died aged 61y
his wife died two days later

son of Jonathan Beals (1730-1813) & Abigal (Harlow) Beals

m. Lydia Porter

children: Samuel 1775-1851; Joseph Jr b. 1778-1847; Robert 1780-1844; Lydia L. 1787-1804; Polly 1789-1810; Lovisa b. 1792

"the Mountain Miller"

Deacon Joseph Beals, who will be known through the future ages of the church as the Mountain Miller, was a native of Bridgewater, in this state, and removed with his family to this place in 1779. Here, in 1789, a year of great scarcity, he met with a severe affliction, the loss of his house and nearly all his provisions by a fire. Previous to this, he had been depending on his external morality for salvation, considering a change as uncessary. He now found that he could not truly submit to the will of God, and betook himself to the seeking of his salvation in earnest. After a season of distressing anxiety, the Saviour was pleased to reveal himself to his soul as 'the chief among ten thousand and altogether lovely,' and he suddenly broke forth in new strains of devotion, penitence, and praise, for redeeming love. From this time he consecrated himself to the service of his Saviour, and became distinguished for his meekness and humility, his life of prayer, his exemplary deportment at all times and in all places, particularly in the house of God, his abiding sense of the uncertainty of life and the retributions of eternity, his preciousness to the awakened sinner, his care for the spiritual welfare of his family and of all with whom the providence of God brought him in contact, his perseverance in doing good, and his uniform and consistent piety. 'His conversation would never tire, and it seemed that he was never tired of religious conversation.' He died after a short sickness, July 20, 1813. 'His body,' says the writer of the tract, 'was interred in the grave yard, near his accustomed place of worship, where a plain, iieat marble slab, bearing his name, age, and date of his death, is erected as the only memorial of the Mountain Miller.' A notice of his death was inserted in the county newspaper, with this expressive and appropriate remark: 'His presence animated the Christian and awed the sinner; which would have been his whole recorded story, had not some special indications of Providence convinced the writer of this narrative of his duty to communicate it, for the benefit, he trusts, of thousands. The pious traveller will hereafter delight to visit the place, consecrated by the residence of the Mountain Miller, to drink at the spring by the road side, bursting from the rock and shaded by the two beautiful sugar maples, where he so often drank in passing between his house and mill, and, above all, to linger at the grave of this most devoted servant of the Most High. From this spot flowers have already been culled, and sent to different parts of this country and of Europe."
..[from A gazetteer of Massachusetts: containing descriptions of all the counties...by John Hayward, article originally written by Porter in a history of Plainfield]

Joseph Beals (1752-1813), also called The Mountain Miller, lived a life of trusting in his own righteousness for the salvation of his soul. He was strict with his family and townspeople thought he was blameless. After loosing his house to a fire, he consecrated his life to Christ. His wife was very upset with the whole affair and steadfastly refused to go with him, and even dreamed of his death. She finally repented and joined him in the faith. Joseph Beals was known as a model of Christian piety.
[from The Mountain Miller An Authentic Narrative by Rev. William A Hallock which was first published by the American Tract Society, in 1831, and has since gone through numerous editions, and in various languages.]