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.
