Ohio Patriots & Pioneers Series 427 John Beckett #ohiohistory #genealogy #ohiogenealogy

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]Ohio, Patriots and Pioneer Series, 427.

[00:00:04]John Beckett was born September 15th, 1755 in County Antrim, Ireland. He came to Pennsylvania before the Revolution and volunteered at Bedford Cove in September 1776, serving as an ensign under Captain Thomas Paxton and Colonel George Woods.

[00:00:21]He joined General Putnam's Brigade to protect frontier settlers from Indian raids and Hessian scouts. His company marched to Frankstown and Princeton, New Jersey, where he helped guard picket posts along the Meriton River.

[00:00:35]In 1777, he again volunteered under Captains James Shelby and Thomas Blair, guiding pack horses and scouting in the Laurel Hill region.

[00:00:45]He recounted killing one raider with the breach of his gun, a rare first-hand frontier fight. Altogether, he served six months as an ensign in the Pennsylvania militia.

[00:00:56]After the war, Beckett moved west, settling in Butler County, Ohio, where he lived for 21 years. His pension was granted in 1833 at $20 per year under the Act of June 7th, 1832.

[00:01:10]He died April 22nd, 1843, aged 87, and was buried in Brookside Cemetery at Westchester, Ohio.

[00:01:18]County records remember him simply as a revolutionary soldier born in Ireland.

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