Arthur Noah Bean

Arthur, his siblings, and his wife were part of the nomadic, reactive Gilded Generation. His parents were part of the idealistic Transcendental Generation. His daughter was part of the adaptive Progressive Generation.

Year by year in the life of Arthur Noah Bean
The early life of Arthur Noah Bean in its historical context
The middle years of Arthur Noah Bean in their historical context
The later years of Arthur Noah Bean in their historical context

Descent chart

Birth of Arthur Noah Bean
Born: 13 March 1824
Birthplace: Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts
Parents
Father: Levi Bean, 1794-1870 (our ancestor), from Sandwich, Carroll County, New Hampshire, and Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts
Mother: Mary Phelps, 1802-1866 (our ancestor), from Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts
Siblings
Brother: Samuel Bean
Married UNKNOWN Hurd
Brother: Henry Bean
Sister: Mary E. Bean
Sister: Abigail Bean
married Albert Taylor
Spouses and children
Wife 1: Caroline Elizabeth Stickney, 1824-1853 (our ancestor)
(daughter of Abraham Stickney IV, 1787-1839 and Mary Beard Stickney, 1789-1824
[our ancestors]
from Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts)
Married 6 March 1847
in Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Daughter: Laura Caroline Bean, 1848-1911 (our ancestor)
No information on any other children(1)

Mary Caroline Findley Edmands recorded in her diary for 4 January 1965: "Eleanor Tucker 53-- Sent her Grammy Bean's spoons that were Helen Higgins and Paul gave them to me after she died. Eleanor was always a favorite of Grammy's." Eleanor Ramsdell Tucker (born 4 January 1912) was Mary's niece, the daughter of Mary's sister, Susie Catherine Findley Ramsdell (1881-1932), and the diary entry was on Eleanor's 53rd birthday. "Grammy Bean" was M. Abigail Bean (1834-1921), the stepmother of Mary and Susie's mother, Laura Caroline Bean Findley, 1848-1911. From Mary's diary entry for 22 August 1952: "Wrote to Eleanor and sent her picture of Grammy Bean, Aunt Annie and Mrs Gray on back steps of G. Bean's house on Wash. ave. [presumably in Andover, MA]." Helen [maiden name unknown] Higgins died in Dexter, ME, 20 September 1951; her husband was Paul Higgins. Paul was 6 years younger than Mary, and we can assume that Paul and Helen were about the same age. From this we can infer that Helen and Mary were first cousins, both grandchildren of Arthur Noah Bean. We cannot yet determine which of Arthur's three wives would have been Helen's biological grandmother:

1. Caroline Elizabeth Stickney Bean, 1824-1853, who was Mary's grandmother and Laura's mother and who died at the age of 29 when Laura was only 5;
2. Mary A. D. Bean (1827-1866), who was probably 27 years old when she married Arthur and died at the age of 39; or
3. M. Abigail Bean (1834-1921), "Grammy Bean," who might have been as young as 32 when she married Arthur, was 68 when he died, and lived to the age of 87.

Helen must have been the daughter of one of Arthur's children, a sibling or half-sibling of Laura Caroline Bean Findley.
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[ Grammy Bean (?) ]

Grammy Bean ? (Note)

This "picture of Grammy Bean" actually had no identification. It was part of the possessions of Mary Caroline Findley Edmands, passed on to her daughter (Ethel) Jean Edmands Weeks, b. 1909, who in turn passed it on to me, Allan Christie Edmands II, b. 1942. My Aunt Jean was unable to identify who is in this picture. I have tentatively identified it as that of Grammy Bean, only because of the warm references in my grandmother's diaries to "Grammy Bean," her own step-grandmother. Another possibility would be Fannie Cummerford (Findley), 1860-1949, widow of Richard Findley and sister-in-law of William Fremont Findley, 1855-1921 (Arthur's son-in-law and our ancestor), who was my grandmother's "Aunt Fannie," also referred to warmly in the diaries. Or the picture could be of someone else entirely.
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(Click to enlarge)

 Wife 2: Mary A. D.
b. 1827 (or August 1826?), d. 17 February 1866
Married between 1854 and 1866
No information on any children from this union(1)

Mary Caroline Findley Edmands recorded in her diary for 4 January 1965: "Eleanor Tucker 53-- Sent her Grammy Bean's spoons that were Helen Higgins and Paul gave them to me after she died. Eleanor was always a favorite of Grammy's." Eleanor Ramsdell Tucker (born 4 January 1912) was Mary's niece, the daughter of Mary's sister, Susie Catherine Findley Ramsdell (1881-1932), and the diary entry was on Eleanor's 53rd birthday. "Grammy Bean" was M. Abigail Bean (1834-1921), the stepmother of Mary and Susie's mother, Laura Caroline Bean Findley, 1848-1911. From Mary's diary entry for 22 August 1952: "Wrote to Eleanor and sent her picture of Grammy Bean, Aunt Annie and Mrs Gray on back steps of G. Bean's house on Wash. ave. [presumably in Andover, MA]." Helen [maiden name unknown] Higgins died in Dexter, ME, 20 September 1951; her husband was Paul Higgins. Paul was 6 years younger than Mary, and we can assume that Paul and Helen were about the same age. From this we can infer that Helen and Mary were first cousins, both grandchildren of Arthur Noah Bean. We cannot yet determine which of Arthur's three wives would have been Helen's biological grandmother:

1. Caroline Elizabeth Stickney Bean, 1824-1853, who was Mary's grandmother and Laura's mother and who died at the age of 29 when Laura was only 5;
2. Mary A. D. Bean (1827-1866), who was probably 27 years old when she married Arthur and died at the age of 39; or
3. M. Abigail Bean (1834-1921), "Grammy Bean," who might have been as young as 32 when she married Arthur, was 68 when he died, and lived to the age of 87.

Helen must have been the daughter of one of Arthur's children, a sibling or half-sibling of Laura Caroline Bean Findley.
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Wife 3: M. Abigail ("Grammy Bean")
b. 1834, d. 1921 (in Andover, Massachusetts)
Married 1866 or later
No information on any children from this union(1)

Mary Caroline Findley Edmands recorded in her diary for 4 January 1965: "Eleanor Tucker 53-- Sent her Grammy Bean's spoons that were Helen Higgins and Paul gave them to me after she died. Eleanor was always a favorite of Grammy's." Eleanor Ramsdell Tucker (born 4 January 1912) was Mary's niece, the daughter of Mary's sister, Susie Catherine Findley Ramsdell (1881-1932), and the diary entry was on Eleanor's 53rd birthday. "Grammy Bean" was M. Abigail Bean (1834-1921), the stepmother of Mary and Susie's mother, Laura Caroline Bean Findley, 1848-1911. From Mary's diary entry for 22 August 1952: "Wrote to Eleanor and sent her picture of Grammy Bean, Aunt Annie and Mrs Gray on back steps of G. Bean's house on Wash. ave. [presumably in Andover, MA]." Helen [maiden name unknown] Higgins died in Dexter, ME, 20 September 1951; her husband was Paul Higgins. Paul was 6 years younger than Mary, and we can assume that Paul and Helen were about the same age. From this we can infer that Helen and Mary were first cousins, both grandchildren of Arthur Noah Bean. We cannot yet determine which of Arthur's three wives would have been Helen's biological grandmother:

1. Caroline Elizabeth Stickney Bean, 1824-1853, who was Mary's grandmother and Laura's mother and who died at the age of 29 when Laura was only 5;
2. Mary A. D. Bean (1827-1866), who was probably 27 years old when she married Arthur and died at the age of 39; or
3. M. Abigail Bean (1834-1921), "Grammy Bean," who might have been as young as 32 when she married Arthur, was 68 when he died, and lived to the age of 87.

Helen must have been the daughter of one of Arthur's children, a sibling or half-sibling of Laura Caroline Bean Findley.
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Other information
Occupation: Stablekeeper (Had livery stable on Common Street in Andover)
Religion: No information available
Death of Arthur Noah Bean
Died: 26 January 1902
(age 77 years 10 months 13 days)
Deathplace: Lawrence, Essex County, Massachusetts
Burial place: West Parish Cemetery, Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts
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Sources on Arthur Noah Bean:

  • Wendy Edmands Pearson, in her research for membership in the Colonial Dames;
    Wendy has M. Abigail as wife 2 and Mary A. D. as wife 3
  • Mary Caroline Findley Edmands, 1887-1970, in her research for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution. From her diary for 25 February 1953: "The fire in the Moose hall the other day on Common St. was in the building where Grandpa Bean had his livery stable."
  • Mary Anna Hawes Edmands Ashbrook, 1917-1992, in her compilation of Mary Caroline Findley Edmands's research. She quoted the City Clerk's Records of Lawrence, MA, about Arthur: "Died in Lawrence, Jan. 26, 1902, Arthur N. Bean, aged 76 years [not 77 years], 10 months and 16 days [not 13 days], born in Andover, Mass., the son of Levi Bean who was born in Sandwich, N.H. and his wife Mary Phelps who was born in Andover, Mass.; interment in West Parish Cemetery, West Andover."

    Mary Ashbrook cited the tombstone inscriptions at West Parish Cemetery, Andover, Mass.:
    "Arthur N. Bean 1824-1902."
    "Caroline E. Wife of Arthur N. Died Dec. 24, 1853, age 29 years."
    "Mary A. D. Bean Wife of Arthur N. Died Feb. 17, 1866, age 39 years."
    "M. Abigail Bean Wife of Arthur N. 1834-1921"

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