Moses S. Beach

Moses Sperry Beach (October 5, 1822 – July 25, 1892) was an American newspaper editor and politician from New York.

Life

Beach was born on October 5, 1822 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was the son of Moses Yale Beach, proprietor of The Sun, and Nancy Day. His brother was Scientific American proprietor Alfred Ely Beach.[1] His paternal grandmother was descended from the founder of Yale College, and his maternal grandmother was descended from Pilgrim William Brewster.[2]

Beach attended Monson Academy, where he was taught by his uncle Rev. Alfred Ely.[1] He left the school after several years due to his failing eyesight. In 1840, he spent a year in France learning French at an institution near Paris. He worked with his father in The Sun until 1845, when he bought half of the Boston Daily Times.[2]

In October 1845, Beach and his brother Alfred joined their father in a partnership of The Sun. In 1848, the brothers bought out their father and took control of the newspaper. In 1852, he became the sole proprietor, with a brief gap from 1860 to 1861 when he was ill and William C. Church owned the paper instead.[3] Beach owned the paper until 1868, when he sold it to Charles A. Dana. He was also patented several inventions related to printing and stereotyping. He travelled to Europe in 1867, making an appearance in Mark Twain's Innocents Abroad. He lived in Brooklyn from 1851 to 1888, at which point he retired to Peekskill.[1]

Beach served in the New York State Assembly as a Democrat, representing the Kings County 2nd District, in 1858.[4]

In 1845, Beach married Chloe Buckingham. They had two sons and three daughters,[1] including artist Emma Beach Thayer.[5] He was treasurer of the Working Woman's Protective Union for the first 30 years of its existence.[6] He was a deacon of the Plymouth Church, superintendent of its Sunday school, and a close friend of its pastor, Henry Ward Beecher.[7]

Beach died at home of a stroke on July 25, 1892. He was buried in Hillside Cemetery.[8]

References
  1. The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. XIII. New York, N.Y.: James T. White. 1906. p. 329 – via Google Books.
  2. Murphy, William D. (1858). Biographical Sketches of the State Officers and Members of the Legislature of the State of New York in 1858. Albany, N.Y.: J. Munsell. pp. 147–148 – via Google Books.
  3. "Obituary". The Sun. LIX (331). New York, N.Y. 27 July 1892. p. 3 – via Chronicling America.
  4. Murphy, William D. (1858). Biographical Sketches of the State Officers and Members of the Legislature of the State of New York in 1858. Albany, N.Y.: J. Munsell. p. 239 – via Google Books.
  5. "Emma Beach Thayer - Biography". www.askart.com. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  6. "Obituary Notes" (PDF). The New York Times. XLI (12768). New York, N.Y. 27 July 1892. p. 4.
  7. "Death of Moses S. Beach". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 52 (207). Brooklyn, N.Y. 27 July 1892. p. 16 – via Brooklyn Public Library: Historical Newspapers.
  8. Foshay, Nelson G., ed. (30 July 1892). "Obituary-Moses S. Beach" (PDF). The Highland Democrat. XLVII (41). Peekskill, N.Y. p. 4 – via Fultonhistory.com.
New York State Assembly
Preceded by
Thomas Mulligan		 New York State Assembly
Kings County, 2nd District
1858		 Succeeded by
Marquis D. Moore
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