http://books.google.com/books?id=bZl4AAAAMAAJ&q=baidland#v=snippet&q=mcgrew&f=false pg. 255 THE BEAZELL FAMILY, Benjamin F. Beazell Died Aug. 27, 1886. He was b. in Rostraver township, Westmoreland Co., PA, Jan. 2, 1796. His grandfather and grandmother came from Bazil-on-the-Rhine, in Germany, and located in Berkeley Co. VA, in 1760. Mathew and Catherine made acquaintance on board the ship during the voyage to this country, and were m. at Georgetown, now in District of Columbia, before settling in the town now known as Martinsburg, WV. While residing here, William and Eliza (twins), Mathew, Christian, John, and Luke were b. to them. In 1774 Mathew Beazell and family left VA and settled first in a cabin on land now owned by James Moore, known at this day as Moore's woolen factory, and now owned by a man named Kelly, who bought it from the heirs of Samuel W. Power. The farm is on the W. Newton road between Bellevernon and that town in Rostraver township, Westmoreland, PA. The old factory has long since been converted into other uses. In 1775 Beazell moved to a cabin on the land recently sold to Andrew Graham by Wm. Jones, in the same township. Here he purchased what was then known as a "location site", containing 290 acres. On this farm the remainder of his children were born, viz: Catherine, Barbara and Joseph, the latter d. when a mere lad. Here Mathew d., but in what year we have overlooked. His tombstone will tell; it was placed over his grave, which was near the W. Newton road on what was then known at the Pentecost farm, now owned by either John Rankin or Joseph Power. For many years this stone was the wonder of the stranger. Some years since it was removed by kind friends to the graveyard at Fell's church. His wife d. in 1815, at the house of Robert Stevens on Redstone creek in Fayette Co. The wife of Stevens was her daughter. Mathew's son Mathew d. on the farm now owned by David Finley, near the town of Webster. His remains were buried at Fell's church. His wife was a Miss Neal, whose second husband was William Sampson, the father of the venerable James Sampson, of Horseshoe, in Carroll township, Washington Co. The late Mrs. Belar, of Monongahela City, was a daughter of Mathew Beazell. John Beazell m. Mary Sutherland, moved to the neighborhood of Warren, OH, where he d. and all his family except one. Luke m. Elizabeth English, lived in different parts of the "Forks of Yough", and d. on the farm now owned by a man named McGogney, adjoining the well known Hassler farm in Rostraver township. His remains were interred at Fell's Church. He had sons Mathew, Joseph, John, James, Lemuel and William, all of whom are dead except William. His daughters were Margaret, m. to Van Reeves, and d. not many years ago at Coal Centre, Catherine, widow of James Ailes, Mary, widow of A. R. Smith, and Eliza, who never married. Mrs. Ailes resides in California, PA. Mrs. Smith and Eliza are residents of W. Newton, PA. Joseph m. a Miss Spharr, sister of John Spharr, of Allen township, Washington Co. PA. Joseph d. a few years since in the old McCrory house, on Maple creek, in the same co., where his widow still has her home. James m. a Miss Springer, whose grandfather emigrated from Stockholm, in Sweden, and settled on the farm called "Springersburgh", near Bellevernon, in very early days. James and his wife both d. at their home on part of the original Springer homestead. Their remains are in the Bellevernon cemetery. Mathew d. not long since in Rostraver. Lemuel d. in Webster no long ago. John was m. to Jane Patterson, at the residence of the late George Houshold, in Rostraver, by the Rev. Hiram Miller, Nov. 25, 1853, and d. in Bellevernon, PA, Jan. 13, 1879. His wife still lives. William alone remains, and has long lived in Fallowfield, Washington Co., near John Witherow's blacksmith ship. He still looks hale and hearty. Elizabeth, one of the daughters of Mathew Beazell the older, m. John Sturgess, removed to KY and then to MO. Christina m. John Fell. She d. in the house occupied lately by John Coughenour, and owned by the heirs of Wm. Flannegan, in Rostraver. William, the remaining son of Mathew Beazell the older, was the father of Benjamin F. Beazell, the subject of this sketch. William m. Rebecca Fell in a part of the house in which Benjamin F. lived so long and in which he d. William also d. in the Coughenour house. He had 12 children, 4 of whom were boys, viz: Mathew, Williams, John F. and Benjamin F., of whom we are writing. Mathew d. many years ago. He was the father of H. B. Beazell. John F. lived for a while in Webster, but the latter part of his days was passed in Uniontown, PA, where he was for years editor of the Pennsylvania Democrat, published in that place. Benjamin F. was m. to Sarah Sampson Nov. 17, 1820, by the Rev. John White. She was a daughter of William and Dorcas Sampson. Dorcas was a Neal, sister of James Sampson's mother. Her father settled on Long Run and was killed by the Indians. At the date of this marriage Sampson lived at the old "Black Horse Tavern", now owned by Lew Weaver, and situate in Rostraver. This and the Red Lion Hotel in Redstone, were the two celebrated stopping places between Pittsburgh and Uniontown in old times. The issue of this marriage was a large family of boys and girls, among whom was Dorcas, m. to John Darr, of Rostraver; Williams m. Elizabeth Biggs, of Sewickley township, Westmoreland Co.; Thomas d., aged 14 years; James m. Jessie Woodruff; Mary I. and Rebecca remained at home; Benjamine F. m. Mary D. Welling, of OH, and is now a prominent minister in the M. E. Church of the Pittsburgh conference; Sarah Emma is the wife of Dr. J. A. Mink, of Topeka, KS; Samuel is a farmer and John a lawyer, of Chillicothe, MO; James and William live in Rostraver. Benjamin F. joined the Methodist church in 1828, in the old church which stood on the site of the present stone building known as Fell's church, not far from the town of Webster. Rev. John Watterman was the minister at the time of his joining. His wife joined the same church in a short time after Benjamin did. Benjamin F.'s grandfather Fell donated a part and his father the remainder of the lot which now belongs to the church. The Beazells and Fells hewed the logs for the old church; they whip-sawed the material for the stairs and pulpit. The floor was made of split logs and so were the seats; the building presented an unfinished appearance. This was so plain to the stranger that at the first time Lorenzo Dow preached in it he used the following expression in his prayer" "Oh Lord! here is a house from all appearances has been building for 40 years, and not yet finished;" and he prayed the Lord to put it in the hearts of the people to finish it and revive his work. Richard Ferguson did the clerking for him on this occasion, singing St. Martin's fast as he could. This was in 1818. B. Bascom, the celebrated divine, preached in this old church on more than one occasion. The present stone church was built in 1834. The board of trustees under whose supervision it was built consisted of Hugh C. Ford, Samuel Jones, Manassah Reeves, Benjamin Thomas, Luke Beazell, Nathaniel Lender, Benjamin Stewart, Randall Johnson, and Benjamin F. Beazell, all of whom have passed away. The carpenter work was done by Townsend for $400; the plastering by Michael Dravo. The dedication sermon was preached by Rev. Charles Elliot. Among the many distinguished divines who preached in the old and new churches we may mention Bishops McKendry and Morris and Revs. Charles Cook, J. G. Sansom, Jamison, Smith, the Millers, and Rev. B. F. Beazell, son of Benjamin F. Beazell. William, father of Benjamin F., laid out the town of Webster in 1835, the late Joseph Van Kirk doing the surveying. Benjamin F. Beazell built the first house in the town of Webster, being known as the Rev. J. G. Sansom mansion, on the lot lately occupied by the residence of Dr. J. T. Krepps. During the first 4 years of his married life Benjamin lived on the Fell farm. In 1825 he rented what was known at that time as the "Daly" farm, on which he lived 2 years. He then moved to the Black Horse Tavern and kept store for Samuel Walker for a time; then bought out Walker and ran the store himself until in 1835. In the spring of 1836 he moved to his house in Webster, where he carried on merchandizing and boat building until 1841, excepting 2 years that he moved back to the Black Horse Tavern. In 1844 he purchased the old Fell homestead, in which he lived to the day of his death. In 1835 he built for Captain Shrodes the steamboat Moravian. He built keelboats and flatboats for the lower trade, as it was then called. For himself he built a trade boat - loaded it with a variety of goods, as flour, cherry bounce and boiled cider. For the latter he paid $3 per barrel and sold it for #5, making a nice profit. He sold his whole cargo on the way and at Cincinnati, walked home, carrying the proceeds. Father Beazell, by his example and precepts, was a power for good in whatever community he resided. He was a walking encyclopaedia of religious experience. His interest in the church was only exceeded by his zeal in the cause of Christ. "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord."