Originating in

New England New England is a region comprising 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 Can ...

, one particular Beecher family in the 19th century was a political family notable for issues of religion, civil rights, and social reform. Notable members of the family include clergy ( Congregationalists), educators, authors and artists. Many of the family were

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

-educated and advocated for abolitionism,

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...

, and

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and 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 centuries. In some countries, ...

. Some of the family provided material or ideological support to the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. The family is of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

descent. Locations named after persons of this family include:

Beecher, Illinois Beecher is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. It is located on the old Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad and the Dixie Highway. Situated in the center of Washington Township, it was originally named Washington Center. Named ...

, 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 abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery trial. His r ...

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 conflict ...

, named after Lt. Fredrick H. Beecher.

History

The American Beecher family began with John Beecher from

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, England. Along with his wife and son Isaac, the Beechers embarked with a company of emigrants and arrived in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

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 purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

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 in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

. 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 Lyman Beecher (October 12, 1775 – January 10, 1863) was a Presbyterian minister, and the father of 13 children, many of whom became noted figures, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Ward Beecher, Charles Beecher, Edward Beecher, Isabella B ...
(1775-1863)

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister,

American Temperance Society The American Temperance Society (ATS), also known as the American Society for the Promotion of Temperance, was a society established on February 13, 1826, in Boston, Massachusetts. Within five years there were 2,220 local chapters in the U.S. wit ...

co-founder and leader. Beecher was born in

, 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

, 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 Lane Seminary, sometimes called Cincinnati Lane Seminary, and later renamed Lane Theological Seminary, was a Presbyterian theological college that operated from 1829 to 1932 in Walnut Hills, Ohio, today a neighborhood in Cincinnati. Its campus ...

, in Cincinnati.

Catharine Esther Beecher (1800–1878)

American educator known for her forthright opinions on

female education Female education is a catch-all term of 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 girl ...

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 ce ...

into children's education.

William Henry Beecher William Henry Beecher (January 15, 1802 – June 23, 1889) was a dyspeptic minister who was called "The Unlucky" because misfortune attended all his ventures. Beecher Family William Beecher was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the eldest son of t ...
(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 movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

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 volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U ...

'' (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 northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

, energizing anti-slavery forces in the

American North The Northern United States, commonly referred to as the American North, the Northern States, or simply the North, is a geographical or historical region of the United States. History Early history Before the 19th century westward expansion, the " ...

, while provoking widespread anger in the South. 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 abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery trial. His r ...
(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 movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery trial. Henry attended Amherst College in 1834 and

in 1837 before serving as a minister in Indianapolis and

Lawrenceburg, Indiana Lawrenceburg is a city in Dearborn County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,042 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat and largest city of Dearborn County. Lawrenceburg is in southeast Indiana, on the Ohio River west of Cinc ...

Charles Beecher Charles Beecher (October 1, 1815 – April 21, 1900) was an American minister, composer of religious hymns and a prolific author. Early life Beecher was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, the fifth child of Lyman Beecher, an abolitionist Congr ...
(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 ''hy ...

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 v ...

movement.

Thomas Kinnicut Beecher Thomas Kinnicut Beecher (February 10, 1824 - March 14, 1900) was a Congregationalist preacher and the principal of several schools. As a Congregational minister, his father took the family from Beecher's birthplace of Litchfield, Connecticut, to ...
(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 boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town. There are also three unincorpora ...

, Boston, Massachusetts,

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wi ...

, and Elmira, New York. There is a memorial statue built in Elmira, where he spent much of his life. He was a close friend of Mark Twain and married him to Olivia Langdon.

James Chaplin Beecher (1828–1886)

American Congregationalist minister and colonel for the Union Army during the

Notable members

Thomas Clap Perkins Thomas Clap Perkins (July 29, 1798 – October 11, 1870) was an American lawyer and politician. Perkins was born in Hartford, Connecticut., July 29, 1798. His father was Enoch Perkins, Esq, of Hartford, and his mother, Anna Pitkin, was a daughte ...
(1798–1870)

American lawyer and politician.

Frederic Beecher Perkins Frederic Beecher Perkins (27 September 1828 – 27 January 1899) was an American editor, writer, and librarian. He was a member of the Beecher family, a prominent 19th-century American religious family. Early life Frederic Beecher Perkins was b ...
(1828-1899)

American editor, writer, and librarian.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman Charlotte 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, advocate for social reform, and eugenicist. She w ...
(1860-1935)

American feminist, sociologist, novelist, writer of

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one 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 oldest t ...

, poetry, and nonfiction, and a lecturer for

social reform A reform movement or 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 move ...

. 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 autobiographical novel is a form of novel using autofiction techniques, or the merging of autobiographical and fictive elements. The literary technique is distinguished from an autobiography or memoir by the stipulation of being fiction. ...

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 Postpartum psychosis, also known as puerperal psychosis, involves the abrupt onset of severe mental illness shortly following childbirth. While symptoms of postpartum psychosis have long been observed in mothers, the phenomenon eventually came t ...

Family tree

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

Descendants of Lyman Beecher

Lyman Beecher Lyman Beecher (October 12, 1775 – January 10, 1863) was a Presbyterian minister, and the father of 13 children, many of whom became noted figures, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Ward Beecher, Charles Beecher, Edward Beecher, Isabella B ...

(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 William Henry Beecher (January 15, 1802 – June 23, 1889) was a dyspeptic minister who was called "The Unlucky" because misfortune attended all his ventures. Beecher Family William Beecher was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the eldest son of t ...

(1802–1889), a Congregational minister in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, New York, and

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

Edward Beecher Edward Beecher D.D. (August 27, 1803 – July 28, 1895) was an American theologian, the son of Lyman Beecher and the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry Ward Beecher. Biography Beecher was born August 27, 1803, in East Hampton, New York. ...

(1803–1895) helped organize Illinois' first anti-slavery society,

graduate; married Isabella Jones **Mary Foote Beecher (1805–1900), married

Thomas Clap Perkins Thomas Clap Perkins (July 29, 1798 – October 11, 1870) was an American lawyer and politician. Perkins was born in Hartford, Connecticut., July 29, 1798. His father was Enoch Perkins, Esq, of Hartford, and his mother, Anna Pitkin, was a daughte ...

(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 Frederic Beecher Perkins (27 September 1828 – 27 January 1899) was an American editor, writer, and librarian. He was a member of the Beecher family, a prominent 19th-century American religious family. Early life Frederic Beecher Perkins was b ...

(1828-1899), library director in

Boston, MA Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most ...

and

San Francisco, CA San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, 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 Charles Walter Stetson (March 25, 1858 – July 21, 1911) was an American artist often described as a "colorist" for his rich use of color. Life Stetson was born in Tiverton Four Corners, Rhode Island on March 25, 1858. His father was a Baptis ...

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 Edward Everett Hale (April 3, 1822 – June 10, 1909) was an American author, historian, and Unitarian minister, best known for his writings such as " The Man Without a Country", published in '' Atlantic Monthly'', in support of the Union ...

in 1852 and had eight sons and one daughter,

Ellen Day Hale Ellen Day Hale (February 11, 1855February 11, 1940) was an American Impressionism, Impressionist painter and printmaker from Boston. She studied art in Paris and during her adult life lived in Paris, London and Boston. She exhibited at the Paris S ...

(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)

graduate, m. Sarah Buckingham in 1837 ** Harriet Elizabeth Beecher (1811–1896), wrote

; 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 **

(1813–1887), married Eunice White Bullard (1812–1897) in 1837; namesake of

***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 Charles Beecher (October 1, 1815 – April 21, 1900) was an American minister, composer of religious hymns and a prolific author. Early life Beecher was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, the fifth child of Lyman Beecher, an abolitionist Congr ...

(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 elements of the United States Army and several of the Plains Native American tribes in September 1868. Beecher Island, on the Arikaree Rive ...

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 John Hooker may refer to: *John Hooker (English constitutionalist) (c. 1527–1601), English writer, solicitor, antiquary, civic administrator and advocate of republican government *John Lee Hooker (1912–2001), American blues singer-songwriter an ...

(1816–1901) in 1841 **

Thomas Kinnicut Beecher Thomas Kinnicut Beecher (February 10, 1824 - March 14, 1900) was a Congregationalist preacher and the principal of several schools. As a Congregational minister, his father took the family from Beecher's birthplace of Litchfield, Connecticut, to ...

(1824–1900), a Congregational minister in Elmira, New York, married Olivia Day (1826–1853), the daughter of the president of Yale,

Jeremiah Day Jeremiah Day (August 3, 1773 – August 22, 1867) was an American academic, a Congregational minister and President of Yale College (1817–1846). Early life Day was the son of Rev. Jeremiah and Abigail (Noble) Osborn Day, who were descendant ...

, in 1851, and after her untimely death married her cousin Frances Juliana Jones (1826–1905), one of the granddaughters of

Noah Webster Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible ( Book of Genesis, chapters 5� ...

, in 1857. ** James Chaplin Beecher (1828–1886), colonel of the 35th United States Colored Troops.

Gallery

Image:Lyman Beecher - Brady-Handy.jpg,

(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,

(1803–1895) Image:Beecher-Stowe.jpg, Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–1896) Image:RevHWBeech.jpg,

(1813–1887) Image:CharlesBeecher.jpg,

(1815–1900) Image:Isabella Beecher Hooker.jpg,

Isabella Beecher Hooker Isabella Beecher Hooker (February 22, 1822 – January 25, 1907) was a leader, lecturer and social activist in the American suffragist movement. Early life Isabella Holmes Beecher was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, the fifth child and secon ...

(1822–1907) Image:Thomas Kinnicut Beecher.jpg,

Thomas K. Beecher Thomas Kinnicut Beecher (February 10, 1824 - March 14, 1900) was a Congregationalist preacher and the principal of several schools. As a Congregational minister, his father took the family from Beecher's birthplace of Litchfield, Connecticut, to ...

(1824-1900) Image:James Beecher - HBS.jpg, James Chaplin Beecher (1828-1886) Image:Frederic Beecher Perkins.jpg,

(1828-1899) Image:Charlotte Perkins Gilman c. 1900.jpg,

Charlotte Perkins Gilman Charlotte 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, advocate for social reform, and eugenicist. She w ...

(1860–1935) File:ClareKummer1917.tif, Clare Beecher Kummer (1873–1958), granddaughter of Edward Beecher

References

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