The Scandal Makers : The Survivor

Kathy Curtis of the Stanstead Historical Society uncovers the mystery of Seba Beebe (1749-1837), the first settler of Beebe Plain, in Stanstead Township in Quebec's Eastern Townships, and speculates why Seba’s name may have been obscured from the public record for so long. Born in New London, Connecticut, Seba Beebe served in the Vermont militia during the American Revolution, but following the war fell afoul of the law several times. His most serious crime was for counterfeiting, and in 1794 he was arrested in Stamford, Vermont, for falsely forging base metal into the likeness of 100 Spanish mill dollars (aka pieces-of-eight), "passing the same knowing them to be counterfeit." Found guilty at trial in 1795, he was sentenced to having his right ear cut off, branded with the letter "c" on his forehead, and fined five pounds. Two years later, Seba Beebe, with his wife Sara Davis and their children, migrated to the area now known as Beebe Plain and became its first settlers. Most historical accounts of the founding of Beebe Plain (today part of the town of Stanstead) state that David and Calvin Beebe were the village's first settlers in 1798, but the author contends that Seba Beebe and his family had settled there the year earlier. Probably because he was a convicted, branded and mutilated forger is the reason that he is not recognized as the village's founding father. Seba is buried in the Bebee Main Street Cemetery.

Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network

[Documentary]

February 21, 2022

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