Beal Family of Cork, Hingham Mass, and Boston

[Argentum2]

I would appreciate any information concerning the Beal family of Cork and New England (Hingham, Mass, and Boston). The family appears to have been settled in the City of Cork by the mid 17th. By the late 17th century members of the family appear to have settled in Hingham, Mass, from where they moved to Boston.

Among them is Caleb Beal (or sometimes Beale), born in Hingham in 1745. By 1775 he had opened as a silversmith in Hingham before moving to Boston about 1780. He died in 1804. Beal is something of a mystery among New England silversmiths with inexplicable gaps in his chronology. Patricia O'Kane in her Dictionary of New England silversmiths notes that only 45 items by him are recorded - and most are spoons.

The question is: can he or his family be connected with the tradition of silversmithing in Cork City?

[scorpio]

You may have to do some very deep digging to establish what the Beale's did prior to the mid 18th century as 1753 is the earliest Cork Trade Directory. The name of Beale is mentioned in the 1659 census with the National Library of Ireland apparently having a copy of this (NLI I 6551 Dublin) but I have no idea if the census shows trades of listed people.
Beale: This family name is given in Co. Cork in the census of 1659. The name is also given in at least one instance in the barony of Condon and Clangibbon, Co. Cork in 1659.

The Beale family listed in the Cork Trade Directories of the mid 1750s were merchants not silversmiths:
Thomas Samuel and George Beale ran shops at Meeting-House Lane in the mid-18th century, from where they sold sundry items such as dye-stuffs, oil, glass, paint and lead sheeting, as well as coffee, spices and table-ware (O Mahony 1997, 3).Around the same time George and Joseph Blair are recorded as owning a ‘dyestuff warehouse’, under the Sign of the Golden Key, on Meeting House Lane (J.C. 1905b, 138).Their surname is possibly a mistake for Beale, since George and Joseph Beale are listed as property owners in 1760 (R.D. 1904, 172). The death of a Thomas Beale of Meeting House Lane, ‘one of the people called Quakers and of unblemished character’, was announced in The Corke Journal
of 19 January 1761 (Collins 1966, 140).Thomas Beale had previously advertised his business on Meeting House Lane, selling hops, teas and coffee, in the same journal in 1753 (Collins 1957, 97).Again, in 1755 he advertised imported ‘choice ware’, presumably some form of pottery (Collins 1963, 98).Towards the end of the century, a Caleb Beale is recorded as a merchant and paper manufacturer nearby on Grattan Street (Lucas 1967, 138).


Gordon

[Argentum2]

Many thanks for that.

From the list of freemen of Cork the Beal family figures from 1710:

Beale George Gentleman
Beale George
Beale James
Beale John F. Esquire
Beale Joseph 31/12/1739
Beale Joseph Hoare Merchant 20/6/1792
Beale Joshua 20/12/1739
Beale Joshua George Merchant
Beale Samuel Merchant 13/4/1761
Beale Samuel Merchant 26/2/1749
Beale Samuel Merchant
Beale Thomas Merchant, “free gratis” No Oath (1711). Evidently a Quaker 31/8/1711
Beale Thomas Gentleman 23/4/1790

The Hoare reference may suggest a connection with the family of that name of Dunkettel House.

[Argentum2]

Also, as Quakers, the Beales may not have been able to enter a guild after c. 1680 because of the Test Act.

By the 18th and 19th century in Cork the family had moved into shipbuilding.

In New England, the settlement of non-conformists there came about so as to avoid civil constraints imposed by enactments such as the Test Act in England and Ireland.

[Argentum2]

It appears that we might have to take the search to Hingham in Norfolk, England whence one John Beal went to Hingham. Mass in 1638 together with his family and two servants. One of his children was Caleb Beal born c. 1636 and died in 1717:

http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/gen/re ... 1_301.html

[BigThompson456]

My family has in their possession a silver spoon that has a very interesting history.I would like to take a few librties if I may in regards to your latest post. I have spent years researching this silver spoon in regards to the makers mark. Peregrine White was the first baby boy born on the pilgrim ship the Mayflower in the harbour of Massachusetts. He was the first known English child born to pilgrims in America.
He was born in 1620 and died in 1704. He joined the Marshfield church late in life on May 22nd 1698. The spoon has the most beautiful script of Peregrine Whites name on the front.The cartouche on the back has the letters C.B in a rectangle.The year 1698 follows Peregrine Whites name.

Just for grins and following the dates on your post, one of his children was Caleb Beal born c. 1636. If he were to have been a silversmith he would have created the spoon at the age of 62.

If Peregrine White would have received the spoon gifted to him, or ordered for him, let's say by sibling, grandson ,etc on the day of him joining the church all would make sense.

When I review Peregrine Whites will on line, he seems real estate rich but nothing really jumps out at me as being wealthy.

I find doing research of silversmiths in America from 1620 to 1698 exhausting.Not much information out there on makers mark C.B other than Caleb Beal 1746-1801....Thanks for your patience

[Aguest]

Do you happen to have pictures of the spoon? :::

There is an expert in Colonial American Silver who is a member here, I am sure more information can be revealed if you could upload a picture? :::