Richard Beard III
M, b. January 1626, d. before 24 July 1675
| Father | Richard Beard II b. 1604, d. 1661 |
| Mother | Ann Walker b. 1608, d. 1662 |
Richard was born in January 1626 in County Sussex, England. Sometime in the early to mid 1640's, Richard immigrated to Virginia and established himself along with his future brother-in-law, William Burgess, who marries Elizabeth Robbins. Richard then married Rachel Robins, daughter of Edward Robins and Jane Cornish, in 1646.1 Soon after their marriage, Richard and Rachel moved north into Maryland. Shortly thereafter, the couple returned to England.2 Then in 1650, the couple sailed back to Maryland, with their two children, Rachel and Richard, and settled in the South River District. Richard took up a tract of land which he named "Beard's Habitation" on a creek named Beard's Creek on which he built a mill. He also acquired two other tracts of land named "Timber Neck" and "Indian Range". He was a quaker and has been noted as a boat builder.3,4 Richard departed this life in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Richard made his will on 24 July 1675.
In the name of God Amen – I Richard Beard of South River in the county of Ann Arundell being in perfect mind and memory Thanks be given to Almighty God therefore and calling to mind the mortality of my body knowing that it is appointed for all men once to dye I do make Declare & Ordain this my last will and Testament in Manner & Form following. That is to say first and principally I give my Soul into the hands of God who gave it me and for my body I commend it to the earth to be buried in Christian and Descent manner I nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the Same again by the Almighty Power of God my Creator and as touching Such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life I give devise bequeath and Dispose of the Same in manner and form following –
Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my two sons Richard Beard and John Beard all the Land that I do hold possess and Enjoy Excepting onely my halfe of the Indian Range and my halfe of the Piece of land called Timber Neck the Land which I give unto my Two Sons is already divided by a Sine beginning at a marked Gum Standing upon the South West Side of my now dwelling plantation So running to the main branch of Jacobs Creek So running up the branch to a Marked beech which stands near the head of the Branch and the said Beech is marked R B and all the land that is mine of the North Side of the Line and Branch Also I give and bequeath unto my son John Beard This I do give to my two sons to both and Each of them and their sons forever after my decease. Onely my wife Rachel Beard is to have her life in my now dwelling Plantation and she is to have the Orchard only to herself so long as she continues a widow but in case she should marry then she is to have but one half of the fruit of the said Orchard and my Two Sons Richard Beard and John Beard is to have the other halfe of the fruit of the said Orchard Equally to be divided bewixt them both and further to give unto my wife Rachel Beard Liberty to Cleer as much Ground as she hath occasion for during her natural life and she is to clear as much into one of my Sons Land as the other this also she is to do without Molestation Sett or hindrance and after my Said Wife Deceased my Plantaion is to be equally divided between my Two Sons Richard Beard and John Beard that is to say for what priviledge or convenience may be upon the said plantation to one shall have as much Right to it as the Other and further I do give my Sons wifes their Lease in the land if in case they have issue but if in case they have no issue by my son’s then they Shall Enjoy the Land but also _________ and a day after my son’s decease and if in Case Either of my Two sons should dye without issue then his part of the Land Shall fall to the Other Son which is yet alive and his Sons forever and if in Case both of my sons should Dye without issue that is to say without Male of female then the Said land Shall fall to my two daughters namely Ruth Beard and Rebecca Beard and their sons forever and if in case one of my two daughters should dye without issue the other daughter shall have all the Land and her sons forever and if should please God that both of my two sons should be deceased without issue and both my daughters should be alive to possess the land Then my Daughter Ruth Beard shall have my son’s Richard part of the Land and my daughter Rebecca shall have my son’s John part of the land and in case both of my two mentioned daughters should dye without issue then my other daughter Rachel Clark shall have all the land and her sons forever but if in case she hath no sons nor no issue of her sons alive then her daughters shall possess it and further I do give and bequeath unto my daughter Ruth Beard my part of the piece of land Called Timber Neck and her sons forever after my decease and likewise I do give and bequeath unto my daughter Rebecca Beard my part of the Indian Range and her sons forever after my decease. And if in case one of my two daughters should dye without issue then her part shall fall to my other daughter which is yet alive and if in case both of my two daughters should dye without issue then the said pieces of land shall fall to my sons if they be alive the Indian Range and Timber Neck and the aforesaid Timber Neck shall fall to my son Richard Beard and the Indian Range unto my son John Beard and if in case my sons be dead then to their sons forever and further I give and bequeath unto my wife Rachel Beard one feather bed as a legacy and to my son John one feather bed as a legacy and to my daughter Ruth Beard I do give one feather bed as a legacy and to my daughter Rebecca Beard I do give one feather bed as a Legacy and to my daughter Rachel Clark I do give and bequeath one Cow as a Legacy and what so ever more can be found of my personal estate after my Decease I first give and bequeath my wife Rachel Beard her share first and the rest which is left I give and bequeath unto my two sons and two daughters namely Richard Beard John Beard Ruth Beard & Rebecca Beard Equally to be divided amongst them all and I do Constitute and appoint my brother in law William Burgess and my two sons all three of them of the county of Ann Arundell in the Province of Maryland to be overseers of this my last will to see that none of the Estate be in _______ and to see that things be equally divided on all sides and my brother Burgess is to End all the differences that shall or may arise betwixt my wife of any of my children after my decease and of this my Last Will and Testament I do utterly disallow revoke and annul all and Every other former Testaments wills Legacies bequeaths etc by me any ways before this time wills made and bequeathed – Ratifying and Confirming this an none other to by my Last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have here unto Sett my hand an Seal this Twenty fourth day of July in the year of our Lord God One Thousand Six Hundred seventy five
Signed Sealed published pronounced & Declared by the said Richard Beard as his Last Will and Testament. In the presence of George Greene John Raster Elizabeth Carnton Thomas Irienthwickie.5
His will was probated on 10 August 1681.6
In the name of God Amen – I Richard Beard of South River in the county of Ann Arundell being in perfect mind and memory Thanks be given to Almighty God therefore and calling to mind the mortality of my body knowing that it is appointed for all men once to dye I do make Declare & Ordain this my last will and Testament in Manner & Form following. That is to say first and principally I give my Soul into the hands of God who gave it me and for my body I commend it to the earth to be buried in Christian and Descent manner I nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the Same again by the Almighty Power of God my Creator and as touching Such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life I give devise bequeath and Dispose of the Same in manner and form following –
Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my two sons Richard Beard and John Beard all the Land that I do hold possess and Enjoy Excepting onely my halfe of the Indian Range and my halfe of the Piece of land called Timber Neck the Land which I give unto my Two Sons is already divided by a Sine beginning at a marked Gum Standing upon the South West Side of my now dwelling plantation So running to the main branch of Jacobs Creek So running up the branch to a Marked beech which stands near the head of the Branch and the said Beech is marked R B and all the land that is mine of the North Side of the Line and Branch Also I give and bequeath unto my son John Beard This I do give to my two sons to both and Each of them and their sons forever after my decease. Onely my wife Rachel Beard is to have her life in my now dwelling Plantation and she is to have the Orchard only to herself so long as she continues a widow but in case she should marry then she is to have but one half of the fruit of the said Orchard and my Two Sons Richard Beard and John Beard is to have the other halfe of the fruit of the said Orchard Equally to be divided bewixt them both and further to give unto my wife Rachel Beard Liberty to Cleer as much Ground as she hath occasion for during her natural life and she is to clear as much into one of my Sons Land as the other this also she is to do without Molestation Sett or hindrance and after my Said Wife Deceased my Plantaion is to be equally divided between my Two Sons Richard Beard and John Beard that is to say for what priviledge or convenience may be upon the said plantation to one shall have as much Right to it as the Other and further I do give my Sons wifes their Lease in the land if in case they have issue but if in case they have no issue by my son’s then they Shall Enjoy the Land but also _________ and a day after my son’s decease and if in Case Either of my Two sons should dye without issue then his part of the Land Shall fall to the Other Son which is yet alive and his Sons forever and if in Case both of my sons should Dye without issue that is to say without Male of female then the Said land Shall fall to my two daughters namely Ruth Beard and Rebecca Beard and their sons forever and if in case one of my two daughters should dye without issue the other daughter shall have all the Land and her sons forever and if should please God that both of my two sons should be deceased without issue and both my daughters should be alive to possess the land Then my Daughter Ruth Beard shall have my son’s Richard part of the Land and my daughter Rebecca shall have my son’s John part of the land and in case both of my two mentioned daughters should dye without issue then my other daughter Rachel Clark shall have all the land and her sons forever but if in case she hath no sons nor no issue of her sons alive then her daughters shall possess it and further I do give and bequeath unto my daughter Ruth Beard my part of the piece of land Called Timber Neck and her sons forever after my decease and likewise I do give and bequeath unto my daughter Rebecca Beard my part of the Indian Range and her sons forever after my decease. And if in case one of my two daughters should dye without issue then her part shall fall to my other daughter which is yet alive and if in case both of my two daughters should dye without issue then the said pieces of land shall fall to my sons if they be alive the Indian Range and Timber Neck and the aforesaid Timber Neck shall fall to my son Richard Beard and the Indian Range unto my son John Beard and if in case my sons be dead then to their sons forever and further I give and bequeath unto my wife Rachel Beard one feather bed as a legacy and to my son John one feather bed as a legacy and to my daughter Ruth Beard I do give one feather bed as a legacy and to my daughter Rebecca Beard I do give one feather bed as a Legacy and to my daughter Rachel Clark I do give and bequeath one Cow as a Legacy and what so ever more can be found of my personal estate after my Decease I first give and bequeath my wife Rachel Beard her share first and the rest which is left I give and bequeath unto my two sons and two daughters namely Richard Beard John Beard Ruth Beard & Rebecca Beard Equally to be divided amongst them all and I do Constitute and appoint my brother in law William Burgess and my two sons all three of them of the county of Ann Arundell in the Province of Maryland to be overseers of this my last will to see that none of the Estate be in _______ and to see that things be equally divided on all sides and my brother Burgess is to End all the differences that shall or may arise betwixt my wife of any of my children after my decease and of this my Last Will and Testament I do utterly disallow revoke and annul all and Every other former Testaments wills Legacies bequeaths etc by me any ways before this time wills made and bequeathed – Ratifying and Confirming this an none other to by my Last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have here unto Sett my hand an Seal this Twenty fourth day of July in the year of our Lord God One Thousand Six Hundred seventy five
Signed Sealed published pronounced & Declared by the said Richard Beard as his Last Will and Testament. In the presence of George Greene John Raster Elizabeth Carnton Thomas Irienthwickie.5
His will was probated on 10 August 1681.6
Family | Rachel Robins b. b 20 Nov 1631 |
| Children |
|
Citations
- [S506] Note: Northampton Co., VA deeds and wills 7, p. 67. 5 Aug. 1657 Richard Beard and William Burgess of Providence, Province of Maryland, with consent of their wives Rachell and Elizabeth who are daughters and heirs of Edwd: Robins, Merchant, of Northampton (alias Accawmacke),
deceased.... - [S699] Passenger & Immigration List Index 1500's - 1900's.
- [S2015] Robert Barnes, Colonial Families of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, pages 59-63.
- [S506] Note: Maryland Land Patents - Richard Beard transported himelf, Rachel his wife, Rachel his daughter, and Richard his son into Maryland in 1650. [Courtesy of Fredric Z. Saunders,1234 Waterside Cove #21, Midvale, UT 84047-4293 - email: e-mail address ]
- [S506] Note: Richard Beard will, MD wills 2:143-146. [Courtesy of Fredric Z. Saunders,1234 Waterside Cove #21, Midvale, UT 84047-4293 - email: e-mail address ]
- [S338] State of Maryland, Maryland, Wills and Probate Records,m 1604-1878, Volume 1-2.