Frances Paulina Beasley was born 8 May, 1841, in Laurens county, South Carolina, to Burrell Beasley and Lydia Whitmore (Owens) Beasley. Lydia died, in 1845, giving birth to her fourth child (who also died), when Frances was 4 years old. Frances, and probably her younger brother George, then only 3, as well, went to live with their grandmother, Lydia's mother Ailsey Duckett (Owens) Young. Frances was raised there as a younger sister to her grandmother's other children, her aunts and uncles, including her half-uncle (Lydia's half-brother) Andrew Curtis Young, who was only six years older than her.
By the time Frances' brother George was born, her father Burrell Beasley had taken up with an African American woman - presumably a slave - named Nancy Simpson, and he had already had a child by her, Frances' half-brother Downs Beasley. After Lydia died in 1845, Burrell continued living with Nancy. He also had several children with another African American woman, again presumably originally a slave, named Elizabeth. He continued to have children with Elizabeth beyond the civil war, and perhaps with Nancy, who's family, including several more children, he was living with in 1870. These children were all Frances' half-siblings.
After the civil war was over, South Carolina was in ruins. The Young clan, with matriarch Ailsey Duckett (Owens) Young, along with her granddaughter Frances, and many of Ailsey's other children from both of her marriages (first marriage to Thomas Owens, second to George Young), emigrated to Arkansas. Ailsey's son Andrew Curtis Young was one who joined the wagon train; he was married at the time to his 2nd wife Nancy Emma (McCrary) Young, .
In 1875, Andrew's wife Nancy Emma (McCrary) Young died giving birth to twins, Emma Pauline Young and McCrary Young, leaving Andy to raise them alone. His niece Frances Beasley, age 34 and never married, stepped in as Godmother to the twins, and raised them as her own, and apparently continued to do so even after Andrew remarried to Mary Curd Ward in 1876.
Frances Paulina Beasley, cousin and *Godmother* of Emma Pauline Young (the Emma Pauline who went on to marry James Wesley Mayfield) married later in life, in Oct 1887, in Howard County, AR, to Elijah Merrill, a widower.
Elijah died 17 years later, in 1904, and Frances Paulina (Beasley) Merrell went to live with her now-grown Goddaughter Emma Pauline (Young) Mayfield and her family (James Wesley Mayfield and their children), at Center Point, Arkansas. In the 1910 and 1920 census, Francis Paulina is shown as "Mother In Law" to James. In fact, of course, she is actually *God* Mother in Law.
Frances died sometime after 1920. Her burial details are unknown.
By the time Frances' brother George was born, her father Burrell Beasley had taken up with an African American woman - presumably a slave - named Nancy Simpson, and he had already had a child by her, Frances' half-brother Downs Beasley. After Lydia died in 1845, Burrell continued living with Nancy. He also had several children with another African American woman, again presumably originally a slave, named Elizabeth. He continued to have children with Elizabeth beyond the civil war, and perhaps with Nancy, who's family, including several more children, he was living with in 1870. These children were all Frances' half-siblings.
After the civil war was over, South Carolina was in ruins. The Young clan, with matriarch Ailsey Duckett (Owens) Young, along with her granddaughter Frances, and many of Ailsey's other children from both of her marriages (first marriage to Thomas Owens, second to George Young), emigrated to Arkansas. Ailsey's son Andrew Curtis Young was one who joined the wagon train; he was married at the time to his 2nd wife Nancy Emma (McCrary) Young, .
In 1875, Andrew's wife Nancy Emma (McCrary) Young died giving birth to twins, Emma Pauline Young and McCrary Young, leaving Andy to raise them alone. His niece Frances Beasley, age 34 and never married, stepped in as Godmother to the twins, and raised them as her own, and apparently continued to do so even after Andrew remarried to Mary Curd Ward in 1876.
Frances Paulina Beasley, cousin and *Godmother* of Emma Pauline Young (the Emma Pauline who went on to marry James Wesley Mayfield) married later in life, in Oct 1887, in Howard County, AR, to Elijah Merrill, a widower.
Elijah died 17 years later, in 1904, and Frances Paulina (Beasley) Merrell went to live with her now-grown Goddaughter Emma Pauline (Young) Mayfield and her family (James Wesley Mayfield and their children), at Center Point, Arkansas. In the 1910 and 1920 census, Francis Paulina is shown as "Mother In Law" to James. In fact, of course, she is actually *God* Mother in Law.
Frances died sometime after 1920. Her burial details are unknown.
Frances Paulina Beasley was born 8 May, 1841, in Laurens county, South Carolina, to Burrell Beasley and Lydia Whitmore (Owens) Beasley. Lydia died, in 1845, giving birth to her fourth child (who also died), when Frances was 4 years old. Frances, and probably her younger brother George, then only 3, as well, went to live with their grandmother, Lydia's mother Ailsey Duckett (Owens) Young. Frances was raised there as a younger sister to her grandmother's other children, her aunts and uncles, including her half-uncle (Lydia's half-brother) Andrew Curtis Young, who was only six years older than her.
By the time Frances' brother George was born, her father Burrell Beasley had taken up with an African American woman - presumably a slave - named Nancy Simpson, and he had already had a child by her, Frances' half-brother Downs Beasley. After Lydia died in 1845, Burrell continued living with Nancy. He also had several children with another African American woman, again presumably originally a slave, named Elizabeth. He continued to have children with Elizabeth beyond the civil war, and perhaps with Nancy, who's family, including several more children, he was living with in 1870. These children were all Frances' half-siblings.
After the civil war was over, South Carolina was in ruins. The Young clan, with matriarch Ailsey Duckett (Owens) Young, along with her granddaughter Frances, and many of Ailsey's other children from both of her marriages (first marriage to Thomas Owens, second to George Young), emigrated to Arkansas. Ailsey's son Andrew Curtis Young was one who joined the wagon train; he was married at the time to his 2nd wife Nancy Emma (McCrary) Young, .
In 1875, Andrew's wife Nancy Emma (McCrary) Young died giving birth to twins, Emma Pauline Young and McCrary Young, leaving Andy to raise them alone. His niece Frances Beasley, age 34 and never married, stepped in as Godmother to the twins, and raised them as her own, and apparently continued to do so even after Andrew remarried to Mary Curd Ward in 1876.
Frances Paulina Beasley, cousin and *Godmother* of Emma Pauline Young (the Emma Pauline who went on to marry James Wesley Mayfield) married later in life, in Oct 1887, in Howard County, AR, to Elijah Merrill, a widower.
Elijah died 17 years later, in 1904, and Frances Paulina (Beasley) Merrell went to live with her now-grown Goddaughter Emma Pauline (Young) Mayfield and her family (James Wesley Mayfield and their children), at Center Point, Arkansas. In the 1910 and 1920 census, Francis Paulina is shown as "Mother In Law" to James. In fact, of course, she is actually *God* Mother in Law.
Frances died sometime after 1920. Her burial details are unknown.
By the time Frances' brother George was born, her father Burrell Beasley had taken up with an African American woman - presumably a slave - named Nancy Simpson, and he had already had a child by her, Frances' half-brother Downs Beasley. After Lydia died in 1845, Burrell continued living with Nancy. He also had several children with another African American woman, again presumably originally a slave, named Elizabeth. He continued to have children with Elizabeth beyond the civil war, and perhaps with Nancy, who's family, including several more children, he was living with in 1870. These children were all Frances' half-siblings.
After the civil war was over, South Carolina was in ruins. The Young clan, with matriarch Ailsey Duckett (Owens) Young, along with her granddaughter Frances, and many of Ailsey's other children from both of her marriages (first marriage to Thomas Owens, second to George Young), emigrated to Arkansas. Ailsey's son Andrew Curtis Young was one who joined the wagon train; he was married at the time to his 2nd wife Nancy Emma (McCrary) Young, .
In 1875, Andrew's wife Nancy Emma (McCrary) Young died giving birth to twins, Emma Pauline Young and McCrary Young, leaving Andy to raise them alone. His niece Frances Beasley, age 34 and never married, stepped in as Godmother to the twins, and raised them as her own, and apparently continued to do so even after Andrew remarried to Mary Curd Ward in 1876.
Frances Paulina Beasley, cousin and *Godmother* of Emma Pauline Young (the Emma Pauline who went on to marry James Wesley Mayfield) married later in life, in Oct 1887, in Howard County, AR, to Elijah Merrill, a widower.
Elijah died 17 years later, in 1904, and Frances Paulina (Beasley) Merrell went to live with her now-grown Goddaughter Emma Pauline (Young) Mayfield and her family (James Wesley Mayfield and their children), at Center Point, Arkansas. In the 1910 and 1920 census, Francis Paulina is shown as "Mother In Law" to James. In fact, of course, she is actually *God* Mother in Law.
Frances died sometime after 1920. Her burial details are unknown.
Family Members
Siblings
Half Siblings
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
