WILLIAM N. BEBOUT, a worthy representative of the prosperous native-born agriculturists of Washington county, first saw the light of day in Amwell township February 19, 1820. The family are of Holland-Dutch descent. Ebenezer Bebout, grandfather of William N. was for a short time a resident of Washington county, and died in New Jersey. Beden Bebout, father of our subject, was born April 5,1773, in Sussex County, N.J., and came to Washington county. Penn., in 1788, accompanied by his brothers Moses, Peter, Ebenezer, and Lewis; Moses and Beden were tailors by trade, the others masons. Bedon was married September 25, 1794, to Margaret daughter of William Nemons, and thirteen children were born to them, of whom the following is a brief record: Letitia, born August 25 1795, married J. Fitzwilliams, and died at the age of ninety-five years; Abigail, born January 9, 1797 married J. Huston; Naomi, born October l6, 1798 married J. McDonald; Elizabeth, born September 28,1800; Isabella, born December 1, 1802, married J. Jolly; Moses, who was a member of the "Washington Blues" born November 25, 1805, died in 1888, aged eighty-three years; Christian, born January 31, 1808, married W. Gilbert; William born August 1, 1810, died young; Margaret born November 18, 1811, married Richard Jolly; Alexander, born November 24, 1813; Jane, born September 4, 1815; married Cephas Bane; Alexander born April 19, 1818; William N (our subject is the youngest, and the only survivor of this large family. In 1795 Beden Bebout bought the home farm which his son, William N., now owns, paying therefor $5 per acre, and here he passed the rest of his busy life, dying February 20, 1867, at the age of ninety-five years. After he commenced farming, he continued his trade for several years during the winter months, visiting the several farm houses in the neighborbood, as was the custom in those days. His wife spun and wove linen from flax raised on the farm; which he would take to Baltimore to sell or trade, and our subject was twenty-one years old before he wore clothes made of any other material. The mother's old spinning wheel and reel are still in the possession of William N. For along time Mr. Bebout had to bring salt in bags all the way from Cumberland, Penn. Mrs. Bebout died May 22, 1841, at the age of sixty-four years.
William N Bebout, whose name opens this biographical memoir, attended the subscription schools of the neighborhood and did his full share in the labors of the home farm for several years. On September 25, 1845, he married Susan Bebout, whose grandfather was a second cousin of his grandfather. She is a daughter of Peter Bebout who married Isabel Cooper, in Ohio, and in 1823, came to Washington county, settling in North Strabane township, where the father died in April, 1860, at the age of seventy years. He was a native of New Jersey, and came to Pennsylvania at the same time as did Beden Bebout; and was a soldier in the War of 1812. His wife passed from life in March, 1888. After their marriage Mr. and Mts. Bebout lived fifteen years on the old farm, then ten years in Franklin township, but sold out and moved to Marion county, W. Va., where they bought a farm and passed eight years of their lives. This property they sold, and, returning to Washington County, made their home in Buffalo township until 1888, in which year they moved into the borough, buying their present comfortable house, which is situated on East Bean street. Their union has been blessed with ten children: Alexander, a resident of Fairmont, W. Va.; Isabel, deceased at the age of four years; Margaret J., wife of Lee Barnes, in Washington, Penn.; Elizabeth, wife of Franklin Arneth, Marion, W Va,; Frank J. on the farm of 300 acres in Buffalo township; Nettie, wife of George Ritchey, Morgan County, Ohio; Thomas M., on the old farm in Amwell township; Ida, wife of Theodore Bell, Morristownship; and Beden, who died of blood poisoning, at the age of twenty-one years, and when he was about to be admitted to the practice of medicine. Mr. Bebout in his religious connections is a member of the Second Presbyterian Church; politically he is a Democrat, and has served his township in various offices of trust. Mr. Bebout and his wife have been blessed with good health all their lives, and have together shared life's joys and sorrows for almost half a century. Before closing this memoir it may not be out of place to state that Mr. Bebout was an eye-witness to the execution of "KID", the negro slave, who had run for his liberty into Pennnylvania, but was overtaken and captured by his owner, who proceeded to take him back South. Rather than return to a Life of slavery, "Kid" slew his master, and for this act he was hanged.
Text taken from page 357 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed February 1997 by Tawna Brown of Dallas, TX as part of the Beers Project.
Published January 1997 on the Washington County, PA pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]