The Minor Family of Somerset

Brief Biography of James Bean
Kentucky has produced many sturdy, splendid characters like my g
randfather, James Bean, Abram Owen Smoot and many others whower
e pioneers of utah, and who were frontiersmen in many other stat
es. James Bean was born in Elkton, Christian County,Kentucky
, on March 3 1804, theson of William Bean, born probably in Bur
ke County, North Carolina, in 1777,whose father, William Bean
, was born in South Carolina, Chester district, February 8th, 17
54, who is the son of William Bean of Scotch Irish decent, who m
arried Naomi Bates in South Carolina in 1753.
James Bean's mother was Anna Bucalew, born the 25th October 1784
, of Burke County, North Carolina.
Elizabeth Lewis, daughter of James Lewis and Sarah McCoy, born S
eptember 22, 1803, married James Bean in Lincoln County, Missour
i, on July 27th, 1824. "The "Lewis-Clark" expedition having lef
t Missouri makes me believe that Lewis is a relative of Grandm
a Bean, but not yet investigated sufficiently to prove it.
It is interesting to note how groups of families came from the f
oreign countries and moved from state to state in much the sam
e groups, hunting green fields, or"greater worlds to conquer"
. At any rate, Missouri became a rendevous for many families, w
hether for adventurous exploring, or home-building.
William and Anna Bucaliew Bean and family were among them. Jame
s was but four years old at the time, 1808. the Lewis family ha
d preceeded them some time, andcounties along the Mississippi r
iver were recognized as St. Charles Pike, Lewis and Lincoln Coun
ties. Grandfather said they had to go into Fort at St.Charles b
ecause of the Indians having killed the O'Neal family and others
.
James Bean came through an ancestral line of fearless, hard-work
ingmen, no matter what the task. the origin of the name "Bean
" in Scotland means "Fair" High in the Mountains, and their Coa
t of Arms was won through bravery in battles, the Wolf Head on t
he shield and a Dexter arm holding dagger as the cresent. Educa
tion was not plentiful early in the nineteenth century, so Jame
s did not boast of scholarship, but workmanship, for he learne
d cabinet-maKing byhelping others and builders and farmer had p
lenty to do in establishing thisWestern commonwealth. He kne
w just how to chink up the log cabins and makethem wind-proof
. His father died soon after they moved to Missouri, a bout Oct
ober 1809, the exact date is not give, but his last child, Willi
am, was born December 4 1809. "Two months after his father's de
ath" the record states.
The new home-maKing for Anna Bucalew Bean, without her companion
, and theterrible war conditions of 1812, following so son, bre
d sympathy and help from many kind neighbors,especially Andrew E
dwards, who admired the courage andability of the little widow
. He wooed and won her. They were married and she raised nin
e children in this second wedlock.
In new communities, and during Indian troubles, citizens are ban
ded closely and became better aquainted asneighbors.
Elizabeth Lewis had five brothers, John, Fielding, James, Lemuel
, and achariah, which gave the handsome Bean boy an excuse to ca
ll frequentlyat the Lewis home. Elisabeth's sisters, Nancy, Cy
nthia, Sarah and Isopheniawere also "glib of tongue" and perist
ed in teasing the young swain. This embarrassment did not coo
l his ardent love for the "apple of his eye" and he soon won Eli
zabeth and married her. They had two children born in Missourie
,William born July 18th 1825, and Nancy, December 14, 1826. a
t West Troy, Lincoln County. They moved to Adams County, Illino
is, settling on a farm twelvemiles from Quincy. The Keyes farm
. James' mother, Anna Bucalew Bean Edwards and family lived o
n the Wood's farm two miles away, near Mendon village.
James's sister, Milly Bean, married David Crow in Missour, and w
ere also temporarily in Adams County, as was his brother, Garre