Elizabeth Beckwith

  Noted events in her life were:

• Family: From The Ancestry of Emily Jane Engle, Dean Crawford Smith, 1992, page 228. ELIZABETH, born circa 1647 (age 10 on 15 February 1657[/8] [Winthrop Medical Journal 1:379] and age 17 in deposition of 1665, [Crimes & Misdemeanors, III:200]); died after 1 September 1719 (division of last husband's estate, Hartford Probate #372); married first circa 1665 ROBERT GERRARD, born say 1640s, living in Rhode Island 8 October 1674 when his wife was granted a divorce (Lacy, p.45); married second between 8 October 1674, the date of her divorce decree (ibid.), and probably September 1678 when her first child with second husband was conceived, JOHN BATES, born say 1640s, died Haddam, CT 15 January 1718/9 (Hartford Probate #372).

Elizabeth Garrard was charged with adultery, having "committed folly with a stranger in the absence of her husband and brought forth a base born child." Found guilty, her sentence was reduced due to many circumstances, including her "husband's extreme bad carriage towards her and beating of her and making no suitable provision for her maintenance and in going from her and not returning to her for some years." She was whipped and fined £10 (NL Ct 3:67). She accused Joshua Grant, probably her sister's widower, whose estate in the custody of Matthew Beckwith was seized for the use of Elizabeth Garrard's child 2 June 1674 (NL Ct 3:68). Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, her first husband sued her for adultery in the Rhode Island General Court, but did not appear to press charges. Samuel Pratt was her bondsman 12 May 1673 (Newport Ct Bk A:11).

Child, with first husband, surname Gerrard:
1) Elizabeth, born say late 1660s

Child, born during her mother's abandonment by Gerrard, if so, daughter of Joshua Grant, or possibly a child with the second husband, then surname Bates:
2) Martha, her husband named in division of mother's second husband (Hartford Probate #372) Children, with second husband, surname Bates:
3) John, baptized New London 4 May 1679 (NL Ch 1:92)
4) Solomon, baptized New London 1 August 1680 (NL Ch 1:94)
5) Sarah, baptized New London 27 August 1682 (NL Ch 1:96)
6) Jonathan, named in father's division (Hartford Probate #372)

• Family: From Beckwith Note 6, by Albert C. & Edward S. Beckwith, 1907, Page 2. ELIZABETH, was married to JOHN BATE, who died Jan'y 15, 1718-9, she being then living. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was married before Oct. 1688 to John Bailey. ELIZABETH, by misreading record, has appeared as "sister Cate " (probably written "sister bale.") The true reading makes it needless to guess that her brother JOHN had a daughter Elizabeth, or to doubt that her brother MATTHEW' S daughter was Mrs. James Birchard. This correction is owed to N. Eng. Hist. Gen. Register, Jan'y 1907, in " John Bailey of Haddam, Conn."

Elizabeth married Robert Girard.

Elizabeth next married John Bates in 1678 in Connecticut. (John Bates was born about 1665 in Connecticut.)