The Benedict Family News

Volume III Number 3 Winter 1995, pp. 37-50

Editor: Mary Alice Benedict Grindol

Table of Contents This Issue

John Benedict (1714-1778) Correction

Book Review, Eggs For Shoes

Index of Civil War Veterans in California

Benedicts in Lancaster, Pennsylvania Directories

Benedicts in Fairfield County, Connecticut 1850

Benedicts in Iowa 1840 and 1850

The Underground Railroad, by Aaron Benedict

Queries, BENEDICT/ TAYLOR/ KETCHUM/SCHRIVENER/ HYATT/ ST. JOHN/ BOUGHTON/BRIDGUM/ OLMSTEAD

James K. Benedict death in Lebanon, New York

John Benedict's 1741 farm house, known as "The Old Benedict Farm" in South Kent, Kent Township, Litchfield County, Connecticut. John Benedict began clearing the land from wilderness in 1739 and built this house in 1741.

John Benedict (1714-1778) Correction to Volume I
By John E. Benedict, 4919 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington DC 20016 (Researched with his parents, R. Neil Benedict (1925-1994) and Bobby (Christmas) Benedict)*

Inevitably, Henry M. Benedict's 1870 genealogy¹ has some errors. We found one which affects scores of living descendants.²

Volume I lists the family of my greatx5 grandfather, John Benedict (1714-1778), in the wrong place. This article explains how we found the mistake and shows where he actually belongs, elsewhere in the book. Even for readers whose lines are not affected by this error, our experience may be instructive.

Two years ago, we set about gathering probate and other records from the old Connecticut towns where our family lived in the eighteenth century. Naturally we turned to Volume I as a guide. With actual probate records in hand, we discovered the book's mistake.

Volume I's indirect documentation

Not all Volume I entries were equally well-documented. Under the Descendants of Samuel, the book listed one John5 -- reportedly a son of John4, grandson of Nathaniel3, and great-grandson of Samuel2.³ The entry for John5 and his sons, including my greatx4 grandfather John6 (1745-1830), summarized their probate records in some detail.⁴ However, Volume I cited no probate record for John4 himself; its documentation was only indirect.

He was dead in Jan., 1767, when his father made his will. The estate of his brother Samuel was distributed in 1756 to Isaac and Nathaniel Benedict of Danbury, and John Benedict, son of John, deceased, of Cornwall. He certainly, therefore, had one son, and perhaps other children.⁵

Locating original records

We started our research by collecting a wide range of Ohio documents about my greatx3 grandfather Benjamin Benedict (1790-1877). Volume I reported he was born in Kent [Township], Connecticut and was living in Kingston [Township], Ohio in 1870.⁶ We also tracked Benjamin7's family in the federal census and a variety of Delaware County, Ohio records.

Benjamin7 emigrated from South Kent, Litchfield County, Connecticut to Kingston Township, Delaware County, Ohio in 1815. His obituary reported he walked the entire distance to Ohio.⁷ In the 1820s, most of his siblings joined him there on the frontier. His widowed mother followed, probably in the early 1830s.⁸ Benjamin died in Kingston Township May 27, 1877 and was buried at the Old Blue Church (Presbyterian) Cemetery.⁹

This was second of two Benedict lines that settled in Delaware County, Ohio about this time. The first group of Benedicts -- well represented among BFN subscribers --

were Quakers from New York state who settled in Peru Township (later made part of Morrow County) just before the War of 1812. Our group was a smaller family of Presbyterians from Connecticut. In Delaware County the two groups lived five miles apart.¹⁰Some twenty-five years before, the two families had been near neighbors in Connecticut.¹¹

Delaware County records and Volume I agree that Benjamin7 was born in Connecticut as the oldest child of John Benedict and Chloe Gregory. Chloe's Ohio gravestone, which stands next the marker for Benjamin7's sister, Maria B. Crawford, reads Chloe/ Wife of/ John Benedict/ Died/ July 31, 1846/ Aged 78 years.¹²

An 1880 Delaware County History also identified Benjamin7's father as John and claimed that he "was a Revolutionary soldier."¹³ At the National Archives, we found a Revolutionary War widow's pension file for Chloe Benedict.¹⁴Among other details, it reported that John6 lived his whole life in Kent; that he married Chloe Gregory December 17, 1788; that he died there December 15, 1830 at age 85; and that his widow Chloe died July 31, 1846 at the home of their daughter Maria Crawford at Berkshire, Delaware County, Ohio. The names and residences of John6 and Chloe's children were identified, including Benjamin7 of Ohio, and Kent's probate judge transcribed town records of John's marriage and the birthdates of his children. Correspondence in the file also mentioned an affidavit John6 executed in 1820 in support of the indigent pension application of a less fortunate comrade, Ebenezer Peck. We located Peck’s file and found John6's affidavit. It detailed their war service together and bore John's actual signature.¹⁵

Tracking John5 took us on a field trip to the town of Kent, CT. Like many New England towns, it holds records going clear back to its founding, in this case 1739.¹⁶ Property records placed the family in South Kent on Ore Hill. The town's old vital records registered the births of Benjamin7 (August 2, 1790) and his siblings as children of John and Chloe Benedict. The marriage of John6 and Chloe Gregory, daughter of Samuel Gregory of New Milford [Township], was also recorded (December 17, 1788), and the church and minister were identified: Jethro Hatch at New Preston Church (Presbyterian). The record also recorded John6's death as December 15, 1830.¹⁷ Chloe's mother was Charity [?Sturges].¹⁸

We also examined the 1831 probate file for John6. His will and accompanying records confirmed the line, as did the distribution files for his widow Chloe's dower estate.¹⁹ The dower file included affidavits from Delaware, Ohio stating she died there at the home of her daughter, Maria B. Crawford, on July 31, 1846 to agree with the Delaware County history previously mentioned.

In an old cemetery in New Milford Township (perhaps a mile from South Kent) we found John6's headstone: The Grave of/ Mr./ John Benedict/ who died/ December 15 1830/ in the 85/ year/ of his age. Adjacent were the headstones of four of his children, including one inscribed In Memory of/ An Infant/ son of John and/ Cloe Benedict died/ May 20, 1802/ AEt 10 days and another In/ Memory of/ German/ son of John &/ Cloe Benedict died/ Oct. 7 1818/ Ae 12.²⁰

John6's birthdate, June 16, 1745, was also recorded in Kent's vital records,²¹ together with those of his nine siblings.²² His parents were listed as John and Lucy Benedict. John5 and Lucy's marriage was also recorded, her maiden name not given. John Benedict married his wife Lucy ye 29th of November, 1738.²³

John5 and Lucy's deaths are recorded at Kent, too: December [?1], 1778 and January 28, 1794, respectively.²⁴ At the cemetery again, more confirmation: their tombstones survive and are close to their son John6's. John5's dates difficult to read now, but Lucy's are clear: In Memory of/ Mrs. Lucy Bene-/ dict Relict to Mr./ John Benedict/ who departed this/ Life Jany 28 AD/ 1794 aged 76 years. Also adjacent is a grave inscribed In memory of/ David, son of/ John Bene-/dict & Lucy H./ his wife, who d-/ied Nov. 25th/ 1768 -- Ae 11 years.²⁵

We also found John5's 1778-1779 probate file and Lucy's 1794 dower file.²⁶ The children's names correspond to Volume I, and John6 is among them.²⁷ The names also corresponded to previously identified property records and tombstones and confirmed the names of John6's brothers.

The old town records in Litchfield County for the families of John6/Chloe and John5/Lucy were generally consistent with Volume I. In the next generation we encountered a problem.

An incompatible will

Volume I listed John5 as the son of John4 Benedict and grandson of Nathaniel3.²⁸ We tracked down Nathaniel3's will in Danbury, Connecticut.²⁹ Volume I reported, accurately, that the will mentions his grandson John, son of John deceased. What it did not say is that Nathaniel left his grandson John a legacy in property to be given him when he came of age.

... I give to my Grand son John Benedict of Cornwall of my Land lying in the Township of sd Cornwall ... he my sd Grandson shall come into Possession of sd Land when he arrives to twenty four years of age Provided he shall make Mr. Noah Bull a reasonable Satisfaction for what he the sd Bull makes his my sd Grand sons Mill Better when he comes of age than sd Mill was when the sd Bull took sd Mill.... ³⁰

The will showed that John was not yet 24, and probably not yet 21, when Nathaniel executed it in January 1767. But Lucy's husband was already 53 years old at that time; even his own son John was over 21 in 1767. In addition, Nathaniel's will refers to his grandson John as residing in Cornwall, which is a good distance north of Kent. To double check, we retrieved the probate records for John Benedict of Cornwall, and his brother Samuel, both identified at Volume I, pages 244-45.³¹ Both identified one John, son of John, but the other heirs' names did not match Benedict children we had already identified in Kent.

Henry M. Benedict had confused two different John Benedicts. Then as now, "John" was among the most popular given names.

Misplaced: John Benedict (1714-1778)

Now that we knew Volume I had our line incorrect before John5 (1714-1778), we went hunting for the correct parents. The best place to start looking was Volume I. Since we know that families tended to repeat names from generation to generation, we pored over Volume I's index, looking for the relatively uncommon names of Lucy, Elijah, and Alexander, whom we had well-documented as sister and brothers of the John6.

On page 60, under Descendants of John, there was a household with a daughter Lucy and sons, John, Elijah, and Alexander, among other children.³² The parents were John and Lucy. Remarkably, that particular family line dead-ended with this household. Comparing that household to the family listed under Descendants of Samuel,³³the names and dates matched. This was not coincidence. These households were one and the same.

From there, we went to Ridgefield, Connecticut. Volume I's entries, under Descendants of John, suggested that the elder John Benedict's parents were Benjamin3 and Mary [Platt], and that they had lived in Ridgefield [Township].³⁴A book on Ridgefield's early history included references to Benjamin Benedict among the town's proprietors in 1709. He owned land lots in the township, and he and his sons, including Captain Timothy4, were appointed local militia officers.³⁵ Ridgefield's vital records noted the deaths of Benjamin3 on July 3, 1773 and Mary Wife of Capt'n Ben'n Benedict on November 30, 1771. Another showed a son John born October 5, 1714 to Benjamin and Mary Benedict.³⁶ These confirmed Volume I's entries. In the old cemetery at Ridgebury, where Volume I reports Benjamin3 was buried, we found an old gravestone inscribed Mr Benjamin Benedict, surrounded by the graves of sons and grandchildren, including his son Captain Timothy4 and Sarah/ wife of Capt Timothy/ Benedict who Died/ Jany 19 1765 in ye/ 52 Year of Her Age.³⁷

We also went to Norwalk and Fairfield to check on Benjamin3's parents and grandparents. Vital and marriage records there showed Benjamin3 was born to John2 and Phoebe Gregory of Norwalk, consistent with Volume I.³⁸

Genealogical Summary - Correcting Volume I

The misplacement of John Benedict (1714-1778) affects anyone ostensibly descended from Volume I, Descendants of Samuel, nos. 8, 21, 42-44, and 74-80 or Volume II, nos. 148-161. At the very least, we encourage everyone to pencil in cross references in Volume I at page 248, no. 21 and page 60, so that other researchers may avoid this error.

Using my greatx3 grandfather as an example, that means Volume I gave his ancestry as (Benjamin⁷ John⁶ John⁵John⁴ Nathaniel³Samuel² Thomas¹). In fact, his corrected ancestry should be (Benjamin⁶ John⁵ John⁴ Benjamin³ John² Thomas¹).

I understand other researchers have theorized that his son John (b. 1745), who otherwise appears to dead-end in Volume I, page 60, is the same John Benedict described in Volume II at page 411, whose ancestry is unknown. The latter man reportedly married one Mercy Pettit of Stamford, resettled in New York, then emigrated to Augusta County, Virginia and Lincoln County, Kentucky. However, the evidence we have seen argues very strongly against that theory.

Gravestone of Chloe, wife of
John Benedict at the Berkshire Cemetery,
Berkshire Township, Delaware County, Ohio
"Died July 31, 1846 Aged 78 years"

References:

*John E. Benedict (b. 1962) (John¹¹, Robert Neil¹⁰, Harley⁹, Frank⁸, Sturges⁷, Benjamin⁶, John⁵, John⁴, Benjamin³, John², Thomas¹ - corrected line) is a corporate attorney in Washington, D.C. who has researched his own family for three years. His late father Robert Neil Benedict and his mother, Bobby (Christmas) Benedict of Gaithersburg, Maryland, joined him on the project. They appear in Volume II, p. 290.

1. Henry M. Benedict, Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, J. Munsell (1870) and reprinted with annotations by Elwyn E. Benedict in 1969 (hereinafter referred to as "Volume I"). "Volume II" refers to Elwyn E. Benedict, Genealogy of the Benedicts in America -- Volume II, privately published (1969).

2. Most of the findings in this article stem from research my parents and I undertook in autumn 1993. I am particularly grateful for my parents' persistence in locating old records in the small towns of western Connecticut.

3. Volume I, p. 256, no. 42.

4. Volume I, p. 248, no. 21 and p. 256, no. 42.

5. Volume I, pp. 244-45, no. 8.

6. Volume I, p. 271, no. 74.

7. Obituary from the June 14, 1877 Delaware Gazette, reprinted in M. Cryder, Abstracts of Obituaries, Death Notices, and Funeral Notices from the Delaware Gazette 1875-1889, privately published (1992), at 21. A consistent account appears in The History of Delaware County, O.L. Baskin Co. (1880), pp. 562 and 564. Benjamin's original 1815 log house is still standing in Kingston Township.

8. This is set out in a biography of Benjamin's brother Kirby (1810-1874), who was Chief Justice of the New Mexico Territory during the Civil War. A. Hunt, Kirby Benedict: Federal Frontier Judge, Arthur Clark & Co. (1961), pp. 15-18. The 1810-1860 federal censuses, Delaware County obituaries of some of his siblings, and his parents' Connecticut probate records (discussed below) support the claim.

9. E. Powell, Tombstone Inscriptions and Other Records of Delaware County Ohio, privately published (1972), pp. 142. We read and photographed his monument in September 1993. It reads: "Benjamin/ Benedict/ Died/ May 27, 1877/ in the 88 year/ of his age."

10. Map of Delaware County, Showing Part of Morrow and Marion Counties, J. Eaton Publisher (1849). The publication shows land owners and property lines. Reprints are available from the Delaware County Historical Society, P.O. Box 1126, Delaware, Ohio 43014-8126.

11. The first group of Delaware County Benedicts had resided in New Milford Township from at least 1740 until about 1790, then settled at Peru Township, Clinton County, New York. Volume I, pp. 63, 403; A. Benedict, History of Peru Township, Morrow County, Ohio, Sentinel Printing (1897), pp. 32-35. Benjamin7's family lived at South Kent, near the Kent/New Milford Township line.

12. E. Powell, Tombstone Inscriptions and Other Records of Delaware County, privately published (1972), p. 3. We read and photographed Chloe's monument in October 1993. It stands in the Old Berkshire Cemetery, Berkshire Township, Delaware County. Also adjacent were several Gregory gravestones of the same period.

13. The History of Delaware County, O.L. Baskin Co. (1880), pp. 564 and 681.

14. National Archives and Records Administration, Revolutionary War Pension Files, Pens. File No. W23,599 (application of heirs of Chloe Benedict). NARA Microfilm File No. M804, Reel No. 212.

15. National Archives and Records Administration, Revolutionary War Pension Files, Pens. File No. S38,300 (application of Ebenezer Peck). NARA Microfilm File No. M804, Reel No. 1900.

16. The history of Kent's creation is set out in C. Grant, Democracy in the Connecticut Frontier Town of Kent, Columbia Univ. Press (1961), at chapter 1. Kent's "Proprietors' Book," maintained with the town property records, lists a Samuel Benedict among the original proprietors of the town. After receiving title to his grant on September 4, 1739, he immediately sold it to his brother, John Benedict. Grant, at 21; Proprietors Book (Kent Land Records), p. 87 & 110. Samuel4 appeared in Volume I at page 256. He died October 13, 1740, unmarried. The house John5 built on the site in 1741 still stands. [See photograph front page.] Now owned by Vilma Kurzer, it remained in the Benedict family until 1948. P. Camp, Remembering Yesterday, privately published (1993), p. 17 (a collection of history stories about South Kent, CT).

17. ILR Vital Records (Kent), Vol. 1, p. 235; Vol. 2, p. 66.

18. Although Vol. I (...Benedicts in America) did not name Chloe's mother, it did identify a grandson (p. 271, no. 150) with the unusual given name of Sturges who was the son of Benjamin7 Benedict.We found further indication, but no proof, that Sturges might be Chloe's mother's surname in the 11 February 1833 probate record of her brother Samuel H. Gregory (filed in New Milford Probate District). In it, Sturges G. Gregory was named the administrator. Charity's given name is in the distribution file "to the heirs of Charity Grigory" : Charity Grigory Late deceasd and Late wife of Samuel Grigory... Then we set out to Chloe Benidict wife to John Benedict and Daughter to said Charity Grigory ... a Piece of Land... (New Milford Probate District, Vol. 8 p. 520-21 dated 30 March 1793)

19. Probate Records for John Benedict of Kent: New Milford Probate District, Vol. 10, pp. 245-49, 313-16, and 373-77 and Vol. 17, p. 553. Probate Records for Chloe Benedict, Widow: New Milford Probate District, Vol. 14, pp. 191-92 and Vol. 17, pp. 211-13; Probate File, Chloe Benedict, Delaware County Historical Society, Nov. 24, 1847. Probate records in Connecticut are stored at probate districts, not necessarily at the decedent's town. Those districts changed often over the years.

20. Upper Merryall Cemetery, New Milford Township, Litchfield County, CT. Markers read and photographed by Mr. & Mrs. R. Neil Benedict, October 1993.

21. ILR Vital Records (Kent), Vol. 1, p. 235. Citation to Kent vital records TBA. Volume I reported that John6 was born June 16, 1745 at Redding [Township], but that birthplace is likely incorrect. Redding Township was not established until 1767. A. Eichholz, Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Ancestry Pub. (1987), p. 82.

22. Three siblings -- David (1757-1768), Marianna [possibly Mariam] (1752-1768), and Stephen (1762-1768) -- were not reported in Volume I, page 248. Kent records showed they died within three weeks of one another, probably victims of a smallpox epidemic.

23. ILR Vital Records (Kent), Vol. 1, p. 233.

24. ILR Vital Records (Kent), Vol. 2, p. 66.

25. Upper Merryall Cemetery. Markers read by Mr. & Mrs. R. Neil Benedict, October 1993. The inscription suggests Lucy's maiden name perhaps began with "H".

26. Probate Records for John Benedict of Kent: Litchfield Probate District, Vol. 3, pp. 537-540 and Vol. 4, pp. 12-17. Probate Records for Lucy Benedict of Kent, Widow: New Milford Probate District, Vol. 1794-95, pp. 302-04.

27. Volume I, p. 60.

28. Volume I, p. 243, no. 4 and pp. 244-45, no. 8.

29. Probate Records for Nathaniel Benedict of Danbury: Danbury Probate District, Vol. 3, pp. 1-4 and 19-20.

30. Will of Nathaniel Benedict of Danbury: Danbury Probate District, Vol. 3, pp. 1-4.

31. Probate Records for John Benedict of Cornwall: Litchfield Probate District, Vol. 1, p. 141 and Vol. 2, pp. 66-67. Probate Records for Samuel Benedict of Danbury: Danbury Probate District, Vol. 6, pp. 191, 194-95, 220, 230-34, and 526-27 and Vol. 7, pp. 37-38.

32. Volume I, p. 60.

33. Volume I, p. 248, no. 21.

34. Benjamin3 (1678-1773) and Mary [Platt] (1683-1771). Volume I, pp. 50-51, no. 3. According to C. Platt, Platt Genealogy in America, privately published (1963), pp. 73 and 242, Benjamin Benedict married Mary Platt, daughter of John Platt and Hannah Clark. This agrees with a tentative D. Jacobus, History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, Vol. 1, privately published (1930), p. 63. We examined the probate records of John Platt. His will dated November 6, 1705, named "my daughter ... Mary Benedict", and Benjamin Benedict was among the parties certifying the estate inventory, dated November 29, 1705. Probate Records for John Platt of Norwalk: Fairfield Probate District, Vol. 5, pp. 72-76.

35. S. Bedini, Ridgefield in Review, Ridgefield 250th Anniv. Comm. (1958), at 53-54. Other records of Benjamin3 appear on pp. 26, 27, and 48.

36. ILR Vital Records (Ridgefield), Vol. 2, pp. 200-01.

37. Old Ridgebury Cemetery, Ridgefield Township, Fairfield County, CT. Markers read and photographed by Mr. & Mrs. R. Neil Benedict, October 1993. Benjamin's dates were illegible, and his name looked possibly retouched. Readers should not confuse Capt. Timothy4 at Volume I, page 60, no. 12 (Descendants of John) with Capt. Timothy4 at page 245, no. 12 (Descendants of Samuel).

38. "John Benedict Sr. took to Wife Phebe Griggorie the daughter of John Griggorie and was married the 11th of November Anno 1670". ILR Vital Records (Norwalk), Vol. 1, p. 50. See Volume I, pp. 49-50, no. 1. As reported in Volume I, Norwalk probate records (ordinarily stored at Fairfield) were missing for the period when John2 died. Another record reports that one Phoebe Benedict died May 12, 1737. ILR Vital Records (Norwalk), Vol. 1, fly leaf.

(End)

Benedicts in Lancaster, Pennsylvania Directories
(Continued from Vol. III, no. 2)
Contributed by Wayne Campbell, 1234 Lynda Lane, Warminster PA 18974-1949

This compilation includes directories from 1843 to 1923. Apparently, the first Lancaster city directory was published in 1843. There are other directories in the Lancaster library, but most are close to the years researched. Some years the directory covered only the city and some years it covered the city and county.

The table is sorted first by given name and then by the year of the directory. Except as noted below, the table does not use abbreviations, though the original did.

The first column shows given names. All of the usual warnings apply. Names could be spelled and abbreviated in many different ways, and they were. Generally, the names in this table are spelled as they appeared in the directory.

Four abbreviations are used in the second column.

"H" means home, probably inferring ownership.

"R" means residing at, probably inferring renting or living with relatives.

"B" means boarded.

"T" means tenant.

Where there is no entry in this column, there was nothing in the directory.

The third column shows either rural route number or street number. The fifth column shows the street name or township. A little knowledge of the streets of Lancaster city, and the townships of Lancaster county will be helpful here.

The fifth column holds miscellaneous material taken from the directory. This is usually the place of employment. In some county directories, personal information was listed, including number of children, whether they owned land, or if they had a telephone. If so, it is included here.

The year(s) of the directory is shown in the sixth column.

The last column shows the spouse's name. Where a spouse is shown, they were living at the same address. Usually the wife's name was listed in parentheses. Widows are shown here.

All are surnamed BENEDICT:

Benedict	Harry H.		h	24	Ross (East)	bartndr	1923		works for Clarence Benedict
Benedict	Henry				Buck, Drumore Twp.	laborer	1875
Benedict	Henry		b		Leopard Hotel	plasterer	1877
Benedict	Henry		b	513	Chestnut (East)	laborer	1884
Benedict	Henry				Peter's Creek	lab	1909
Benedict	Henry F.				Prince (South)	deputy sheriff	1843
Benedict	Henry F.		h		Lime (North)	plasterer	1859
Benedict	Henry F.			116	Duke (South)	plasterer	1871
Benedict	Henry F.		h	116	Duke (South)	plasterer	1875
Benedict	Henry F.		b		Leopard Hotel	plaster	1884
Benedict	Henry R.		r	513	Chestnut (East)	lab	1896
Benedict	Henry R.		h	513	Chestnut (East)	lab	1899
Benedict	Henry R.		b	314	Christian (North)	laborer	1907
Benedict	Herbert L.		b	345	Orange (West)	driver	1913
Benedict	Ida		r	112	Coral	student	1923
Benedict	Irene	*	h	330	Coral		1923		Benjamin H.
Benedict	J. E.			RTE 1	Safe Harbor	lab	1909
Benedict	J. L., Mrs.		h	209	King (East)		1868
Benedict	J. N.				Petersburg (East)	hotel kpr	1909
Benedict	Jacob		h	36	Hazel	packer	1882
Benedict	Jacob		h	323	Mulberry	foreman	1884
Benedict	Jacob		b	74	Howard Avenue	lab	1896
Benedict	Jacob		b	108	Howard	foreman	1899
Benedict	Jacob		r	40	Arch (South)	tobacco caser	1907
Benedict	Jacob		r	222	Arch (North)	foreman	1913
Benedict	Jacob		b	44	Christian (South)	tob pkr	1919
Benedict	Jacob		h	409	Queen (North)	lab	1923	P Lorillard
Benedict	Jacob E.		t	RTE 7	Lancaster	laborer	1914	4 children, home and lot	Elizabeth, this county directory has maps
Benedict	Jennie	*	h	RTE 1	Millersville		1914		wife of C. H., this county directory has maps
Benedict	Jennie	*	h	RTE 1	Peach Bottom		1914		wife of Reuben, this county directory has maps
Benedict	Jennie	*	h	412	Frederick (West)		1923		Amos W.
Benedict	John		h	209	King (East)	clerk	1859
Benedict	John				Highville, Manor Twp.	laborer	1875
Benedict	John				Lime Valley, Strasburg, Twp.	laborer	1875
Benedict	John				Highville, Manor Twp.	laborer	1884
Benedict	John				Conestoga, Conestoga Twp.	laborer	1884
Benedict	John				Safe Harbor	laborer	1890
Benedict	John			RTE 1	Lancaster	farm	1909
Benedict	John		h	429	Lafayette	lab	1923		Marie
Benedict	John H.		h	728	Queen (North)	foreman	1919
Benedict	John H.		h	220	Clay (East)	formn	1923	Bearings Co.	Eliz
Benedict	John K.			RTE 2	Safe Harbor	lab	1909
Benedict	John L.				Duke (North)	plasterer	1843
Benedict	John L.		h	209	King (East)	plasterer	1859
Benedict	John Philip		h	217	King (East)		1859
Benedict	John R.				Conestoga	tobacco buyer	1890
Benedict	John R.		h			laborer	1913	h n s Columbia av 5 w School la.
Benedict	John R.			RTE 1	Lancaster	farmhand	1914	1 child	Susan, this county directory has maps
Benedict	John R.		h		Columbia av near School Lane	farmer	1919
Benedict	John R.		r	540	Chestnut (East)	lab	1923	P Lorillard	Susan
Benedict	John U.		r	324	King (East)		1913
Benedict	John U.		h	324	King (East)	floorlyr	1919
Benedict	John W.		r	220	Clay (East)	carp	1923	D S Warfel
Benedict	Kathryn		h	219	King (West)	silkwkr	1923	Bently, Twohey Co.
Benedict	Katie		b	454	Queen (South)		1899
Benedict	Katie	*	h	RTE 1	Millersville		1914		wife of E., this county directory has maps
Benedict	Laura M.		b	534	Chester	carder	1919
Benedict	Lavinia		h	324	Church		1923		wid George W.
Benedict	Levina		b	314	Howard		1919		widow of George W.
Benedict	Lillie	*	h	24	Water (North)		1923		George W.
Benedict	M.			538	King (East)	widow	1871

(To be continued)

Benedicts in the Federal Census for Fairfield County, Connecticut 1850 (Roll #37 M-432 National Archives film - continued from Vol. 3 No. 2)

The entire roll was scanned. Some of the pages are misnumbered since the original document was re-numbered about three times. The page numbers here reflect the correct sequence of numbers. Usually all members of a household (hh) were named. If they are not, a comment appears in the last column. Other names in a household may hint at in-law or other relationships.

Dw. Fam. Surname Given name sex age Occupation Value R/E BP Comments

Danbury, page 275

775 916 BENEDICT Amy f 67 400 CT

TOWNSEND Annis f 65 CT [in dwelling with others but these two women listed together as one household]

page 287

867 1015 BENEDICT Philander m 34 farmer 1,500 CT

BENEDICT Sarah f 34 CT

BENEDICT Martha f 7 CT att. school

BENEDICT Olivar V. m 3 CT

868 1016 BENEDICT Ezra P. m 57 2,000 CT

BENEDICT Rebecca f 56 CT

BENEDICT Edward B. m 21 shoemaker CT

BENEDICT George P. m 16 CT

872 1020 BENEDICT Elijah m 22 farmer CT hh with Berum KNAPP

874 1022 BENEDICT Samuel I. m 22 farmer CT hh with Silas ABBOTT

page 290

914 1066 BENEDICT Ira m 47 Hatter CT

BENEDICT Sarah f 67 CT

BENEDICT Edgar W. m 17 CT

BENEDICT Penelope f 75 CT

page 291

919 1071 BENEDICT Charles m 17 farmer CT hh with James WILKES

page 311, Ridgefield

34 34 BENEDICT Thaddeus M. m 49 shoemaker 800 CT born in Ridgefield

BENEDICT Eunice f 50 CT born in Ridgefield

BENEDICT Mary A. f 21 CT born in Ridgefield

BENEDICT Wm. E. m 18 CT b. Ridgefield-att. school

BENEDICT Thadeus [sic] M. m 13 CT b. Ridgefield-att. school

BENEDICT Sarah M. f 11 CT b. Ridgefield-att. school

BENEDICT Rufeal K. m 8 CT b. Ridgefield-att. school

BENEDICT Eliza M. f 7 CT b. Ridgefield-att. school

page 315

48 48 BENEDICT John H. m 41 shoemaker 2,000 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Jane A. f 41 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Henry m 14 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Charles m 11 CT b. Ridgefield

page 327

170 170 BENEDICT Sarah f 68 NY living alone

187 187 BENEDICT [?Garnalielor] m 55 farmer 7,000 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Sarah f 50 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Mary C. f 22 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Thomas C. m 20 CT b. Ridgefield

BURNS Michael m 28 Ire

BOUGHTON George m 25 merchant CT b. Ridgefield

ROCKWELL Sarah M. f 17 NY

188 188 BENEDICT Sally f 36 CT b. Danbury [with Daniel NEWCOMB & others]

page 345

318 329 BENEDICT William N. m 43 none 2,000 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Elizabeth f 43 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Sarah E. f 14 CT b. Ridgefield-att. school

BENEDICT George H. m 13 CT b. Ridgefield-att. school

BENEDICT Esther M. f 8 CT b. Ridgefield-att. school

BENEDICT William A. m 3 CT b. Ridgefield

KEELER Thadeus m 73 none CT b. Ridgefield

322 334 BENEDICT Edwin m 45 shoemaker 1,700 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Catharine f 42 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Cornelia E. f 16 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Harriet E. f 14 CT b. Ridgefield

page 348 [marked 346]

351 364 BENEDICT Joel T. m 48 farmer 1,000 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Phebe M. f 42 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Harriet C. f 21 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Phebe A. f 17 CT b. Ridgefield

page 351

366 379 BENEDICT Joanna f 77 CT b. Ridgefield-liv. alone

page 352 [marked 350]

373 386 BENEDICT Ambrose m 70 none NY

BENEDICT Laura f 33 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Daniel m 5 CT b. Ridgefield-att. school

?980 393 BENEDICT Josiah B. m 71 farmer 4,000 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Esther f 75 CT b. Kent

BENEDICT Hiram m 40 farmer CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Elizabeth f 35 CT b. Ridgefield

BENEDICT Charles m 30 CT b. Ridgefield

page 357

422 439 BENEDICT Mary I. f 10 CT b. Ridgefield [with Nathen SMITH family]

page 362

459 479 BENEDICT Harriet I. f 9 NY att. school [with Edward B. JONES family and others]

page 386, Redding (family starts p. 385)

198 202 BENEDICT Harriet f 17 CT b. Ridgefield

page 398, Redding (marked 396)

290 297 BENEDICT Juila f 50 CT b. Redding

BENEDICT Ebenezer m 50 1,000 CT b. Danbury

BENEDICT Ora f 21 CT b. Redding

BENEDICT Amanda f 19 CT b. Redding

BENEDICT Eliza S. f 13 CT b. Redding-att. school

BENEDICT Samuel B. m 10 CT b. Redding-att. school

page 427, 1st Ward Bridgeport City

117 149 BENEDICT Lyman E. m 26 Iron moulder 200 NY

BENEDICT Almira f 27 NY

BENEDICT Adolphus A. m 3 NY

BENEDICT Frank m 1m CT

REGUA Elizabeth f 58 NY

page 429

132 168 BENEDICT [?Ietho] m 18 clerk CT hh. Samuel JONES

page 433

157 199 BENEDICT James m 75 cooper 1,000 CT

BENEDICT Mehitable f 64 CT

BENEDICT William C. m 23 H. carpenter NY

BENEDICT Samantha f 22 CT

page 504, 3rd Ward Bridgeport City (marked p. 502)

588 752 BENEDICT Cornelius m 30 clerk CT BENEDICT Harriet E. f 25 CT

BENEDICT Harriet F. f 1 CT [four other adults in household]

page 539, 4th Ward of Bridgeport

817 1040 BENNEDICT [sic]Najah [?Majah] m 68 none CT

BENNEDICT [sic]Clara f 65 CT

BENNEDICT [sic]Mary P. f 25 CT

page 566, Bridgeport

1000 1324 BENEDICT Thomas T. m 35 shoemaker CT

BENEDICT Sarah f 36 CT

BENEDICT Thomas E. m 10 CT att. school

BENEDICT Harriet L. f 7 CT att. school

BENEDICT George E. m 5 CT att. school

page 672, Town of Monroe (marked p. 668)

13 17 BENEDICT Nancy f 40 2,000 CT

BENEDICT Emeline f 17 CT

BENEDICT John m 14 CT att. school

BENEDICT Rebecca f 6 CT att. school

14 19 BENEDICT Leuke [sic] m 35 500 CT

BENEDICT Nancy f 25 CT

BENEDICT Sarah f 4 CT

BENEDICT Franklin m 3 CT

BENEDICT Georgianna f 2 CT

page 722, Town of Huntington (marked 718)

132 142 BENEDICT Henderson m 61 farmer 4,000 CT [others in same dwelling but he is alone in this family]

page 733, Town of Huntington

233 237 BENEDICT Daniel m 50 shoemaker CT

BENEDICT Charlotte f 46 CT

BENEDICT George m 14 CT att. school

BENEDICT Daniel m 12 CT att. school

BENEDICT Wilber [sic] m 9 CT att. school

(End of Roll No. 37)

Fairfield County, Part II, Roll No. 38

page 10, [?Town of ] Fairfield

75 82 GRAVES Ruth f 64 CT cannot read & write

GRAVES Ruth C f 17 CT

BENEDICT Betsy f ?91 CT

page 84

690 722 BENNEDICT[sic]Henrietta f 24 CT

page 120, Town of Easton

277 278 BENEDICT Daniel J. m 33 farmer 700 CT

BENEDICT Ellenor f 38 CT

BENEDICT Frances J. f 9 CT att. school

BENEDICT Ann E. f 8 CT att. school

BENEDICT Mary A. f 7 CT att. school

BENEDICT William N. m 5 CT att. school

BENEDICT Emily f 3 CT

BENEDICT Sherwood E. m 2 CT

STAPLES Abigail f 76 CT

page 148, Town of Milton

207 214 BENEDICT Timothy [?S] m 42 farmer CT

BENEDICT [?Arity] f 35 CT

BENEDICT Jane f 15 CT att. school

BENEDICT Hearriet f 11 CT att. school

BENEDICT Amanda f 3 CT

BENEDICT Stephen H. m 1 CT

page 176, Town of Westport

194 222 BENEDICT Henry m 54 Clergyman CT

BENEDICT Mary B. f ?50 CT

BENEDICT Sarah G. f 22 NY

BENEDICT Mary E. f 14 NY att. school

BENEDICT Elizabeth f 12 NY att. school

BENEDICT Helen N. f 9 CT att. school

LINCH Mary f 20 Ire

page 247, Milton

276 297 STRATTON Sydney m 60 Shoemaker NY

STRATTON Hannah f 61 CT

SMITH Francis m 17 Teacher CT

BENEDICT I. Newton m 37 Shoemaker 2,000 NY

BENEDICT Emily f 32 CT

BENEDICT Lucy f 8 CT att. school

BENEDICT Frederick m 7 CT att. school

BENEDICT Arthur m 5 CT att. school

(To be continued)

Book Review

Cole, Edie Postill, Eggs For Shoes, Privately published by the author (1995). Soft cover, 193 pp., no index. Price: $12 + $4 P& H, all in Canadian funds. Order from the author: Mrs. E. P. Cole, 112 Woodside Close, Airdrie, Alberta, Canada. , T4B 2C7. If you order during March or April, expect a two-month delivery date as she will be in Arizona.

Edie Postill Cole is the granddaughter of Roy Alden Benedict (Edwin⁸, George⁷, Reuben⁶, Aaron⁵, Gideon⁴, Joseph³, John², Thomas¹. She has written this fiction book based on "fact" found in the memoirs of her grandmother Bertha Gale (Bennett) Benedict. There is no claim that information was corroborated with record research.

Bertha Benedict's memoirs started on her wedding day so Mrs. Cole created a prior romance for her grandparents. Once Bertha and Roy were married, the notes were used as a guideline. Given family names are true but all other character names are fictitious.

The book is interesting and delightfully illustrated on the front cover by ten-year-old Mandy Clark, the author's granddaughter.

The story begins in Ida Grove, Iowa and follows the family to Jerico Springs, Missouri. It continues with the story of an arduous trip north to Alberta, Canada at the turn of the century. The many hardships, victories, and joys of conquering a vast open land are detailed.

The origin of the strange title is revealed in Chapter 16. Bertha's daughters watched as "Bertie" fed the chickens: " 'Why do you keep hens and roosters to feed?' daughter Edith Benedict asked.

"Bertie answered quickly, 'The hens lay eggs which we sell for the money to buy the shoes you wear on your feet.'

"Immediately the girls began to run around in a circle. 'Eggs for shoes. Eggs for shoes,' they chanted and it became a dance."

This family is well detailed in Vol. II Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, pages 51-52. Mrs. Cole is interested in hearing from any persons descended from any of her grandfather's brothers or sisters: Charles Edwin, Harriet Elverna who married Mr. Bowers, Leonard M., Willis Evalthan, Alfred Eugene, Archibald Hielmer, Sherwood Earl, Dr. Byron Irving, and Dr. Edgar Pearl Benedict. Write to Mrs. Cole at the address above.

Queries

Abbreviations:

b. = born m. = married d. = died ca. = about (circa) Two-letter zip code abbreviations are used for states.

Note: Addresses may not be current

BENEDICT/ TAYLOR/ KETCHUM/ SCRIVENER/ HYATT

Seek information on Elizabeth BENEDICT who married Daniel TAYLOR. He b. Oct 1676, d. 12 Aug 1770 Danbury, CT. His parents Thomas & Rebecca (KETCHUM) TAYLOR of Norwalk, CT. Also seek parentage of Abigal SCRIVENER wife of Thomas BENEDICT b. ca 1720 Norwalk, CT, d. ca 1760. Thomas the s/o Thomas BENEDICT & Millicent "Mary" HYATT both of Norwalk.

--- Barry Moravek, 5-A North Tweedt, Kennewick WA 99336

ST. JOHN/ BOUGHTON/ BENEDICT/ BRIDGUM/ OLMSTEAD

The St. John Genealogy has erroneous data on the family of Matthias³ ST. JOHN (Matthias², Matthias¹). It says he was b. about 1667 and married Rachel BOUGHTON about 1690. However, it shows four children (Ebenezer, John, Matthew and Samuel ST. JOHN) b. before 1690. Could he have had these children by a first wife who died ca 1690? If so, who was she & what was her parentage? Matthias³ birth year is probably several years too late - what is the correct date? (Samuel

ST. JOHN married Rebbeca OLMSTEAD a granddaughter of Thomas BENEDICT and Mary BRIDGUM.)

--- James Churchyard, 1783 Hawaii Circle, Costa Mesa CA 92626

The Underground Railroad
(Series by Aaron Benedict continued - this installment from The Sentinel, Mt. Gilead, Ohio, Thursday August 3, 1893)

Two Conventions and Two Egging Scrapes, One of Which, Maybe, Was Participated in by a Man

Yet Residing in Mt. Gilead 1844

We held an anti-slavery convention at Mt. Gilead in the Presbyterian church which was burned down in 1860. A mob came in the church, two men carrying a rail; they went up the aisle with the rail to the speaker's stand and stopped some little time. Up to this time there had been no boisterous outbreak. The speaker kept on with his discourse as if there was no mob present. Finally, those down back in the aisle commenced to crowd up, making quite a racket, and apparently trying to inspire courage into the leaders to begin operations. But courage seemed to fail them, and they went back out of the church carrying the rail with them. When the convention adjourned we left the church and passed right by two men holding the rail. After we had passed the crowd they commenced, gave the war whoop, and made considerable of a racket while we went peaceably along. They followed us to Main street. Here they disbanded. We stayed in town a short time, then started for old Peru, whose men were more civil. The road passed through a swamp at that time, opposite where the Fair Grounds are now. There was a corduroy bridge through the swamp, the bushes coming up to the ends of the bridge, making a narrow space to pass. When we came to this place I saw several men standing at the side of the road near the bridge with eggs in their hands, and more eggs strung along the log handy to be grabbed and thrown. When we got about opposite they commenced throwing the eggs. This frightened our horses and we were soon out of reach of the eggs, but were pretty well daubed up- both ourselves and horses.

Soon after this there was an anti-slavery State convention held in Mt. Vernon in a Presbyterian church. At the evening session a mob collected having stones, brick bats, and eggs. They appeared to form in a sort of military company. The first we knew there was a mob outside somebody hallowed "Make ready; take aim; fire!" Then came stones, and bricks, breaking in the sash and glass. In a few minutes the order was repeated, and then came the eggs. The stones and bricks had cleared the passage for them. When we adjourned we went peaceably out passing through the crowd. We were not molested. Probably they thought we had dose sufficient for once. The next morning the church presented a woe-begone appearance. Stones, brick bats, pieces of sash and glass were scattered over the seats and floor, and daubed with eggs. This shows what prejudice would do in these days on account of color. There was no action taken against the mob by law. I have no doubt but that a large majority of the people of Ohio would have said we got just what we deserved.

Benedicts in Iowa 1840 and 1850
From Larry Benedict

For a copy of any page of the census records abstracted here, send 25¢ [perhaps 50 cents or a dollar now] and SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) to: Carol I. Evans, 5517 Aurora #24, Des Moines IA 50310. Address may not be current

1840 State of IOWA CLINTON County page 20

Benedict Ralph R

1 male 5-10; 1 male 10-15; 3 males 20-30; 2 males 30-40;

1 female under 5; 1 female 5-10; 1 female 30-40

1840 State of IOWA SCOTT County page 494

Benedict Loyal

1 male 20-30. 1 female under 5; 1 female 20-30

1850 IOWA CEDAR County, Center Twp page 112 Sep 17, 1850

455 455 Benedict A 31 M Farmer Ohio

Jane M. 28 F NY

Ida 2 F Iowa

1850 IOWA DAVIS County,Bloomfield Twp pg 319 Oct 23, 1850

101 110 Benedict James 32 Carpenter $300 Ohio

1850 IOWA DAVIS County, Drakesville Twp pg 320 Oct 21 1850

8 8 Benedict Albert J 27 M Wool carder $850 Ohio

Margaret 25 F Tenn ?

Henrietta 3 F Iowa

Leander 1 M Iowa

Kiipton Mary 17 F Illinois

1850 IA DES MOINES County,Burlington Twp pg 465 Nov 1,1850

1212 1256 Benadict Darrence 28 M Laborer Ohio

Catherine 26 F VA

Mary 6 F Iowa

Louisa 5 F Iowa

James 4 M Iowa

Harriet 2 F Iowa

1850 IOWA JONES County, Richland Twp page 207 Oct 3, 1850

1014 1014 Benedict Lucas C 33 M Carpenter $225 NY

Samantha 31 F NY

Benjamin 10 M NY

Lucy A. 7 F NY

Charles H 2 M Iowa

1850 IOWA JONES County, Fairview Twp page 196 Oct 3, 1850

845 845 Benedict Ralph R 48 M Mill Wright VT

Adelia 44 F Mass

Roscoe 21 M Farmer Mich

Ralph 20 M Farmer Mich

Mary A 16 F Mich

Emi1y 12 F Ind

Julia 9 F Iowa

Harriet 6 F Iowa

(To be continued)

Index of Civil War Veterans in California

Sheila Benedict, C.G.R.S., former editor of this newsletter and current treasurer, reports that she has had fantastic response to August 1995 requests to Genealogical, Historical, Patriotic Societies and to others. She wants information on Civil War veterans buried in California for an attempt to index the names of men (and women) who served in the American Civil War and are buried in California.

Sheila needs data on all who served, Union and Confederate, as well as where they served during the war. Her goal is to compile a set of reference books, as comprehensive as possible, for use by genealogical and historical researchers. The following will be compiled for each person:

1. Name (will be indexed)

2. Date of death

3. Where buried in California (will be cross-indexed by county, then cemetery)

4. Dates of service

5. State from which he served (will be cross-indexed)

6. Unit in which he served

7. Rank(s) held

8. Date of birth, if known

9. State where born, if known

10. Miscellaneous pertinent data

If BFN subscribers or the genealogical/ historical societies to which they belong have any books, pamphlets, cemetery lists, family histories, or any other form of compilations on California burials, Sheila would like permission to abstract the data. If that is not an option, perhaps someone would be willing to abstract the information for her.

Sheila understands the massive amount of data that will be involved in this project and would appreciate any assistance at all. There is no time limit for collection and evaluation of the research. She would, however, like to see the first volume(s) completed in two to three years - even less if possible. Duplication of the information on the soldiers is perfectly acceptable, in fact, encouraged. The more sources for each, the more reliable and verifiable the data will be. Therefore, if you know of any organization, institution, or person that might have as few as one or two names, please inform them of this research project.

Sheila would like all the names that qualify. For the purposes of this newsletter, we are particularly interested in Benedict soldiers buried in California. A preliminary Benedict list was published in BFN Vol. 2 No. 3, p. 29 and Sheila has promised an update soon.

Send information to Sheila Benedict's [2002] address: Sheila Benedict, C.G.R.S., P.O. Box 1859, Santa Ynez CA 93460-1859 or contact her at mailto:sheilabe@hwy246.net.

BENEDICT - in Lebonon [NY], May 8th, 1864, Mr. James K. Benedict, aged 74 years. [death]

From Cazenovia Republican, [Cazenovia, New York] Wednesday May 18, 1864, Vol. XI, No. 3, page 3.