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 (1814-1881) and Elizabeth Bean (1812-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, Scotland. Elizabeth's father was named William Russell Bean, or Russell Bean (1769-1829), and her mother was Rosamond Robertson (1770-1850), reputed to be "the first white child born in 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. It is possible that he knew Michael Hyder, Sr., who was also involved in the Watauga Association and fought alongside him in the Battle of Thicketty Fort.

Russell Bean's father was Captain William Bean II (1721-1782), According to the information on Find a Grave, William Bean and Daniel Boone (1734-1820) camped at Bean Station, Tennessee, in 1775, the year the war started. Russell's mother was named Lydia Russell (1726-1788), daughter of Lieutenant Colonel William "The Ranger" Russell (1679-1757) and Martha Jean Henley (1692-1784), 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 (1702-1782) and Elizabeth Margaret "Margaret" Hatton (1700-1782). The elder William was the son of John Bean (1682-1755) and Lydea Hatton (1679-1755). John's parents were William Bean (1655-1693) and Eizabeth Symmons (d. 1693), who are recorded to have died on the same day. William was the son of William Bean (1635-1697) and Margaret (1639-1697), whose birth surname is unknown. The date of death for both William and Margaret is said to be November 1697. It is possible that in both cases the couple was killed on the same day, but it is also possible that the dates refer instead to the last recorded reference to the persons, in which case their deaths may have occurred on a later unrecorded date.

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, Inverness Burgh, Inverness-shire, Scotland-18 Nov 1697, Northumberland Co., Virginia), married Margaret (1639, Northumberland Co., Virginia-Nov 1697)
• William Bean (1655, Virginia-15 Nov 1693), married Elizabeth Symmons (d. 15 Nov 1693)
• John Bean (21 Sep 1682, Northumberland Co., Virginia-1755), married Lydea Hatton (1679, Virginia-1755)
• William Bean I (9 Dec 1702, Northumberland Co., Virginia-Jan 1782, Washington Co., Tennessee), married Elizabeth Margaret Hatton (1700-1782)
• Capt. William Bean II (9 Dec 1721, Northumberland Co., Virginia-1782, Church Hill, Hawkins Co., Tennessee), married Lydia Russell (29 Sep 1726, Farnham, Richmond, Virginia-18 Jun 1788, Bean Station, Grainger Co., Tennessee), daughter of William 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)
• William Russel Bean (May 1769, Watauga Flats, Washington Co, Tennessee-9 Jan 1829, Jonesborough, Washington Co., Tennessee), married Rosamond Robertson (1770-24 Oct 1850, Washington Co., Tennessee), daughter of Major Charles Robertson (24 Jul 1733, Prince George County, Virginia-31 Aug 1798, Washington County, Tennessee) and Susannah Nichols (1733-1806)
• Elizabeth Bean (1812, Washington Co., Tennessee-before 1868), married Jacob Hyder (21 Oct 1814, Carter Co., Tennessee-17 March 1881, Tennessee) and later his brother Joseph D Hyder (1820-1882)
• Mary Hyder Shepherd (6 Apr 1844, Putnam County, Tennessee-2 Jun 1925, Adrian, Lenawee County, Michigan), whose son was Nelson Hyder (1875-1959), my generation's great-grandfather