John Beattie

d. 1790
Father(?) Beattie1
Marriage John Beattie married Elinor Gilmore.2 
  Tradition states that the couple married in Ireland, sailed to America, and lived briefly in Maryland before settling in Virginia.3,4 
Land-Buy28 Aug 1750 On 28 Aug 1750 John purchased 118 acres of land from Benjamin Borden in Rockbridge (then Augusta) County, Virginia. The tract is not identified on maps of Borden's Grant, but John's grandson Madison Beattie noted that his father William was born on Kerr's Creek [which ran through Borden's land]. Other men who lived in the vicinity of Kerr's Creek included John and James Gilmore. John acquired an adjacent 34 acres by patent on 10 Nov. 1757.5,6,7 
Land-Sell9 Aug 1773  In the summer of 1773 John and Elenor, described as residents of Augusta County, sold their two tracts in Augusta County to George Caldwell for £100.7 
  Years later (1880) John and Ellenor's grandson Madison Beattie reported that his father (William Beattie) and uncle (David Beattie) moved south into Washington (then Fincastle) County in 1772. Madison stated that the Indians were very troublesome at the time, causing the family to fort near what became known as Glade Spring Church.6 
  This suggests that shortly after their arrival in the county John settled his family on the large tract he later owned. A 19 Jan. 1774 survey for Francis Kincannon included a long northern boundary noted as "John Beaty's line". Kincannon's survey included land he later gifted as the site for Glade Spring Church.8 
Land-Buy19 Mar 1783  On March 19, 1783 John Beattie formally acquired the vast tract of land referenced in the Francis Kincannon survey. The grantors were Mary Wood and James Wood Jr., (the widow and son of James Wood Sr.) Wood had acquired the land by patent on 10 Sept. 1755. Although the metes and bounds recorded in Wood's 1750 survey state the parcel contained 2,193 acres, later surveys conducted when John Beattie sold parts of the land suggest it was considerably larger.9 
Land  Soon after formally purchasing the land, John began to sell or gift parcels to other family members, including the following: 209 acres to Francis Beattie [John's brother] (April 1784); 350 acres to Mathew Ryburn [John's son-in-law] for 5 shillings (April 1784); 248 acres to James Dysart [John's son-in-law] (May 1784) for 5 shillings, 473 acres to David Beattie [John's son] (Nov. 1786) for 5 shillings.10,11,12 
  Gordon Aronhime, in his 1991 article on the homes of the Cummings Petition signers, contributed additional information about John Beattie's land:

"In the Fall of 1772 he moved with his family from Augusta Co. on Carr's Creek (now Rockbridge) to the great tract that stretched from west of Emory to east of Glade Spring. This was purchased from the family of Mary and James Wood and consisted of 2,900 acres, though only surveyed by Buchanan on 26 March 1750 as 2,193 acres. Buchanan used a "Scotch" pole instead of the standard one, thus cutting down on the acres to be taxed by the owner. John Beatie's homesite is said by descendants to have been at the spring immediately west and very slightly south of the Madison Beatie home on 667 near 609."13 
Anecdote  Mary Jane Beaty Davis Moffett, writing in her journal about 1870, described the Beaty family..."The Beaty family are Irish descent, a good family of people well respected and good livers, generally, and industrious."14 
Will18 Aug 1790 John wrote his will 18 Aug 1790. In it he left his beloved wife Elinor 100 pounds cash, several farm animals, assorted household furniture and a Negro woman. She was also allowed the dwelling house during her widowhood and was entrusted with the family Bible. Her son William was to care for her and in turn he received the land the family resided on.

Another tract of land, adjoining the lands of Jonas Smith and Francis Beatie was to be sold to discharge other legacies. These included the following: 50 pounds to daughter Agnes, 10 shillings each to granddaughters Ellinor and Martha Gilmore, 20 pounds to son David and 20 pounds to son-in-law David Sawyers.

Any surplus was to be divided among "all his children" who were named as: sons David and William and sons-in-law, David Sawyers, James Logan, James Dysart and Mathew Ryburn.15 
Death1790 John died in the late summer or early fall of 1790.16 
Burial He was buried at Ebbing Spring Cemetery in Washington County, Virginia.17 
Will-RecdSep 1790 His will was recorded in Sep 1790 in Washington County, Virginia.16 
  John's executors were involved in several transactions following his death. In Oct. 1796 they completed the purchase of 132 acres of land John had already paid for. The parcel was part of the Wood's Cedar Creek Survey and adjoined the southwest boundaries of John's patent land. In Dec. 1796 John's executors sold the 132 acres to Rev. Edward Crawford for £80. They also sold Rev. Crawford an estimated 414 acres from the far western end of John's original survey for £280. That parcel's eastern boundary abutted the acreage John sold to his brother Francis and which Francis had devised to his son-in-law John Stewart.18,19 
  John had originally intended these parcels for his son John. However, John died at the Battle of King's Mountain in Oct. 1780.20 
Court Record15 Nov 1802  Later it was discovered that several boundary lines in the 414 acre deed were in error. This resulted in Crawford claiming acreage on the east already owned by John Stewart. Mathew Ryburn and James Dysart, the executors, asked for the deed to be restated, but Crawford declined. In 1802 the executors brought suit against Crawford. The land was resurveyed and numerous depositions were taken. The case eventually reached a circuit court in Augusta County where the court determined, "If the executors therefore sold by mistake what they had no right to sell - If Crawford had nothing to do with this mistake but purchased according to his plat - they ought to make good the value of the land..."21 

Research Comment:

The Beattie surname appears in early records as Beatie, Beattie, Batie, Baty, Beaty and Beatty. For consistency's sake I elected to use Beattie although some branches of the family retained the "y" spelling, in particular Beaty; others commonly used Beatie. For many years the spelling was subject to the whim of the clerk recording the name; often more than one variation occurs within the same document. However signatures of two of John's grandchildren (Beattie Ryburn, son of Jane; James Beattie, son of David) have survived. Since they both wrote the name Beattie I have elected to use that as my "standard" spelling.

Related Links and Images:

The attached image was cropped from the Bill of Complaint (30 Aug. 1802) filed by Mathew Ryburn and James Dysart as executors of John Beattie, dec'd against Edward Crawford. The suit involved a boundary dispute on land John Beattie's executors sold Crawford. The bill contains two statements proving John Beattie and Francis Beattie (both of Washington Co., Virginia) were brothers
John's will
John's great granddaughter, Mary Jane B. (Davis) Moffett, left behind a journal in which she recorded a few recollections about the Beattie family. Visit Mary Jane's Journal and in particular read pages 1 and 2
Letter written in 1880 from Madison Beattie to William Lowry (clerk of the Washington Co. court) in answer to questions from the historian Lyman Draper. Madison referenced his grandfather John Beattie and John's sons David, John and William
The Ebbing Spring Church and Cemetery page identifies the location of the old cemetery and tells a little about its history

Family

Elinor Gilmore
Children
Last Edited13 Dec 2013

Citations

  1. [S3289] "Bill of Complaint dated 30 Aug. 1802 at Washington Co., Virginia", James Dysart & Mathew Ryburn exec John Beattie, dec'd. vs Edward Crawford, Augusta Co., Virginia Ended Chancery Causes 1805-129, index with digital images, Library of Virginia Online, <<http://www.lva.virginia.gov>>. Two statements in the Bill of Complaint establish the relationship between John Beattie and Francis Beattie: "...your orator's testator & the said Francis Beatty (they being brothers)..." and later "...a conveyance was executed by said John Beatty to his brother Francis..."
  2. [S140] "Ryburn History," compiled by P. Shugart, p. 33. Peggie cites an interview conducted in 1948 with Margaret Breckenridge Ryburn, a great granddaughter of John Beattie and Ellen Gilmore.
  3. [S955] Gordon Aronhime, "The 1772 Cummings Petition - Location of the Homes of the Signers", Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia Bulletin Series II, #16 & 17: 29-31.
  4. [S1199] Victoria Gilliam, "McKinney Home", 1937, digital image, Works Progress Administration of Virginia Historical Inventory, Library of Virginia Online, <<http://www.lva.virginia.gov>>: viewed 2010. Sources include: Miss Lena Beattie (Glade Spring) and Mrs. Robert Gray (Bristol) who in turn cites the research of Prof. John Kelly of Pennsylvania.
  5. [S330] Lyman Chalkley, Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia Extracted From the Original Court Records of Augusta County 1745-1800, 3:287. This record is abstracted from Augusta Co. Deed Bk 2, p. 801.
  6. [S2180] Letter from M[adison] Beattie, Glade Spring Virginia to Lyman C. Draper, dated Dec. 20, 1880; Draper Manuscript Collection, Series DD (King's Mountain Papers Vol 14-15), compiled by Lyman Draper (1815-1891), item 14DD72. Madison Beattie, son of William Beattie, provided information on David, John and William Beattie.
  7. [S3256] Augusta Co., Virginia Deed Book 19: 459. Lease and Release deed dated 9/10 Aug. 1773 between John Beatty/Beatey/Beaty/Batey and Ellenor/Elinor his wife, of the county of Augusta, to George Caldwell of the same, for £100, two tracts of adjoining land, one containing 34 acres (patented by Beattty 10 Nov. 1757) and the other 118 acres (deeded by Benjamin Borden 28 Aug. 1750); lease and release recorded 18 Aug. 1773.
  8. [S3194] Montgomery Co., Virginia Surveyor's records Vol. 1, 37. The 546 acre survey in Fincastle Co., VA, dated 19 Jan, 1774, was made for Francis Kincannon by virtue of an order of Council made the 16th Dec. 1773.
  9. [S1046] Washington Co., Virginia Deed Book 1: 11. Deed dated 19 March, 1783 between Arthur Campbell, Washington Co., VA on behalf of Mary Wood, widow and devisee of James Wood, dec'd and James Wood, son and heir-at-law, of Frederick Co., VA to John Beatie of Washington Co., VA, for £410, 2,193 acres on the head of Holston Creek, same land granted to James Wood 10 Sept. 1755; recorded 19 Mar 1783.
  10. [S1046] Washington Co., Virginia Deed Book 1: 7.
  11. [S1046] Washington Co., Virginia Deed Book 1: 45.
  12. [S1046] Washington Co., Virginia Deed Book 1: 196.
  13. [S955] Gordon Aronhime, "The 1772 Cummings Petition - Location of the Homes of the Signers", Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia Bulletin Series II, #16 & 17: 6.
  14. [S10] "Journal of Mary Jane Beaty (Davis) Moffett", p. 1.
  15. [S957] John Beatie will (recorded Sept 1790), Washington Co., Virginia Will Bk 1: 160. John's will, written 18 Aug. 1790 was recorded at the Sept. court session in 1790.
  16. [S957] John Beatie will (recorded Sept 1790), Washington Co., Virginia Will Bk 1: 160. John's will, written 18 Aug. 1790 was recorded at the Sept. court session in 1790.
  17. [S2666] Letter from Martha Lena Beattie (Glade Spring, Virginia) to Evelyn Beattie, Nov. 26, 1915. Martha's letter included the statement that she had viewed John's grave and tombstone at Ebbing Spring Cemetery.
  18. [S1046] Washington Co., Virginia Deed Book 1: 493. Deed dated 24 Oct. 1796 and recorded 20 Dec. 1796; between Mary Wood devisee of James to Mathew Ryburn and James Dysart, acting executors of John Beattie, dec'd.
  19. [S1046] Washington Co., Virginia Deed Book 1: 494.
  20. [S3289] "Bill of Complaint dated 30 Aug. 1802 at Washington Co., Virginia", James Dysart & Mathew Ryburn exec John Beattie, dec'd. vs Edward Crawford, Augusta Co., Virginia Ended Chancery Causes 1805-129, index with digital images, Library of Virginia Online, <<http://www.lva.virginia.gov>>. ..."other survey of 130 acres your orator's testator intended for another of his sons named John but he being killed in the service of his country at the engagement at Kings Mountain in the Revolutionary War & being unmarried & having no issue..."
  21. [S3289] "Finding", James Dysart & Mathew Ryburn exec John Beattie, dec'd. vs Edward Crawford, Augusta Co., Virginia Ended Chancery Causes 1805-129, index with digital images, Library of Virginia Online,. <<http://www.lva.virginia.gov>>
  22. [S957] John Beatie will (recorded Sept 1790), Washington Co., Virginia Will Bk 1: 160. John's will, written 18 Aug. 1790 was recorded at the Sept. court session in 1790. John's will named his sons David and William, and sons-in-law David Sawyer, James Logan, James Dysart and Mathew Ryburn.