The Solomon Beasley family of Covington County was featured in last week’s column, and more of his lineage is being presented in this writing.

Solomon’s second son by his first wife was Elijah Beasley, who was born 1799 in North Carolina and died in 1881 in Covington County.

In 1825 he was married in Tuscaloosa to Nancy Vilaten Hobbs, daughter of Elijah Hobbs. Nancy died before Elijah in 1872, and both were buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery at Bluff Springs, Fla., where they had finally settled. Elijah and Nancy were residing in Lowndes County, Ala. in 1830 and had moved to the community of Red Level, Covington County, by 1840. In 1850 his father, Solomon was identified as a pastor and living in Elijah’s household.

During the 1860s Elijah and his family had moved south into Escambia County, Fla.

Their children were listed in last week’s column.

Elijah’s grandchildren are the first great grandchildren of Solomon to be considered in this narrative.

Unfortunately, only the children of Elijah’s youngest daughter are available to this writer.

Sarah Ann Beasley was born in 1844 and was married circa 1866 to Martin VanBuren Hare, son of Nicholas Hare and Elizabeth (Davis ?).

Martin was born in 1846 in Georgia and died in 1918 in Covington County, Ala.

They had the following five children before Sarah’s untimely death: Cornelia Georgia, b. 1867, d. 1922, m. Burrell Jackson Stokes (1864-1942); Samuel, b. 1869, d. 1879; William Elijah “Lige,” b. 1871, d. 1946, m. Mary Jane McIntosh; Edward A., b. 1874, d. 1942, m. Dorcas J. McIntosh; and George Evans, b. 1877, d. 1940, m. Elizabeth McAlister Jay.

Cornelia and Jackson Stokes, son of Absalom Lafayette Stokes and Elizabeth Jay, resided in Covington County and reared the following children: Lyda May, b. 1884, d. 1885; Wright Absalom, b. 1887, d. 1949, m. Minnie L. Rabren; Mary Delilah “Lila,” m. James LaFayette “Fate” Rabren; Leland Congdon, b. 1891, d. 1949, m. Callie Alabama “Bama” Fuqua; Justice Lamar, b. 1893, d. 1966, m. Flossie Huggins; R.V., b. 1895, d. 1896; Matthew VanBuren, b. 1897, d. 1959, m. (1) Agnes Leona Eiland (2) Alma (Vaughn) Thompson; Ollie Phyllis, b. 1900, d. 1968, m. Emory E. Rabren; Naomi Cornelia, b. 1903, d. 1977, m. James Wesley “Jim” Fuqua; Ellie C., b. 1905, d. 1971, m. (1) Lenzy Lamar Pruitt (2) Lee Bennett Pope; and Eunice Eva Dell, b. 1907, d. 1967, m. (1) Virgil Gilmer (2) Wayne Geral Hudgins.

Another son of Solomon, Orston/Austin Beasley, had seven children by his first wife, Elizabeth Hayes. Data is available on two of their sons.

John Henry Beasley Sr., was born in 1833 and died in 1863 during the War for Southern Independence.

He was married in 1853 in Butler County to Mary Elizabeth Parker (1834-1923), daughter of John Parker, and they had the following children: Jefferson, b. 1855; John Henry Jr., b. 1857, d. 1944; Mary Ellen, b. 1859, m. 1885 C.W. Watford; James Monroe “Roe,” b. 1860, d. 1939; and Nancy, b. circa 1862.

After Orston/Austin’s death, Mary Elizabeth married in 1866 Melvin Beasley, son of Abraham Beasley III, who was uncle of John Henry Beasley Sr.

John Henry Beasley Sr.’s son, John Henry Beasley Jr., was born in 1857 in Butler County and died in 1944.

He and his first wife, Francis Burkett (or Burnet) were married in 1879 and had one son, John P. Beasley who married Mittie ?. He was later married to Della ? (1880-1943) and afterwards to Lena ?.

James Monroe “Roe” Beasley was another son of John Henry Beasley Sr. He was born in 1860 in Butler County and died in 1939 in Georgiana, Butler County. He was married first to Elizabeth Henderson and later in 1879 to Susan Ledlow (1859-1908), daughter of Westly Ledlow and Charlotte Coleman.

He and Susan had the following three children: Alice, b. 1881, m. Owen Hallford; Susan Roemettie “Mettie,” b. 1886, d. 1972; and Lelia, b. 1890, m. Zollie Henderson.

The other son, James “Jim” Beasley, was born in 1837 and died in 1910 in Red Level, Covington County, Ala.

He married Amanda Fails (1845-1926), and they reared the following children: Seaborn Wiley, b. 1862, d. 1936’ Lucy, b. 1865, d. 1903; Leona “Lonie,” b. 1867; Elizabeth Priscilla, b. 1859, d. 1952; John Solomon, b. 1873, d. 1954; Jihonny “Jympsy” Alice, b. 1871, d. 1926; William Michael, b. 1876, d. 1960; James Samuel, b. 1878, d. 1954; George Liston, b. 1880, d. 1960; and Louis Jacob “Jake,” b. 1883, d. 1956.

Orston/Austin Beasley and his second wife, Celia Moore (1818-1875), had the following children: Sarah Elizabeth, b. 1841, d. 1917; Calvin Auston, b. 1842, d. 1911; Jane Jeanette, b. 1943, d. 1914, m. Dr. Alexander G. Adkinson; Margaret, b. 1846, d. 1918; Sarah Ann, b. 1848, d. 1914; Elijah Jackson, b. 1849, d. 1931; Eliza, b. 1850; and Col. Orston/Auston, b. 1851, d. 1937.

The oldest daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Beasley, was married 1861 to Charles Allen Mason (1833-1912), son of Henry “Rock” Mason. Charles was a private in the Confederate Army in Company I, 40th Alabama Infantry Volunteers and Company E, 42nd Regiment.

They had the following children; Henry Auston, b. 1862, d. 1948; Celia Mariah, b. ca 1864, d. before 1870; William Early, b. 1866, d. 1955; John Allen, b. 1868, d. 1938; Ida Adele, b. 1870, d. 1954; James Hillary, b. 1873, d. 1919; Linnie Louiza, b. 1875, d. 1948; Philistia Jane, b. 1877, d. 1964; Mary E. Rosilla, b. 1879, d. 1955; Ambrose Gilberry, b. 1881; and Margaret Barthelda, b. 1884, d. 1978.

The oldest son, Calvin Auston Beasley, was born in 1842 in Georgiana and died in 1941 in Red Level.

He was married in 1866 to a widow, Malissa Elle (Atkinson) Williams (1836-1926), whose first husband, William Williams, had died during the War for Southern Independence.

Malissa and William had four or five children including Martha Jane and William A.

She and Calvin Beasley had the following nine children: Reuben, b. ca 1857; John Atkinson, b. 1869, d. 1920; Calvin Heziah, b. 1870, d ca 1952; Auston “Archie,” b. 1872, d. 1931, m. Laura Quick; James Reuben, b. 1874, d. ca 1956; Margaret Marjory, b. ca 1877, d. ca 1968; Charles Moore, b. ca 1880, d. 1963; Melissa Elle, b. ca 1882, d. 1989; and Preston Merton, b. 1883, d. 1886.

Margaret Beasley was the next daughter who was born in 1846 in Georgiana and died in 1918 in Red Level. She was married in 1866 to James Sherrod Liles Sr.

They reared the following 10 children: Daniel Jasper, b. 1867, d. 1930; Elijah, b. 1869: Cecelia “Celia,” b. 1870; (twin) Margaret, b. 1873, d. 1956, m. Andrew Mock; (twin) Martha “Mollie,” b. 1873, d. 1946; James Sherrod Jr., b. 1876, d. 1953; Dicye/Dicie Jane, b. 1879, m. Petty Green Burgess; Julia Gracy, b. 1882, d. 1963; Dunkin Hamilton, b. 1883; and Vassy/Vassie Bell, b. 1888.

The next daughter, Sarah Ann Beasley, was born in 1848 n Georgiana and died in 1914 in Red Level.

She and her husband, Samuel Erastus Lord, reared the following eight children: Colonel, Wooden; Herbert, Thomas, Kinnie/Ginnie, Vennie/Sinny, Cora, and Cary.

The next son, Elijah Jackson Beasley, will be covered in next week’s column.

The youngest son, Col. Orston/Auston Beasley, was born in 1851 in Georgiana and died in 1937 in Red Level. He was married in 1874 to Mittie Paul Wyrosdick, daughter of Andrew Paul Wyrosdick.

They reared the following 11 children: Andrew W. Solomon, b. 1876, d. 1904; Kenneth Gordon, b. 1878, m. Rosa Lundy; Lenna Zelma Gertrude, b. 1879, m. George Huggins; Robert Walton, b. 1884; Fannie Dow, b. 1885, m. Robert Pippen; Alba Daisy, b. 1887, m. William Windham; Austin A., b. 1888; Drayton Kierce, b. 1891, m. Lizzie Paggett; Eleanor, b. 1892; Mittie Ethel, b. 1895; and Ottiemese Totsy, b. 1897.

There is much more genealogy on this Beasley family which mostly resided in the Red Level community of Covington County. The source for today’s writing was the records compiled by Lenora C. Heise on the descendants of John Beasley of Craven County, N.C.

Anyone who might find an error in the above is requested to contact Curtis Thomasson at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-804-1442; or Email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.

 

HISTORICAL

MEETING:

The Covington Rifles Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans will be meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 3, in the Dixon Memorial Room of the Andalusia Public Library. Anyone interested in Confederate heritage and potential members are encouraged to attend.