Sir
Jennings
Beckwith
Born about in Richmond, Colony of Virginia
Ancestors 
Brother of
Elizabeth (Beckwith) Jones, Penelope (Beckwith) Walker, Richard Marmaduke Beckwith Sr. and Rebecca Beckwith
Husband of
Catherine (Miskell) Beckwith
— married
about 1787 in Virginia, United States
Father of
Richard Marmaduke Barnes Beckwith and James Pierson Beckwourth
Died about
at about age 73
in Richmond, Virginia, United States
Profile last modified
| Created 15 Aug 2014
This page has been accessed 2,326 times.
Biography
Son of Jonathan Beckwith and brother of Penelope.[1]
Jennings's age at death and his age when recommended for an army commission don't quite tally, but they're only a few months out. 1762 is a compromise birthdate. He can't have been much younger if he actually was a Captain in the War.
Married Catherine Miskell, made famous by mistake as "Miss Kill". (There's a rumour that Jennings had an uncle Roger Beckwith who married a Winifred Miskell, probably Catherine's aunt, and probably Winifred Dalton's daughter - if she was, then Jennings's wife was his 2nd cousin, by descent from Mary Newman.)
Described as "Sir" in his obit, though it seems doubtful that he actually took up the title (listed by Burke's etc as long extinct, though perhaps more likely it's only dormant).
There's some confusion over which newspaper the obit appeared in, but it may have been in several. If it was in a paper a long way from where he lived and died, you'd expect it to be in a more local paper as well.
Said to have died at Mount Airy, a very well-known house. Perhaps he died suddenly while visiting the Tayloes. Or perhaps he died at home at Belvoin "near Mount Airy" and the story evolved a bit.
Said by some modern writers to be the father of James Pierson Beckwourth the "African-American mountain man".
Children
- Richard Marmaduke Barnes Beckwith
- Edwin Beckwith
- Malbis Beckwith
- T.W. Beckwith
Sources
- ↑ "Report on the Chalkley manuscripts, 21st Congress, the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution", Chalkey MSS Book #9, pp. 142-151 (Record file #6 Augusta Co. VA). Ancestry Sharing Link (free access); Image ($).
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Rejected matches › Jennings Beckwith (abt.1780-aft.1865)
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I also believe that it was *probably* "Sir Jennings" based on R. M. B. Beckwith's probable death in St. Louis en route to see his father out west. As old books of this type go, I've found "Some Prominent Virginia Families" to actually be credible. It gets bonus points with me for spelling "Ranson" right.
However, to add to your points of doubt is Beckwourth's own words -- he was third of thirteen children with two older than himself. That doesn't work with the older children of "Sir Jennings" and record of only two full siblings of Beckwourth's.