18th Century True Crime: William Beadle

One of the most infamous cases of family annihilation that occurred during the last years of the American Revolution was most likely a direct result of economic uncertainty in the war’s aftermath. William Beadle, a successful Anglo-American merchant, killed his wife, children, and then himself in the winter of 1782.
Why did these murders occur? Was Beadle a madman or a man driven mad? What were the circumstances surrounding the deaths of his family? What events set the stage for the homicides? Were the slayings well-planned or spontaneous?
To properly understand the familicide of the Beadle family, one must examine the man himself and the economic, social, and political world of the Revolutionary period in the colonies.
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