Richard Beckwith

  Noted events in his life were:

• Family: From The Ancestry of Emily Jane Engle, Dean Crawford Smith, 1992, page 234. RICHARD, born New London, CT circa 1704; died after 14 December 1759 (N Deed 16:264); marriage intention New London 4 August 1728 (Hempstead Diary, p.200) HANNAH MOORE.

Children, all baptized First Congregational Church of Old Lyme 20 September 1741 (Church records 1:10), surname Beckwith:
1) Andrew, born circa 1733
2) Abel, born circa 1735
3) Elizabeth, born before 1741
4) Rebecca, born circa 1739
5) Hannah, born before 1741
6) Eunice, born before 1741

• Church: From East Lyme Society Records, 31 May 1741, Lyme, New London, Connecticut. May 31, 1741, Richard Beckwith owned ye covenant (pg. 14)
May 31, 1741, Richard Beckwith was baptized (pg. 32)
July 5, 1741, Admitted into church Richard Beckwith of New London, (pg. 26)

Note: This may be for a different Richard Beckwith as this Richard was married in the church in 1728. Although the two entries are on different pages, it is believed they are for the same Richard Beckwith as they occurred on the same date.

Source Citation
[East Lyme Society]. Record of baptisms, marriages, and persons who owned the covenant, 1737-1761, MS 83382, Connecticut Historical Society (CHS), Hartford, Connecticut. Transcribed by Julia Morrow, CHS Collections Associate, February 2022.

• Church: From East Lyme, Our Town and How it Grew by Olive Tubbs Chendali, 1989, Page 115, 1748, East Lyme, New London, Connecticut. Richard Beckwith is among the Separatists who were "read out" of the East Lyme Scciety Church. Richard's brothers, Benjamin and John Beckwith are also in the list.

Following on the heels of the Great Awakening, came dissention in the ranks, which coincided with the appearance of several new religious groups in the Colony of Connecticut. In 1748 Samuel Smith of East Lyme organized a Separatist movement and gradually the membership of the East Society dwindled. Finally, we have a record of 25 of the Church members being "read out of the Church" to join the Separatists who had been meeting at a home on Meetinghouse Hill, now known as Niantic Hill on the Boston Post Road.

This list appears in the Minutes of the Society Records:

Joseph Lee Joseph Tubs
Quorle Smith Isaac Tubs
James Smith Wm. Tubbs
Elijah Smith Aaron Huntley
Stephan Smith Richard Beckwith
Simon Smith Benjamin Beckwith
Samuel Smith John Beckwith
Daniel Smith Joseph Way
Joseph Smith Samuel Austin
Nicodemus Miller Peter Tubs
Elisha Miller Silas Smith
Nathan Miller Philip Oc- (Occuish?)
John Lewis

These men were to form the beginning of the First Baptist Church in our whole area. They were organized under Ebeneezer Mack and records show that Elisha Miller "at sundry times officiates as a Publick teacher among ye Separatists". Their meeting place was the home of Silas Smith who lived on what is now known as Stone's Ranch Road.

Richard married Hannah Moore on 10 Oct 1728 in Lyme, New London, Connecticut.

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage Banns: Joshua Hempstead Diary Records, Connecticut Historical Society, 4 Aug 1728, Lyme, New London, Connecticut. Sund 4 August 1728 Richd Beckwith & Han Moor Publisht.

• Marriage: East Lyme Society Records, 10 Oct 1728, Lyme, New London, Connecticut. October 10, 1728, Richard Beckwith of New London and Hannah More of Lyme were married together (pg. 22)From

Source Citation
[East Lyme Society]. Record of baptisms, marriages, and persons who owned the covenant, 1737-1761, MS 83382, Connecticut Historical Society (CHS), Hartford, Connecticut. Transcribed by Julia Morrow, CHS Collections Associate, February 2022.