The Burrowing Beadles

While researching to find more information about the Okey Clan, I discovered a few more names to add to the list; (an extra 19 names, including children). We knew already that Mrs Wordsmith's great-great grandfather, John Sharp OKEY, married Elizabeth BEADLE. We also were aware of her father and grandfather (great-great-great grandfather Thomas BEADLE, b 1815; and great-great-great-great grandfather John BEADLE, b. 1788). I am pleased to add great-great-great-great-great grandfather Joseph BEADLE, b. 1757, his wife Nancy WALTON and 8 more kids, including John; and great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather, another John b. 1722, and half-a-dozen kids including Joseph. The BEADLE name and its numerous variations appears to have originated in Yorkshire, and nearby Middleton-in-Teesdale, Durham became a stronghold of Beadles for many generations. It seems that most of them were miners in the lead, coal and ironstone mines. Both John Jnr and his dad Joseph married women from the WALTON family.

BEADLE is an interesting name. A beadle was originally a minor parish official in the Church of England who acted as an usher and kept order as a constable. One interesting beadle in literature was Mr Bumble the poor-house supervisor in Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist". Beadles settled in America as early as 1608 before the "Mayflower" arrived. A later real-life character was George Wells BEADLE, an American, who shared the Nobel Prize for his work in Genetics. We have no evidence that Mrs W. is directly related to any of these literary or foreign characters.