As far as we have been able to determine, Joseph Beckwith was the youngest child born to Dyer & Susannah J. (Bartholomew) Beckwith.

Joseph wed Lucinda Almira Wood on 31 Jan 1842, in Whitehall, Washington County, New York. The couple had 10 children: Mary Ann (Mrs. Humphrey Huffman), Cyrena Sarah (Mrs. John Frazee), Lois (died at age 2), Joseph Delemere (died at 4 mos.), Joseph (married Emma Ash), David O. (married Augusta Smith), Emily Jane (married Reuben Huffman), Josephine (married Herbert Waters), Flora L (married James Rairdan), and Olvin (who died at 8 mos.)

According to the HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY published in 1882: "J. B. Dawley, Joseph BECKWITH and E. K. Ash were the first settlers in the township; they located in 1854, coming from the States of Michigan, Indiana and New York respectively."

And appearing in the Floyd County History in 1917: "In this township, Joseph Beckwith, early in the sixties, burned 3 kilns of red brick, about the first in Floyd County, but the business did not pay and it was abandoned."

Joseph also donated the land near Colwell for Beckwith Cemetery.

Joseph's wife, Lucinda, died 16 July 1860, and on 1 Jan 1861, he wed Rosanna (Shook) Silvis, daughter of Abraham & Mary Shook, and widow of Francis Silvis.

Joseph & Rosanna had four children: Magdeline (Mrs. Wm. C. Bonsall), William Bowman (married Annette Ballard), Rosanna (married Garrett Rowe), and Melissa E (married Abraham Shook.)

Rosanna died on August 30, 1895, and on July 18, 1896, Joseph married his third wife, Mrs. Abigail Williams (widow of Ephraim Williams and daughter of Daniel & Abigail Mullin.) She outlived Joseph, passing away in 1912. In her obituary, she has resumed the last name of "Williams."

Joseph passed away on 17 Jun 1898, in Charles City, Iowa, at the age of 77.

The Iowa Cemetery Records show his name as "Joseph H Beckwith."