Soon to the Irish connection

 Francis Beattie (born 1715 in Ireland, died 1791 in Washington County, VA) who wrote a will, which summarizes well what his holdings were, and who his children were.  His wife, Martha Tate Beattie  was also born in Ireland in 1720, and died before he did, but there's no documentation of her death.  They had around 8 children, all born in VA.  However, her family tree does continue back to Scotland.

Here is the transcription of his will (Excerpt from RootsWeb, Hakel - Beatie Ancestorshttp://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=lhakel&id=I2010)

Washington County Will, September 17, 1789

In the name of God Amen. I Francis Beattie of Washington Co. of Commonwealth of VA. being at present of sound mind and memory and considering that it is appointed for all men once to die but not knowing the certainty of the time thereof do hereby make this my last will and testament that is to say first and principally I recommend my sould to God who gave it and my body to the earth there to be decently buried.

Item: I will and bequeath to my daughter Rosannah Stuart and John Stuart, her husband the plantation we now live on with all the farming utensils thereon such as plows, hoes, axes, adzes, my negro man named Isak, that is to say on the condition that they or either of them so keep my daughter Sarah Beattie and son Francis Beattie during their lives in good warm clothing, victuals, & drink sufficient to support them decently, and if either John or Rosannah Stewart should die or neglect to take care of said children-then the executors to have it in their power to detain so much of the benefits of said plantation as will be sufficient to support them in decency. And to my son David Beattie and my daughter Mary Beattie I leave and bequeath to each of them a cow worth three pounds.

I will and bequeath to my daughter Jan Bustard twenty pounds to be paid in horses and cattle by the executors out of my personal estate and to my daughter Margaret Hansford I will and bequeath twenty pounds to be paid in horses or cattle by the executors out of my personal estate.

And to the rest of my personal estate if any, I leave to John and Rosannah-and i do hereby appoint my friends Matthew Ryburn and James kincannon executors of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all wills by me before made. In witness hereto I subscribe my name and affix my seal this seventeenth day of Sept. 1789.

I think it is remarkable that a first generation American was able to have a plantation/farm which he could leave to his daughter and her husband, as well as various other valuables to the other children.  It is noteworthy that Washington County, VA is actually on far the western side of the state, just before getting to the Cumberland Gap and Wilderness Trail going to TN and KY.   

My ancestress was his daughter Margaret Beattie Hansford (as I've talked about for the last 2 days).  She and her husband travelled away from VA to KY in the early days of its statehood, following Daniel Boone through Cumberland Gap.

I don't know birth dates for Sarah or Francis, but because Rosannah and her husband were to receive the home and farm, as well as a slave apparently...this was on the condition that they cared for Sarah and Francis.  To me this means that they were too young to be on their own, perhaps pre-teens.

Francis Beattie Sr, is listed as having died in 1791, three years after making this will.  Margaret was married to Rev.Thomas Hansford in 1788.  They may have still been in the community when the will was written.  There is evidence that they lived in Pulaski County, KY by 1799 when the first county court was held in their home.

But how about Ireland?

Francis' father was George Beattie, born in 1665 in Caven, in County Caven, Ireland.