type_Document_Title_here
BECKETT, Neva Agnes
Submitted by: David Myers
My sources for the following information were the 1850,1860, 1900 census,
the series of Books of Belmont Co. marriages located in the St.
Clairsville library, and several family genealogies contributed by Bill
Beckett of New Jersey, Sarah Harding of Canton, Ohio, and Rhoda Miller
of Bellaire.
I am the grandson of Neva Agnes Beckett born on Sept. 7, 1891 to John
William Becket and Sarah Armida Piper in Smith Twp. Neva died in Canton
Ohio at the age of 100 years in Sept. 1981. She left me with a few
stories of growing up farms in southeastern Smith Twp. and northeastern
Washington Twp.
Grandma, told of a Miles Hart who called her father on the telephone
to tell that an automobile was traveling down the road from Centerville
toward Armstrong Mills. The first automobile seen in that area, she
recalled it was about 1898. They lived several times during her
childhood in an old log house that was on the Beckett farm, then owned
by an uncle Beckett. Neva was babtized with Delay Fitch and her
brother in a creek. She also told of how her mother would send her to
the store in Centerville with a basket of eggs to exchange for some
groceries. Some of the families decided to move to Missouri, Granny
Street was too old to go and was left with in-laws.
Later on her father moved to Steubenville and went to work for the
railroad. Neva graduated from high school and became a nurse getting
her training at the Martins Ferry Hospital. She became friends with
Edith Leeper there. Years later her friend Edith and Neva married two
cousins named Puncheon.
I believe that Edith's husband became a doctor in Brilliant and Neva and
William Puncheon opened a store in Canton. She lived in Canton since
the mid 1920's but she always remembered the farm in Belmont County and
she tried to pass a glimpse of that part of her life along to all her
children and grandchildren.
As I said before Neva was the first born of John William Beckett and
Sarah Armida Piper. Johns' father was Thomas Beckett who married Mary
E. Weekly. Sarah's parents were Nathaniel Piper who married Elizabeth
Lucy Mobley. All four of these grandparents of Neva have early ties to
Smith Twp.
Thomas Beckett was born accoss the Ohio river in Marshall Co. Va.
(W.Va.post 1863). Thomas's father was William Beckett born in Belmont
Co. on 24 Dec 1815. This is listed in the Mormon Church I.G.I. records
and it states that he is the son of William (Humphrey) and Rachel
Becket. The 1820 Census shows that Humphrey and Rachel have three boys
under age 10 and three girls under the age of 10 as well as one girl age
10 to 16. That census also lists both Rachel and Humphrey as between
age 26 and 45 and there is one female over age 45 living with them.
Possibly this person is one of their mothers.
I find it unique that in Smith Twp. some of the same family names
still appear on the farms as they did almost 200 years ago. I believe
that the original Humphrey Beckett farm is still in the possesion of a
Beckett and there are Pipers, Ramseys,Lucas, Mobley's and Weekley's
still in that area today as well.
My name is David Myers of 403 Glenwood S.W. North Canton, Ohio 44720
Return to Biography Index | | Return to Belmont County Home Page