Elijah Beverly, Sr. 1762-1835

Elijah Beverly, Sr.

1762-1835

            Elijah Beverly, Sr. was born in Orange County, North Carolina.  The date of his birth is drawn from court papers from Orange County, North Carolina, in which he is mentioned in relation to his father, John Beverly, who died intestate.  The date of his death is taken from a reference in Historical Sketches of Southwest Virginia, Publication 13, 1979.

            Elijah is mentioned by name in 1765 as being “bound out” to Henry Doyle to learn the occupation of a weaver:

Journal of North Carolina Genealogy, 1962-1966, Volumes 11-12, Pg1566

“P.405—Court of August 1765 begins 13th day, Elijah Beverly (aged 3 years) son of John Beverly   dec’d., bound to Henry Doyle…’art an occupation of a weaver.’”

Additionally, Elijah Beverly, Sr. (1762-1835) is mentioned in The Story of Wise County, Virginia (published 1988) by Luther Foster Addington (p.31) as later becoming a weaver:  “He is a weaver of fine linen.”

The John Beverly that was Elijah’s father is neither of the John Beverlys of Bertie County, North Carolina.  In Bertie, North Carolina, there was a John Beverly, Sr. who died with a will dated 1737 and named his children, Elijah was not born until 1762 and was also not a named child in this will.  The second John Beverly of Bertie County, NC, was the one who was born in 1737’s son (and named in his will), was in the Revolutionary War (and I assume the one who is referred to as Captain John Beverly, died in 1786.  As Orange County Court papers show that the John Beverly who was Elijah Beverly’s (1762-1835) fathered died intestate in 1762, neither of these John Beverly’s could be his father.  In addition, there is no mention of any child named Elijah in any relation to any of these two John Beverly’s that I am aware of.  I can only surmise that those who assume one of these John Beverly’s was his father is either unaware of the court references which specifically state Elijah’s father died intestate (e.g. without a will) and also unaware of the death dates that do not coincide with court records which specifically date Elijah’s death. 

The John Beverly who was Elijah’s father died in 1762 in Orange County, NC.  As to Elijah's father John's lineage, I have seen references in biographies about descendants who have pointed to origins of  Elijah’s father John in York County, Virginia, and earlier ancestors from England, but I have found no evidence of either.