Alexander Beck
The Early Settlers of the West End (1630 – 1645): Alexander Beck, Laborer
Alexander Beck was a laborer who owned land near Emerson Place in the present-day West End. He was married to a woman named Mary before being widowed in 1639. Beck went on to get married a second time to Elizabeth Hinds. Before being married he was engaged to Joyce Brad Wicke. Upon annulling their engagement, Joyce was charged a fine of 20 shillings for not fulfilling her part of the agreement. In 1635, Alexander was granted 8 acres of land. He made a living working for the “muddy river” and had 5 children.
The Early Settlers of the West End (1630 – 1645) is a series of articles covering the surviving records of the earliest landowners in the West End.
Article by Mia Sager, edited by Sebastian Belfanti
Source: Annie Haven Thwing; The Crooked and Narrow Streets of the town of Boston; Thwing Database, accessed at the Massachusetts Historical Society archives; Samuel Chester Clough Research Materials Toward a Topographical History of Boston
