http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=38568

The Church of Latter Day Saints site - is an option

Apologies for the slow response but I've been away for a few days.....

The internet and google are quite some beast! I've had a few flukes in my time but reaching a distant relation in America came as quite a (welcome) surprise... I'll contact you privately as you requested

Cheers Brian

Apologies for the slow reply but I've been away for a few days.......

Outstanding response! The Gloucestershire BMD with Mother's surname confirms the family grouping for me, many thanks indeed. I was aware of this site but have found results a bit hit and miss for the the Forest of Dean. In this case however it came up trumps.

I also have a message from Craig that I need follow up on.......

Some of my Beachs are wandering into Monmouth and Dixton and I'm finding BMD data much harder to find. Do you happen to have a preferred site for this area?

thanks again Brian

James/Slyvia/Rhoda/Hannah/Margaret

The most like couple (date wise) appear to be James and Mary HOWLETT* (Jones by previous marriage)'

The records show James BEACH married Mary JONES - father Henry HOWELL - 6 May 1838, Penalt.

Gloucestershire BDM - mother's maiden name HOWELL/HOWELLS

All Forest of Dean, Monmouth, Coleford

BEACH

James 1838
Slyvia 1840
Rhoda 1845
Hannah 1848
Margaret 1850

----

Marriage at St Briavels - 4 Mar 1826

William JONES, Bachelor, Hundred of St Briavels

married

Mary HOWELL, Spinster, Hundred of St Briavels

witnesses: Richard JONES/Mary AMBURY

----

and re-cap - with James & Mary BEACH + their children 1841 census, Coleford - are Mary's children by her first marriage

Sarah 12
Ann - 10
Hannah - 7
Jeremiah - 5 - christened 6 April 1836, Coleford parents William (Coal Miner) & Mary JONES

just above James & Mary BEACH on the 1841 census (Coleford Meend) is

Henry HOWELL - 60 Coalminer
Susannah - 50 (nee JONES - Marriage at Newland 31 May 1806)
Hannah - 15
William 10
Grace - 4 months

William JONES - 15 - Coalminer

then

James BEACH - 25
Mary - etc. etc

---

FOD records, Burial at Newland 4 March 1837

William JONES - residence, Coleford, age 34 years.

----

Baptism at Ruardean St John the Baptists

James BEECH - 6 January 1816

parents James & Slyvia

There are a bunch of baptisms in Coleford where the parents are listed as James Beach & Mary

1838 James 1841 Sylvia 1845 Rhoda 1848 Hannah 1850 Margaret

The most likely couple (date wise) appeared to be James and Mary Howlett (Jones by previous marriage). However their Residence at Marriage was given as Tregagal which was a concern to me.

I Googled Tregagal and got this letter from Craig in America which forms part of this thread....

My Beach ancestors were not very original when it came to names.

As far back as I (with the help of others) has been the James Beach 1745-1795, wife Elizabeth Hughes > their son James born 1782 died ??, wife Sylvia Williams > there son James 1816-1867 and wife Mary Howell. (This is the one that had property).

Their son James moved to America in 1857 and died Lyons, Kansas 1917.

Hope that helps.

Craig

This letter seems to set in stone links that I had been working on but wasn't sure about. In particular James has the dates 1745-1795 (from where???). Maybe my Tregagal reservations were overdone? There are no other Beach/Tregagal links on the site. I've no idea of their religious background but James BEECH 1816 appears not to have been born there. I guess it's feasible that he moved out for a while and then returned to the forest?

Brian

Birth -- another Beach genealogist -- date unverified; contact me privately for name

Death ---
Forest of Dean Burial Database
Record Number 171957
Date of Burial 19 Dec 1792
Forest-of-dean.net

Marriage ---
"England, Marriages, 1538-1973 ," index, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NNH8-XBS : accessed 12 Oct 2012), James Beach and
Mary Hughs, 05 Apr 1771; citing reference it 4, FHL microfilm 1737005.

Also

IGI File
LDS Website
Batch Number: 7509712
Sheet: 67
Source Call No.: 1058037

Also

Forest of Dean Marriage Database
Record Number 54366
Forest-of-Dean.net

Hope this helps,

Craig

Hi again

Returning to my specific request (at last!), in the "letter from America", James Beach (an enigma to me for a long time) is given some specific dates 1745-1795. These birth/baptism/death dates are not present on this site. If anyone reading this can point me to where these records may be found then I would be very grateful.

Apologies for rambling on, Brian

I assume this James links to Tre-Gagle...

I have had a peep in the Trellech and Penalt transcriptions from Monmouthshire and cannot spot any Beech members

Where they non conformist by any chance ?

Just to put some context on my request for information.....

I came across my link to the Forest of Dean whilst researching my family tree. Namely, George Beach, a coal miner, born 1813 who left the forest in the 1860's and settled in Wigan. The earliest Beach that I linked to in the forest was John Beach who married Maria Skinne in 14/2/1686 at Newland and lived in Elwood. The Beach Clan were centered in Coleford, Littledean and Bream.

Around two years ago, I decided to try and trace the descendants of John & Maria to see how typical George's emigration from the forest was, and when/if Mining stopped being the sole occupation of the Beachs.

If I'd realised then the amount of time and effort that this would involve then I may never have started. I currently have around 700 family members in a Family Tree Maker Database with locations in New Zealand, Australia, America and throughout the UK! I recently met a George Beach who appears to be the oldest surviving Beach still living in Bream.

Some branches were trivial but others, especially the earlier ones, were knotty. Trying to resolve the knotty issues took a lot of time and often culminated in a "leap of faith". Some remain unresolved. I think that it is unrealistic and unfair to use forums of this type to try to resolve these knotty issues. It's just too much to expect from disinterested members.

Having said all this, I recognise that I am pretty much an amateur at this game and welcome any general advice/guidance. I have relied on this site and Findmypast for all my research which I am aware probably leaves some gaping holes.

Returning to my specific request (at last!), in the "letter from America", James Beach (an enigma to me for a long time) is given some specific dates 1745-1795. These birth/baptism/death dates are not present on this site. If anyone reading this can point me to where these records may be found then I would be very grateful.

Apologies for rambling on, Brian

previous thread

http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=6235

---

Have you gone through the baptisms and found whether the siblings/died or married? and who the witnesses were?

Children of James & Elizabeth BEACH

Thomas - 1773 - residence Breem, Parish Chapel: Newland
John - 1779 - Parish Chapel: Newland
James - 1782 - Parish Chapel: Bream
William - 1785 - residence: Breem - Parish Chapel: Newland
Eliner - 1787 - Parish Chapel: Bream
Christiana - 1788 - Parish Chapel : Bream
Martha and Christiana - 1790 - Parish Chapel: Bream (burial 1790 Newland)
Job - 1791 - Parish Chapel: Bream (? Marriage at St Briavels - 10 August 1812 to Esther PHILLIPS, witness Sarah BEACH) **

Sarah BEACH, could be the daughter of George & Elizabeth BEACH, residence, Newland, christened at Bream - 23 November 1788.

---

1841 Census, Whitecroft

Job BEACH - 50 - miner
Hester - 50
William - 25

---

(James BEACH married Elizabeth HUGHES 5 Otober 1771 - Newland - Witness: Samuel MORSE*)

---

Samuel MORSE married Anne HUGHES at Newland - 17 February 1772

witnesses: R WILLIAMS and mark of John HUGHES

Hi M P

I came across this thread today quite by accident when I Googled to find out where Tregagal was/is.......

Tre-Gagal is between Springfield Farm and Pool Farm , and between Penalt and The Narth, on the Monmouthshire side of the Wye Valley opposite the Forest of Dean.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/showmap.php?gridref=SO5207

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/261724

I came across this thread today quite by accident when I Googled to find out where Tregagal was/is.......

This branch of the Beach family has been troubling me for quite some time. I had the following tentative chain based on this sites parish records

James Beach =1771= Elizabeth Hughes

1882 James Beach =1815= Sylvia Williams

1816 James Beach =1838= Mary Jones

1838 James Beach

Very interestingly, this thread refers to dates that I cannot confirm or find anywhere. In particular, the original James is given as living between 1745 and 1795. I haven't been able to locate either a baptism or burial record for him. I believe that I am a direct descendant of this fellow via his first son 1773 Thomas. His parents are, at this stage, still unclear to me. However, I believe (hope) that they are John Beach and Eleanor Morgan who appear to be the only Beach family resident in Bream around this time.

Do you know of any other sources that may be of use to me?

Also, I noted the comments relating to the properties of James the haulier. I have tried following the link that you provided but didn't really get anywhere. Any clarification of this would also be welcomed

thanks for any help that you may be able to provide, Brian

James BEECH - 6 January 1816, Lydbrook, at Ruardean St John The Baptists, parents James & Slyvia

James BEACH & Mary HOWELL -

FOD records: Marriage: Penalt, Monmouth - 6 May 1838

James BEACH (Bachelor) Collier
Grooms Residence: Tregagal
Father: James BEACH (Collier)

married

Mary JONES - Spinster
Brides Residence: Tregagal
Father: Henry HOWELL

Witnesses: Henry HOWELL & James REYNOLDS

FreeBDM - James BEACH married Mary JONES June Qtr 1838, Monmouth

? 1841 Census, Dean Forest Ross, District 1
COLEFORD

James BEACH - 25 Coalminer
Mary - 30
James - 2
Silvea - 5 months
Sarah JONES - 12 (these are James step-children)
Ann JONES- 10
Hannah JONES - 7
Jeremiah JONES- 5 (Coleford - 6 April 1836, William & Mary JONES)

1851 Census, West Dean, District 5q

James BEACH - 35 Coalminer, born Newland
Mary BEACH - 43 - born Newland
James BEACH - 10
Slyvia BEACH - 8
Rhoda BEACH - 5
Hannah BEACH - 3 - Born West Dean
Margaret BEACH - 10 months
Jeremiah JONES - Stepson, age 15, born Newland

1851 Census, West Dean, District 16

Enumerator's Notes for District 16

All that part of the Township of West Dean comprising, Perrygrove Milkwall, Gorsty Knoll, Palmers Flat, Coalwlay Lane End, Purples Hill, Barn Hill Enclosure and the southside of the Turnpike Road from Coleford to Little Dean.

Barn Hill L..

James BEACH - 46, Coal Haulier
Mary BEACH - 50
Hannah - 13
Margaret - 11

There isn't a Will listed on the Gloucestershire Records Office database. May be the Coleford Morris Directory 1876 James BEARD is correct one. The Records Office may hold Land Tax Assessment Records for James BEARD - these records do exist, and are quite informative.

Website

Ancestor-search.info

http://www.ancestor-search.info/SRC-Other.htm

Under the Heading, Tax Records

Land Tax Records 1692-1963

Land tax assessments annually list property owners and their tenants.

As far back as I (with the help of others) has been the James Beach 1745-1795, wife Elizabeth Hughes > their son James born 1782 died ??, wife Sylvia Williams > there son James 1816-1867 and wife Mary Howell. (This is the one that had property).

Their son James moved to America in 1857 and died Lyons, Kansas 1917.

Hope that helps.

Craig

There is a death on FreeBDM of a James BEACH Dec Qtr 1867, Monmouth District age 53 c1814 (which includes Coleford)

Also on GENUKI Coleford

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/GLS/Coleford/index.html

Morris & Co. Commercial Directory & Gazetter of Coleford 1876

James BEACH, Builder, Huntingdon House, Newland Street, Coleford

Where would I be able to locate these property records?

Thanks,

Craig Coberly
Venice, Florida
US