Charles William Beebe (1877 - 1962)

Born 29 Jul 1877 in Brooklyn, New York, USA

Ancestors

Died 4 Jun 1962 at age 84 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, British West Indies

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Biography

William Beebe is Notable.

"Most famous for his world record descent in the Bathysphere with Otis Barton on August 15, 1934. Will also wrote popular books about his exploring experiences working for the New York Zoological Park (Bronx Zoo). He used the name C. William Beebe in early books and articles..." ^[1]

"American naturalist, ornithologist, marine biologist, entomologist, explorer, and author. He is remembered for the numerous expeditions he conducted for the New York Zoological Society, his deep dives in the Bathysphere, and his prolific scientific writing for academic and popular audiences..." ^[2]

"Will Beebe never shirked danger... he led a charmed life... His father, Charles, was one of four sons of a prosperous Brooklyn paper merchant. Roderick Beebe, Sr.... put his sons to work in the family business. Charles and his identical twin brother, Clarence, remained with it throughout their lives." ^[3]

"In 1927 Beebe married Elswyth Thane Ricker. She authored several books including Reluctant Farmer (1950) which portrays her life with Beebe. In 1916 he became Honorary Curator of Ornithology and Director of the Department of Tropical Research of the New York Zoological Society. On retirement in 1952, he was appointed Director Emeritus. In 1918 He was awarded the second Elliot Medal of the National Academy of Sciences for his monumental four volume work, A Monograph of the Pheasants. He received many additional awards and medals though out his lifetime but became a household name during the 1930s after his 1934 record-breaking ocean descent in the bathysphere to a depth of 3,028 feet off Bermuda. This record remained unbroken until 1949. Tim M. Berra in William Beebe: An Annotated Bibliography reports that Beebe published 24 books and 825 articles, reviews and reports including 5 feature articles in The National Geographic Magazine. He lead more than 50 scientific expeditions, described 87 new species of fish, and one new species of bird. At least 64 animals have been named after him. He was a fellow of the New York Zoological Society, the New York Academy of Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Ornithologists' Union, and an honorary fellow of the Royal Geographical Society." ^[4]

Ancestors

"In the year 1650, upon a day in spring, John Beebe, a yoeman, or husbandman of Broughton, set forth with his family upon a journey to the New World. John was past middle life and as subsequent events proved, not in the best of health, and had apparently left an established position in the community of Broughton to embark upon this uncertain enterprise." ^[5] & ^[6]

End of Biography.

Genealogical Records

The following section of this profile provides detailed information found in the collected information sources. The purpose of this section is to provide the reader access to the information contained within the cited sources; to examine the genealogical record for areas of data corroboration and conflict, and to establish a hierarchy of reliability for the cited information. In addition, this section provides a platform to analyze, cross-correlate, and comment on important aspects of the cited historical data record.

Census Records

• Primary Source, United States Census, 1900, ^[7] : Data summary: In the 1900 census, Charles Beebe, age (48) was the head of a Manhattan, New York, New York household. Members of the household include:

1. ) Scanned Image of 1900 Manhattan, New York Census from Ancestry Record 7602 #49378356: 1900 Manhattan, New York Census, Image 16 of 30: Charles Beebe, Head, 48, b. March 1852 at New York, married 23 years, Clerk
2. ) Henrietta Beebe, 48; Wife; b. May 1852 at New York; married 23 years; mother of two children, one living.
   1. ) Charles W. Beebe, 22, Son; b. July 1877 at New York; single; Curator (Zoo).

Death Records

• Primary Source, (burial); Tertiary Source (biography), Find A Grave Index ^[8] Data Summary:

1. ) Find A Grave: Memorial #18371425: Dr. Charles William Beebe, son of Charles Beebe (1852–1931) and Henrietta Beebe (unknown–1924), was born 19 Jul 1877 at Brooklyn, Kings County (Brooklyn), New York, USA., and he died 4 Jun 1962 (aged 84) at Trinidad And Tobago.
   1. ) Marriage. Dr. Charles William Beebe married Elswyth Thane Ricker (1900–1984)
2. ) BURIAL. Dr. Charles William Beebe was buried in the Mucurapo Cemetery at Port of Spain, Trinidad And Tobago
   1. ) Find a Grave Notes: Refer to the cited Find A Grave web page for a detailed biography.
   2. ) Tombstone Photo: Inscription, "HERE LIES DR. WILLIAM CHARLES BEEBE, THE FIRST CURATOR OF BIRDS OF THE BRONX ZOO IN NEW YORK, U.S.A. AN AVID WRITER AND EXPLORER, DR. BEEBE WROTE MANY BOOKS ON NATURAL HISTORY, AND DID MUCH TO POPULARIZE THE SCIENCE OF NEOTROPICAL ECOLOGY. DR. BEEBE ESTABLISHED THE SIMLA FIELD STATION IN THE ARIMA VALLEY IN TRINIDAD IN 1950 AND LIVED THERE UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1962."
      1. ) Cont: "DR. BEEBE WAS AN INTREPID NATURAL HISTORIAN, WHOSE RESEARCH TOOK HIM FORM THE HIGHLANDS OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA IN SEARCH OF PHEASANTS, TO THE TROPICAL FORESTS OF THE GUIANAS AND VENEZUELA, AND ON TO THE DEPTHS OF THE BERMUDA TRENCH IN THE WORLD’S FIRST BATHYSPHERE DIVE, WHERE HE DISCOVERED NUMEROUS SPECIES NEW TO SCIENCE."
      2. ) Cont: "DR. WILLIAM CHARLES BEEBE JULY 19, 1877 – JUNE 4, 1962"
   3. ) Image of Dr. William Charles Beebe.

Biographic and Genealogical References

• Secondary Source, Clarence Beebe in his book Monograph of the Descent of the Family of Beebe ^[9] cites Charles William Beebe in profile (1179). Data summary;

1. ) Monograph, etc., Page 103. CHARLES BEEBE (1014), son of Roderick Beebe (751) was born 13 March 1852 in New York City. Married Henrietta Marie Youngblood, of Glens Falls, NY. A merchant in New York City. Children: Charles William (1179), John Younglove (1180).
2. ) Monograph, etc., Page 114: CHARLES WILLIAM Beebe (1179), son of Charles Beebe (1014) was born in Brooklyn, NY., 29 July 1877. Married Mary Blair Rice of Virginia. Assistant Curator of Birds, Zoological Garden, New York City.

Research Notes

1. ) The following definitions and syntax conventions apply to the preceding text of this profile:
   1. ) A Primary Source contains data that was recorded by the person in the profile; or by someone known to or with first hand knowledge of that person, during the person's lifetime, death or within two generations thereafter.
   2. ) A Secondary Source is a genealogical reference created as the result of a extensive study of available source material and it provides some evidence of the source documentation used to generate the text data.
   3. ) A Tertiary Source is a genealogical data source which is a collection of genealogical information that does not cite Primary or Secondary information sources, and the data may be factual or hearsay.
   4. ) Braces {Editorial Note Example} are used to insert editorial comments; that is to say, information or clarification that is not contained in the original, cited source material.

Sources

1. ↑ "Official William Beebe Website"
2. ↑ Wikipedia
3. ↑ "'The Remarkable Life of William Beebe: Explorer and Naturalist', by Carol Grant Gould; Island Press; 2012, p. 10."
4. ↑ Grave
5. ↑ "Ancestry - Rootsweb: 'Some Descendants of John BEEBE - First Generation'"
6. ↑ "Ancestry - Rootsweb: 'Some Descendants of John BEEBE - Fifth Generation.'" Great-great Grandfather Roderick Beebe.
7. ↑ 1900 United States Federal Census; Ancestry.com database on-line. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Year: 1900; Census Place: Manhattan, New York, New York; Page: 8; Enumeration District: 0858; FHL microfilm: 1241119. Scanned Image of Charles Beebe in the 1900 Manhattan, New York Census from Ancestry Record 7602 #49378356.
8. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 29 January 2020), memorial page for Dr Charles William Beebe (19 Jul 1877–4 Jun 1962), Find A Grave Memorial no. 18371425, citing Mucurapo Cemetery, Port of Spain, Trinidad And Tobago ; Maintained by Find A Grave .
9. ↑ Beebe, Clarence, Monograph of the Descent of the Family of Beebe, from the earliest known immigrant--John, of Broughton, England, 1650, compiled and edited by Clarence Beebe, 150 Nassau Street, New York,1904; Profile (1179), page 103, 114. Clarence Beebe Genealogy online -Title Page

Other Sources

The following section provides a listing of source material that is pertinent to the profile subject, but not presently cited in the narrative text of the profile.

• "Tripod: 'THE BEEBE FAMILY OF ENGLAND,CONNECTICUT, AND CANADA', Notes of David Cooke."

• "'New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Family Files'; New York Public Library."

• "Nancy E. McKinley Genealogy" & (Wikitree Beebe Name Study Category)

• "Tripod: 'THE BEEBE FAMILY OF ENGLAND,CONNECTICUT,AND CANADA', Notes of David Cooke."

• "'New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Family Files'; New York Public Library."

• "Lineage Book - National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Volume 32; Daughters of the American Revolution; 1911, p. 265." (Ancestors)

• "Lineage Book - National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Volume 32; Daughters of the American Revolution; 1911, p. 265." (Ancestors)

• "'New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Family Files'; New York Public Library."

• Official William Beebe Web Site: Detailed Biography of Dr. Charles William Beebe.