John Beaty1

d. before 1840
Marriage John Beaty married Margaret Montgomery, daughter of Thomas Montgomery.1 
1803  Margaret's father, Thomas Montgomery, owned 700+ acres on the south bank of the Middle Fork of the Holston River in Washington County, Virginia. Thomas wrote his will in 1803. He divided the land between Margaret and her sister Abigail Preston and noted that John [and Margaret] Beaty already lived on Margaret's share of the tract.1 
Tax1815  A special tax assessment for which data was collected in 1815 reported that John Beatie of Washington Co. owned one farm on the south side of the Middle Fork of the Holston River joining Preston and others. It consisted of 325 acres with a log dwelling house 20 feet by 18 feet, a log barn, a log kitchen and 4 log "cabbins". The farm was valued at $2,600.2 
Cens-18201820  John Beatie's 1820 census included: 1 male 16-26, 1 male 26-45, 1 male 45+, 1 female 26-45 and one female 45+. This suggests one of John's sons was no longer living at home.3 
  John and Margaret's son John Jr. married Margaret McQuown in March 1829. John and Margaret's daughter Jane gave birth to a son Nelson Beaty in the late 1820sl. 
Cens-18301830  John's 1830 enumeration suggests both John Jr. (and his wife and child) and Jane (and her son) lived with John: 1 male under 5 [probably John's daughter Jane's son Nelson Beaty b. abt 1827]; 1 male 20-30 [probably John's son John Jr.]; 1 male 30-40 [probably John Sr.'s son James]; 1 male 70-80 [probably John Beaty Sr.]; 1 female under 5 [probably John Jr.'s daughter]; 1 female 15-20 [probably John Jr.'s wife Rebbeca McQuown, b. 1810]; 1 female 20-30 [probably John Sr.'s dau Jane]; 1 female 40-50.4 [possibly Margaret (Montgomery) Beaty although should have been older] 
Widowed  Margaret Beaty died before Sept. 1831.5 
Deathbefore 1840 John probably died before 1840 as there is no indication of him on that year's census, either as the head of his own household or as a member of the household of either of his two surviving children (James, Jane). 

Research Comment:

A John Beaty died in Washington County in 1842. His personal property was appraised late that year and then sold. The bill of sale, recorded in Aug. 1843, lists purchasers including: Stephen Beatie, James Beatie and Washington Beatie. This John Beaty's heirs also owned 52 acres on the North side of the Middle Fork of the Holston River which they sold on May 2, 1853. The heirs were listed as: Powhatan Jackson & Polly, his wife, James Beaty & Jane, his wife, David Beaty & Sarah, his wife, Robert Beaty & Milley, his wife, George Rogers & Margaret Ann, his wife, and Martha Jane Beaty. They sold 6 undivided 7ths of the tract to Washington Beaty [the 7th heir] for $120.

Researchers not familiar with this family have often assigned this John Beaty's 1842 probate entry to the John Beatie/Beaty who married Margaret Montgomery. I do not believe that is correct. Many records establish that the heirs named in the first paragraph were a free family of color who lived in Washington County during the same time period. It is not clear however what the exact relationship was between that John Beaty and the individuals listed as his heirs.6,7

Family

Margaret Montgomery d. bef 27 Sep 1831
Children
Last Edited2 Jan 2013

Citations

  1. [S616] Thomas Montgomery will (recorded 1803), Washington Co., Virginia Will Bk 2: 370.
  2. [S2384] Mary Kegley, Southwest Virginia Tax Assessments, p. 94.
  3. [S621] John Beatie household, 1820 U.S. cens., Washington Co., Virginia, p. 196 (stamped), line 6, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Oct. 2012. Household includes: 1 male 16-26, 1 male 26-45, 1 male 45+, 1 female 26-45 and one female 45+. This suggests one of John's sons was not living at home.
  4. [S578] John Beattie household, 1830 U.S. cens., Washington Co., Virginia, p. 231 (added script), line 5, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Oct. 2012. Household includes: John Beattie, 1 male under 5; 1 male 20-30; 1 male 30-40; 1 male 70-80; 1 female under 5; 1 female 15-20; 1 female 20-30; 1 female 40-50.
  5. [S2527] Nelson Beaty by his guardian and best friend vs James Beaty, C. Jones, etc., Washington Co., Virginia Ended Chancery Causes 1850-05, reel 90, Library of Virginia, 800 E. Broad St., Richmond, Virginia. The case references a previous case filed in Washington Co. Chancery Ct [records no longer exist] brought by James, John, Alexander and Jane Beaty against Thomas M. Preston, F.W. Irby and Nancy Preston. An exhibit from that case references a decree dated 27 Sept. 1831 whereby commissioners were appointed by the court on 27 Sept. 1831 to divide the land among the various parties. Their respective mothers had held life estates in the land and were both deceased.
  6. [S2557] John Beattie inventory, appraisal and bill of sale (recorded 1803), Washington Co., Virginia Will Book 9: 237-240. John O'Neal administrator; Robert Edmondson, James Watson and James Roberts appraisers.
  7. [S1987] Washington Co., Virginia Deed Book 22: 72.
  8. [S2527] "James Beaty Answer dated 6 May 1844", Nelson Beaty by his guardian and best friend vs James Beaty, C. Jones, etc., Washington Co., Virginia Ended Chancery Causes 1850-05, reel 90, Library of Virginia, 800 E. Broad St., Richmond, Virginia. James stated that "his mother Margaret Beaty, daughter of Thomas Montgomery, had 6 children, to wit: John Beaty, Alexander Beaty, Jane Beaty (later Jane Land), Robert Beaty, and ___ Beaty (the last 2 died before their mother)." [James was implied as an additional child]