Author Topic: Bean rifles  (Read 17987 times)

Bean

  • Guest
Bean rifles
« on: December 03, 2009, 08:01:38 AM »
I am building a Bean rifle and would like to know if anyone has any good photography to review.  I am a 6-greatgrandson of William Bean and I would really like to build this rifle as close to original as I can. 

It has been interesting reading some of the lore on the posts.  There are a great deal of crazy Bean stories in the family and by the way, to correct, the Beans are from Scottland and it is MacBean.  They ruled the region around Inverness and Loch Ness for several centuries prior to being run out by the English when they fought for Scottish freedom and lost. At that point they moved to Ireland for a few years and then to the States.  They have always been a war clan and it was a natural transition to become Gunsmiths.  The family is recorded and documented back to the 13th century in Scotland.

Thanks in advance, this site is very interesting.
Robert Bean

Offline G-Man

  • Member 3
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2217
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2009, 08:45:47 PM »
Jerry Noble's books (Notes on Southern Longrifles - Volumes 1-4) are about the only books that focus on mountain rifles in general and there are quite a few examples of Bean, and possible Bean rifles shown in the books.  Volume 1 has the most extensive biographical information about the family gunsmiths.

This gun sold at auction a few months back.  It is listed as a Beals rifle, but in Jerry Noble's volume 1 he lists the rifle as having similarities to Baxter Bean and some other Washington County makers.  I believe there is a lot of discussion among southern collectors regarding possible use of Beals marked barrels on guns by other makers in this style.  But even if not a Bean, it gives a good example of a gun from that area of east Tennessee.

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/h/item/6650887?ah=525-bf80a

Good luck and welcome!  (sent you an e-mail as well)

Guy

« Last Edit: December 03, 2009, 10:04:31 PM by Guy Montfort »

Offline frogwalking

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1044
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2009, 09:02:30 PM »
Back in the mid 60s, when I was young, an older friend and mentor who had several "hog rifles" had, among them, one made by a gentleman named Bean.  Chuck and I borrowed it, hammered out a lead ball that more or less fit the bore, made a mold from that using dental plaster and shot it.  Being kids, we were unimpressed with the hand forged butt plate and trigger guard.  I don't remember how it shot, but I do hope we cleaned it well before returning it to Miller.  Now don't get too upset as back when we did this, no one around east Tennessee thought the rifle was particularly valueable, and most had no idea why we would want to shoot such an old timey gun anyway.  I hope it got passed on to someone who loves it after Miller died. (We were both off in Vietnam when that happened.)
Quality, schedule, price; Pick any two.

Offline woodsrunner

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 456
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2009, 09:39:04 PM »
Robert, you've come to the correct place to pick up the info that you need, and I'm sure that someone will add to what you already know.

A good friend and I scour the Southern Mountains of North Georgia and a little over into North Carolina looking for original Gillespies, and we've run across a couple of original Bean's but neither could be bought for love nor money!

As for being run out of Scotland, the Southern Mountains and much of the South in general is full of decendents of those folks. My own Carolina Backcountry Scott-Irish Presbyterian people, including my MacDonell and Grant ancestors-invited to leave Glengarry at the point of a bayonet (wrong side in the war)-are examples. So you're in good company  ;)!

Offline Roger Fisher

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6805
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2009, 11:41:22 PM »
Ah yes, we are starting one such Gillespie now so this post was extra interesting. :)  Thank you



mike e

  • Guest
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2009, 01:50:35 AM »
JERRY NOBLES BOOKS HAVE THE MOST AND BEST PICTURES THAT I KNOW OF. THEY'RE ABOUT $35 EACH AND WORTH IT. AN ALR MEMBER "BOOKIE" HAD PICTURES OF ONE ON HIS WEBSITE (SEARCH TOADHALL RIFLE SHOP). 

JERRY NOBLE PHONE (309) 582-2852 YOU HAVE TO ORDER FROM HIM. ALSO CHECK OUT FOXFIRE #5 IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.

C. Cash

  • Guest
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2009, 08:17:11 PM »
I am building a Bean rifle and would like to know if anyone has any good photography to review.  I am a 6-greatgrandson of William Bean and I would really like to build this rifle as close to original as I can. 

It has been interesting reading some of the lore on the posts.  There are a great deal of crazy Bean stories in the family and by the way, to correct, the Beans are from Scottland and it is MacBean.  They ruled the region around Inverness and Loch Ness for several centuries prior to being run out by the English when they fought for Scottish freedom and lost. At that point they moved to Ireland for a few years and then to the States.  They have always been a war clan and it was a natural transition to become Gunsmiths.  The family is recorded and documented back to the 13th century in Scotland.

Thanks in advance, this site is very interesting.
Robert Bean


Cool info.  My Cash's were near Jonesboro in Washington Co., and then later they were farther down into Roane/Rhea(Meigs)....always wondered if they shot any Bean guns.  Mucho Scots-Irish in that country, but they intermarried into folks of French, "Dutch" and English descent as well.  It's often more mixed than one would think when you dig into the Genealogy there.

Bean

  • Guest
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #7 on: December 06, 2009, 07:32:55 AM »
For those with interest on Russell Bean here is an article that is pretty good.  My line runs off his brother but I still love reading all the tales.

http://www.johnsonsdepot.com/faq/rbean.pdf

Robert Bean

Offline G-Man

  • Member 3
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2217
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2009, 04:56:23 PM »
Jerry's Books contain a lot of interesting stories about the Beans.  

Russell was raised on the frontier, apparently accompanying the local militia in fights against the natives by the time he was in his early teens.  Apparently this atmosphere made for some hard people.  I'd love to see some of the rifles Russell made, but I would hate to have crossed him or gotten on his bad side...

There was a pretty good special about Andrew Jackson on either PBS or the History channel about a year ago - it covered his early life - during the Revolution - when he was involved in the partisan warfare in South Carolina as a boy.  When you get a sense for what some of these people lived through as children, it's easy to see how they ended up as quick tempered and violent as they did.

Getting back on topic - just a followup note on that rifle I posted the link to - in Volume 2 of his books Jerry Noble does point out that the rifle (which was shown in Volume 1) had since neen attrbuted to Beals  but that it had similarities to other Waashington County makers.  So while not a Bean, it is really a great rifle to use for general arhitecture and style of the area.
« Last Edit: December 06, 2009, 04:57:49 PM by Guy Montfort »

Bean

  • Guest
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2009, 06:26:29 PM »
I spoke with Jerry for a good while the other day.  He's very informed and passionate about these rifles and history.  I ordered all of his books.

I have my goods ordered for my rifle but I did cheat a bit on the barrel and ordered a 6R Colerain which I would imagine should be a bit advanced in comparison but I have several modern bench guns with 5R that shoot fabulously.

honestkate

  • Guest
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #10 on: June 13, 2014, 07:51:13 PM »
Robert, which brother of Russell's do you come from?  There was John and Jesse.  I come from John's line.  I have three wild stories to tell you about the Beans from John's line.  My research showed our Beans came from the Inverness/Moray area.  The Moray area was designated for the Knights Templar that escaped France.  Moray land was given to them by the Scottish King.  With all the tough war-minded, justice-seeking Beans...it wouldn't surprise me if the  reason our Beans show up as early as 1300 in Scotland is because that's about the time the Knights Templar arrived.  My email is honestkate1@yahoo.com

Offline Hungry Horse

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5395
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #11 on: June 13, 2014, 09:14:53 PM »
 Small world indeed. My mothers family names were Wilson, and Neal. Both families from Ireland, were unceremoniously deposited in the New World by an ungrateful king, that didn't understand the concept of religious freedom. Both families lived in North, and South Carolina. Thomas Neal, was listed as a gun stocker in his revolutionary war records. He gave his life for the cause, as did one of his sons. The Wilson's remained neutral until the battle of Cow Pens.
 I did not know any of this in 2004 when I took a trip across country, and visited the Carolinas. I was told most of the family history by an aunt in Arkansas, that I hadn't seen since I was eighteen.
  I had built a southern poor boy style rifle a few years before the trip. I used parts that looked good to me. And most of all made it fit me, and shoot the way I wanted. Imagine my surprise when I found Dennis's web- site and saw my first Gillespie rifle. You could put my rifle in with the other Gillespie's and only and expert could pick it out. I have to believe some of my family in the past owned such a rifle.

                       Hungry Horse

Offline PPatch

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2456
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #12 on: June 13, 2014, 09:28:04 PM »
Welcome to ALR! The book "Gunmakers of Buffalo Valley and Greasy Cove*, Unicoi county Tennessee by Dave Byrd has about 10 pages devoted to Charles Bean, Sr and Jr and Robert Bean. Some pretty good photographs also, one showing a Bean bag and horn, several showing brass inlaid barrel with stamped signatures. One picture shows an "oath" Charles Jr signed at Vicksburg, Mississippi in July of 1863 promising not to again take up arms against the Union.

I love the architecture of those Bean rifles. My ancestors too were ran out of Scotland, eventually settling in North Georgia where I live today.

Good luck in your search and be sure and post pictures of your completed rifles.

Dave
Dave Parks   /   Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Offline Dennis Glazener

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 19343
    • GillespieRifles
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #13 on: June 13, 2014, 09:39:21 PM »
Quote
I had built a southern poor boy style rifle a few years before the trip. I used parts that looked good to me. And most of all made it fit me, and shoot the way I wanted. Imagine my surprise when I found Dennis's web- site and saw my first Gillespie rifle. You could put my rifle in with the other Gillespie's and only and expert could pick it out. I have to believe some of my family in the past owned such a rifle.

                       Hungry Horse

Probably did if they lived in central/western NC or up country SC/GA those woods were full of Gillespie gun makers. Also up in the Cowpasture/Jackson/James river basin of VA but that was prior to the Rev War and I have yet to see one from there, would walk on broken glass to find one that early!
Dennis
"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend" - Thomas Jefferson

Offline mountainman70

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2393
  • USAF vet 1971-1972 malmstrom afb,montana
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #14 on: June 14, 2014, 02:45:24 AM »
Welcome to the forum,bro Bean;Ppatch-seems like a real deep common thread  be runnin real true on here amongst those of us who love the SMR .I know I feel kindred spirits on this particular thread,the intriguing thing about all of this is most of us by now have researched our geneology,and are making the effort to get it in perspective.
I have always loved the mountain rifle guns I grew up with in the hollers around here,and my time down 'yonder in Dixie was great.Just sumpin about startin in on a old piece of am black walnut,'specially from south Georgia,that carries me back to the days of our ancestors.I had an interestin exchange with a member out in Idaho in regard to some of the stockwood I have,and he 'lowwed as to we must be sum small folks,to cram a 42" barl into a 2"x 54" hunk o walnut.I 'lowwed as how we has sum biggens,too,but them folks gits Hawken guns.It is too funny.
Enjoy your time with us,Bean,good folks and humor hang out here.best regards,Dave in the mountains of West byGod,Virginny ;D

Offline Mark Elliott

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5191
    • Mark Elliott  Artist & Craftsman
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #15 on: June 14, 2014, 06:51:15 AM »
You need to make a trip to the Museum of Applachia next April 17-18 for the Tennessee-Kentucky Rifle Show.    Everybody who is anybody with regard to southern longrifles will be there including a number of Tennessee longrilfe  collectors and one fellow who is writing a book on the subject.   You are also likely to see some Bean rifles.   If not,  you can certainly touch base with someone who could put one or two into your hands.   

 

Offline WElliott

  • member 2
  • Hero Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 593
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #16 on: June 14, 2014, 07:12:03 AM »
Mark is right.  Come to the Tennessee Kentucky Rifle show next Apri if you canl. Look for more details here on the ALR. If I know you are coming, I can make sure you get to hold original rifles by Baxter and Charlie Sr.
Wayne Elliott.
Wayne Elliott

Offline Ryan McNabb

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 234
    • McNabb's Station
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #17 on: June 14, 2014, 03:51:26 PM »
As to your original question, for my money the finest Bean rifle you can easily see good photos of is the Charles Bean pictured in Foxfire 5.  To me that is the ultimate expression of the Appalachian Mountain rifle at its zenith.  Yes, there are thinner sexier shapes out there, (check out Ambrose Lawing's work), and some covered with silver inlays, but if you want to see (in my opinion) the core DNA that you should be working toward if you aspire to build one, the "C BEAN for I HENLEY" gun is where it's at.

Also realize that most of the contemporary Bean and similar remakes fall down not on stock architecture but on the forgings for BP and TG.  Very, very, very few people can accomplish correct high-end Bean style forgings.  If you're just making an ordinary "hog rifle" then you don't have that hanging over your head and can use the same mashed out and folded over stuff that a lot of people use.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2014, 04:01:31 PM by Ryan McNabb »

oakridge

  • Guest
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #18 on: June 14, 2014, 04:21:55 PM »
I hope Bean has found some photos by now. His post is almost 5 years old.  ;)

Offline Ryan McNabb

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 234
    • McNabb's Station
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #19 on: June 14, 2014, 10:31:30 PM »
Oh brother...  You're right.   ::)

Offline mountainman70

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2393
  • USAF vet 1971-1972 malmstrom afb,montana
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #20 on: June 14, 2014, 11:55:37 PM »
I hope he still walks amongst us,on this side.lol,I hadnt noticed either.But what the heck,I talk to spirits anyway.80 proof ,too,did that las night watchin MountainMonsters.   Dave

BobBean

  • Guest
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #21 on: June 26, 2014, 08:37:47 PM »
I'm still here.  I just pop in and out as time allows.  This is a bit of Bean history running up to my Grandfather.  I go back to John Bean.  Some of this goes back into Scot days but it may be interesting to some. 

History of the Bean Clan
As written and told by William Riley Bean II
and Robert H Bean

The Scots themselves are a very distinct Tribe of Eire whose ancestors were more than likely Kelt (Celt).  It is estimated that they invaded Scotland in the 5th Century.  The Scots had formerly lived in the lands of Ireland and were Celtic in origin.  Originally they came from Galatia via the Po valley.  Ireland had over 100 separate kingdoms with a king ruling over each one.  Eventually these kingdoms became the Five Fifths (States) as the result of generations of war. 
The first known peoples of Scotland were the Caledonians, as the Romans referred to in the 1st Century.  They were displaced by the Picts prior to 300 ad.  Then in the 5th Century the Scots, who were a distinct warlike clan in Ireland invaded and slowly displaced or assimilated the remaining Caledonians and Picts.  By the 9th Century the lands became known as Scotland and the Danes and Norsemen had regularly invaded and colonized the northern territories and they were assimilated into the Scots.
The Beans had played a major role in the history of Scotland.  The MacBeans were famous and fierce warriors and became known as one of the leading warrior clans.  The MacBeans, through the Old Clan Chattan of Lochabar, were vassals to the MacDonald of Isle until 1429. 
St. Bean descended from Aedh Dybh, King of Leinster in Ireland.  Much earlier, St. Bean’s Kirk near Fowlis Wester, Scotland is recorded.  St. Bean and Colombo played a major role in converting the Picts to the Christian faith.  St. Bean came to Scotland in the mid 600’s and he is said to have died in 720.
The MacBeans are one of the “Original Scots” who settled in Argyle at Dunadd in the 5th Century.  Bean originally meant “The Lively One”.  Macdhomhnil meant “the son of Donald”.  Neither of these names were surnames in the 5th century.  Note:  The Beans do not descend from the Scottish king Donald Ban.  He only had one daughter.  The MacBeans sprang from the ancient house of Lochaber.  They were in the suite of Clan Chattan.  The MacBeans formed a municipal Kingship in the 10th Century but quickly lost it.  The Beans were part of the Clan Chattan for 200 years.

The history to this point is considered lore and generally accepted passage of history.  The MacBean history is dated from 1291 when the MacBeans came to Inverness with Eva, a kinswoman, who was to marry Dugal Dall, the 6th Chief of Clan McKintosh.  It was at this point that the Clan MacBean was born.
The McKintosh gave Bean Macdomhnil Mor a considerable grant of land on the East Shore of Loch Ness.  These lands included Nairn, Kinchyle, Dores, Fallie and Tomatin.  The MacBeans held these lands until Donald MacBean went to America to fight in the French and Indian wars due to indebtedness and the lands were forfeited then.  Donald was the 15th Chief of Clan MacBean at that time.

The MacBeans/MacBains Memorial stands about 2.5 miles east of Dores, Inverness.  Thru Clan Chattan the MacBeans have always been allied with the Clan MacKintosh and the MacDonalds.  In all wars fought in the Highlands the MacBeans held to these loyalties.  Therefore the MacBeans were with Sir William and the Bruce. 
Inverness Castle has very old records in the castle tower dating to the 1600’s illustrating that the MacBeans helped storm the Castle and hung the Governor when he refused entrance to Mary Queen of Scots in 1552.  The Inverness Castle is quite old and referenced by Colombo in 565.  Inverness, the capital of the Highlands has been home to the MacBeans since 1291.

The MacBeans fought alongside of the Clan Chattan and the MacDonalds in the battle of Harlow in 1411 under the banner of MacKintosh.  The battle was fought over the MacDonald’s disputing Euphemia’s (daughter of Earl of Mar) right to resign her inherited Earldom to her Mother’s brother.
John MacBean and his brother William served Scotland in the Battles of Dunbar and Worchester (1650-1651).  Oliver Cromwell had John shipped to America as an indentured servant as a result of the war.  Other recorded battles are noted by Angus MacBean’s jump across the River Garry to escape the Jacobites in the battle of 1689 and Donald MacBean fight at the battle of Mulroy in 1699.  He was also from Inverness.
One of the proudest historical points in the MacBean history is when Gillis MacBean became a national hero at Culloden Moor.  The Clan MacDonald and Clan MacBean fought proudly and fiercely to defend Prince Charlie.  Charlie had personally visited both chiefs to try to recruit them to his cause and he prevailed.  Culloden is one of history’s most awful slaughters.  The “Butcher”, Duke of Cumberland, slaughtered even the women and children chopping their bodies up even after they were dead.  It was a horrible event.  Thousands were left dead in this cause.  Over 100 MacBeans fought at Culloden.  Some were shipped to the Indies and sold into servitude after the defeat.  There are descendents there today.  Charlie with the help of Flora and seven others escaped the slaughter.  Charlie had difficulty from the event and later became an alcoholic in the saloons of Europe.   These stories are depicted in John Prebble’s book, Culloden – Penguin Publishers.  Another notable was Major General William Bean who later fought in the battle of Begum Bagh.

The loss at Culloden in 1746 brought the end to the Clan system.  Clan’s people that served the Butcher of Cumberland were rewarded at the expense of those who fought with Prince Charlie.  By giving homage to George II of England, Angus MacBean, Chief of the Clan MacBean, retained his lands as did the MacKintosh.  The MacBean estates went into debt and Angus MacBean died in 1751, five years after the Culloden.  His lands were seized after his son William went to America in an attempt to clear the lands by fighting in America in 1767.  From that date there was no Chief of the Clan MacBean until 1959 when Houston MacBean proved his rights to the Chiefship.  He purchased some of the original lands and created the site of the MacBean/MacBain Memorial Park which lays 2.5 miles east of Loch Ness.


Notable family points of interest if traveling to Scotland:
MacBean Park – Drive along B862 on the East side of Loch Ness.  It is about 1 mile short of the Village of Dores.
Tomatin – It was the home of John Bean
Moy Hall – Home of the Commander MacKintosh, Chief of the Clan MacKintosh, it has a small museum of historical items about the Clan Chattan which MacBean was a member.
The Clan MacBean – The Clan MacBean of North America, Inc, 441 Wadsworth Blvd St 213, Lakewood, CO 80226  Our Clan Chief is the 22nd Chief of the Clan MacBean Worldwide, James R Bean.

William Bean was born in 1730 in Inverness Shire, Scotland.  His family fled the persecutions by immigrating to Ulster, Ireland in 1740. The “Mac” which was the original prefix to the Bean name was dropped when the Beans arrived in Ulster.   In his adult years he married Naomi Bates, daughter of a Scotsman who had also fled to Ulster in 1753.  William and Naomi came to America on the ship “Admiral Hawk” in 1767.  They joined other members of the Bean clan that were living on Duncan Creek territory in district #96 (Laurens County) South Carolina.  William and Naomi had 7 children, 3 were born in Ulster, Ireland: William (2/8/1754), Thomas (2/21/1764), Agnes (7/6/1766) she later married J.F. Shaw in 1790.  The 4 remaining children were born in the States: Isaac (6/27/1769 Laurens Co. SC), Mary “Molly” (8/23/1772 married Samuel Stormont died in Illinois), John (10/18/1776) and Matthew (4/11/1781 died in Carbondale IL).  William’s Estate settled in 1793 in South Carolina.

John Bean, son of William and Naomi was known to move a lot and much is lost.  However, he did join his older brother William in Burke Co. NC and John was married to an unknown woman and had 4 children.  Of these children 3 were born in NC, Walter, William and Wiley Jackson Bean (1802).  A fourth child John II was born in Jasper, GA (2/25/1819).  Family records show that John, the elder, left Georgia on a 5 unit wagon train in 1833 headed for Rockford, AL.  His son Wiley Jackson Bean was with his family on this journey.  John Bean later moved to Burke county, GA and then to Randolph county, AL in 1833.  He then moved across the Coosa River and settled in Delta, AL.

Wiley Jackson Bean, born in Burke Co. NC in 1802 died 9/12/1855 in Aliceville, AL.  He had married Julia Ann Crews (12/9/1809-10/25/1883) in 7/27/1826. She later died in Jemison, AL 10/25/1883 and is buried in the New Salem Cemetery.   Willy Jackson Bean’s nickname was “Watty”.  He died 9/12/1855 in Aliceville, AL.  In 1840 he was living in Randolph Co, AL with 9 children prior to that he had lived in Butts County, GA.   Wiley served under Capt. John Sharp in May 1836 until his discharge Sept. 1836.  He received a land grant of 40 acres for his service in 1850.  He later had added another 120 acres in 1855 near Aliceville, AL.

Wiley’s brother Walter also migrated to the vicinity of Randolph and his family still mostly lives in that area and was a witness at Wiley’s marriage to Julia Ann Crews.   Wiley’s other brother William settled in Calhoun County.  The Christiana Chapel was the center of life for the Beans and still holds the members of the family today.  There is old Bean’s Grist Mill and historical plaque 7 miles north of Opelika, AL. on the Halawakee Creek.
Wiley Jackson Bean fathered 14 children.  The first 4 were born in Butts County, Georgia: James (1828 died at 16), Nancy (1829), Wiley Hopkins (1/29/1831), and Robert Madison Bean (1832-12/16/1903). The remaining children were born in Alabama: Pendleton Colman (1834 Jemison, AL), Elisha Madison (2/21/1836), John M. (1838 Jemison, AL), Susan Melissa (11/19/1840), Julianna (1841), Malinda (1844), William Harrison (1845), Dr. Alford Bean (4/22/1847), Mary Elisa (1851) and Martha Ellen (2/12/1853).  Family records in Chilton Co. AL show that most of the family remained within 25 miles of the old home place and many are buried at the New Salem Cemetery and Collins Church Cemetery in Jemison, AL.

Robert Madison Bean was born in 1832 in Butts County, GA.  He later died 12/16/1903 in Opelika, AL. He first married Melinda Harris (12/22/1839-7/11/1911) in Coosa County, AL (marriage 12/20/1853) Rev. Archie Kelly preformed the ceremony.  Melinda later died (2/11/1911) in Atlanta, GA and is buried in West View Cemetery.  He later married a second time to Sarah E Holmes on March 2, 1895 in Chilton County, AL.  Note:  Our family bible shows his death written in pencil at the bottom of the page dated October 13, 1892; he is not buried in Atlanta.  Alabama family records show his marriage in 1895 to Sarah Holmes and family witnesses.  It is now believed that Robert left Melinda and went back to Alabama to pursue another woman and that the notation was incorrect in the family bible. This would explain the pencil and the use of initials rather than a formal entry.
Robert Madison and Melinda had 10 children: Mary E. Beane Fowler (1/12/1855-?), Charlie (11/14/1856-?), Robert L  (10/20/1858-10/13/1897), Ellen Bean Gilbert(9/25/1860-?), Oda Lou (5/25/1864-8/17/1865), Emma Bean Fears (7/25/1866-10/25/1931), William Riley (3/16/1869-3/27/1940), Melinda Bean Tyson (8/16/1871-4/1/1925), Henry (5/28/1873-?), and Maud Bean Orr(8/17/1878-1914).

William Riley Bean (3/16/1869-3/27/1940) married Alice Buchanan (5/16/1870-11/25/1949) and they had two children: Theo Bernard Bean (9/19/1890-9/21/1950) and Lucile Bean Smith (3/13/1895-9/3/1987). William came to Atlanta, Ga. to join one of his brothers who was already living there and started in the Printing business and later became a member of the City Council and sole owner of the printing company when his partner died.  W.R. Bean and Son Printers was created at that point.  He was a very successful Printer and property investor. 

oakridge

  • Guest
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #22 on: June 26, 2014, 11:55:46 PM »
I know some in Mississippi that spell their name Beane, with an e at the end. Possible relationship?

BobBean

  • Guest
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #23 on: June 27, 2014, 06:14:49 PM »
Yep.  My Great Grandfather dropped an e   

There are several spellings out there due to illiteracy or the preferred spelling of the preacher or courthouse personel.  The original is MacBean, MacBain, MacBeane and then more variations of just Bean or Bain.

Offline Robby

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2592
  • NYSSR ―
Re: Bean rifles
« Reply #24 on: June 27, 2014, 06:45:30 PM »
However you spell it, they certainly made a gun that reflects the rawboned elegance of their times and locale!
Robby
molon labe
We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution. A. Lincoln