The earliest Beale we know to be one of our ancestors was Robert Beale: he married Elizabeth Young on 31st. December 1818 at Birtsmorton, Worcestershire. One of the later censuses shows that both were actually born at Castlemorton, although the parish records have been searched for their births without success. They are quite close to the border of Herefordshire, whose parish records are poorly indexed and recorded outside the County Record Office. It may be that research into Herefordshire records will unearth them. Any information on them would be most welcome. Their son William, the eldest of six children had a son James in 1855 (still at Castlemorton) and their children Louisa Florence, Henry James, Andrew, William, Fred and Ethel were all born in Gloucester after 1879.
Louisa Florence died in 1907, a year after the birth of her daughter Florence Elizabeth and the family seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. Henry James became a boot repairer, settled in Birmingham with his two children whose families we have recently encountered after a gap of 60 years! Andrew, my grandfather, lived his life as Albert Bell (boy is there a story there!) and the other three, William, Fred and Ethel have all eluded us so far. We may have to wait for the 1901 census, but my mother is 92 and delays in finding these relatives are becoming critical.
Significant events are:
Robert Beale, born app. 1794, married Elizabeth Young, Birtsmorton 31 Dec 1818
William, son of Robert, born Castlemorton 1821, married Mary Ann Preece, Dymock 14 Feb 1852
James, son of William, born Castlemorton 1855, married Elizabeth Pearson, Gloucester, 4 Aug 1877
Andrew, son of James, born Gloucester 1881, married Elizabeth Fryer, Worcester, 23 Nov 1914
James Beale went to America some time in the mid-1890's to make his fortune. Before he could send for the family to join him, he died of a fever. Could it have been during the Dawson City typhoid epidemic?
If you have family you think may be linked to us, send us an e-mail
