McBeath Family

Pictured to the left Back Row is John Harris McBeath holding child John.  Seated in chair at front left:  Doris McBeath, standing Thelma McBeath, seated Nancy (Brantley) McBeath   (Picture and much of the research courtesy of the late Thelma McBeath)

The McBeath house stood across the Dixon Road and slightly to the west of Neshoba Baptist Church.  After the death of John C. McBeath's widow, Nancy Brantley, their daughter Estell, & Ruby lived in the house.  The next owner was Virgie (Howington) Walton, mother of Walton's Park donor, Louie Walton.   Jimmy & Alma Smith later bought the house and were living there in the 1940's.  In the early 1950's, Neshoba Baptist Church bought the home and remodeled it to serve as a pastor's residence.  Robert Mills drew up the remodeling plans & the church approved them.  Rev. Bob Posey was the first pastor to occupy the facility.  When the church built a new pastor's home, the house was sold to Muriel Crenshaw, the present occupant.  (History of the McBeath House courtesy of Ruth Mills.)

The Story of Neshoba by R. L. Breland - The McBeath Family.  (The Neshoba Democrat, Philadelphia, MS):  "About the year 1850 John C. McBeath, Sr. came to Neshoba County and located in the western part near where High Hill Post office is now located. With him came others, but at least two sons and his wife were with him. These two sons were William and John C. Jr. John C. McBeath Sr. was born in North Carolina about 1790. There he married to Janie Wadsworth. These parents died many years ago. They were living on the line between Leake and Neshoba Counties at the time."

"Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Miss., Vol I" provides the following additional information concerning John C. McBeath Sr.:  "Served in the Black Hawk War. He grew to manhood in his native state (North Carolina) and was married there to our subject's mother, Miss Jannie Wadsworth. They afterwards moved to Mississippi and located on the line of Leake and Neshoba, where he received his final summons after living an active and useful life."

John C. McBeath Sr. Census Information

1860 Leake Co, MS Census, Carthage PO, #959-959

John C. McBeath, Jr Legal & Census Information

1880 Neshoba Co, MS Census, Beat 4, #1-1
1900 Neshoba Co, MS Census Beat 4, W Philadelphia, Waldo & Dixon, Dist 5, ED 45, Sh 21 #361-369

Minutes: Neshoba Church, Neshoba, MS: Saturday before the 4th Sunday in March 1910. The obituary of Bro. J. C. McBeath was read, adopted and requested to be published in the Mississippi Baptist.

The Story of Neshoba by R. L. Breland - The McBeath Family (Neshoba Democrat, Philadelphia, MS). "John C. McBeath, Jr. was born in Macon County, AL in 1832. With his parents he located in the western part of Neshoba County. He was a farmer and miller. The McBeath old water mill was one of the historic places in the county. It many years ago gave way to the progress of steam and today the old pond is growing abundant crops of corn and cotton. He followed these pursuits of peace and harmony until the Civil War called him to arms, and in July 1861, when he was 29 years old, he enlisted in the Confederate Army and made a faithful soldier. When the Civil War broke out in 1861 he immediately enlisted in the Confederate service. He engaged in a number of the hardest fought battles of the western army, in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. He was captured in the Battle of Franklin, TN and sent by the Federals to Johnson's Island, where he underwent untold hardships and sufferings, where he was detained until hostilities ended in 1865. So he gave four years of his young life to his country. When he was released from prison he returned to his Neshoba County home where he gave himself to farming and milling, restoring the lost fortunes brought about by the war. In 1898 he bought a plantation consisting of 1,000 acres of good land in the southwestern part of the county, and there gave the best of his years to his chosen occupation. John C. McBeath Jr. in 1866 the year after the war closed, was married to Miss Mary E. Brantley, a daughter of Harris Brantley, who came to our county at an early day from Georgia. A number of children were given to this union, among whom were Harris McBeath, William W. McBeath, Miss Elizabeth McBeath, Mesdames T. L. Tidwell and Sam Henry. One son W. W. McBeath was recently a member of the Board of Supervisors in this county. Mr. McBeath was interested in political affairsl He was formerly an Old Line Whig, but since the war he has been an active member of the Democratic party, keeping abreast of the affairs of his country. He served a number of years as a member of the board of police (supervisors) of the county, and in 1881 he was elected to represent Neshoba County in the legislature, a position he held but one term, refusing re-election. He was connected with the Masonic fraternity, and a member of the Baptist church. He was a good business man, making a fair success of his affairs, a good citizen and hospitable almost to prodigality. The latter years of his life were spent with his wife and part of his children at the little town of Neshoba in the southern part of the county, where he died in peace many years ago. His wife has since died. Our county was better off because these good people lived in it."

A number of the McBeath family members are buried at Neshoba Cemetery, which is located in the Neshoba Community of Neshoba Co, MS.

1. JOHN CAMPBELL¹ MCBEATH (WALTER) was born February 29, 1796 in Moore Co, NC, and died February 09, 1863 in Leake Co, MS. He married (1) JANE WADSWORTH Bef. 1817. She was born April 15, 1797 in North Carolina, and died November 08, 1854 in Prob. Leake Co, MS. He married (2) CATHERINE MCDONALD April 18, 1855. She was born June 14, 1815 in South Carolina.

Children of JOHN MCBEATH and JANE WADSWORTH are:

i. ELIZABETH ANN² MCBEATH, b. November 20, 1817.

2. ii. ARCHIBALD WADSWORTH MCBEATH, b. October 07, 1819, North Carolina; d. April 17, 1887.

iii. WALTER MCBEATH, b. March 28, 1822.

iv. ALEXANDER CAMPBELL MCBEATH, b. January 08, 1826; d. November 03, 1864, Battle of Franklin.

v.  THOMAS GILMORE MCBEATH, born March 24, 1829; died May 18, 1859.  He is thought to be buried in an unmarked grave in Old Carolina Cemetery.. He married Mary A. "Polly" Jones, the daughter of William Jones & his wife Marium Musick, September 02, 1849 in Chambers Co, AL.  She was born May 15, 1832 in Georgia; and died November 07, 1897 in Mississippi.  She is buried with her 2nd husband Charles G. Wilson in High Hill Cemetery, Neshoba Co, MS.

3. vi. JOHN CAMPBELL MCBEATH, JR., b. July 24, 1831, Georgia; d. February 25, 1910, Neshoba Co, MS.

vii. JANE CATHERINE MCBEATH, b. May 18, 1834; m. JOHN W. TURNER, December 07, 1853.

4. viii. WILLIAM JAMES HUGH MCBEATH, b. July 09, 1836, Macon Co, AL; d. December 19, 1928, Hico, TX.

Child of JOHN MCBEATH and CATHERINE MCDONALD is:

ix. CATHERINE² MCBEATH, b. May 05, 1856, Neshoba Co, MS.

 

2. ARCHIBALD WADSWORTH² MCBEATH (JOHN CAMPBELL¹, WALTER) was born October 07, 1819 in North Carolina, and died April 17, 1887. He married SARAH L.. She was born Abt. 1833 in Alabama.

Children of ARCHIBALD MCBEATH and SARAH L. are:

i. ELIZA B.³ MCBEATH, b. Abt. 1853, Mississippi.

ii. ROLAND W. MCBEATH, b. Abt. 1857, Mississippi.

iii. WALTER MCBEATH, b. Abt. 1859, Mississippi.

iv. JOHN C. MCBEATH, b. Abt. 1861, Mississippi.

v. MARY C. MCBEATH, b. Abt. 1863, Mississippi.

vi. ANN MCBEATH, b. Abt. 1865.

vii. GILMER T. MCBEATH, b. Abt. 1866, Mississippi.

viii. MARTHA A. MCBEATH, b. Abt. 1868, Mississippi.

ix. INFANT MCBEATH, b. Abt. 1870, Neshoba Co, MS.

 

3. JOHN CAMPBELL² MCBEATH, JR. (JOHN CAMPBELL¹, WALTER^A) was born July 24, 1831 in Georgia, and died February 25, 1910 in Neshoba Co, MS. He married NANCY E. BRANTLEY 1866, daughter of HARRIS BRANTLEY and CHARITY CODY. She was born February 23, 1848 in Georgia, and died June 16, 1924 in Neshoba Co, MS.  They are buried in Neshoba Cemetery, Neshoba Co, MS.

Children of JOHN MCBEATH and NANCY BRANTLEY are:

i. IRENE J.³ MCBEATH, b. Bet. 1866 - 1867.

ii. JOHN HARRIS MCBEATH, b. August 02, 1868, Mississippi; d. November 02, 1920, Neshoba Co, MS; m. RUBY MAY WINFIELD, 1910, Neshoba Co, MS; b. June 17, 1891, Madden, Leake Co, MS; d. April 19, 1980, Union, Newton Co, MS.  They are buried in Neshoba Cemetery, Neshoba Co, MS.

Pictured to Right:  Doris McBeath (oldest child of John Harris McBeath & Ruby May Winfield) about 1915.

Pictured Below:  John Winfield McBeath, only son of John Harris McBeath & Ruby May Winfield.

John Harris McBeath & his young wife Ruby May Winfield spent their earliest married life in the Madden Community of Leake County, living at the Brack Harrison or Hadley place.  Later they moved to a house between the Neshoba & Golden Grove community, near the present home of James Herbert Vance.  The house was slightly behind the Vance home, on a road that comes in from the opposite directions.  Neighbors were the Chipman & Kelly families.  McBeath died of a heart attack when his children were young.  His widow  later married Frank Anderson Crenshaw.

Pictured Right:  Thelma McBeath, daughter of John Harris McBeath & Ruby May Winfield.

iii. REBECCA MCBEATH, b. August 03, 1869, Neshoba Co, MS; d. May 11, 1936, Neshoba Co, MS; m. THOMAS L. TIDWELL; b. April 25, 1865; d. April 16, 1908, Neshoba Co, MS.

iv. WILLIAM W. MCBEATH, b. February 10, 1872, Mississippi; d. November 05, 1958, Neshoba Co, MS; m. (1) KATE WATKINS; b. May 10, 1874; d. May 28, 1929, Neshoba Co, MS; m. (2) NANNIE COOPER; b. October 21, 1883; d. February 09, 1975, Neshoba Co, MS.

v. IDA MCBEATH, b. May 08, 1874; d. May 24, 1932, Neshoba Co, MS; m. SAMUEL JOSEPH HENRY; b. January 14, 1856; d. May 28, 1936.

vi. LULA ESTELL MCBEATH, b. March 20, 1876, Mississippi; d. February 23, 1958, Neshoba Co, MS.

vii. BETTIE MCBEATH, b. July 1885.

Pictured Left to Right  McBeath Cousins 1914:  Ethel Thomas, Thelma McBeath, Jimmie Thomas, Ruby McBeath, Doris McBeath, Hettie Thomas.

4. WILLIAM JAMES HUGH² MCBEATH (JOHN CAMPBELL¹, WALTER^A) was born July 09, 1836 in Macon Co, AL, and died December 19, 1928 in Hico, TX. He married SARAH E. LEWIS February 21, 1865, daughter of JAMES LEWIS and ELEANOR D.. She was born November 28, 1845 in Neshoba Co, MS, and died April 19, 1914 in Hico, TX.

Child of WILLIAM MCBEATH and SARAH LEWIS is:

i. CHARLES C.³ MCBEATH, b. February 15, 1868, Texas; d. April 19, 1949, Hico, Hamilton Co, TX; m. NICHOLAS MINEFEE COLLINS; b. April 05, 1872, Iredell, Bosque Co, TX; d. October 19, 1957, Dallas, TX.