John Beale (?-1734)
Anne Arundel County Court Clerk, 1711-1734
MSA SC 3520-56
Biography:
The exact date of John Beale's birth is not known. Also in question is his place of birth. He was most likely a second generation Marylander and the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Beale. Thomas Beale resided in St. Mary's City with his wife, his son John, and his daughter Elizabeth, so John Beale was probably the first of his family to live in Anne Arundel County. He lived on his plantation, "Norwood's Beale," in Annapolis. On August 19, 1708 he married Elizabeth Norwood, the daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Howard Norwood. Together they had three children: Thomas, who died while still a young child, Elizabeth who married William Nicholson and later Richard Dorsey, and Ann, who married Thomas Rutland.1 John Beale was also the guardian of three other individuals: Andrew Norwood, Jr., a minor brother of Beale's wife Elizabeth, John Howard, and Vachel Denton who was perhaps a cousin of Beale's.2
Beale's political career began in 1707 when he became clerk for the Provincial Court.3 He served as clerk there until 1718 and also was a clerk for the Land Secretary's Office and a register for the Chancery Court.4 Toward the end of his term, he was appointed a commissioner for the Land Secretary and Commissionary's Offices. In that position he was to "inspect into the several decays and defects of all the records of the Land Secretary and Commissionary's Offices and to judge of the necessary Amendments and reparations thereof, and to employ such clerks, book-binders, and other persons, as appear needful to them, for completing and perfecting."5 Beale also worked in the colony's legislature. He served as clerk for the Upper House, and was then elected by the citizens of Annapolis to represent them in the Lower House of the legislature in 1718 and 1719.6 He was discharged before the second session of 1719 for accepting an appointment as clerk of the Council, a position he held until 1721. In 1722, Beale was again elected to the Lower House, this time as a representative of Anne Arundel County. He served until he was again discharged, for accepting a position from the government, after the first session of the 1732-1734 term. This was probably for his position as a commissioner of the Paper Currency Office, to which he was appointed in 1733. One extremely important position that Beale held was that he was entrusted with the Great Seal of the Honorable Charles Calvert. This seal was used on all official documents from the colony and its governor.7
Beale also held many local offices. He served as Clerk of the Court for Anne Arundel County from 1711 until his death in 1734, while still holding various other provincial and local positions. He was an alderman for Annapolis from 1714 until at least 1726. He was commissioned as clerk for the county's Court of Oyer and Terminer and Goal Delivery in 1720, served as deputy commissary from 1720 to 1734, and was a trustee of the county's public schools. Beale was also a prominent member of St. Anne's Church, serving as vestryman from 1713 until 1720 and from 1727 until 1730.8 In 1727, Beale and several other parishioners of St. Anne's suggested erecting a chapel outside of Annapolis for those who were inconvenienced by traveling into the city. Governor Calvert gave permission for this construction to occur.9
John Beale died in April of 1734.10 He willed his personal property and real estate to his wife.11 She was also to pay off his debts, of which there were many. Much of his land, 1628 acres of land in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties in addition to three lots in Annapolis, were sold to pay his debts.12 As the Accounts records show, his estate was valued around 1,558.147 pounds.13 His inventory lists eleven slaves as well as some silver pieces, several horses, and a few sheep.14 Beale held a variety of civil service positions throughout his life and was quite a prominent citizen of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County.
Born: of age in 1707; probably only son; native,
probably second generation
Resided: in Annapolis and on his planta-tion, “Norwood’s
Beale,” in Anne Arundel County
Father: probably Thomas Beak (?-1713)
Mother: Elizabeth
Siblings: Elizabeth, who married Rev. Henry Jennings,
rector of William and Mary Parish in St. Mary’s County from 1706 to l714
Married: on August 19, 1708, Elizabeth (1688-1753),
daughter of An-drew Norwood (?-1701), of Anne Arundel County, and wife
Elizabeth Howard, her brother was Andrew; her sisters were Ann; Hannah;
and (first name unknown)
Children: Thomas (1714-1717); Elizabeth (1711-?),
who married first, in 1729 William Nicholson, a merchant, and second, Richard
Dorsey; Ann (1716/17-?), who married Thomas Rutland; wards; Andrew Norwood,
Jr.; John Howard (ca. 1709-1805); and Vachel Denton (ca. 1696-1752)
Education: literate
Religious Affiliation: Protestant
Social Status and Activities: Mr., by 1717; Gent.,
by 1719; Esq., by 1727
Occupation: probably a planter; officeholder
Public Career: Lower House, Annapolis, 1718 (elected
to the 3rd session to fill vacancy; Accounts 3), 1719 (Accounts 1; discharged
for accepting an appointment as clerk of the Council between the 1st and
2nd sessions), Anne Arundel County, 1722-1724 (Accounts 1-3), 1725-1727
(Accounts 1-4; Aggrievances 1-4), 1728-1731 (Accounts 1-5; Aggrievances
1-5), 1732-1734 (Accounts 1-Cv; Aggrievances 1-Cv; discharged during convention
for accepting an office “of trust and profit” from the government); clerk,
Secretary’s Office and Provincial Court, 1707-1718: register, Chancery
Court, 1708-1709; clerk, Council, 1719-1721; commissioner, Paper Currency
Office, appointed 1733.
Local Offices: clerk, Anne Arundel County, 1711-1734;
St. Anne’s Parish Vestry, Anne Arundel County, in office 1713-1720, 1727-1730;
alderman, Annapolis, 1714-at least 1726; clerk, Court of Oyer and Terminer
and Gaol Delivery, Anne Arundel County, commissioned 1720; deputy commissary,
Anne Arundel County, 1720— 1734; trustee of public schools, Anne Arundel
County, period of service unknown
Wealth: 640 acres in Anne Arundel County, plus
1 lot in An-napolis; acquired an additional 1,138 acres in Anne Arundel
and Baltimore counties; gave 150 acres in Anne Arundel County to son-in-law
William Nicholson in 1731; at death Personal Property TEV, £1,558.14.8
(including 13 slaves and books); FB, estate overpaid £3448.11; Land,
ca. 1,628 acres in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, plus 3 lots in
Annapolis; after his death his land was sold to pay his debts
Died: between March 5 and May 9, 1734, in Anne Arundel
County
Source: Papenfuse, Edward C., et al., A Biographical Dictionary
of the Maryland Legislature, 1635-1789, Vol. I, A-H, (Baltimore: Johns
Hopkins University
Press, 1979), 121.
"John Beale, sworn at June Court, 1711; died in April, 1734."
Source: Owings, Donnell MacClure. His Lordship's Patronage:
Offices of Profit in Colonial Maryland. (Baltmore: Maryland
Historical Society, 1953.), 148.
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