Family History

 (last update 12 May 2003)

Fifth Generation

[ WILLIAM⁴, JOHN³, WILLIAM², WILLIAM¹]

Children of William Bean and Margaret Hatton

1. Captain WILLIAM 'BILLY' BEAN [1258] was born 9 December 1721 in St. Stephens Parish, Northumberland County, Virginia, and died May 1782 in German Creek, Washington (now Grainger) County, Tennessee. He married LYDIA RUSSELL 1744 in Guilford County, North Carolina, daughter of WILLIAM RUSSELL and MARTHA HENLEY. She was born 29 September 1726 in North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia, and died before 18 June 1788 in Washington (now Grainger) County, Tennessee. They lived in the western portion of Halifax County (now Pittsylvania), Virginia on the northern side of the Dan River. William was ordered to mark and lay off a road from his house on Dan River to the Falls of Banister, this road having previously been ordered by the Lunenburg Court in 1750. In 1753 he and others were ordered to lay out a road from his house to the courthouse. Their home on Dan River seems to have been a point of peculiar interest judging from the number of roads ordered to be built from this place. It was probably the center of numerous settlements along Dan River. In 1766 the area in which they lived became Pittsylvania County. In 1768 and 1769 they sold their land in Pittsylvania County to Col. John Payne of Goochland, Nicholas Perkins, Gideon Marr, and others and moved into the wilderness of the Great Smokey Mountains in what would later become eastern Tennessee. They are credited for being the first permanent white settlers in Tennessee. Most authorities say that William Bean came to Watauga in 1769 and erected a log cabin at the junction of Watauga and Boone's Creeks. Gradually a settlement, grew up around them, composed largely of the families of the Regulators whom the tyranny of Governor Tryon had driven out of North Carolina. They built a cabin on a point between Boone's Creek and the Watauga River. It is said that William had hunted there with Daniel Boone and was familiar with the area. They were the first permanent white settlers in Tennessee. That same year their son Russell was born. The first white child born in Tennessee. Soon they were joined by Lydia's brothers John and George. They were participants in the forming of the Watauga Colony, a response to the lack of North Carolina government protection. In July 1776 militant Cherokees prepared to attack illegal white communities on the Watauga River. The famous Cherokee, Nancy Ward, disapproved of intentionally taking civilian lives. Nancy was able to warn several of the Watauga settlements in time for them to defend themselves or flee. Lydia was unfortunate enough to be taken alive by the Cherokee warriors as she made her way from her home on Boone's Creek to Sycamore Shoals. She was taken an Indian camp where she found 13 year old Samuel Moore, also a prisoner. The Indians, with Samuel as interpreter, asked Lydia many questions concerning the strength of the whites – how many forts they had, how many soldiers in each, whether they had powder, etc. She answered these questions so as to leave the impression that the settlers were able to take care of themselves. She was then condemned to death, bound, taken to the top of one of the mounds and was about to be burned, when Nancy Ward, then exercising in the nation the functions of the Beloved or Pretty Woman, interfered and pronounced her pardon. Her life was spared. Samuel was not so lucky and was burned at the stake. In 1787 Lydia owned 400 acres of land in Washington County, Tennessee.

Children of WILLIAM BEAN and LYDIA RUSSELL are:

1. Mordecai Bean, b. march 1743/1744, Virginia; 28 November 1814, Virginia.

2. Captain WILLIAM R. BEAN, b. 1745, Augusta County, Virginia; d. about 1825, Hawkins County, Tennessee.

3. ROBERT BEAN, b. between 1747 and 1750, Halifax County, Virginia; d. about 1793, Hawkins County, Tennessee.

4. GEORGE BEAN, b. 1754; d. before 1820, Franklin County, Tennessee.

5. JESSE BEAN, b. about 1756, Halifax County, Virginia; d. 10 Sep 1829, Independence County, Arkansas.

6. JOHN BEAN, b. 1760, Virginia; d. about 1811, Washington County, Tennessee.

7. EDMUND BEAN, b. 1763, Halifax County, Virginia; d. 3 Dec 1807, Washington County, Tennessee.

8. JANE BEAN, b. 1766, Halifax County, Virginia; d. 1798, Grainger County, Tennessee.

9. SARAH BEAN, b. 1768, Pittsylvania County, Virginia; d. 1861, Fair Play, Oceolo County, Missouri.

10. RUSSELL BEAN, b. 1769, Washington County, Tennessee; d. 9 Jan 1826, Washington County, Tennessee; m. (1) CATHERINE [last name unknown]; m. (2) RASAMOND ROBERTSON.

Bibliography

• 1767: First List of Tithables, Pittsylvania County, Virginia

• 1768: Tennessee The Volunteer State Vol 1 - Biographies of professional individuals residing in Tennessee from 1769-1923, Page 50

• 1769: The Overmountain Men, Pat Alderman, The Overmountain Press, 1970, Page 13

• 1769: Tennessee The Volunteer State Vol 1 - Biographies of professional individuals residing in Tennessee from 1769-1923, Page 63

• 1776: Tennessee The Volunteer State Vol 1 - Biographies of professional individuals residing in Tennessee from 1769-1923, Page 166, 247

• 1776: DAR Patriot Index - Centennial Edition, Part I, 1990

• 1782: Last Will and Testament of William Bean, Jonesborough, Washington County, Tennessee Courthouse, Vol I, page 4

• Records of Record of Births 1661-1810 Northumberland County, Virginia, abstracted and published by Beverly Fleet.

Notes: Lydia Russell, sister of George Russell was probably not born in North Farnham Parish. Parish records indicate that the Lydia born there was the child of Joseph and Sarah Russell. There was a George Russell born in North Farnham Parish around the same time (30 Nov 1720) but parish records indicate his parents were George and Mary Russell. This researcher has also not found proof that William and Lydia married in Guilford County, North Carolina.

3. ELIZABETH BEAN [1920] was born 25 November 1723 in St. Stephens Parish, Northumberland County, Virginia, and died after Jan 1800 in German Creek, Grainger County, Tennessee. She married GEORGE RUSSELL about 1750, son of WILLIAM RUSSELL and MARTHA HENLEY. He was born 1720 in Loudon County, Virginia, and died 1796 in Grainger County, Tennessee.

Children are listed under George Russell.

8. JOHN BEEN [2751] was born 1735 in Asheville, North Carolina. He married ELIZABETH HENDERSON.

Children of JOHN BEEN and ELIZABETH HENDERSON are:

1. EDMUND BEAN.

2. JESSIE BEAN.

3. + ROBERT BEAN, b. 3 May 1764, Virginia; d. 17 Nov 1824, Tennessee.

4. WILLIAM JACOB BEAN, b. 24 Aug 1771.

Bibliography

• 1767: First List of Tithables, Pittsylvania County, Virginia

• 1771: Tennessee The Volunteer State Vol 1 - Biographies of professional individuals residing in Tennessee from 1769-1923, Page 60