Bevier Biographies
From the History of Ulster County, 1880
Dr. Benjamin R. Bevier 1782 - 1866
Dr. Benjamin R. Bevier, who died in 1866, at Napanoch
was the fifth in descent from the Huguenot Louis Bevier, who emigrated to this
country from France about the year 1660, and was 
afterwards
one of the twelve purchasers of the "Paltz Patent," on which he
settled about the year 1663. Abram Bevier and John Bevier, brothers, and
grandsons of Louis, removed from "the Paltz" to the "Warsink
Valley" some time previous to the year 1745, and settled, Abram on the
Bevier homestead, and John on what is now known as the "Mill Property"
at Napanoch. Johannes Bevier, son of Abram and grandfather of Dr. B.R., occupied
the site of the old Doll House, now Gudney’s Hotel. He was a man of note in
his day, was largely occupied in public matters, and was a distinguished officer
in the Dutch Church of Warwarsing. Conrad Bevier, son of Johannes, and father of
"Dr. Ben," was also a prominent man both in military and civil life.
He was in active service through the whole of the Revolution, and was for some
time in charge of the defenses in the Warwarsing and Minisink Valleys, then an
exposed frontier. He also distinguished himself at the battle of White Plains.
At the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga, he, with his command, was put in
charge of the captured baggage and war material, which he conveyed to Albany. He
was remarkable for his great personal courage and fleetness of foot. In civil
life he served the town and county in various capacities. He was for many years
a member of the State Legislature when that position was accounted an honor.
"Dr. Ben" was born on the 10th of September, 1782,
in the house now owned by Alfred Burhans, at the top of the "Slager Bergh"
(Snake’s Hill), now known as Budd’s Hill. The house, still standing, was
then occupied by Benjamin Roosa, the maternal grandfather of the doctor, and for
whom he was named. At the time there was but one family living between the
western boundary of the Warwarsing Valley and the Susquehanna River. This family
lived on the Neversink, a mile below the falls, at Palen’s Tannery, and
carried their grain to Napanoch by a circuitous foot-path of twenty miles. Dr.
Bevier grew up a vigorous, athletic youth, with a strong passion for books and
study, which was judiciously fostered by his parents. But facilities for
intellectual cultivation did not abound in those days. In these then outskirts
of civilization, and the young aspirant for educational honors plodded on as
best he could. On approaching his majority he chose the medical profession as
his sphere of labor, and began his regular studies with the late Dr. James
Oliver, of Marbletown, in this county. Here his great enthusiasm and patience of
research gave promise of his future skill and eminence. He attended lectures in
both New York and Philadelphia, and received his diploma from the faculty of
Columbia College in the year 1804, in the same class with the late Drs. Mott,
Seaman and Buck, of that city. He commenced his career as a medical practitioner—a
career which extended over sixty years—in the town of Woodstock, in this
county, about the year 1805, removed thence to Kingston, and thence to the old
homestead at Napanoch some ten years later, where the remainder of his life was
spent.
As a practitioner Dr. Bevier was distinguished for the
precision and quickness with which he made his diagnoses, for his great fidelity
to his patients, and for his genial manner. His "ride" was extensive,
reaching from Mombaccus to the Mamakating Valley, and from Upper Neversink to
Sam’s Point. And yet, notwithstanding the extent of his practice, he managed
to find time for a great deal of study. Down to his last days he kept himself
informed of new discoveries in the science, discussed new theories with ability
and readily adopted improvements as the successively appeared. He did his riding
mostly on horseback, and may be said to have lived nearly forty years in the
saddle. This habit unquestionably served to strengthen his naturally vigorous
constitution, and tended to the longevity to which he attained. So long a
practice in the same field made him familiar to all, and "Dr. Ben" was
a household word from one end of the valley to the other. Nor was he less
favorably, if less generally, known abroad. The late Dr. Valentine Mott held him
in high regard, and the intimate intercourse and warm friendship which existed
between the two was interrupted only by death; and in all the upper river
counties his professional brethren treated him with more than usual respect. His
own intercourse with other members of the fraternity was always marked with
kindness and courtesy. Tenacious of his own opinions, conservative both in view
and feeling, he yet recognized and respected medical skill and talent wherever
he found it. He grew into a position where he was, from the nature of the case,
something of a terror to the inexperienced, yet no unfairness, no designed
discourtesy could be laid to his charge. The "Pope of Doctors" wore
his honors never flauntingly, and wielded his power never harshly. The younger
members of the profession found him sympathetic and kindly disposed, a valuable
counselor, with no jealousies and no sinister ends to serve. Ambitious to excel
in his profession, he was still above resorting to any petty trickeries and
cunning devices to enhance his reputation, but was content to stand or fall upon
the real merits of his practice.
Socially, Dr. Bevier was an attractive man. Though dignified
and even reserved when occasion demanded, he was naturally frank and hearty in
his manners, a most entertaining and instructive companion. He had fine
conversational powers, a great store of varied information, and when the mood
was on him could make himself the center of attraction in any company. Scores of
his old patients have pleasant memories of his happy sayings and pleasant ways
with which he broke up the dull monotony of the sickroom. Without losing sight
of the somewhat magisterial gravity characteristic of the "Old School"
practitioner, he would come down to humor the waywardness, engage the interest
and win the confidence of a sick child with uncommon success. In his own family,
while never demonstrative, he was kind, considerate and loving. The real
great-heartedness of the man came out in the dignity, patience, and composure
with which he bore the increasing infirmities and pains of old age, retaining
his self-control to the last hours of his life.
In a civil capacity Dr. Bevier’s life was full of labors and
full of honors. He had a remarkably sound judgment, abundant executive
resources, an unflinching integrity, and correct and systematic business habits.
These qualities introduced him early to public notice. When only thirty years of
age, Governor D.D. Tompkins signalized his respect and esteem for him by making
him one of the judges of the Ulster County Court, which office, however, Dr.
Bevier soon resigned, as it interfered too far with his professional work. He
subsequently served the county several terms in the State Legislature, and held
various other important public trusts. He was twice a candidate for Congress in
this district, at times when the old Whig party, with which he was connected,
was about two thousand seven hundred in the minority, and was defeated in one
instance by only one hundred and fifty; and in the other by only sixty votes.
His practice in this neighborhood as legal adviser,
commissioner of deeds, and notary public was for many years scarcely less
extensive than his medical practice. He probably drafted more wills during his
life than any lawyer in Ulster County and few if any lawyers have a wider
experience that he had in drawing up deeds, contracts, etc. Very much of the
real estate at this end of the county has thus passed through his hands. For
years he held a land-agency for Robert Tillotson and other patent-holders in
Western Ulster and Sullivan Counties, and transacted the business connected with
these large estates to the satisfaction of all concerned. He had, indeed,
unusual skill in this kind of business, and was resorted to for information and
advice from great distances and from all quarters. His strict systematic
management of all his accounts and documents gave him a wide renown. There was
in truth something peculiar in this,- the last piece of public writing which he
did was a copy of a subscription paper in aid of the R.P.D. Church of Napanoch,
written the week before his death, and is a model of neatness and accuracy. We
are convinced that the papers of which he died possessed, being the accumulation
of a lifetime spent in transactions involving changes of the real estate of a
large district, are of great value, and we urge their careful preservation.
Religiously, Dr. Bevier’s character was undeveloped. In his
later years, scrupulously correct in his habits, strict in his integrity,
honorable in all his intercourse with his fellow-men, he contented himself with
his morality, and made no pretense to any interior experience of divine truth.
But at the same time he admitted the full force of the claims which religion had
upon his attention. He usually managed to find time amid his professional duties
to fill his seat in the sanctuary on the Sabbath, where he was ever an attentive
and interested hearer. His hand and his purse were ever at the service of the
church, and his counsel in temporal matters was as eagerly sought as it was
cheerfully given. He held at his death the office of treasurer of the Dutch
Church of Napanoch, a post which he had occupied for many years, In his old age
he became more serious and thoughtful; but if he underwent a saving change it
never impressed him so satisfactorily that he could venture to make a public
profession of it. And yet he liked to talk in his last days upon religious
themes, and frequently gave his emphatic assent to the cardinal doctrines of
grace.
Dr. Bevier left a wife, three sons and one daughter. Prior to
her father’s death, another daughter, wife of R.C. Southwick, Esq., of
Poughkeepsie, died, His youngest son and namesake succeeds him in the profession
at Napanoch. Dr. Bevier has left to his children and friends a legacy of
usefulness and therefore of honor. He has left to his fellow-townsmen and
example of integrity and unselfishness that deserves imitation.
