52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 27: Charity Grubb Beeson (1715-1809)

Charity Grubb Beeson - my 8th great grandmother

b. 1715 in Concord, Pennsylvania 

Parents: Rev Richard Beeson (1684-1777) & Charity Grubb (1687-1761)

Charity's grandfather- Edward Beeson (b. 1660) was born in Stoke, Lancashire, England. Her other grandfather on her mother's side- John Grubb (b. 1652) was born in Climsland, England. 

Siblings: 

1. John Beeson (1707-1747)
2. Margaret Beeson (1708-1780)
3. Richard Beeson (1711-1748)
4. Phebe Beeson (1711-1805)
5. Benjamin Beeson (1712-1794)
6. Edward Beeson (1719-1746)
7. William Beeson (1721-1760)
8. Stephen Beeson (1723-1815)
9. Rachel Beeson (1724-1775)
10. Susannah Beeson (1724-1819)
11. Isaac Beeson (1729-1802)
12. Jacob Beeson (1741- 1818)
13. Henry Beeson (1743-1819)


Family: 

Charity married Mordecai Mendenhall (1713-1803) on 21 Mar 1735 in Chester County, Pennsylvania at the New Garden Monthly Meeting. 

Charity and Mordecai had 10 Children:

1. Richard Mendenhall (1737-1773)
2. John Mendenhall (1739-1825)
3. Thomas Mendenhall (1741-1783)
4. Moses Mendenhall (1743-1835)
5. Stephen Mendenhall (1744-1822)
6. Mordecai Mendenhall Jr. (1746-1818)
7. Maris Mendenhall (1749-1750)
8. Aaron Mendenhall (1751-1793)
9. Charity E. Mendenhall (1754-1836)
10. Isaac M. Mendenhall (1756-1833


Here is a letter from Charity to her sister Phebe Grubb Hadley dated 28 May 1758: 

Loving Sister,
This is to let thee know that we have received three letters from ye and three presents therein I sent the[e] no letters; I had not freedom Last winter was a year, I had a long time of sickness which brought me very loe in body, and mind and now I am troubled with short breath so that I think I am going home softly. I thought it would Trouble Thee more to let thee know my condition Then send no letters.
I goes to meetings sometimes; we have a meeting every other fifth day at our house, my husband grose weakly; the Lord who Lited our cnadles hath not put them out. Our children Remember their loves to you all. I have sente two presents to the[e] as a toacon of Love and youenity. We donte know that thear heath bene any mischif done in the government as yet by the Indins, but odn't know how soon theear may be for some in doubtfull thear my be before the trouble some times be over. I desire thee to remember our kind Loves to all oure neare Relations and friends. We understand that our brother John Grubb is desesed, but we have no Cartunty of it. I desire thee to let me know what is become of Peter Grubb's widow. Remember my Love to brother Henry Grubb in particular. So we had no more at present but Remembering our kind Loves to thee and thy family the 28th of ye fifth month, 1758.


Letter from Phebe Grubb Hadley to her sister, Charity, dated 09 Sep 1758:

Ye 9th of ye 9th mo; 1758; West Bradford, Chester County
Loving Brother and Sister;
I received your letter this day, dated ye 5th Month 1758, in which I had great satisfaction to hear of you, Except that impediment and stopage in my sister's breath and my brother's weakness for which I am ready to sympathise with, still hoping that LIght, the Grace of God, may be your instructor Until it may Please Him to Call us Unto Himself Which is my Desire Both for you and myself, it Gives me Great Satisfaction to hear of your Keeping to meeting knowing by Experience the Benefit of Waiting Upon the Lord to help in this time of trouble. I have at this time no Child at home But I Acknowledge for myself on the Behalf of my children the Love My cousins has Remembered to us. The present you have sent to me I ackowledge and hope to keep as a Sure token of friendship. My desire is that you may still kept form the Merciless hand of the Enemy (Indians) and Above the fear of them by trusting in the god of all strength. 
We have frequently heard of their doing Mischief in the Province. According to Your desire I shall Let our Relations Know the Contents of your Letter as soon as Possible; the time being so short I have not as yet had no Opportunity But I shall be Carefull. Brother John Grubb is Certainly Deceased this Life he DIed with the Gravel and Was decently buried at Chichester in Friends Burial Ground, the Corps Accompanied by Brothers Emanuel, Samuel, Nathaniel and myself. With a great Company of Others.
Brother John has set his two oldest Negroes free and the Rest to be set free at twenty give years of age. Sister Hannah Grubb lives at Wilmington and among her Children. I saw her lately. She lives Exceedingly well full and plenty. My Children and family is at Present in health as Usual and their families. My son Nathaniel and Issac is out at Work at the mason trade. Joseph is at John Wall's. John Wall, my son in law has a daughter about nine months old and Calls her name Charity. Our Brothers is all in Good health except our living and Beloved brother Samuel; he is at this time in Kingwood in Hunterton County in West Jersey or Was there lately to be Cured of a Cancer in his Uper lip which is very painfull. Brother Richard, I have heard lately of Joseph Gregg and his family they are all in Reasonable Good health. I have heard nothing to the contray from thy cousins by the River. So I conclude still Remembering that Love and Unity Which ought to subsist among Brethern and Sisters in the fellowship of truth. Please to Remember my Love to My Children and Grand children by my Late husband and to William Cox and his Wife Rachel Wright, With all Other Enquiring friend. DO not Neglect Writing to me as often as Possible and the circumstance of Your Affairs and Condition if you please, Concerning these Troublesome times.

This from your sister Phebe Hadly. 


This is the first I've heard of any Quakers (if "Brother John" was a Quaker) of having slaves- they mention freeing negroes- I can only assume that they were slaves. It's also very interesting because Charity writes about having troubles with Indians-- and 15 years later, her eldest son- my 7th great grandfather- will be killed by Indians with James Boone's (Daniel Boone's Son) party in Virginia. 


Death: 
Charity died on 20 sep 1809 at the age of 94 years old. She was buried in Springfield Friends Meeting House Cemetery in Springfield, Guilford County, North Carolina.