Davidson and Farrier Family Histories

This is a site for us to upload family histories and pictures of our Davidson and Farrier family ancestors. I have not written most of the histories, although I have put together the timelines. The histories have been gathered from various sources, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of their information.

If you recognize any of these people and have information to add or correct, please post a comment, including your email address if you wish, so we can be in touch. I would love to connect with other descendants of these family members.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Henry Day Beach, 1824-1886


•    Born:  8 August 1824 (Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts)
•    Died:  13 July 1886 (Nova Scotia, Canada)
•    Parents:  Moses Yale Beach and Nancy Day
•    Spouse:  Ann Eliza Fordham (md. 8 August 1853 at New York, Orange, New York)
•    Children:  Harry Yale Beach, Augusta Fordham Beach, Alfred Holbrook Beach, Annie Brewster Beach

•   Spouse:  Mrs. Emily V. A. Gibson (md. 3 July 1884 in Red Bank, Monmouth, New Jersey)

1824 August 8
Born to Moses Yale and Nancy Day Beach in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts  [1, 2, 3]

1849
Age about 25
Withdraws from the firm of M. Y. Beach and Sons (publishers) to form a connection with Morton McMichael in the Philadelphia North American. [2]

1853
Age about 29
With brother Alfred and P. T. Barnum establishes the “Illustrated News.” [2]

Cover of the No. 1, Vol. 1 of the Illustrated News
1853 August 8
Age 29
Marries Ann Eliza Fordham in New York, Orange, New York  [4]

1856 August 1
Age 31
Son Harry Yale Beach born in Brooklyn, Kings, New York [2, 3]

1859 February 2
Age 34
Daughter Augusta Fordham Beach born in Brooklyn, Kings, New York [2, 3]

1860 June 12
Age 35
Living in Brooklyn, Kings, New York, with wife Annie, children Moses (age 3) and Augusta (age 2), and servant (?) Ellen Hurley. [5]

1861 March 25
Age 36
Son Alfred Holbrook Beach born in Brooklyn, Kings, New York  [6]

1862 April 6
Age 37
Daughter August Fordham Beach dies at age 3 [2, 3]

1862 April 11
Age 37
Son Alfred Holbrook Beach dies, less than one month old [6]

1863 May 23
Age 38
Daughter Annie Brewster Beach born in Toms River, Ocean, New Jersey [2, 3, 7]

1868 July 19
Age 43
Father Moses Yale Beach dies in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut  [8]

1870 June 20
Age 45
Living in Hamilton Township, Atlantic, New Jersey with wife Annie F. and children Henry L. [Harry L.] (age 13) and Annie (age 7).  Lists occupation as Cranberry Culturist.  [9]

1876
Age 52
Moves to Red Bank, New Jersey and buys an estate.  [10]

1877 November 28
Age 53
Wife Annie dies in Red Bank, Monmouth, New Jersey [2, 3]

1879 May 11
Age 55
Son Harry Yale Beach dies at age 22  [11]

1880 August 12
Age 55
Mother Nancy Day dies in New York, Orange, New York [12, 13]

1882 September 27
Age 58
Marriage of daughter Annie Brewster Beach to John McCullagh Farrier at Brooklyn, Kings, New York [3, 14]

1884 July 3
Age 59
Marries Mrs. Emily V. A. Gibson, of Red Bank N.J.  [15]

1885 April
Age 60
Arrested on complaint of wife and her son-in-law, Joseph Langley.  Taken by brothers to New York.  Sometime later moved to Nova Scotia, Canada.  [10]

1886 May 15
Age 61
Declared insane by a sheriff’s jury of twenty-four men in Red Bank, New Jersey.  Moses S. Beach (his brother) is appointed as his guardian. [10]

1886 July 13
Age 61
Dies in Nova Scotia, Canada [1, 16]

1886 July 17
Buried at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, Kings, New York (lot 2248, section 70) [17]

The only monument on lot 2248, section 70 at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.  Very weather-beaten.

You can just make out the last name "Beach" at the top right.  
* * *

“HENRY DAY BEACH, son of Nancy Day … was born in Springfield, Mass., August 8, 1824.  He married, August 8, 1853, in New York City, where she was born, December 14, 1823, ANN ELIZA, daughter of Elijah and Jane Ann (Fisher) FORDHAM, who died at Red Bank, N. J., November 28, 1877.  He married, June 3, 1884, MRS. EMILY V. A. GIBSON, of Red Bank, N. J.  Mr Beach in 1849 withdrew from the firm of M. Y. Beach & Sons to form a connection with Morton McMichael, in the Philadelphia North American.  He sold out, went across Mexico to California where his brother Joseph had charge of their father’s California venture.  After Joseph had returned to the East, Henry entered the firm of Wells & Co., leading bankers.  This afterwards became Beach, Wells & Co.  The great fire burned them out.  Then Mr. Beach invested in San Francisco securities, lost money through Henry Meigs and finally returned to New York where he married.  He then, with his brother Alfred and P. T. Barnum established the “Illustrated News” (now Frank Leslie), which was subsequently sold to Gleason, of Boston.  He returned to California for a time, but at length bought a farm at Toms River, N. J., and settled at Red Bank, N. J.”
--Ely, Heman, et al., Records of the descendants of Nathaniel Ely, the emigrant…  (Cleveland, Ohio: Short & Forman, Printers and Stationers, 1885), pp. 385-386.

* * *

     "Henry D. Beach came to Red Bank in 1876, and bought an estate just outside the corporation limits for $12,000.  He made other purchases of adjoining lands, and with the improvement he made the property stood him in about $20,000.  He seemed to have plenty of money, and his credit was first class.  He always paid his bills promptly in checks, no matter how small the amount.  In a few years it was noticed that he was becoming eccentric in his actions and picturesque in his dress.  He would come into town at all hours of the night and waken prominent citizens in order to consult with them about impracticable schemes.  He had a barn on his premises upon which he had three roofs, placed one upon another.  After his first wife died Mr. Beach married Mrs. Emily V. B. Gibson, widow of R. P. Gibson, the Broadway confectioner.  The marriage took place three years ago. Within a year the second wife persuaded Mr. Beach to deed the real estate to her daughter, who promptly transferred it to her mother.  After securing all the property, and after Mr. Beach had parted with all his money, his wife turned him out of doors.
     "In April, 1885, Mr. Beach was arrested upon complaint of his wife and her son-in-law, Joseph Langley.  His brothers heard of his distress, and took him to New-York, and afterward he went to Nova Scotia, where he was taken sick and sent to a public hospital.  He was utterly broken down in mind and body, and on May 15, 1886, a Sheriff's jury found that Mr. Beach had been insane for six years.  Under this decision a suit was brought to annul the marriage to Mrs. Gibson, and to compel a conveyance of the property to a guardian to be appointed to look after Mr. Beach.  Before it went to trial Mr. Beach died, and the suit was institute to have the property turned over to Mrs. [Annie B. Farrier] as his daughter and heir at law."
--The New York Times, April 9, 1887

-------------------------------
Sources:

[1]  "New York Deaths and Burials, 1795-1952," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F695-N3Y : accessed 10 Jan 2013), Henry D. Beach, 1824; citing reference Pg 25, FHL microfilm 1671687.

[2]  Heman Ely. Recordsof the descendants of Nathaniel Ely, the emigrant… (Cleveland, Ohio: Short &Forman, Printers and Stationers, 1885), pp. 385-386.

[3]  Jones, Emma C. Brewster, Brewster Genealogy, 1566-1907 (New York, New York: Grafton Press, c1908), volume 2, part 1, page 732-734.

[4]  Source Citation: Source number: 904.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: EHB.  Source Information:  Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

[5] Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.  Images reproduced by FamilySearch.  Year: 1860; Census place: Brooklyn Ward 1 District 1, Kings, New York; Roll: M653-763; Page: 45; Image: 45; Family History library Film: 803763.

[6]  "New York Deaths and Burials, 1795-1952," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F69T-ZQM : accessed 30 Jan 2013), Alfred H. Beach, 1861; citing reference Volume 1, FHL microfilm 1671686.

[7]  New Jersey Dept. of State, Div. of Archives and Records Management, Archives Section. Returns of Births. Volume AA, page no. 119. Town/Township: Dover. County: Ocean. Birthplace: Toms River.

[8]  "Connecticut, Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F7KM-9JT : accessed 13 Feb 2013), Moses Y. Beach, 19 Jul 1868; citing reference 101, FHL microfilm 3367.

[9]  “United States Census, 1870,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MNDQ-RFN : accessed 15 Jan 2013), Henry D Beach in household of Henry D Beach, New Jersey, United States; citing p. 5, family 32, NARA microfilm publication M593, FHL microfilm 0552350.

[10]  “Settled Before Trial : Henry D. Beach’s Daughter Gets her Father’s Property,” The New York Times, April 9, 1887.

[11]  "New York, Kings County Estate Files, 1866-1923," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N7LJ-FQQ : accessed 29 Jan 2013), Harry Yale Beach, 1879.

[12]  Heman Ely. Records of the descendants of Nathaniel Ely,the emigrant… (Cleveland, Ohio: Short &Forman, Printers and Stationers,1885), 205-206.

[13]  "Connecticut, Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F7H5-9MK : accessed 13 Feb 2013), Nancy Day Beach, 12 Jul 1880; citing reference , FHL microfilm 3086.

[14]  "September Weddings," The New York Times, September 28, 1882, p. 5.

[15]  "New Jersey, Marriages, 1678-1985," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FZ2Z-T4Z : accessed 10 Jan 2013), Henry D. Beach and Emily V. A. Varndell, 03 Jun 1883; citing reference Pg. B, LN 82, FHL microfilm 495699.

[16]  “Death of Henry D. Beach,” Red Bank [New Jersey] Register, vol, IX, no. 5, Wednesday, July 28, 1886.

[17]  Burial record for Henry D. Beach at www.green-wood.com/burial_results/index.php.  Viewed online February 2013.