An American Family History

Ninian Beall was born about 1625 in Scotland.

He was in the Scottish army which was defeated at Battle of Dunbar on September 3, 1650. He was exiled and indentured to Richard Hall of Calvert County, Maryland.

Then came Ninian Beall of Calvert County, planter, and proved his right to 50 acres of land for his time in service, as military prisoner, performed with Richard Hall of said county. This servitude which came to him through the fortunes of war was an Honor. (From Liber 2, Folio 195, Maryland Land Office, Jan. 16, 1957)

In 1668, Ninian married Ruth Moore. Ruth was born about 1652. She was the daughter of Richard Moore and Jane Foster. They lived at Bacon Hall Plantation on Patuxent River, three miles south of Marlboro. The Bealls were Presbyterians.

Charles Beall (1672, married Mary Wolstead and Mary Price),
Ninian Beall (1673, married Elizabeth Magruder),
John Beall (1674),
Mary Beall (1676, married Andrew Hambleton),
Rachel Beall (1679, married James Offutt?),
Thomas Beall (1682),
Hannah Beall (1684, married John Deavor),
Jane Beall (1685, maried Archibald Edmonston )
Hester Beall (1687, married Joseph Belt)

On January 16, 1666, Ninian proved his right to the 50 acre The Soldier's Fortune.

On September 20, 1668, he aquired 50 acres, named Bachelors Choice, near Lyon's Creek.

In 1668, he was called referred to as Lieutenant in Saint Mary's City records.

In 1676, he was a lieutenant on Lord Baltimore's yacht, the Loyal Charles.

In 1688, he was involved in the Protestant revolution

.In 1690, he was appointed Naval Officer by the Assembly to collect custom duties in Calvert County

From 1692 to 1694 he was High Sheriff of Calvert County.

In 1694 he was Colonel in Chief of all His Majesty's Forces.

In 1696 he was elected as the first Burgess from newly formed Prince George's County. He was also elected in 1697, 1699, and 1701.

On June 25, 1700, Ninian Beall sold Thomas Prather 56 acres, part of a tract of land called St. Andrews.

In 1703, he patented Rock of Dunbarton.

In 1706 Ninian and Ruth sold the 70 acres of Lewis Poynt in Prince George's County to son Charles.

He died in 1717, aged 92 and was probably buried at Bacon Hall in Prince George's County.

from Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County Pennsylvania, Volume 2
by James Hadden

The American ancestor, Colonel Ninian Beall, came from Scotland in Calvert county, Maryland, in 1655. . .

In Maryland he soon bcame a leader in the military affairs of the province, which fact indicates previous experience in such matters. In 1676 he was commissioned lieutenant of Lord Baltimore's yacht or vessel of war, called the "Loyal Charles of Maryland."

He took an active part in the revolution of 1689 led by Goode, who it is said called Major Ninian Bell his "Argyll", after the great Scotch covenanter. He was appointed major in 1689, and in 1690 was one of twenty-five commissioners for regulating affairs in Maryland until the next meeting of the assembly in 1692 when he was appointed high sheriff of Calvert county. The year following he was designated colonel, and in 1697 was one of the board of commissioners to treat with the Indians.

An act passed in 1699 reads: "An act of gratitude to Colonel Ninian Beall." After reciting his valuable services the act awards "75 pounds sterling to be applied to the purchase of three serviceable negroes."

In this same year he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Rangers. In 1696 he had taken the oath as member of the house of burgesses for Calvert county, and was also the first representative elected for Prince George county.

Although he was an elder of the Presbyterian church he signed a petition in 1696 to the king for the establishment of the Church of England in Maryland. Five years later he donated half an acre of land in Prince George county for "Ye erecting and building of a house for ye service of Almighty God." He always remained a loyal Presbyterian and kept the Presbyterians on the Patuxent together until the arrival of Nathaniel Taylor who came over with a congregation of Scots from Fifeshire in 1690. He was a man of wealth amd

devised to his children many thousands of Maryland's, most fertile acres.His son, Colonel George Beall, inherited part of the tract granted to his father called The Rock of Dumbarton on which the city of Georgetown is built, a town founded by Colonel Ninian Beall. Scharf's History of Maryland states that Colonel Ninian Beall about the year 1678 induced Presbyterians to settle around and upon the locality where the cities of Washington and Georgetown, D. C, now stand.

Colonel Beall died at the age of ninety-two years. He was buried on the home plantation, and when in recent years his remains were removed, owing to the growth of Georgetown, where his home was situated, it was found that he was six feet seven inches in stature and that his Scotch red hair had retained all its fiery hue. . .

He has a distinguished posterity—most of the alliance of children and grandchildren were with Scotch families who had settled in Prince George county, in the part called New Scotland. - Two of his daughters married Magruders; another a Belt; another an Edmondson.

In the name of God, Amen. I, Ninian Beall, of Prince Geroge's County . . .

I bequeath and bestow in the manner following:

Item. I doe give and bequeath unto my son George, my Plantation and tract of land called the Rock of Dumberton, lying and being at Rock Creek, and containing four hundred and eighty acres with all the stock thereon, both cattle and hogs, them and their increase, unto my son George, and unto his heirs forever.

Item. I doe give and bequeath unto my son-in-law, Andrew Hamilton, my negro woman Allie, unto him and heirs forever.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my granddaughter, Mary Beall, the daughter of my son, Ninian Beall, deceased, the one-half part of all movables for personal property of cattle and hogs, hourses, household goods, after my legacies before bequeathed are paid and satisfied, unto her the said Mary Beall, and to her heirs forever.

Item. I give and bequeath to my grandson, Samuel Beall, the remainder part of Bacon Hall, together with the plantation and orchard, tobacco houses thereunto belonging (with this proviso) that when he comes of age of one and twenty, that he make over by a firm conveyance, all his rights and title that he hath unto a certain Tract of Land called Same's beginning on the south side of the road, goeing to Mount Calvert, unto the said Mary and her heirs forever, but if my said grandson should happen to die before the arrive to be at that age, to make over the land so as aforsaid, then I doe my said granddaughter Mary, the whole tract of Bacon Hall, with the houses and orchard thereon, unto her and heirs forever.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my grandson, Samuel Beall, my water-mill lying on the Collington Branch, Iron Work houses, and all other materials thereunto belonging, unto the Samuel and his heirs forever.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my sonn-in-law, Joseph Belt, a part of a tract of land called Good Luck, containing two hundred and forty-five acres, he allowing unto my heirs the sum of four thousand pounds of tobacco, according to our former agreement, he deducting what i dow owe him on his books for several wares and merchandises, to the said Joseph Belt and unto his heirs forever.

Item. Whereas I owe several debts, I dow empower my Trusteees hereafter named, to enable them to pay the same, to sell a certain tract of land, called Recovery, lying and in the freshes of Patuxent River, near the head of the Western Branch, to be sold, it containing four hundred acres, the aforesaid tract of land bequeathed unto my son Belt, is adjdoining thereunto.

Item. I doe give and bequeath unto my son Charles Beall, a book of Bishop Cooper's work, The Acts of the Church and Chronicles of King Charles the First and King Charles the Second, and I doe request and oblige my son Charles and my son George to send for a dozen books entitled An Advice to Young, Old and Middle Age, set for by one Mr. Christopher Ness, these books to be distributed among my grandchildren and godsons.

Item. I give and bequeath to my son Charles, a thousand acres of land, called Dunn Back, lying on the south side of the Great Choptank, on a creek call Watt's Creek, unto him and heirs forever.

And lastly, I doe make, ordain declare and appoint my grandson, Samuel Beall to be my sole and whole executor of this my last will and testament.

And I doe devise my loving son, Charles Beall, Joseph Belt, and George Beall, to doe and perform my devises as above expressed, and to set and doe for my Executor until he arrive at the age of one and twenty, hereby revoking and annulling all other Wills by me at any time heretofore made and signed.

And I doe devise my said sons to use their best care and endeavoar that my two grandchildren, the children of my beloved Ninian Beall, deceased, to be brought up and have Trustees to this my last Will, to make their appearance every Easter Tuesday, or any other time as they shall think a more fitting time, at my dwelling plantation, yearly, to inspect into all the affairs thereof, and of a yearly increase of all the creatures upon my plantation and a the Mill, for and on behalf of my two grandchildren, who are to be joint shares therein, my granddaughter to have her part on the day of her marriage.

In testimony whereof, I have, to this my last Will and Testament, set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord, One Thousand, seven hundred and seventeen. [1717]
Ninian Beall