JACOB BEAL, son of John and Catharine (Kimball) Beal, was b. in Plainfield Dec. 16, 1815, the youngest of twelve children. He remained at home until of age, when he went to Mass. and was employed by his brother, George, on a steamboat running from Boston to Hingham. In 1848, at the age of 33, he returned to Plainfield, where he m. , Charlotte Read, dau. of Septimus and Betsey (Chapman) Read. She d. June 20, 1877. In 1879 he came to Cornish, where he spent the remainder of his life. On Jan. 22, of that year, he m. Mrs. Hattie C. (Batchelder) Chase, wid. of Henry S. Chase. She d. Dec. 25, 1881. On Feb. 14, 1883, he m. Mrs. Ellen L. (Chapman) Jackson of Cornish, wid. of Newton Jackson. Both in Plainfield and Cornish he served as selectman and also filled various other positions of trust and took a lively interest in the tour of his adoption. “Was a man of strong common sense, excellent judgment, strict integrity and unsullied honor.” He d. Oct. 14, 1898. Buried in Plainfield. Children, all by first wife and b. in Plainfield:
1. EMMA LUTHERA, b. March 7. 1851. Res. in Scituate, Mass.; unm.
ii. EFFIE READ, b. March 17, 1853; m. Nov. 1876, Lincoln Chapman of Cornish. Four children. (See Chapman.) She d. July 6, 1888.
iii. JOHN WHEELER, b. Feb. 24, 1855; m. June 26, 1883, Lillian E. York of Cornish, dau. of John Q. and Esther (Corliss) York, b. April 23, 1860. One child, John Harland, b. Aug. 19, 1888.