Beecher Family
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Originating in
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
the Beecher family in the 19th century was a
political family A political family (also referred to as political dynasty) is a family in which multiple members are involved in politics — particularly Election, electoral politics. Members may be related by consanguinity, blood or marriage; often several gene ...
notable for issues of religion, civil rights, and social reform. Notable members of the family include clergy (
Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
and
Congregationalists Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...
), educators, authors and artists. Many of the family were
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
-educated and advocated for
abolitionism Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was France in 1315, but it was later used in its colonies. ...
, temperance, and
women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
. Some of the family provided material or ideological support to the Union in the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. The family is of English descent. Locations named after persons of this family include: Beecher, Illinois, named after
Henry Ward Beecher Henry Ward Beecher (June 24, 1813 – March 8, 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the Abolitionism, abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery ...
and
Beecher Island Beecher Island is a sandbar located along the lower course of the Arikaree River, a tributary of the North Fork of the Republican River near Wray in Yuma County, Colorado. The site is notable for having been the scene of an 1868 armed conflic ...
, named after Lt. Fredrick H. Beecher.


History

The American Beecher family began with John Beecher from
Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
, England. Along with his wife and son Isaac, the Beechers embarked with a company of emigrants and arrived in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
on June 26, 1637. During its early days, Boston welcomed all
Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...
emigrants, though many of these emigrants were not content to settle in the vicinity of Boston, owing, in part, to the difference in religious opinions. In September of that year, John was a member of an expedition party to explore the surrounding lands for plantation settlement. He was one of seven men left to winter in what would become
New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...
. John died during that winter. His bones were discovered in 1750 in digging for a cellar of a stone house. The main body of settlers arrived in New Haven harbor in April, 1638. Isaac Beecher was then fifteen years old. From him all the New Haven families of the name are said to have descended, and from whence the name has spread throughout the surrounding country, numbering, among the direct descendants, the West Haven branch of the Beecher family and the Lyman Beecher family, which would become an American religious force throughout the 19th century.


Immediate family


Lyman Beecher (1775–1863)

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
minister, American Temperance Society co-founder and leader. Beecher was born in
New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...
, to David Beecher, a blacksmith, and Esther Hawley Lyman. His mother died shortly after his birth, and he was committed to the care of his uncle Lot Benton, as W. Bray, and at the age of eighteen entered
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
, graduating in 1797. He spent 1798 in
Yale Divinity School Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...
under the tutelage of his mentor Timothy Dwight. He was president of Lane Theological Seminary, in Cincinnati.


Catharine Esther Beecher (1800–1878)

American educator known for her forthright opinions on
female education Female education is a catch-all term for a complex set of issues and debates surrounding education (primary education, secondary education, tertiary education, and health education in particular) for girls and women. It is frequently called girls ...
as well as her vehement support of the many benefits of the incorporation of
kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...
into children's education.


William Henry Beecher (1802–1889)

American minister who was called "The Unlucky" because misfortune attended all his ventures.


Mary Foote Beecher (1805–1900)


George Beecher (1809–1843)


Harriet Elizabeth Beecher (1811–1896)

American
abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...
and author, best known for her novel ''
Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two Volume (bibliography), volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans ...
'' (1852), which depicts the harsh conditions for enslaved African Americans. The book reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
, energizing anti-slavery forces in the American North, while provoking widespread anger in the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
. Stowe wrote 30 books, including novels, three travel memoirs, and collections of articles and letters. She was influential for both her writings and her public stances on social issues of the day.


Henry Ward Beecher Henry Ward Beecher (June 24, 1813 – March 8, 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the Abolitionism, abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery ...
(1813–1887)

American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the
abolition of slavery Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was France in 1315, but it was later used in its colonies. T ...
, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery trial. Henry attended
Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zepha ...
in 1834 and Lane Theological Seminary in 1837 before serving as a minister in
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
and
Lawrenceburg, Indiana Lawrenceburg is a city and the county seat of Dearborn County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,129 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the largest city in Dearborn County. Lawrenceburg is in southeast Indiana, on th ...
.


Charles Beecher (1815–1900)

American minister, composer of religious
hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...
s and a prolific author.


Isabella Beecher (1822–1907)

Leader, lecturer and activist in the American
suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...
movement.


Thomas Kinnicut Beecher (1824–1900)

American preacher and the principal of several schools. He lived in
Litchfield, Connecticut Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,192 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are ...
,
Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, and
Elmira, New York Elmira () is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. ...
. There is a memorial statue built in Elmira, where he spent much of his life. He was a close friend of
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 â€“ April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...
and married him to Olivia Langdon.


James Chaplin Beecher (1828–1886)

American Congregationalist minister and colonel for the Union Army during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
.


Notable members


Thomas Clap Perkins (1798–1870)

American lawyer and politician.


Frederic Beecher Perkins (1828–1899)

American editor, writer, and librarian.


Charlotte Perkins Gilman Charlotte Anna Perkins Gilman (; née Perkins; July 3, 1860 – August 17, 1935), also known by her first married name Charlotte Perkins Stetson, was an American humanist, novelist, writer, lecturer, early sociologist, advocate for social reform ...
(1860–1935)

American
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
, sociologist, novelist, writer of
short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
, poetry, and
nonfiction Non-fiction (or nonfiction) is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to convey information only about the real world, rather than being grounded in imagination. Non-fiction typically aims to present topics objectively ...
, and a lecturer for
social reform Reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary movements which reject t ...
. She was a utopian feminist and served as a role model for future generations of feminists because of her unorthodox concepts and lifestyle. Her best remembered work today is her
semi-autobiographical An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...
short story "
The Yellow Wallpaper "The Yellow Wallpaper" (original title: "The Yellow Wall-paper. A Story") is a short story by American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, first published in January 1892 in '' The New England Magazine''. It is regarded as an important early work ...
" which she wrote after a severe bout of postpartum psychosis.


Family tree

The following is a brief family tree of the Beecher family, and its many notable members:


Descendants of Lyman Beecher

* Lyman Beecher (1775–1863), son of David Beecher and Esther Hawley Lyman ** Catharine Esther Beecher (1800–1878) was an educator and women's-rights activist ** William Henry Beecher (1802–1889), a Congregational minister in
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, and
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
** Edward Beecher (1803–1895) helped organize Illinois' first anti-slavery society,
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
graduate; married Isabella Jones **Mary Foote Beecher (1805–1900), married Thomas Clap Perkins (1798–1870) in 1827; Perkins was the brother-in-law of
Roger Sherman Baldwin Roger Sherman Baldwin (January 4, 1793 – February 19, 1863) was an American politician who served as the 32nd Governor of Connecticut from 1844 to 1846 and a United States senator from 1847 to 1851. As a lawyer, his career was most notable ...
*** Frederic Beecher Perkins (1828–1899), library director in
Boston, MA Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
and
San Francisco, CA San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of 2024, San Francisco is the fourth-most populous city in the ...
, and author; married Mary Ann Fitch Westcott. They had two children including ****Thomas Adie Perkins (b. 1859) **** Charlotte Perkins (1860–1935), feminist; m. Charles Walter Stetson in 1884 and had one child, divorced in 1894; married her first cousin George Houghton Gilman in 1900 (see below) ***Emily Baldwin Perkins (1829–1912), married Edward Everett Hale in 1852 and had eight sons and one daughter, Ellen Day Hale (1855–1940), an artist ***Charles E. Perkins (b. 1832) ***Catherine Beecher Perkins (b. 1836), married William Charles Gilman. They had four children, including ****George Houghton Gilman **Harriet Beecher (1808–1808) **George Beecher (1809–1843)
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
graduate, m. Sarah Buckingham in 1837 ** Harriet Elizabeth Beecher (1811–1896), wrote
Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two Volume (bibliography), volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans ...
; m. Calvin Stowe (1802–1886) in 1836 ***Harriet (Hattie) Beecher Stowe (1836–1907) ***Eliza Tyler Stowe (1836–1912) ***Henry Ellis Stowe (1838–1857) ***Frederic William Stowe (1840–1871) ***Georgiana May Stowe (1843–1890) m. Henry Freeman Allen (1838–1914) ***Samuel Charles Stowe (1848–1849) ***Charles Edward Stowe (b.1850) m. Susan Munroe ****Lyman Beecher Stowe (1880–1963) m. Hilda Robinson Smith *****David Beecher Stowe (b.1916) ******Charles Robinson Beecher Stowe (1949–) ******Richard Mather Anthony Stowe (1953–) ******Henry Beecher Stowe (1964–) *****Robinson Smith Beecher Stowe (b.1918) ******Ellen Robinson Stowe (1956–) ****Leslie Munroe Stowe (1883–1887) ****Hilda Stowe (1887–1969) m. James Donnelly **
Henry Ward Beecher Henry Ward Beecher (June 24, 1813 – March 8, 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the Abolitionism, abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery ...
(1813–1887), married Eunice White Bullard (1812–1897) in 1837; namesake of Beecher, Illinois ***Harriet Eliza Beecher (1838–1911 m. Samuel Scoville (1834–1902) ***Henry Barton Beecher (1842–1916) m. Harriet Jone Benedict (b. 1841) ****Kate Eunice Beecher (1864–1890) ****Henry (Harry) Ward Beecher (1867–1948 m. Mary (May) Frances Beecher *****Margaret Wardington Beecher (1901–1978 m. Alfred Taussig Abeles (1891–1983) ******Alfred Beecher Abeles (1923–1945) ******Shirley Elling Abeles (1926–2006) ******John Henry Abeles (1935–2010) *****Henry Ward Beecher III (1903–1986) *****Lyman Beecher (b. 1905) ****Margaret Humphey Beecher (1868–1949) ***George Lyman Beecher (b. 1844) ***Katherine Esther Beecher (b. 1846) ***William Constantine Beecher (1849–1928) ***Alfred Beecher (b. 1852) ***Herbert Foote Beecher (b. 1854) ** Charles Beecher (1815–1900) married Sarah Leland Coffin (1815–1897) in 1840. ***Frederick Henry Beecher (1841–1868), died at the
Battle of Beecher Island The Battle of Beecher Island, also known as the Battle of Arikaree Fork, was an armed conflict between several of the Plains Indians, Plains Native American tribes and Forsyth's Scouts, a company of selected civilian frontiersmen, recruited and ...
,
Beecher Island Beecher Island is a sandbar located along the lower course of the Arikaree River, a tributary of the North Fork of the Republican River near Wray in Yuma County, Colorado. The site is notable for having been the scene of an 1868 armed conflic ...
being posthumously named after him. ***Charles McCulloch Beecher (1843–1906) ***Helen Louisa Beecher (1847–1901) ***Mary Isabella Beecher (1849–1928) m. George Warren Noyes (1842–1927) ***Esther (Essie) Lyman Beecher (1852–1867) ***Edith Harriet Beecher (1854–1867) **Frederick C Beecher (1818–1820) ** Isabella Holmes Beecher (1822–1907), m. John Hooker (1816–1901) in 1841 ** Thomas Kinnicut Beecher (1824–1900), a Congregational minister in
Elmira, New York Elmira () is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. ...
, married Olivia Day (1826–1853), the daughter of the president of Yale, Jeremiah Day, in 1851, and after her untimely death married her cousin Frances Juliana Jones (1826–1905), one of the granddaughters of
Noah Webster Noah Webster (October 16, 1758 – May 28, 1843) was an American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English-language spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and author. He has been called the "Father of American Scholarship and Education" ...
, in 1857. ** James Chaplin Beecher (1828–1886), colonel of the 35th United States Colored Troops.


Gallery

Image:Lyman Beecher - Brady-Handy.jpg, Lyman Beecher (1775–1863) Image:Beecherc.jpg,
Catharine Beecher Catharine Esther Beecher (September 6, 1800 – May 12, 1878) was an American educator known for her forthright opinions on female education as well as her vehement support of the many benefits of the incorporation of kindergarten into children's ...
(1800–1878) Image:Edward Beecher.jpg, Edward Beecher (1803–1895) Image:Beecher-Stowe.jpg,
Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 â€“ July 1, 1896) was an American author and Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and wrote the popular novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (185 ...
(1811–1896) Image:RevHWBeech.jpg,
Henry Ward Beecher Henry Ward Beecher (June 24, 1813 – March 8, 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the Abolitionism, abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery ...
(1813–1887) Image:CharlesBeecher.jpg, Charles Beecher (1815–1900) Image:Isabella Beecher Hooker.jpg, Isabella Beecher Hooker (1822–1907) Image:Thomas Kinnicut Beecher.jpg, Thomas K. Beecher (1824-1900) Image:James Beecher - HBS.jpg, James Chaplin Beecher (1828-1886) Image:Frederic Beecher Perkins.jpg, Frederic Beecher Perkins (1828-1899) Image:Charlotte Perkins Gilman c. 1900.jpg,
Charlotte Perkins Gilman Charlotte Anna Perkins Gilman (; née Perkins; July 3, 1860 – August 17, 1935), also known by her first married name Charlotte Perkins Stetson, was an American humanist, novelist, writer, lecturer, early sociologist, advocate for social reform ...
(1860–1935) File:ClareKummer1917.tif, Clare Beecher Kummer (1873–1958), granddaughter of Edward Beecher


References


Further reading

*Caskey, Marie. ''Chariot of Fire: Religion and the Beecher Family''. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1978. *French, Earl A. and Diana Royce. ''Portraits of a Nineteenth Century Family''. Hartford, Connecticut: The Stowe-Day Foundation, 1976. * Gatta, John. "The Anglican Aspect of Harriet Beecher Stowe." ''New England Quarterly'' 73.3 (2000): 412–433
online
*Hooker, John. ''Some Reminiscences of a Long Life With a Few Articles On Moral and Social Subjects of Present Interest''. Hartford, Connecticut: Belknap and Warfield, 1899. *McFarland, Philip. ''Loves of Harriet Beecher Stowe''. New York: Grove Press, 2007. . Her "loves" are husband Calvin, father Lyman, and brother Henry. *Rugoff, Milton. ''The Beechers: An American Family in the Nineteenth Century''. New York: Harper & Row, 1981
online review
*Stowe, Lyman Beecher. ''Saints, Sinners and Beechers''. Indianapolis, Indiana: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1934. *Van Why, Joseph S. ''Nook Farm''. Hartford, Connecticut: The Stowe-Day Foundation, 1975.


External links



€”an exhibit at the William and Anita Newman Library curated by Professor Sandra Roff, Archivist/Reference Librarian
Beecher-Stowe family Papers.Schlesinger Library
, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. * {{Cite Appletons', wstitle=Beecher, Lyman, year=1900, author=Charles Rollin Brainard , short=x , notaref=x Political families of the United States