Daniel Beeby (1799 - 1891)

Born 20 Jul 1799 in Elstow, Bedfordshire, England

Husband of Elizabeth (Taylor) Beeby — married about 1817 in England, United Kingdom

Died 19 Jul 1891 at age 91 in Thornbury Township, Delaware, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

"English immigrant, farmer and early pioneer of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He was born in Elstow, Bedford, England on July 20, 1799 to William and Susanna Beeby. He was baptized on Aug. 18, 1799, in Elstow.

When he was 18 years of age, he married Elizabeth Taylor, who also had been born in Elstow in about 1799. They were married on Aug. 19, 1818, in the village of Bedford in Bedfordshire. After their marriage, Daniel worked as a laborer in Bedfordshire. Before coming to the US, Daniel and Elizabeth had eight children: Henry, Ann, William, George, Mary, Elizabeth, Hannah, and Benjamin.

In 1832, the family left the port of Liverpool, England to sail to America on the ship "Fame". During this journey, Elizabeth was in her final months of carrying their ninth child. The family arrived safely in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 23, 1832. Two weeks later, on July 7 in Philadelphia, their son Richard was born. The family remained in Philadelphia for several years, as Richard spent his early boyhood years there.

By 1840, Daniel and his family had moved from Philadellphia and settled near Cheyney in Thornbury township, Delaware county, Pennsylvania. Here, Daniel built a log home for his family and made his living as a farmer. His homestead was located just off Locksley road, near the A.M.E. Church on Cheyney Road (now 203 Locksley Road). The small farm included a log home, a barn, and a spring house. The only remnants left of these buildings are some bricks from the spring house.

After settling in the US, Daniel and Elizabeth had five more children, all born in Pennsylvania: John, Susan, Daniel W., Vernon Taylor, and Israel P.

The Beeby family attended the Stonybank Methodist Episcopal Church, which was founded in 1810 in Glen Mills. The church was located 35 Stonybank Road in Glenn Mills and was only about 2 miles from the Beeby homestead. The original church building has been restored and is still in use today as the Stonybank Community Church.

On Sep. 10, 1844, Daniel Beeby officially became a citizen of the United States.

Daniel's first wife Elizabeth died on Oct. 27, 1841. Sometime before 1850, Daniel married his second wife, Lucretia Mills, a native of Maryland. (She is listed as Daniel's wife in the 1850 census.)

At least three of Daniel's sons fought for the Union during the Civil War: William, Richard, and Daniel Jr. (According to family historians, a man named Israel Beeby (or Beebe) fought in the Civil War, but this man was not Daniel Beeby's son.)

Daniel's lifelong occupation after coming to America was that of a farmer. His sense of humor was captured in the July 28, 1883 edition of the Chester Times when he commented about one of his chickens:

Daniel Beeby of Thornbury has a chicken with four legs. As Mr. Beeby has a garden, he thinks it a bad policy to raise a four legged scratcher.

His second wife, Lucretia, preceded him in death on March 25, 1886. He lived to be 91 years of age and died just two days before his 92nd birthday, on July 19, 1891. His funeral service was held at the home of wheelwright William Maison and his wife Elizabeth, who was one of Daniel's daughters. He was laid to rest between his two wives at the Stonybank M. E. Church Cemetery (now the Stonybank Community Church Cemetery).

Following is the brief obituary that was published in the West Chester Local Daily News on July 25, 1891:

The funeral of Daniel Beeby, an old gentleman who died on the 19th, took place from the residence of his son-in-law, William Maison, at Cheyney, on Thursday afternoon at 1 o'clock. The attendance of relatives and friends was large. Services were held at Stony Bank M. E. Church, and interment was made in the cemetery adjoining."

-Biography by Cindy Coffin, (c) 2005.

Sources

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32614698/daniel-beeby: accessed 16 September 2022), memorial page for Daniel Beeby Sr. (20 Jul 1799–19 Jul 1891), Find a Grave Memorial ID 32614698, citing Stony Bank Methodist Church Cemetery, Glen Mills, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Cindy K. Coffin (contributor 47084179) .