The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
It is considered a research aid and is intended to assist in locating sources that can be used as proof.
Author: Charles Beal
Jonathan Beale, Sr. was born on March 22, 1737 in York, Maine. He was the son of Elizabeth (Benson) and William Beale, Jr. Jonathan served during the French and Indians Wars. He served under Captain Thomas Bragdon on the Fort Halifax expedition from May 24 to June 12, 1755. Fort Halifax was the most northerly English post along the Kennebec River near presently day Winslow, Maine to protect English settlements from the French and Indians attacks. In 1758, Jonathan was again called into military service. Under the command of Colonel Jedeiah Preble and Captain James Gowen, Jonathan (rank of Private) along with other members of York fought against the French and Indians. Jonathan's unit was presumably at the disastrous defeat at Ticonderoga (present day State of New York) in July of 1758. His unit was presumably at the final victory against the French at Quebec, Canada in September, 1759. Soon afterwards a treaty for peace was made between the English and the French. Jonathan served in the Revolutionary War as a seaman in the Massachusetts Navy on the brigantine Freedom, and later on the brigantine Tyrannicide. The Freedom was captured by the H.M.S. Apollo on September 16, 1777. The crew was taken prisoner, probably to the prison ships at Wallabout Bay, Long Island in New York. Jonathan was released from the British prison on March 7, 1778. Jonathan married Mary Joy on October 31, 1760 at Berwick, Maine. Mary was the daughter of Thomas Joy. She was born about 1740 in Berwick, Maine. Jonathan grew up in York, Maine. He also lived at Bath and Georgetown, Maine probably after the French & Indian Wars ended after 1759. He next settled at Durham, Maine about 1773. He was living on the east end of Lot 61. A dispute between the Pejepscot Proprietors and the first settlers involving "clouded title" of ownership of the land. Many settlers were squatters-settled on the land without right or title, or they settled on public land to gain title to it. Massachusetts passed the "Betterment Act" in 1798 so that settlers could obtain title to the land if they made paid a fixed price for the farm land they were living on. About 1773, Jonathan started a ferry service at Durham across the Androscoggin River. This was known as Beal's Landing and Ferry, that operated at the east end of Lot 61 to Lisbon Falls on the opposite side of the river. The ferry continued till 1818, when two bridges were built at South West Bend and at Little River. Jonathan shows up in the very first United States Census taken in 1790 as living in Durham, Maine. Later Jonathan and his son William moved to Monmouth, Maine where he died about 1825. It is not known when Mary died. It is not known where Mary and Jonathan are buried at. Children of Jonathan and Mary Beal: Jonna Sarah Mary Jonathan Jr. Patience Elizabeth Samuel Lydia William Thomas Mary
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