Jesse Bean of Norriton Township

Too young to have been enlisted as a soldier in the Revolution, Jesse nonetheless had three brothers-in-law who served and his future father-in-law as well. These are, in order: William Couch, Owen Evans, William Lane, and (his father-in-law) Edward Lane.
However, even as a 16 year old, Jesse was sent on an successful mission the ended with the entrapment of British soldiers near the family home.

In the following, "settled on 300 acres...(in the 1787 Tax & Exoneration Jesse is not taxed for owning land, only 2 horse, 2 cows and 1 negroe... but in 1798 the PA Direct tax shows only 179 acres.) "Jesse Bean settled in Norriton, on the "Cold Spring" farm of three hundred acres. (1n 1798, this included a 36 x 30' stone dwelling††) He was superintendent of the Ridge Turnpike Company for many years and elected to the State Legislature from 1811 to 1813. His son William succeeded him in the occupancy of the same premises, and was elected a member of the State Legislature from 1840 to 1843, inclusive. He was prominently associated with the agricultural interests of the county until his death. The family were connected with the St. James' Episcopal Church, at Evansburg, where repose the remains of four generations. "

source: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/3055265/person/-1781469227/media/1?p...

[NOTE: Major James Bean, who served throughout the Revolution, was a collateral relative of Jesse Bean, and is also buried at St. James'.] S1

•Lived at "Cold Spring" Jeffersonville: See the Norriton <project> for maps ; and see Jesse's father's profile notes for the story of the land. (Beyer/Boyer and the Markleys).

Jesse must have transferred parts of the 300 acres to his two sons. I say this because John offered 100 acres for sale in 1843. See his profile. On the other hand, another son William seems to hav owned another part of the Cold Spring farm. William's son Jesse Weber Bean wrote about these land transactions in letters of the 1790's.

Here is a sample in which a grandson recalls his Grandfather's stories of the Revolutionary war days back around Valley Forge:

Extract of a letter from Jesse Weber Bean, grandson of this Jesse Bean.

August 26, 1902 Rings Branch, McDowell County, WV

"..... Whilst the British occupied Philadelphia they foraged the country for miles around for beef. Grandfather's Father had a lot of cattle and several others there had cattle, and were fattening them for the Army at Valley Forge. There was an Uncle of Grandfather's lying at his Father's house with a broken leg which he got at the Battle of Germantown. He proposed to let the British know of the cattle and then let the Americans set a trap for them and gobble up the British and the cattle. Grandfather being a boy about fifteen years old and knowing the country well, was sent to the Valley Forge Encampment with the plan and it was carried out successfully. After the British had gotten the cattle and paid for them in British gold, they and the cattle were escorted to Headquarters at Valley Forge. Grandfather then lived in Worcester Township near Skippack Road. ~• there is an artifact of this in an 1840's map of Montgomery County

(signed) Jesse Bean " An intricate account of the same story, also written by grandson Jesse Weber Bean, is at: (full letter)

Mary Louise Jones (Bean) once gave a speech at St. James church. The following passage it pertinent: "Jesse Bean settled in Norriton in what was known a the Cold Spring Farm, not far from Jeffersonville. In my childhood (ed. Note 1870's) it was owned by Robinson Kennedy � later it was the Poth Farm – then the Tetlow � noted at this time as a Peach Farm. Jesse Bean was prominent in Community affairs."
~• note: "Poth" was probably Frederick A. Poth who died before 1907

You can link to Jesse Weber Bean, the grandson, at: Sgt. Jesse Weber Bean (CSA)

read about the Battle of Germantown at:

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/1234801/story/6dd5a3e4-c099-4f19-ba0...

• (another account) by Mary Louise Jones (Bean) died 1957

"Jesse Bean was a vestryman of St. James P.E. Church at the time of leaving the old Church and erecting (the new) one. He lived to be 86, his wife 64. Both lie in the Bean Vault.

An Item that interested me in Dr. McAllister’s blue print of the early pew holders of this Church: Jesse Bean held sittings for 1 man, 1 boy, 3 females and 2 slaves.

This last item was my first knowledge that my great-grandfather had slaves."

Jesse later freed one slave in accordance with a law adopted in the State of Pennsylvania. This young woman was Deborah Davis, born a slave. In 1929 Theodore Lane Bean wrote about her in a column he wrote for a newspaper in Norristown.

The Family Bible of Jesse and Hannah Lane Bean and their family Clock were held for years by the Chain Family, Bean descendants." N.B. Perhaps this is why a "Mary Farnum" held the Bible after 1916.. Mary maiden's name is Chain. Mary Hamilton Farnum

May have been a respondent to Fries Rebellion when the 1st Montgomery Troop under Capt. Robert Kennedy wnet to Quakertown to put down the rebellion c. 1799. I say this as Jesse Bean's son William was also in the 1st Montgomery. see: 1st Montgomery Cav.

†† see 1893 Norriton Township map . It has the" F.Poth" property with a long drive going in.. A house is marked.
††† in the year 1777 Abraham Beyer owned the land. See the "Norriton" geni project for more maps.

Though the Bean family and its antecedents were followers of the Church of England leading up to the Revolution, there attendance there at the church in Evansburg ceased during the Revolution as its doors were effectively shuttered. The minister, Rev. Currie 'retired' himself as he refused to give up his spiritual ties to the King of England. In the absence of Anglican leadership, the Beans turned to the local Lutheran community under the Rev. Henry Melchior Mühlenberg. Jesse, and his parents and cousins show up in the pages of the Rev. Mühlenberg's journal (see poroject) > surname Bean, surname Newberry.
Once P.E. Church leadership was reestablished, even with Mühlenberg's assistance, the Beans returned to St. James for worship.
For my own Bean line: It is interesting that we are Currie descendants as well, but our Beans of the 18th century weren't as yet. See path There was intrafamily conflict in the Curries during the War: One sons became loyal, one was a 'patriots, another somewhat neutral. It is all chronicled here on geni. {MMvB Nov. 2024}