The Beans of Tennessee, Virginia, and Scotland

Russell Bean's headstone

My generation's 2nd great-grandmother, Mary Hyder Shepherd (1844-1925), was the daughter of Jacob Hyder (21 Oct 1814, Carter Co., Tennessee-17 March 1881, Tennessee) and Elizabeth Bean (1812, Washington Co., Tennessee-before 1868). We know rather a lot about her Hyder ancestors going back to the American War of Independence and to 16th-century Germany. Mary's mother's family has origins extending back to the first European settlements of Tennessee and before that to 17th-century Inverness, in Scotland. Elizabeth's father was named William Russell Bean, or Russell Bean (May 1769, Watauga Flats, Washington Co, Tennessee-9 Jan 1829, Jonesborough, Washington Co., Tennessee), and her mother was Rosamond Robertson (1770-24 Oct 1850, Washington Co., Tennessee). 

Rosamond's father was Major Charles Robertson (1733-1798), and her mother was Susannah Nichols (1733-1808). Major Robertson "was one of the leaders of the Watauga Association. He acted as trustee for the early settlers, taking the title to the lands purchased of the Cherokee Indians in March, 1775." (More on Major Robertson can be found here. At this point it seems likely that he knew Michael Hyder, Sr., who was also involved in the Watauga Association and fought alongside him in the Battle of Thickety Fort.)

Russell Bean's father was Captain William Bean II (9 Dec 1721, Northumberland Co., Virginia-1782, Church Hill, Hawkins Co., Tennessee), According to the information on Find-a-Grave, William Bean and Daniel Boone camped at Bean Station, Tennessee, in 1775, the year the war started. Russell's mother was named Lydia Russell (29 Sep 1726, Farnham, Richmond, Virginia-18 Jun 1788, Bean Station, Grainger Co., Tennessee), daughter of Lieutenant Colonel William "The Ranger" Russell (19 Dec 1679, England-18 Oct 1757, Orange Co., Virginia) and Martha Jean Henley (1692, Creeksea, Maldon District, Essex, England-1784, Culpeper Co., Virginia), both of whom were born in England. Lydia Russell Bean was captured by Cherokee in 1776 and was subsequently rescued by a certain Nancy Ward.

William Bean II was the son of William "Beeman" Bean I (9 Dec 1702, Northumberland Co., Virginia-Jan 1782, Washington Co., Tennessee) and Elizabeth Margaret "Margaret" Hatton (1700-1782). The elder William was the son of John Bean (21 Sep 1682, Northumberland Co., Virginia-1755) and Lydea Hatton (1679, Virginia-1755). John's parents were William Bean (1655, Virginia-15 Nov 1693) and Eizabeth Symmons (d. 15 Nov 1693), who are recorded to have died on the same day. William was the son of William Bean (1635, Inverness Burgh, Inverness-shire, Scotland-18 Nov 1697, Northumberland Co., Virginia) and Margaret (1639, Northumberland Co., Virginia-Nov 1697), whose birth surname is unknown.

Here the line appears to stop, although Ancestry dot com suggests a potential father in Donald Gilpatrick Macbayne (Macbean), who lived from 1610 to 1690, and was born in Faullis, Dayiot, Parish, Scotland, and died in Strathdearn, Inverness-shire, Scotland. If this is correct, a Wikitree genealogy takes the line back to the previous century and possibly to the 14th century.

Here is the Bean lineage:

• William Bean (1635-1697), married Margaret (1639-1697)
• William Bean (1655-1693), married Elizabeth Symmons (d. 1693)
• John Bean (1682-1755), married Lydea Hatton (1679-1755)
• William Bean I (1702-1782), married Elizabeth Margaret Hatton (1700-1782)
• Capt. William Bean II (1721-1782), married Lydia Russell (1726-1788), daughter of William Russell (1679-1757) and Martha Jean Henley (1692-1784)
• William Russel Bean (1769-1829), married Rosamond Robertson (1770-1850), daughter of Major Charles Robertson (1733-1798) and Susannah Nichols (1733-1806)
• Elizabeth Bean (1812-1868), married Jacob Hyder (1814-1881) and later his brother Joseph D Hyder (1820-1882)
• Mary Hyder Shepherd (1844-1925), whose son was Nelson Hyder, my generation's great-grandfather