Author: John K. Bowman
John Teeter Beam was born in 1732 in Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany, the child of Michael and Sarah. He maried Rebecca Reynolds bef 1765. They had at least three children. He married Elizabeth Rudolph in 1781 in Lincolnton, North Carolina. They had at least six children during their marriage.

Service Source: PRUITT, ABSTRACTS OF LAND ENTRYS TRYON & LINCOLN CO NC, P 60

Service Description: SIGNED OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO MAKE LAND ENTRY LINCOLN CO AUG 1779

The subject of this sketch was descended from an old Celt family. His mother was a Miss Rudolph, as handed down by S. G. Goodrich, a German writer. Rudolph, once Emperor of Germany, had seven beautiful daughters, who contracted alliances that proved to be happy ones. Michael Beam, who was the father of John T. Beam, was born about the year 1702 and married to Sarah Rudolph about the year 1729 or 1730. He lived and raised a family in Hamburg. His occupation was farming, tanning and merchandising. His farm was on or near the River Elb. After receiving a liberal education and serving his term in the army, as was customary under the laws of Germany, he learned the weaver's trade and to finish his trade he went to Geneva, Switzerland. There he married Miss Rebecca Ranyolds. She was of a good family, a niece of John James Rassaw an eminent writer, who died in 1778. After his marriage to Miss Ranyolds he intended returning to Germany to his father; About that time, 1767, the great overflow of the River Elbe caused a scarcity to almost terminate in a famine in that country. About that time the great tide of immigration commenced to America. and he with his wife and two children, John and David, in company with a Mr. Peter Lutz, sailed for America. Landing in Charleston, S. C., sometime in November 1767. Not being able to pay his passage. he contracted with Mr. Christy Eaker, of Lincoln county, N. C., to serve him seven years for paying his passage to the immigration commission. He was brought by Mr. Eaker to his home in Lincoln county, and his faithful work so pleased Eaker that he was set free at six years and given an outfit for house-keeping. He then had six children, three sons and three daughters, and to sadden his eventful life about the year 1779 he lost by death his lamented Rebecca.. With six small children in the then wilds of America, with no father, mother or sister to comfort him, the great tide of immigration had brought a family of Germans to his neighborhood by the name of Aaron Rudolph. He married for his second wife Elizabeth, the daughter of Rudolph, in the year 1781. This union proved to be a happy one, and by this Union nine children were born to them, all of whom lived and raised large families.Aaron Rudolph was a distant relation to John T. Beam's mother. After the marriage of Elizabeth the Rudolph family moved further west, and there being but little communications at that time, they were lost sight of, and nothing is known of them at this time. President Garfield married a Miss Rudolph. I also find in some of the western states an established music house, run by a man named Rudolph. All are Germans and are supposed to be descendants of the same family. John T. Beam did not engage in the American war; his trade being worth more at home to the soldiers than his service in the army. He well remembered the first blood shed for American Independence, and many incidents of the great struggle was handed down by him to his children. By his honest dealings and study habits he soon became a considerable land owner on Beaver Dam creek, in Lincoln county, where he run (sic) a farm, in connection with his trade, until about the year of 1794, when he purchased the lands of Wm. Killian on Buffalo creek, where the widow Susan Beam now lives. He built a corn and saw mill at this place, where he was successful and continued to add to his means. The first slave he ever bought was in Charleston in the year 1800, when an African trading vessel landed there. and he bought Bristow, then a boy of about twelve wears of age. The boy knew nothing of the English language, and when one (of) his young mistresses commanded him to do some errand, not understanding her, he made an attempt to kill her with an ax, but one of her brothers knocked him down, which Bristow never forgot; he became obedient and made a faithful servant and lived to a ripe old age. In the year 1801 he built a small house of worship on the hill where now stands New Prospect church. This he erected for his own denomination — Lutheran — but, as he was not prejudiced, he always opened it to other denominations. After he had been successful in accumulating goods and lands in this county he had made arrangements, at different times, to visit his native land. but wars and other troubles between Germany and other countries prevented him. Great trauble (sic) continued between these countries from 1777 until 1801, when his health began to fail, and he never saw his native home after he left it about the Year 1762. He had other brothers and sisters, whom he left in Hamburg, but the great overflows and other troubles must have scattered them, or they lost their lives in the great struggles. He had one sister married to a man of note in Hamburg, name forgotten; but he died in 1803 and was buried with great honor. He had a brother. David, who belonged to the army and held an office, but whether he was lost or not in some of the wars is not known. John T. Beam was a pious, good man, and led a faithful christian life, and was an elder of the Lutheran church at the time of his death. He was highly respected and loved by his neighbors. He was born in Hamburg about 1732, came to America in 1767 and died in 1807; aged 75 years. He was buried at New Prospect church. His wife, Elizabeth, survived him many years. She died in 1841, aged 85 years, and is buried by the side of her husband. His father, Michael Beam, of Hamburg, was a man of considerable property, having a landed estate on the River Elb, including property in the city of Hamburg. From the different wars and troubles in Germany he never received any of the estate that was due him, which is still in the Courts of Chancery at Hamburg. The Rudolph family traces their ancestors back to about 1300, when Rudolph became Emperor of Germany under peculiar circumstances. He was a Swiss Baron, the owner of thirteen Cantons. He was Steward of the House of the King of Bohemia. The Electors at Hamburg disagreeing made Rudolph their Emperor and he made his only surviving son Duke of Austria, which Goodrich says the Rudolph family held the Imperial power until 1830. Tradition teaches us that many mechanical traits have been handed down from the Rudolph family, as we find that Rudolph the II would spend whole days in gun and clock shops and other places gathering the arts of improvement, sometimes neglecting the duties of State. The first marriage of J. T. Beam to Miss Rebecca Ranyalds, of Geneva, Switzerland, was about the year 1764. The custom of that country then was to pay five shillings for a bill of sale for the wife to the Court of Ordinary. The original bill of sale is yet in possession and at the house of (the) widow (of) Frank Beam, of Lincoln county. There is no account of any of the Ranyalds family ever coming to America. If any of the younger generation wishes to trace further the family of Beam, of Hamburg, Ranyalds. of Geneva or Rudolph, of Hamburg or Austria. the foregoing dates will start on a direct line of their ancestry. It has been about one hundred and thirty, years since John T. Beam came to America. With his success in life in worldly goods, he was blessed with fifteen living children, ten sons and five daughters, who lived to raise large families, except one son, Michael, who never married. The progeny of this family of fifteen has reached to the sixth generation and numbers over fifteen thousand souls. They are in different states, scattered over the United States, but are more numerous in Gaston, Lincoln, Cleveland and Rutherford counties, this state. He was a kind husband and an affectionate father. Ex-Clerk David Beam was a delegate to our State Convention, in framing our new Constitution of 1868; also a representative m the Legislature, both from Cleveland and Rutherford counties since then.In conclusion to what has been said in regard to the eventful life of J. T. Beam during the American war, he was true to the just cause of liberty, and was at different times exposed to many narrow escapes from falling into the hands of Tories, with which the country was crowded. He and Mr. C. Eaker had become inseparable friends. At one time while they were on a visit to Wm. Killian, on Buffalo creek, within a few hundred yards of where New Prospect church now stands. This visit was probably in view of purchasing the property which he did afterwards. While down on the base of the hill near the shoal, to their great surprise James G. Beatty, a Loyalist, with several men, was coming up the creek near them. Their only chance was the fleetness of their horses, which they reached and mounted, and taking pathways reached their home on Beaver Dam and fled to the swamps, for fear of pursuit. At another time they were out, when Cornwallis was coming in the direction of Tryon Court House. They came near riding up at the head of his column, but wheeled and saved themselves. J. G. Beatty married Miss Ann Graham, daughter of Archibald Graham, of Virginia, and sister of Col. Wm. Graham. He settled on Buffalo creek, now owned by Rev. Thos. Dixon. He became such a terror to the American Cause that Col. Wm. Graham sent a squad of soldiers, under command of Captain Isaac White and Lieut. Espy, to arrest him. They found him at home. Some of the soldiers were so enraged at his political principles that they killed him in his own house. Beatty left three children, one son and two daughters. The son went to Alabama Mollie married Preston Goforth, who became the mother of Beatty, George William, Preston, and Mrs. John Dickson. Margaret or Peggy, married a Mr. Ware, who became the mother of Lerdanius, John Henderson Ware and others. all worthy citizens and true patriots in our late war. After the war the widow Ann Beatty married John Long, who was a faithful soldier in Col. Wm. Graham's regiment, and lies buried near the Damron house on the road leading from Lincolnton to Spartanburg, a patriot to the American Cause, while on the same road and a few miles apart sleeps Beatty, traitor to the cause of American liberty — both the husband (sic) of one wife. John Long became the father of Ann Long. who married Peter Beam John T. Beam, previous to the breaking out of the war, was socially intimate with Beatty and also with Moses Moore, father of Col. John Moore, who led the Tories at Ramsour's mill; but their political differences placed Beam in a condition that he had always to be on his guard. After the battle at Ramsour's mill J. T. Beam, with several of his neighbors, went to the scene, found some of their neighbors killed, some fighting under the Tory, John .Moore, while others for their native land, neighbor and patriot. Capt. Daniel McKissick, of Lincoln, was severely wounded but recovered. Many other incidents has (sic) been handed down in regard to his many narrow escapes. During the war at that time a great many Cherokee Indians, and very hostile, were not many miles from his section. Often they would have to flee to a place of safety by their depredations. Several years after the war, as has been stated, he moved his family to Buffalo, where he lived in quietude and peace until his death. His house was within a few hundred yards of where Columbus Beam, a grandson, now lives, and on the road leading from Shelby to Newton. It has been handed down that Gen. Morgan opened this route on his retreat from Cowpens to the Catawba, and crossed Buffalo on the shoal where the cotton gin now stands. I suggest that a tribute of respect to the honor of the old pioneer father of fifteen children, by holding a reunion of the Beam family in the early future. Reunions to be held at the old homestead, where Susan and Columbus Beam now lives; that the younger generation may view and see where their forefathers and mothers roamed and enjoyed the hills and home of their parents and view the resting place on the hill where he now sleeps. A fatal fever visited the Buffalo neighborhood during the year of 1795, from which the families of Killian, Attom, Goodman and Foggies became almost extinct by death. For further information by referring to the different dates and corresponding with the (Bergamaster) the Beam or Baum family at Hamburg, Germany, the Rudolph family at Hapsburg, the Raynalds family at Geneva. Switzerland. Aaron Rudolph, mentioned in these sketches, was born in Hamburg, Germany. He was a brilliant business man, of noble traits of character. Owned a considerable land estate on the River Elbe. Surrounded with all the comforts of life until the War with Turkey, which commenced in 1777, also a great drought in that country. He. with his family, fled to America. leaving his valuable estate Being personally acquainted with John T. Beam in Germany, he came to his home in Lincoln county, arriving there penniless and destitute. He remained in Lincoln county until about the year 1782; the war still continued in Germany, he not being able to see after his interests there. He went farther west. During the time he remained in Lincoln county his daughter, Elizabeth, was married to J. T. Beam, as his second wife, she being the only member of the family left. The Rudolph name became extinct in Lincoln county. The different wars with Germany and other powers deprived the Rudolph family of getting their landed estate up to the death of Elizabeth Beam in 1841, or since. The estate is supposed to be in the Court of Equity in Hamburg.

Source: http://mv.ancestry.com/viewer/d6d6c4d2-0ef4-4483-a0d9-e5e934330c5c/215143/-2052692929?_phsrc=inU374&usePUBJs=true

Spouse: Rebecca Reynolds Beam (1744 - 1779)*

Children:
John Derrick Beam (1765 - 1822)*
Martin Beam (1771 - 1830)*
David Beam (1777 - 1858)*

Spouse: Elizabeth Rudolph Beam (1756 - 1841)*
Christopher Beam (1784 - 1849)*
Peter Beam (1787 - 1859)*
Teter Beam (1795 - ____)*
Sarah Elizabeth Beam Cornwell (1797 - 1892)*
Joshua Beam (1800 - 1869)*
Aaron Beam (1803 - 1853)*

He died on November 15, 1807, in Lincoln County, North Carolina, having lived a long life of 75 years. He is buried in the New Prospect Baptish Chruch Cemetery, on 1960 New Prospect Church Road, Shelby, Cleveland County, NC. There was a Lutheran church prior to New Prospect Baptist. John Teeter Beam established this church about 1802. Many old unmarked gravesites exist on the newer burial grounds.