John Beaty Comes to America - Part 1

The first Beatty of our ancestry in America was John Beaty.... no that's not a misspelling, it was originally one T! John was born around 1765 in Ireland and was living in County Tyrone in northern Ireland before he immigrated. He married Sarah (last name unknown) around 1787. Sarah was born around 1762 and also was from northern Ireland.

Little is known of John’s early days over in Ireland. The majority of all early Irish records were destroyed in a fire and explosion in June 1922 at the beginning of the Irish Revolution, so researching early Irish ancestry is extremely difficult. What has been passed down is a story of religious persecution by the Catholic Church that pushed many families, including John’s, into leaving his homeland for a life in the new world and the religious freedom it offered. He was married with a large family before deciding to make the life changing trip to America.

In the beginning of May 1806, John along with his wife Sarah and 9 children leave the port of Londonderry on board the Brutus to make the arduous journey to the New World. On board they bring with them two trunks and a barrel, containing all the family’s worldly goods. The Beaty clan finally arrives on May 30, 1806 at the port of Philadelphia.

 

Manifest sheets from the Brutus.

John can be seen in the middle of the 2nd sheet.

 

 

But their journey is not done yet. John’s plan is to establish a new family homestead in Indiana County, PA. Trains are still a good 50 years away from regular service, so the family will have to make this trek by either horse drawn wagon or foot across the mountains of Pennsylvania, a trip that will take a few weeks at best. In 1806, Indiana County is still for the most part wilderness and still a large Indian population. Having been first established about 20 years earlier, a select few had made this area their new home. Clashes with Indians were not uncommon even up to this time and Block Houses were a way of life. These were fortified shelters that settlers would use to take cover. It’s safe to say that John most likely had a contact already established here for him to take on such a challenge with such a large family, but who they were is speculation at this point. Research shows three distinct Beaty families that settle near Indiana, PA during the early 1800’s, but no direct relation can be established.