b: After 1774, Berkeley Co. VA, d: Bef 1827,
  Jefferson Co. VA
+Sarah Curlett b: Abt 1780, d: Between 1802 and 1807, m: Abt 1801
|--2-Sarah Caroline Beeler b: 1802, Jefferson Co. [W]VA, d: 20 Mar 1836
   +William Arthur Carter b: 1799, On Opequen Creek, Frederick Co. VA, m: 25
     Nov 1824, par: Arthur Watson Carter and Mary Kerfoot
   |--3-William A. Carter
   |--3-Mary E. Carter
+Jane Wood b: 1790, d: Oct 1815, Jefferson Co., (W) VA, m: 31 Dec 1807,
  Jefferson Co., (W) VA
|--2-Adeline Beeler b: 15 Sep 1809, Jefferson Co. [W]VA
|  +George A. Hayden , m: 1828
|  +Horatio Nelson Gallaher b: Abt 1808, m: 2 Sep 1830
|  |--3-William W. B. Gallaher b: 21 Mar 1833, d: 28 Aug 1903
|  |--3-Charles Horace Gallaher b: 17 Apr 1839, d: 29 Jan 1911
|  |--3-James N. Gallaher b: 2 May 1841, d: 25 Feb 1885
|  |--3-Anna Gallaher b: 1843
|  |--3-John S. Gallaher b: 1845
|  |--3-Edwin Gallaher b: 1850
|--2-Benjamin Franklin Beeler b: Mar 1812, Jefferson Co. [W]VA, d: 28 Nov 1841
|  +Catherine F. Howard , m: 5 May 1833, Frederick, Maryland
|  |--3-Elizabeth Ellen Adaline Beeler b: Jun 1834, d: 7 Mar 1835
|  |--3-Fannie C. Beeler b: Abt 1834
|     +L.M. Smith , m: 7 Apr 1855
|--2-William Wallace Beeler b: 1815, Jefferson Co. [W]VA, d: 8 Dec 1832,
|    Jefferson Co. [W]VA
+Sarah Warden b: 1800, d: 1850, m: 10 Oct 1816, Hardy Co. (W)VA
|--2-Mary Warden Beeler b: Abt 1818, Jefferson Co. [W]VA
|  +George G. Grove b: Abt 1814, m: 20 Dec 1838, Charles Town, Jefferson Co.,
|    (W) VA.
|  |--3-Sarah C. Grove b: Abt 1839
|  |--3-Mary Grove b: Abt 1841
|  |--3-George G. Grove b: Abt 1843
|  |--3-Edwin P. Grove b: Abt 1845
|  |--3-Adeline P. Grove b: Abt 1849
|  |--3-Maria S. Grove b: Abt 1852
|  |--3-Anna Grove b: Abt 1854
|  |--3-Benjamin F. Grove b: Abt 1856, Missouri
|  |--3-William W. Grove b: Abt 1858, Missouri
|--2-Sarah Warden Beeler b: Abt 1824, Jefferson Co. [W]VA
|  +Turner Milton b: Abt 1814, m: Abt 1841
|  |--3-Sarah C. Milton b: Abt 1842
|  |--3-Mary Milton b: Abt 1845
|  |--3-Benjamin F. Milton b: Abt 1849
|--2-Benjamin Warden Beeler b: Abt 1826, Jefferson Co. [W]VA, d: 24 Nov 1833,
|    Jefferson Co. [W]VA
|--2-Catherine F. Beeler b: Abt 1827, d: in childhood before 1835

Finished the first roll of the landbook, thru 1836. Also looked at some 1841, 1851, and other information.

It looks like heirs of Benjamin Beeler broke up the plantation in 1834-35. I was unable to locate all the heirs / new owners, can only account for about 280 acres, about half of what I think the estate had. Many daughters, there are going to be many different names to look up in the deed books. Some of the families seem to disappear fairly quidkly eg Elizabeth Howard, family of William Carter; but Abraham Isler is also an heir, his wife must be another daughter (or widow?).

I think I 've traced the Helm part of the Rankin inheritance also. It passes from Matthew Ranson to John A Washington & Samuel Howells as mentioned earlier, and Norbet? Herbert. I've traced this set of people as best as I can thru the 1830's. John A Washington's land passes to Jane C Washington, and this is a very very large estate. It is also adjusted repeatedly; Jane Washington and Bushrod Washington swap acreages now and then, and there are other changes I haven't noticed. However, the Washingtons' estates should show up in the 1852 plat, somewhat to the west of our peoples' lands.

Another piece of the Helm land may be owned by James Roper; he should be a neighbor to Samuel Lackland also. Roper has many large parcels that seem to be scattered thruout this part of the county.

Another of Roper's parcels changes from "Joins Elizabeth Whiting" in 1841 to "Joins John Myer's heirs" in 1851. This should be very close to the Hooffs and Beeler lands.

Action Items:

I have not looked at any (maybe 1) deed book after about 1830, and didn't take any Beeler deed entries after 1826 as I didn't recognize the names. There are also some will book entries (administrator entries) I didn't look at. See the will books, but usually these are not interesting.

I think I need to abstract the will and see if I can pick up some more names of his children, and then search the deed book index for land sales.

I have to look at the Ranson->Wasihington/Howells deeds &c in the 1820's, and figure out which ones got the Helm lands, if possible.

May need to get the post 1846 deed index to follow deeds to 1850 and beyond.

Need to look at the 1852 plat. If nothing else, I could get a large set of names to work thru.

All for a while. I will do some more with the landbook in September, but it is going to be a busy month. I think the first thing is to look at the 1852 plat and abstract Benjamin Beeler's will, and proceed from there.

Irene did a more complete sweep of O'Dell for information on Samuel Walker, and some other related transactions, which can be read here.

We tried to link Samuel Walker to other Quaker Walkers in the area, but so far unsuccesfully. The name Samuel doesn't seem to appear in the family of Abel Walker, but it does look like there is some disagreement about the Quaker Walkers' early history, and I don't know of an authoritative source.

She may have a lead to another Walker family from PA, of Scottish origin and uncertainly Quaker, but the spouses of the Samuel Walker from PA (Jane Patterson) and the Samuel Walker of this early Frederick Co period (Ellinor ?) don't match.

The local Quaker records from Frederick are missing, lost in a fire. O'Dell's reporting of Walker's sale to Beeler suggests to me that Walker is leaving the area. The suit by a Hugh Walker suggests another family link.

Mike wrote " Many of these tracts are linked to William Davis, who is known to have sold some
land to Benjamin Rankin. Tracts 113* are associated with Richard Stephenson,
and Rankin bought some land from the estate of his son Hugh which I believe is
part of the land given to Mrs Rankin and Polly Rankin. It's known that Christopher
Beeler acquired at least some of his land from Samuel Walker; whether this is from
tract #14, #118, or another tract not named here, I don't know."

According to "Pioneers of Old Frederick County Virginia" by Cecil O'dell, Samuel Walker 
recieved a Nothern Neck grant from Lord Fairfax for 473 acres On 1 Jan 1752. it doesn't give a map location for it but says it was located  "adjacent north  to Walker's 190 acre patent land." Earlier it says he  purchased the lower 190 acres of land from Daniel Burnett for 123 pounds on Oct 3, 1745  identifying it as Tract 130 ( map 3) I looked at the map and am not sure how to describe where it's located but will try to give you some idea.  It's a long thin strip of land that runs just  across the road from  Ashby's gap  touching the NW  tip of  tract 128 at  the eastern  end and running west  past tract 118A toward Jost Hite's road. The book goes on to say Walker  sold both these tracts to CHRISTOPHER BEELER on 31 Aug 1752 for 225 pounds. "His wife Elinor relinquished her right of dower in open court to both properties which were their home places."

Does that help any Mike?