Pictured is Squire Beasley’s home in Aberdeen as it looks today (1984)

Pictured is Squire Beasley’s home in Aberdeen as it looks today (1984)

(By Stephen Kelley from the People’s Defender 1984)

As we stated in an earlier column, for the next several weeks we are going to travel up Zane’s Trace beginning at Aberdeen and ending in Sinking Spring. As we begin our journey, one of the first historic landmarks encountered is located in Aberdeen on Zane’s Trace at its intersection with New Street. This is the old pre-Civil War brick home of Squire Massie Beasley. Currently being restored, this fine old structure was the site of thousands of marriages performed by the squire between 1870 and 1892.

In last week’s article we wrote that Aberdeen was well known in the 19th Century as the Gretna Green of Ohio. From 1822 to 1870 Squire Thomas Shelton married over four thousand couples, all of whom had no license. Upon the Squire’s death in 1870, Massie Beasley stepped into Shelton’s shoes and continued the tradition of uniting eloping couples looking for someone to marry them with no questions asked or license required.

Whereas Shelton (“the Old Squire”) had become famous for marrying thousands, Beasley (“the Squire of Aberdeen”) became even more reknown for uniting over twenty thousand couples! Even more remarkable was the fact that Beasley performed his many marriages in a twenty-two years span whereas Shelton’s took place over a forty eight year time period.

Both men were in the marriage business for profit. According to one source, “Squire Beasley would accept nothing but cash as a marriage fee, his business motto being; “No money, no marry”. The price stipulated (before the ceremonies of course) was always a big figure. Squire Beasley was a shrewd observer, and the amount fixed by him usually corresponded pretty accurately with the wallet of the bridegroom.”

Beasley’s ceremonies were slightly longer than Shelton’s and went as follows: “My young friends, marriage is a solemn contract of plighted faith in holy wedlock, which is to last during your natural lives, as nothing but death shall sever your marriage vows. You will now please “jine” your right hands. Do you both by virtue of your marriage vows pledge to each other your plighted faith in holy wedlock, to live, love ,honor and obey each other as dutiful husband and wife, thereby forsaking all others and living each other alone till it shall please Almighty God in his providence to separate you both by death? To this do you both agree? (Answer) Inasmuch as you have plighted your faith in hold wedlock the same being witnessed by an All-wise God and this audience here present you may now legally and lawfully acknowledge yourselves as husband and wife. Take your seats.”

Following Beasley’s death in 1892, at least three other Aberdeen residents attempted to succeed him in his lucrative trade. However, enough was enough and the State of Ohio began the practice of finding individuals performing marriages between couples with no licenses. By the turn of the century, the Gretna Green of Ohio had become a fond memory and took its place in Ohio’s lore and legend.