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Legend holds that Bean held court in his saloon along the [[Rio Grande]] on a desolate stretch of the Chihuahuan Desert of southwest Texas. After his death, Western films and books cast him as a "hanging judge," but he sentenced only two men to hang, one of whom escaped.<ref name=beandies/>

Legend holds that Bean held court in his saloon along the [[Rio Grande]] on a desolate stretch of the Chihuahuan Desert of southwest Texas. After his death, Western films and books cast him as a "hanging judge," but he sentenced only two men to hang, one of whom escaped.<ref name=beandies/>

Bean was born c. 1825 in Mason County in northern [[Kentucky]], the youngest of five children of Phantly Bean, Sr. (1804-1844) and the former Anna Henderson Gore. The Beans were particularly poor and at age sixteen Bean left home and took a flatboat to [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]]. After getting into trouble, he fled to [[San Antonio]], Texas.<ref>Paula Allen (March 29, 2013), ''History: Scoundrel Bean, Bride wed in San Fernando Cathedral," ''San Antonio Express-News'', accessed January 17, 2018.</ref> He hauled freight to [[Santa Fe]], [[New Mexico]] (then New Mexico Territory) and on to [[Chihuahua]], [[Mexico]]. In 1848, ,the two fled  to Sonora, Mexico. By the spring of 1849, Roy Bean had moved to [[San Diego]], [[California]], to live with his brother, Joshua Bean (c. 1818-1852), who was elected in 1850 as the first [[mayor]] of San Diego.<ref>Dan L.Thrapp, "Roy Bean," ''The Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography,''(Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press), p. 80. ISBN 978-0-8032-9418-9..</ref> In 1848, ,the two fled west to Sonora, Mexico. By the spring of 1849, Roy Bean had moved to [[San Diego]], [[California]], to live with his brother, Joshua Bean (c. 1818-1852), elected in 1850 as the first [[mayor]] of San Diego.

Bean was born c. 1825 in Mason County in northern [[Kentucky]], the youngest of five children of Phantly Bean, Sr. (1804-1844) and the former Anna Henderson Gore. The Beans were particularly poor and at age sixteen Bean left home and took a flatboat to [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]]. After getting into trouble, he fled to [[San Antonio]], Texas.<ref>Paula Allen (March 29, 2013), ''History: Scoundrel Bean, Bride wed in San Fernando Cathedral," ''San Antonio Express-News'', accessed January 17, 2018.</ref> He hauled freight to [[Santa Fe]], [[New Mexico]] (then New Mexico Territory) and on to [[Chihuahua]], [[Mexico]]. In 1848, ,the two fled  to Sonora, Mexico. By the spring of 1849, Roy Bean had moved to [[San Diego]], [[California]], to live with his brother, Joshua Bean (c. 1818-1852), who was elected in 1850 as the first [[mayor]] of San Diego.<ref>Dan L.Thrapp, "Roy Bean," ''The Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography,''(Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press), p. 80. ISBN 978-0-8032-9418-9..</ref> In 1848, the two fled west to Sonora, Mexico.

After his time in California, Bean was for some sixteen years a prosperous [[business]]man living in [[San Antonio]], Texas. In 1882, he moved to southwest Texas, where he built the Jersey Lilly saloon in his community of Langtry. Though he never met the theater actress Emilie Charlotte "Lillie" Langtry (1853-1929), he developed a fascination with her and closely followed her career.<ref name=beandies>[Judge Roy Bean dies - HISTORY]</ref>

After his time in California, Bean was for some sixteen years a prosperous [[business]]man living in [[San Antonio]], Texas. In 1882, he moved to southwest Texas, where he built the Jersey Lilly saloon in his community of Langtry. Though he never met the theater actress Emilie Charlotte "Lillie" Langtry (1853-1929), he developed a fascination with her and closely followed her career.<ref name=beandies>[Judge Roy Bean dies - HISTORY]</ref>