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Joseph Boggs Beale and Betsy Ross

betsy ross story

This is how i'm related to Betsy Ross.

Summary

Betsy Ross's sister was Joseph Boggs Beale's grandmother. Joseph Boggs Beale is my great-great-uncle.

Details

betsy ross story

  • Sarah Donaldson Grisom 1745-? was the sister of Betsy's Ross 1752-1836. (They had a big family of 14 brothers and sisters.)
  • Sarah (Donaldson Griscom Lowndes) McCord 1779-1854 was the child of William Donaldson 1748-1789 (lost at sea) and Sarah Donaldson Grisom.
  • Louise Boggs McCord 1815-1887 was the child of David McCord 1772-1850 (2nd wife) Sarah (Donaldson Griscom Lowndes) McCord
  • Joseph Boggs Beale 1841-1926 was the child of Stephen Thomas Beale 1814-1899 and Louise Boggs McCord
  • Joseph Boggs Beale married Marie Louise Taffart 1868-? who is the sister of my great-great-grandmom Elizabeth Toffart Vicent 1836-1900 (may be Taffart-I've seen it both ways).
  • Amelia Leary Vicent 1867-1925 was a child of Alexander Vicent 1831-1920 and Elizabeth Toffart Vicent
  • Anna E Leary Kee was a child of Thomas A Leary and Amelia Leary Vincent
  • Anna is my grandmom...

Explained another way

  • My grandmom's mother was Amelia Vincent.
  • Amelia's mother was Elizabeth Toffart.
  • Elizabeth's sister was Marie Louise Taffart.
  • Marie Louise married Joseph Boggs Beale (I am once removed because related by this marriage).
  • Joseph's mother was Louise Boggs McCord.
  • Louise's mother was Sarah Donaldson Grisom.
  • Sarah's sister was Betsy Ross.

According to the traditional account, the original flag was made in June 1776, when a small committee – including George Washington, Robert Morris and relative George Ross – visited Betsy and discussed the need for a new American flag. It was said that George Washington asked Betsy for 6 pointed stars but Betsy talked him into 5 pointed stars because they looked better and were easier to make. She also was (supposedly) the first person to come up with the phrase the "United States Of America". While describing the flag as the stars symbolizing each state she called them the "The United Stars of America" and George took it from there.

Another side note is that Joseph Boggs Beale was famous for making illustrations of Magic Lantern slides which was used to project images on screens, thus being involved with the beginnings of film making. He was known as 'The Professor' in Philadelphia because he was a teacher down by the art museum. He was also friends with several presidents including Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant and James Garfield (two of which were assassinated). Supposedly around 1876, sone of these preseidents asked him to create a stamp version of the 'spirit of 76' to celebrate the 100th anniversary of freedom and from what i've read, the stamp illustration version become more popular than the painting.

In the Museum of Art (Philadelphia) it says Joseph is the great-nephew of Betsy Ross and since I would consider him to be my great-great-uncle, I think that would make Betsy Ross my great-great-great-great-great-aunt, give or take a great or two.