John Beam

Other Events:

• Cemetery: Beamsdale Farm Of David Elliott, Cleveland County, NC

Notes:

He settled in upper Cleveland County, Noth Carolina and built a mill in connection with his farm. He raised a large family...five sons and five daughters

Martin married Elizabeth Alexander on 18 Oct 1803 in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Elizabeth and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Cemetery: New Prospect Baptist Church, Cleveland County, NC
• Occupation: Weaver
• Military Service: 1779, North Carolina; Patriot

Notes:

John Teeter was born near Hamburg, Germany on the Elbe river in 1732. He emigrated in Nov 1767. He was also known as Johann Dietrich Bohm. 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 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, Tryon 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 easy 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. John T. Beam did not engage in the American war (Revolutionary War); his trade being worth more at home to the soldiers than his service in the army. He well remembered the first blood shed for American Independence and many great incidents of the great struggle was handed down by him to his children. By his honest dealings and study habits he soon became a considerable land owner on Beaver Dam creek, in Lincoln county, where he run a farm in connection with his trade until about the year 1794, when he purchased the lands of William Killian on Buffalo creek, where the widow Susan Beam now lives. He built a corn and saw mill at this place where he was successful and continued to add to his means. The first slave he ever bought was in Charleston in the year 1800 when an African trading vessel landed there, and he bought Bristow, then a boy of about twelve years of age. The boy knew nothing of the English language and when one of his young mistresses commanded him to do something, not understanding her, he made an attempt to kill her with an ax. But one of her brothers knocked him down which Bristow never forgot. He became obedient and made a faithful servant and lived to be a ripe old age. In the year 1801 he built a small house of worship on the hill where now stands the New Prospect Church. This he erected for his own denomination-- Lutheran-- but as he was not prejudiced he always opened it to other denominations.


Occupation:
He also had a corn mill and a saw mill.

Military Service:
John was not a soldier but he is listed with the DAR as a patriot.
Service Source: PRUITT, ABSTRACTS OF LAND ENTRIES, TRYON & LINCOLN COS, P 40
Service Description: 1) SIGNED OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO MAKE LAND ENTRY, LINCOLN CO, AUG 1779

John married Rebecca Raynolds in 1764 in Geneva, Switzerland. Rebecca was born in 1736 in Geneva, Switzerland; died in 1779. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Occupation: farming, tanning, and merchandising

Notes:

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 philospher 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 Brittanica anything like Raynalds. Walter Beam, Jr.

Other Events:

• Occupation: Farming, Tanning and merchandising

Notes:

He lived and raised a family in Hamburg. His occupation was farming, tanning and merchandising. His farm was on or near the River Elb.

Michael married Sarah Rudolph about 1729 in Hamburg, Germany. Sarah and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From "Sketches of the Life of J. T. Beam and his Fifteen Children" by A. R. Beam (1898): The Rudolph family traces their ancestors back to about 1300, when Rudolph became Emperor of Germany under peculiar circumstances. He was a Swiss Baron, the owner of thirteen Cantons. He was Steward of the House of the King of Bohemia. The Electors at Hamburg disagreeing made Rudolph their Emperor and he made his only surviving son Duke of Austria, which Goodrich says the Rudolph family held the Imperial power until 1830. Tradition teaches us that many mechanical traits have been handed down from the Rudolph family, as we find that Rudolph the II would spend whole days in gun and clock shops and other places gathering the arts of improvement, sometimes neglecting the duties of State. The first marriage of J. T. Beam to Miss Rebecca Ranyalds, of Geneva, Switzerland, was about the year 1764. The custom of that country then was to pay five shillings for a bill of sale for the wife to the Court of Ordinary. The original bill of sale is yet in possession and at the house of (the) widow (of) Frank Beam, of Lincoln county. There is no account of any of the Ranyalds family ever coming to America. If any of the younger generation wishes to trace further the family of Beam, of Hamburg, Ranyalds. of Geneva or Rudolph, of Hamburg or Austria. the foregoing dates will start on a direct line of their ancestry. Died at age 85.