A cousin Michele Lawrence Manis compiled three genealogy books called "The Beasley Connection, volumes 1-3". She compiled a vast index of information through the early archives of the Carolina's, Alabama, Georgia and elsewhere. She found connections with family from Austin Beasley Sr. of Duplin County, NC to me, (Mark A. Beasley b: 1960, CA), at the time of her writings. She did not have the resources of the internet as we do now, but by hours of manual labor researching. Austin Beasley Sr. was born in Virginia per an 1880 census while his son Austin Jr. was visiting a daughter Nancy and son-in-law John A. Lawrence in District 26, Brown, Texas. Austin Jr. was listed as a farmer born in NC, white male age 68 which he would have been born on 15 June, 1812, as per his headstone in Mossy Grove Cemetery, Dale Co., AL. Of Austin Sr.'s registered census', the 1785 census lists one son and one daughter, 1790 two sons, one daughter + Mary Guy, 1800 two son's under 10, one 10-16, 1 daughter under 10, one 10-16 + Mary Guy and Austin Sr was 40. 1810 two sons under 10, one 10-16, two daughters under 10, one 10-16 + Polly Carroll and 1820 three sons under 10, one son 10-16, two sons 16-26, Austin age 58-60, two daughters under 10, one 10-16, + Polly Mary Carroll, who this researcher has her span of life from 1780 to 1857. I would like to see the 1820 census because three sons are listed under 10 years of age but Austin Jr. would have been the only son under 10. There could have been grandson's listed in that household. Manis found 19 deeds of land that Austin Sr. had purchased or sold and Abraham and Solomon Beasley are listed living next to him. On 12 January 1783, Austin Sr. married Mary Guy b: 1764 and had 7 children, Sarah, Bryan, Mary, John, Hillery, Ally and Lemuel named after Mary Guy's father. Mary Guy must have died after her last son Lemuel was born. On 15 December 1803, Austin Sr. married Mary "Polly" Carroll in Duplin County, NC. They had 5 children, Bass, Nancy Bush, Elizabeth, Austin and Edwinna who are listed in Austin Sr.'s will dated 30 September 1822 and proved January 1823. http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/nc/duplin/wills/beasly01.txt Author Jerome Tew of this rootsweb has Austin born in 1807 as the son of Austin Sr. who is
actually the son of Solomon H. Beasley. This is proven by Orston/Auston Beasley's family bible. The will of Austin Sr. lists his mother-in-law, Eda Carroll to remain on 80 acres of his land after his decease. Eda or Lydia Carroll was not living with or married to her husband Hardy at this time. On 20 February 1823, Mary Beasley sells 431 acres to Jacob Mathews for $220.00. The same land was purchased by Austin Sr. 12 ½ years earlier for $172.40. On 8 September 1829, Bass, son of Austin Sr. sells his willed land to Mary Beasley with no price mentioned. This Mary could be his mother or sister. On 19 November 1834, Austin Jr. sold 188 acres for $403.00 to his brother Bass. Austin Sr. states per his will that his son Austin Jr. who, after his mother Mary deceases, will receive the mill and log cabin which he did and then sold to his brother Bass Beasley on 20 November 1837. We do not know the dates that Mary Carroll Beasley or her mother Lydia "Eda" Hollingsworth Carroll passed away. Author Claude Moore of Heritage Series, Wayne County, NC wrote about Austin Beasley's Mill and Log Cabin which he later owned and made the cabin into a museum. After Moore's decease, the log cabin was moved to Clinton, NC and is found at these websites. http://www.sampsonhmc.com/museum.html http://www.ncecho.org/photos/ncephotodetail.asp?siteno=080&photono=004 &searchtype =sspub Manis found Austin Sr.'s will and did not realize that Mary was the name of both of his wives and that Austin was married twice. Mary Guy Beasley is mentioned in her father Lemuel Guy's will as Mary Beasley. Manis focused on the first wife, the Guy family and did not research the Carroll/Hollingsworth family. As I said earlier, in the 19 deeds of Austin Sr., both Abraham and Solomon Beasley owned, bought and sold land next to him. Abraham and Solomon's parents were Solomon Beasley Sr. b: 1707 Beasley Island, Craven County, NC. d: 13 November 1789 Beasley Island and Rachael Eda Taylor b: 1708 m: 1742 Craven Co. and d: 1789. Solomon Sr.'s parents were John Beasley b: 1685 in NC? d: Beasley Island, Craven Co., NC. and Sarah Joana Cagwell Jenkins b: 1685. Abraham Sr., the son of Solomon Sr. sold his land in Duplin
Co. and went south to New Hanover, NC. Abraham Sr.'s son Solomon H. b: 10 June 1772 Core Creek, Craven County, NC, later became the Justice of the Peace on 22 July 1825 in Butler County, AL. Solomon H. had a son named Orston/Auston Beasley b: 1 August 1807 New Hanover, NC. d: 1 Feb 1852 Georgiana, Butler County, AL. who had a son, Colonel Orston/Auston Beasley b; 24 August 1851 Georgiana and d: 5 December 1937 in Red Level, Covington Co., AL. I think that Austin Sr.'s father was John Beesley b: 1731, son of Oxford Beasley b: 1710 and died 1741 leaving John and brother, James b: 1730 as orphans. James was adopted out to Jacob Taylor in 1741 who was the brother of Rachael Eda Taylor Beasley, wife of Solomon Beasley Sr. who was the brother of Oxford Beasley, and son of John Beasley b: 1685. A John Beasley was mentioned as a witness in Austin Beasley Sr.'s land deed dated 4 August 1782. Abraham and Solomon Beasley's brother John Beasley was in South Carolina with wife and his family during this time and is listed as serving in the Revolutionary War at this time too. A John Beesley is listed serving the Revolutionary War during this period of time from NC. Every family has a legend and ours states that Austin Jr. was tired of cleaning the family grist mill in Duplin Co., NC., since an early age (10 when his dad passed away) and so he sold the mill to his brother and road south through the Carolina's, Georgia, Alabama and into Florida. He liked the area of Dale County, Alabama and returned to make his home there. Austin Jr. married Eleanor Reed (Elander Martha) Powell b: 28 January 1820, Bibb, Butts County, GA. and had 10 children, William Reed, Austin "Tobey" III (which is the third Austin in this family lineage), Anna Martha, Everett "Bud" Bass, Ellen Caroline, George Russell (my great-grandfather), Irene Missouri, Emily Frances and Sarah "Sack of Aunt Lizzie" Elizabeth. Eleanor's parents are William C. (Buck) Powell b: 10 April 1796 Edgefield Co., SC d: 13 January 1884 Arguta Cemetery, Dale County, AL and Martha Reed b: 1796 GA d: 1847 Dale Co., AL. Remember, Covington County, AL is approx. 45 miles west of Ozark, Dale Co., AL. and this is where Orston/Auston Beasleyb: 1807 is found.
I am researching Austin Jr.'s older half brothers, who I think moved into counties north of Dale County in Alabama. This may have been what brought Austin Jr. here. From the time Austin Jr. sold his land on 20 November 1837 to his brother Bass (who Austin Jr. named his third son after), he had a year to travel from Duplin Co. south to Marianna, Florida and back up to Ozark, Dale County, AL, which is around 400 miles, and then marry his wife and start his family. Austin Jr. served in the Alabama Volunteer during the Creek War filed WA 532 1 September 1892. Austin's oldest son William Reed died in the Civil War on 12 May 1864 in Spottsylvania, VA. My wife and I visited his gravesite there in March 2005 and did not see a date of birth on his headstone so we do not know when Austin Jr. married Eleanor nor when his 1st child was born. In the later part of the 1800's, Austin Jr.'s son George Russell b: 22 August 1853 Dale Co. took 12 members of his family, 13 including himself to Texas and then settled in Soledad Canyon, NM where he carved out a ranch in the rock of the Organ Mountains. George Russell brought his wife, children along with his deceased brother, William Reed's wife, her two children by wagon to this New Frontier. George Russell brought cement up from El Paso, Texas by wagon and built a rock cabin shortly after 1902, which still stands today. Southwest of this location is called Beasley Canyon, NM. http://216.239.63.104/search?q=cache:na91cnk5wkcj:aec.army.mil/usaec/p ublicaffairs/ update/spr01/spr0113.htm+soledad+canyon+beasley+ranch&hl=en HOLLINGSWORTH, Henry Sr., Private, NC Militia. Soldier is listed in the Spanish Alarm Militia of 1748 and likely was born near 1724 to Stephen Hollingsworth who patented 600 acres of land in New Hanover Co. in 1745 and listed six whites in his family. He is listed on one pay voucher during the Revolutionary War after Tories took his horse, saddle, and musket, Henry also patented 50 acres in NH, later Duplin in I 745 Soldier married and had the following children: 1-Nancy Wright, 2-RS Henry Hollingsworth Jr. married Elizabeth Griggs, 3-RS James Hollingsworth married Betsy Merritt, 4-RS Zebulon Hollingsworth married Elizabeth Chesnutt, Elizabeth Chesnutt, 5- Mary Faison, 6-Charity Caison, 7-Sarah Chesnutt, and 8-Lydia Carroll who
married Hardy Carroll in 1779 Duplin County. Brothers Zebulon, Valentine, and Timothy Hollingsworth moved to Screven Co. and Burke Co. GA and Valentine became a Tory during the Revolutionary War. Timothy moved on to FL. J-IOLLNGSWORTH, Zebulon (1) South Carolina Militia Soldier served in the SC Militia under Captain John Hampton in 1779. He is listed in the Roster of SC Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War. He was a native of Duplin County and moved on the GA. Soldier was listed in the Spanish Alarm Militia of 1748 and was born about 1730 and died in 1825. Zebulon is listed in several early Sampson deeds in 1763-66. He was the brother of Henry, Valentine, Timothy, and lames Hollingsworth. His father Stephen died about 1750 in Duplin, but is not listed in any deeds by name but is referred to. Stephen patented 600 acres of land in 1745 in New Hanover, now Sampson Co. This soldier moved to Screven Co. area of Georgia after his brother Valentine who arrived in 1769-1770 with wife and six children. Soldier also had six children and one is identified as Jesse Hollingsworth. Valentine was accused of being a Tory and was born about 1732 and died about 1783 The Hollingsworth side starts with Robert and Joan Parker Hollingsworth to Henry and Catherine Cornish Hollingsworth to Valentine and Anne Ree Hollingsworth to Henry and Lydia Elizabeth Atkinson Hollingsworth to Stephen and Anne Robinson Hollingsworth to Henry and Mary Ann Murray Hollingsworth to Lydia (Eda) Hollingsworth who married Hardy Carroll and had Polly Mary Carroll who married Austin Beasley Sr. The Hollingsworth line is pretty much proven throughout. Amazing facts: Carroll # 184, Beasley # 575, Carter # 41, Hollingsworth # 1231, Reed # 59, Ree # 19,320, Atkinson # 548 and my wife's family Garcia # 20, Sanchez # 57 and Tenorio # 6885 of the most popular surnames in the United States. The search 1