The Benedict Family News
Volume III Number 4 Spring 1996, pp. 51-64
Editor: Mary Alice Benedict Grindol
Table of Contents This Issue
Aaron Benedict's Peru Township, Ohio
Benedicts in Lancaster, Pennsylvania Directories
Ohio Union Soldiers Surnamed Benedict
Benedicts in Fairfield County, Connecticut 1850
Queries/ BENEDICT, Louis E. [Edgar?]
Update on John Benedict (1714-1778)
Benedicts in Orphan's Court, Lancaster, Pa. 1742-1891
The Alum Creek (Evangelical)
Friends Church, Peru Township, Morrow County, Ohio.
Photograph submitted by Frances Crook, P.O. Box 275, Bandon OR
97411.
Aaron Benedict's Peru Township, Morrow County, Ohio
Compiled by the Editor*
Those readers who are following the series "Underground Railroad" by Aaron Benedict (1740-1821) may be interested to know more about the area in which he and his family had much influence.
The memoirs of Hannah (Barker) Benedict were published in an earlier issue of BFN and described the movement of at least one part of the family from the Town of Peru, Clinton Co., New York in 1809 to what is now Peru Township, Morrow Co., Ohio. Hannah was married to Cyrus Benedict, an uncle of Aaron Benedict (1740-1821). Her account describes the trip from New York and the rigors of the early years in an unsettled area of Ohio.1
The Benedicts were members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) before they left New York and after they arrived in Ohio. In 1812, 12th month, 22nd day, in the Short Creek Monthly Meeting in Jefferson Co., Ohio, the following Benedicts were "received on certificate" dated 9th month, 24th day from the Peru, New York Monthly Meeting: Aaron and wife Elizabeth; Aaron and wife Esther and children: Sarah, Elizabeth and Aaron; and Reuben. The certificate of William and wife Alice [Alse] and children: Daniel and Phebe's was dated the same month, 22nd day, but they were not received into the Short Creek Monthly Meeting until 1814, 9th month, 20th day. Also in 1814, on 11th month, 22nd day, Martha Benedict was received at Short Creek by request.2
The first recorded marriage in Peru Township was that of Sarah Benedict and John Keese on 14 June 1815 by Edmund Buck, a Justice of the Peace.3 Sarah, the daughter of Aaron and Esther Benedict had married "contrary to discipline", probably by engaging a Justice of the Peace rather than having the traditional Quaker ceremony.4 On 27 July 1816 in the second recorded marriage in Peru Township, Edmund Buck J.P. again married one of this family: Polly Benedict, daughter of Reuben and Anna. She married Reuben Gardner.5
The first meeting for worship in Peru Township was held by the Society of Friends in 1813 at a private home. A meeting house was built in 1815 on Reuben Benedict's land on the west side of Alum Creek. The male members of the society included the following Benedicts: Cyrus, Reuben, Aaron Sr., Aaron Jr., William, and John Keese, [probably the husband of Sarah Benedict].6 The Alum Creek Monthly Meeting, in what was then Delaware Co., was established in 1817. As Ohio's Quaker population grew, on 1838, 12th month, 18th day, the Gilead Monthly Meeting, located in Morrow Co. was established by the Alum Creek Quarterly Meeting. The Benedict family members are prominent in both meetings' records.7
Peru Township always was and still is a rural township with farming being the main business. Sheep were very prominent in early times. The township was made up of rather small family farms with all kinds of livestock and poultry. Today it is almost entirely farmed by large farmers with large machinery. Hardly any livestock is raised and most residents are either retired or work off the land. Out-of-state people have purchased the farms with extensive road frontage and divided them into lots of five acres or more. Some have built nice homes but others are not so nice. Zoning regulations may be non-existant.8
Although the ancestry of Aaron Benedict (1740-1816) was not firmly established in Volume I, Genealogy of the Benedicts in America,9 it was speculated that he was the son of Joseph3 (John,2 Thomas,1). One possible brother Jonathan, went to Manchester, Vermont from New Milford, Connecticut [where the original Aaron Benedict married his wife Elizabeth Knowles in 1759]. In 1833 Sylvia (Benedict) Bull, daughter of Johnathan said that her father had two brothers, Aaron and John.9 John Benedict's youngest son John resided in Cornwall, Vermont. His eldest son, Ranson Smith Benedict (1808-1867), was born in Skeensboro (now Whitehall), New York, at the southern tip of Lake Champlain. Ranson Benedict also went to Ohio and died at Bedford (near Cleveland).10 The Town of Peru in Clinton Co., New York is near Lake Champlain, a normal travel channel in the early days from neighboring Vermont. Since families often migrated together, a connection seems likely.
Perhaps the first Aaron's choice of religion was the reason he was left out of family records. The commitment of the Peru Township, Morrow Co., Ohio Benedicts to the Society of Friends is evident in the long-running prominence in the Alum Creek Friends Church and the history of their involvement in the "Underground Railroad" as chronicled by his grandson.
References:
* The editor greatfully acknowledges the assistance of Frances Crook, P.O. Box 275, Bandon OR 97411 and Kurian Davis, P.O. Box 4897, Mountain View CA 94040.
1. Benedict Family News Vol. 1, Nos. 3 & 4, pp. 24-26 & 33-35. See also History of Peru Township, Morrow County, Ohio (Senteniel Printing House, Mt. Gilead, Ohio: 1897).
2. Hinshaw, William Wade, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. IV, p. 175.
3. History of Peru Township, Morrow County, Ohio (Senteniel Printing House, Mt. Gilead, Ohio: 1897).
4. N. 2.
5. N. 3.
6. Ibid.
7. N. 2.
8. Morrow County History Book Committee, History of Morrow County Ohio (Walsworth Press, Salem WV: 1989) pp. 32-33.
9. Benedict, Henry M., Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, Vol. I (pub. originally by Joel Munsell, Albany: 1870, republished with annotations by Elwyn Ellsworth Benedict: 1969), pp. 51, 63-4, 403.
10. Ibid. Errata, p. 475, see also Benedict, Elwyn Ellsworth Benedict, Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, Vol. II, p. 34.
The Underground
Railroad
(Continued series. This excerpt from The
Sentinel, Mt. Gilead, Ohio, Thursday August 17, 1893)
Eliza, of the "Uncle Tom's Cabin" Story,
Safely Passes Through, as do Several Other Runaway Slaves.
One Good Deed Done by Liquor - A Part Played by the Late G.W. Hull
By Aaron Benedict
In early times runaway slaves were assisted on their way to Canada almost entirely by Friends... A woman with a small child ran away from her master and stopped at a cabin station. The mistress of the cabin saw two men coming toward the house one day. She hurried the woman and child through a trap door in the floor into a small cellar. Then, replacing the door, she spread a carpet over it, set her spinning wheel on it and commenced to spin... The mother and child were kept here in this underground railway station until all danger was passed, then forwarded to Canada. [As with Eliza, of Uncle Tom's Cabin.]
Many who read this will, doubtless, remember "Squire Hull, the banker in Bucyrus, now deceased. He used to have a stock farm three miles north of Cardington. When I first became acquainted with him he lived west of Delaware, near the Scioto River. He frequently brought runaway slaves here. He at one time brought a woman and three children, and while they were at his house he heard their master was in the neighborhood with a search warrant, hunting for them. He hurried to the barn and told them to crawl under the barn floor. Then he put a flooring of wheat on the floor and commenced tramping it with horses. That was the way they threshed wheat in those days, by tramping it out with horses. He said he done it to prevent the hearing of any noise the children might make. The master came and searched his house and out buildings and came to the barn where he was busy threshing, looked through the stable and mows, and left after giving him a pro-slavery lecture. The woman and children were kept secreted by him until it was thought safe for them to be forwarded on. He brought them to our house, as above stated, and they were helped on their way to freedom.
A young mulatto man came here on his way to Canada. He had in his possession his master’s race horse. He said his master followed horse racing far and near, and took him with him as a body servant, hostler and rider. ...they had been to several races in Ohio, once as far north as Columbus. He said his master was kind to him unless his horse got beaten, then he would whip him and sometimes get a patrol to do it for him. Finally, he made up his mind to leave his master and go to Canada the next time he went to Ohio. He prepared himself with false whiskers by cutting pieces of black sheep skin in proper shape, attaching them to ends of a wire. This wire was bent so as to go around the back of his head and over his ears, bent down so the goatee would be in proper place. This he had to conceal from his master. In due time there was to be horse racing near Chillicothe, this State. They went to it and his master’s racer beat in nearly every heat. His master at the close of the races always had a regular spree; this time his master was in high spirits over the good luck he had had in the race and commenced his regular spree. His master always sent him for the whiskey and drank it in his room. This time he furnished him with plenty of whiskey and urged him to drink, telling him that "we’uns has had good luck and can afford to have a good time." By night his master was hopelessly drunk. He undressed him and got him into bed where he was soon in a heavy drunken sleep. He then undressed himself, put on his master’s clothes, leaving his own for his master to wear. Then he went to the stable, got the race nag and started for Canada. As soon as he was in the saddle he said all fear left him, for he was satisfied that no other horse could overtake the racer. He stopped here but a short time. He calculated to get to the Lake and cross over into Canada before the mails got there. There was no telegraph or railroads in Ohio at that time. We heard afterwards that he got through safely...
(Series to be continued.)
Beginning with our next volume, we'll be changing our name slightly to reflect the genealogical/ historical purpose of the newsletter. Starting with the Summer 1996 issue, we'll be The Benedict Family History News. You'll still see the familiar features you are now enjoying: queries, feature articles, transcriptions of original records and census returns, book reviews, and extractions of other materials as they pertain to the history of the Benedict family. ...
A look at the 1850 census records for Westchester County, New York and the adjoining Fairfield County, Connecticut indicate many Benedicts were shoemakers. In Westchester County there were four Benedict shoemakers, all in the Town of Lewisboro. Fairfield County had 12 shoemakers in the towns of Brookfield, Ridgefield, Bridgeport, Huntington, Milton, and Norwalk. Twelve shoemakers lived in New Canaan, yet the boom in that town was ending.
As early as 1737, there was evidence that shoemaking was a busy trade in Canaan Parish (once a part of Norwalk). The Benedict family at that time were grist and sawmillers.
By 1820 New Canaan's shoe business was dominated by two families - the Benedicts and the Ayers. While the Ayers built their business on quality shoes, the Benedicts developed a large trade in rough pegged shoes. Caleb Benedict was able to solve a problem in the Albany district. It seems the lime burners rotted shoe stitches and the row of wooden pegs within the shoes held the soles on the shoes. The pegged shoes were snapped up by city workmen and others who needed shoes that could stand up to extremely hard wear. The Benedicts soon developed a profitable market in Georgia, where plantation owners bought them for their field slaves.
In 1815 a peg-making machine was invented, followed in 1833 by a machine that performed the pegging operation. This did not replace shoemakers until the 1850s.
Roswell S. Benedict, Charles Benedict, and William A. Hall of Brooklyn, New York ran a partnership named by the New Canaan's Omnibus in 1851 as the most extensive manufacturer of shoes. In 1853 Caleb S. Benedict and Edson Bradley ended their partnership and Benedict, Bradley & Co. became C.S. Benedict & Co. There were other shoe companies in New Canaan.
The one and only shoeman's strike occurred in 1853. One of the strikers was Benjamin Benedict, a brother of
Caleb S., who much later wrote that about the pressures exerted by the bosses and the low wages.
References:
1. U.S. Federal Census 1850, Westchester Co., New York, Roll #614. (Transcribed in BFN, Vol. III, No. 1)
2. U.S. Federal Census 1850, Fairfield Co., Conn., Rolls #37, 38. (Transcribed in BFN, Vol. III, Nos. 2, 3, and concluded in this issue on page 59. )
3. King, Mary Louise, Portrait of New Canaan: The History of a Connecticut Town (New Canaan [Conn.] Historical Society: 1981), pp. 175, 186-7.
Benedicts in
Lancaster, Pennsylvania Directories
(Continued from Vol. III, no. 3)
Contributed by Wayne Campbell, 1234 Lynda Lane, Warminster PA
18974-1949
This concludes the compilation from 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 | M. H. | Conestoga, Conestoga Twp. | carpenter | 1884 | |||||
| Benedict | Maria | h | 538 | King (East) | 1875 | widow of John L. | |||
| Benedict | Maria | h | 528 | King (East) | 1877 | wid John L. | |||
| Benedict | Maria | h | 538 | King (East) | 1879 | wid John | |||
| Benedict | Maria | h | 528 | King (East) | 1884 | widow of John | |||
| Benedict | Maria | h | 538 | King (East) | 1882 | widow of John | |||
| Benedict | Marie | * | h | 429 | Lafayette | 1923 | John | ||
| Benedict | Marion E. | h | 219 | King (West) | silkwkr | 1923 | Bently, Twohey Co. | ||
| Benedict | Maris H. | Conestoga | laborer | 1890 | |||||
| Benedict | Maris H. | b | carpenter | 1907 | Exchange Hotel | ||||
| Benedict | Mary | * | r | New Holland | 1914 | wife of Benjamin F., this directory has maps | |||
| Benedict | Mary | h | 513 | Chestnut (East) | 1923 | wid Addison | |||
| Benedict | Maurice C. | r | 447 | Chestnut (West) | 1923 | ||||
| Benedict | Michael | Conestoga, Conestoga Twp. | teacher | 1875 | |||||
| Benedict | Michael | Conestoga, Conestoga Twp. | laborer | 1884 | |||||
| Benedict | Michael | Conestoga | road supervisor | 1890 | |||||
| Benedict | Miles | RTE 1 | Millersville | lab | 1909 | ||||
| Benedict | Minnie | * | r | RTE 2 | Millersville | 1914 | wife of W. H., this county directory has maps | ||
| Benedict | Minnie | * | h | 112 | Coral | 1923 | William H. | ||
| Benedict | Paul | h | 217 | Grant (West) | carp | 1923 | Emma | ||
| Benedict | Paul R. | b | 412 | Frederick (West) | hlpr | 1919 | Wohlsen Plan Mill | ||
| Benedict | Philip | Duke (North) | plasterer | 1843 | |||||
| Benedict | Philip | b | 236 | King (East) | coachmaker | 1868 | |||
| Benedict | Philip | h | 328 | Beaver | P.O. clerk | 1877 | |||
| Benedict | Philip | h | 328 | Beaver | Postoffice clerk | 1879 | |||
| Benedict | Philip | h | 323 | Beaver | clerk | 1882 | post office | ||
| Benedict | Philip | h | 328 | Beaver | postal clerk | 1884 | |||
| Benedict | R. L. | r | 220 | Clay (East) | lab | 1923 | Armstong Cork | ||
| Benedict | Reuben | Conestoga, Conestoga Twp. | tailor | 1875 | |||||
| Benedict | Reuben | Conestoga, Conestoga Twp. | laborer | 1884 | |||||
| Benedict | Reuben | RTE 1 | Peter's Creek | farm | 1909 | ||||
| Benedict | Reuben | h | RTE 1 | Peach Bottom | farmer | 1914 | 4 children, owned 136 acres, had phone | Jennie, this county directory has maps | |
| Benedict | Robert H. | r | 536 | James (West) | tchr | 1923 | Boys HIgh School | ||
| Benedict | Samuel | h | 199 | King (East) | plasterer | 1859 | |||
| Benedict | Samuel | h | 236 | King (East) | plasterer | 1868 | |||
| Benedict | Samuel | 527 | King (East) | plasterer | 1871 | ||||
| Benedict | Samuel | h | 527 | King (East) | plasterer | 1875 | |||
| Benedict | Samuel | h | 527 | King (East) | 1877 | Benedict & Dorwarts | |||
| Benedict | Samuel | h | 527 | King (East) | 1879 | Benedict & Dorwarts | Benedict & Dorwarts, plastering was at 455 N. Prince & 527 E. King | ||
| Benedict | Samuel | h | 527 | King (East) | plasterer | 1882 | |||
| Benedict | Samuel | h | 527 | King (East) | plaster | 1884 | |||
| Benedict | Susan | h | 236 | Church | 1896 | ||||
| Benedict | Susan | h | 513 | Chestnut (East) | 1899 | wid Reuben | |||
| Benedict | Susan | * | RTE 1 | Lancaster | 1914 | wife of John R., this county directory has maps | |||
| Benedict | Susan | * | r | 540 | Chestnut (East) | 1923 | John R. | ||
| Benedict | Susan | r | 219 | King (West) | tobwkr | 1923 | GHP Cigar Co. | ||
| Benedict | Susanna | r | 513 | Chestnut (East) | 1896 | wid Reuben | |||
| Benedict | W. H. | r | RTE 2 | Millersville | farmer | 1914 | 5 children, had phone | Minnie, this county directory has maps | |
| Benedict | Wilber | r | 112 | Coral | carp | 1923 | |||
| Benedict | William | Letort | mason | 1890 | |||||
| Benedict | William H. | h | 209 | King (East) | machinist | 1859 | |||
| Benedict | William H. | h | 112 | Coral | mill hd | 1923 | John W. Eshelman | Minnie | |
| Benedict | William J. | b | 728 | Queen (North) | appr | 1919 | |||
| Benedict | William P. | r | 312 | Queen (South) | mgr | 1896 | |||
| Benedict | William P. | r | 312 | Schman (SP) | 1896 | ||||
| Benedict | William P. | h | 531 | Lancaster Avenue | student | 1913 | |||
| Benedict | William P. | b | 412 | Frederick (West) | sign pntr | 1919 | |||
| Benedict | William P. | r | 412 | Frederick (West) | sign pntr | 1923 |
(End of this compilation)
Benedicts in the Federal Census for Fairfield County, Connecticut 1850
(Roll #38 M-432 National Archives film - Continued from Vol. 3 No. 3, page 48)
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
page 260, Milton, continued
393 478 BENEDICT Frederick R. m 45 Shoemaker CT
BENEDICT Amanda f 35 CT
BENEDICT Edgar m 20 Shoemaker CT
BENEDICT William m 16 Shoemaker CT
BENEDICT Harriett f 13 CT att. school
BENEDICT Francis m 8 CT att. school
BENEDICT Mary [?N] f 4 CT
BENEDICT Hellen [sic] f 2 CT
page 276, Town of Norwalk
68 100 BENEDICT William m 11 CT hh. of Abby HOYT
not att. school
page 279
94 128 BENEDICT Davids m 43 NY-- with William C. SAMMIS
BENEDICT Mary f 36 NY
BENEDICT Franklin I. m 1m CT
BENEDICT Adeline J. f 15 NY--
page 282
114 154 BENEDICT Gould m 35 Carpenter 1,500 CT
BENEDICT Julia f 36 CT
BENEDICT Henry m 13 CT
page 283
121 163 BENEDICT Thomas m 85 Farmer 4,000 CT
BENEDICT Polly f 83 CT
BENEDICT Catherine f 42 CT
ENGMAN Buta f 40 Servant Sweden
BAKER Wm. m 17 Servant CT att. school
page 285
135 178 BENEDICT Wm. N. m 35 Hatter 3,000 CT
BENEDICT Mary f 35 CT
BENEDICT Gertrude f 9 CT
BENEDICT Francis M. f 4 CT att. school
BENEDICT Emily J. f 1 CT
FAIRCHILD Mary f 19 CT
[also in same dwelling but different family - Joseph W. RAYMOND and family]
page 285
137 182 BENEDICT George m 42 Hatter 3,000 CT
BENEDICT Amanda f 32 CT
BENEDICT Cornelia M. f 12 CT
BENEDICT Infant f 1m CT
McLEAN Georgiana f 19 NY
150 197 BENEDICT James m 50 farmer CT
BENEDICT Susan f 50 CT
BENEDICT William J. m 29 Boatman CT
BENEDICT Roswelle m 27 Boatman CT
BENEDICT James m 23 Boatman CT
BENEDICT Charles m 7 Boatman CT
BENEDICT Mary S. f 40 2,500 CT
MARVIN Avan m 54 CT
page 294
195 255 BENEDICT Raymond m 71 Builder 2,000 CT
BENEDICT Nancy f 67 CT
page 297 (family starts on page 296)
214 278 BENEDICT Sarah F. f 14 NY hh of Charles F.
RAYMOND
page 342
539 667 BENEDICT David [?N] m 22 Restaurant CT
BENEDICT Harriett N. f 20 CT
BENEDICT George F. m 1 CT
HANLIN Hannah f 20 Ireland
BARLOW John m 10 CT mulatto
page 357
633 795 BENEDICT Lewis B. m 30 Shoemaker CT
BENEDICT Maria f 27 CT
BENEDICT Malissa J. f 10 CT att. school
BENEDICT Julia A. f 7 CT att. school
BENEDICT Mary E. f 4 CT
WOOD Henrietta f 20 NY
ALLEN Elizabeth f 20 CT
SANDERS Sarah A. f 15 CT
page 371
736 914 BENEDICT Thomas Jr. m 53 Farmer 2,000 CT
BENEDICT Susan f 52 NY
BENEDICT Thomas 3rd m 25 Farmer CT
BENEDICT Sarah f 18 CT
BENEDICT Julia f 15 CT
BENEDICT Edwin m 10 CT
BETTS [?] Rebecca f 78 CT
BROWN Abram m 17 Laborer Canada
page 398 Town of Greenwich
135 145 BENEDICT Henry M. m 26 [?Broker] 8,000 CT
BENEDICT L.O. f 25 NY
BENEDICT F.L. m 21 None CT
BENEDICT John H. m 1 NY
IRISH Catherine f 21 [?] Ireland
page 501 (marked 503)
40 42 BENEDICT Mary A. f 40 CT-- HH. Darius WATERBURY
BENEDICT Gilbert G. m 58 CT--
page 635 (marked 637)
682 750 BENEDICT Mrs. f 25 Germany HH. Abrames BETTS
page 674 Town of New Canaan
123 132 BENEDICT Andrew C. m 48 Jeweller 10,000 CT
BENEDICT Eliza f 44 CT
BENEDICT Eliza f 17 CT
BENEDICT Mary A. f 13 CT att. school
BENEDICT Josephine f 11 CT att. school
BENEDICT [?] Francis A. f 6 CT att. school
STRAIT Sarah f 68 CT
DUN Catherine f 18 Ireland
FERRIS Mary E. f 20 CT
BENEDICT Henery [sic] m 35 Laborer CT
127 136 BENEDICT Abijah f [?] 32 [MI?]
BENEDICT Wm. T. m 10 CT att. school
BENEDICT Charles L. m 4 CT
BENEDICT Hannah C. f 7mos CT
OGDEN Mariah f 24 CT
page 678
152 162 BENEDICT Wm. H. m 27 Painter 900 NY
BENEDICT Mary E. f 28 CT
BENEDICT Henry m 1 CT
BENEDICT Mary f 58 CT
154 164 BENEDICT Caleb S. m 46 Shoe M. CT
BENEDICT Hannah E. f 43 CT
BENEDICT Harriett E. f 20 CT
BENEDICT Mary I. f 18 CT
BENEDICT Joseph I. m 16 Shoe M. CT
BENEDICT Julius m 14 CT att. school
BENEDICT Caleb I. m 12 CT att. school
BENEDICT Polly M. f 10 CT att. school
BENEDICT Wm. C. m 8 CT att. school
BENEDICT T.W. m 3 CT
BENEDICT Edward I. m 1 CT
page 679
158 169 BENEDICT James m 40 Shoe M. CT
BENEDICT Phebee [sic] f 35 CT
BENEDICT Edwin W. m 16 CT
BENEDICT [?Ecelia] E. f 13 CT
BENEDICT James M. m 4 CT
BENEDICT Maria L. f 2 CT
MILLS Ann f 48 CT
MILLS Hannah f 29 CT
MILLS Polly f 64 CT
page 680
161 173 BENEDICT Charles m 37 Shoe M. NY
BENEDICT Sarah E. f 23 CT
BENEDICT Sarah A. f 2 CT
page 684
171 187 BENEDICT Sarah f 38 1,200 CT
TUCKER Ann f 17 CT att. school
HOYT Danah f 68 CT att. school
page 687
201 219 BENEDICT Anson R. m 28 Shoemaker 300 CT
BENEDICT Esther f 33 NY
BENEDICT [?Orestus] H. m 21 Shoemaker CT
HOYT Sarah E. f 13 CT
BENEDICT Ezra H. m 4 CT
HOYT Julia E. f 10 CT
203 221 BENEDICT Anson m 49 Shoemaker CT
BENEDICT Mary f 50 NY
BENEDICT Benjamin W. m 18 Shoemaker CT
BENEDICT [?Ureillas] J. m 15 CT
ST. JOHN Enos m 10 Shoemaker CT
page 688 (marked 686)
209 237 BENEDICT Rufas m 20 Shoemaker CT hh. David FAUCHER
page 690 (marked 688)
233 241 BENEDICT Linis H.G. m 36 1,000 CT
BENEDICT Charlotte f 39 CT
BENEDICT Susan f 12 CT att. school
BENEDICT Charlotte f 10 CT att. school
BENEDICT George m 7 CT att. school
page 691
228 250 BENEDICT John m 38 Shoemaker CT
BENEDICT Mary f 37 CT
BENEDICT Harriott [sic] f 14 CT att. school
BENEDICT Elizabeth f 13 CT att. school
BENEDICT James m 11 CT att. school
BENEDICT Elvina f 8 CT att. school
BENEDICT John M. m 6 CT att. school
241 BENEDICT Anginett f 42 NY
page 700
316 344 LOCKWOOD Cordelia f 24 CT
BENEDICT Eliza A. f 13 CT
[?BENEDICT] Wm. m 5 CT
LOCKWOOD James E. m 1 CT
page 712 (marked 710)
391 424 BENEDICT Trowbridge m 65 Farmer 2,000 CT
BENEDICT Betsy A. f 47 CT
BENEDICT Edward m 10 CT att. school
PATRICK Mary F. f 13 Ireland
page 717
428 464 BENEDICT N. f 63 CT att. school [?] HH. Mary G. LAMBERT
page 719
439 477 BENEDICT Andrew m 39 Farmer 10,000 CT HH. George BREWER
BENEDICT Emily f 35 CT
442 480 BENEDICT Benjamin m 25 Shoemaker CT
HARRISON Orin m 32 Laborer CT
HARRISON Emily f 21 NY
HARRISON Theodore m 8 CT att. school
HARRISON Mary A. m? 4 CT att. school
HARRISON Henry F. m 1 CT
page 720 (marked 718)
443 481 BENEDICT Caleb m 66 Shoemaker CT Deaf
[?BENEDICT] Alice f 67 CT Also 4 others in HH.
End of Film/ End of Fairfield County
Index to Compiled
Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served in Organizations
from the State of Ohio Entries for Soldiers Surnamed Benedict
Transcribed and submitted by John E.
Benedict, 419 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington DC 20016
The National Archives in Washington holds tens of millions of pages of Civil War records. For Union soldiers, the two best resources are the Compiled Service Records and the Pension Records.
There is no every-name, alphabetical index for Civil War soldiers. Records are stored by company and regiment, just as they were organized 130 years ago -- for more than three million individual soldiers. The great majority of Union records have never even been microfilmed. But you can get copies from the Archives by mail, for a very small fee -- currently $10 per file.
To find great-granddad's records, in addition to knowing his name, you must know his company and regiment, including the state in which the unit was organized. To learn that, either contact the local historical society where great-granddad lived, or check the major National Archives indexes available on microfilm. Major libraries either have or can borrow these indexes.
Here, I have transcribed all Benedict entries appearing in the Index of Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Ohio (National Archives Microfilm No. M552). The Compiled Service Records are indexed separately by state, with soldiers listed alphabetically by the state for which they served (occasionally different from their home states). The Compiled Service Records index lists soldier name, company and regiment, and rank at enlistment and discharge. Keep in mind that many soldiers served in more than one unit during the course of the war. Transfers, re-enlistments, and unit consolidations were routine; officers in particular tend to appear in many units. Also, this index includes only volunteer units in federal service. Soldiers in "regular" (draft) regiments or state guard units are not included. A few soldiers may have been omitted from the federal records, or the index, inadvertently. Nonetheless, most soldiers were volunteers, making this index among the most comprehensive available.
The General Index to Pension Files 1861-1934 (National Archives Microfilm No. T288) is organized in the same way. It may include some soldiers not covered by the Compiled Service Records index, and it is a good idea to check both.
To order copies of service records, pension records, or medical records (which are not well indexed), write or telephone the National Archives at 202-501-5400 and ask that they mail you several NATF80 forms (Request for Military Records). Follow the instructions carefully, using a separate form for each unit, and return them to the Military Service Branch (NNMS), National Archives and Records Service, National Archives, 8th and Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20408.
Given Name Indexed Co. & Reg. Rank Comments
Andres C 67 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Anson W. C 113 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Bentley B. B 43 OH Inf Priv/Sgt
Charles O 19 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Charles W. B 3 OH Inf Corpl/Corpl
Charles W. C 3 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Charles W. B 3 OH Inf Priv/Priv 3 years
Charles W. C 3 OH Inf Priv/Priv 3 years
Charles W. F 186 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Christian H 72 OH Inf Priv/Priv
David D. F & G 17 OH Inf Asst Surg/Surg
Ensign M. J 3 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Ensign M. C 85 OH Inf Corpl/Corpl
Ensign M. B 88 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Ernst H 18 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Flavel T. 22 Indep Bty OH Lt Art Priv/Priv
Flavel T. D 95 OH Inf Priv/Priv
George C 43 OH Inf Priv/Priv
George F 85 OH Inf Priv/Priv
George E. C 2 OH Cav Priv/Priv
George W. L 3 OH Cav Priv/Priv
George W. D 18 OH Inf Priv/Corpl
Henry H. D 121 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Henry S.[J?] C 15 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Hiram C. C 3 Oh Inf Priv/Priv
Horace D. C 3 OH Cav Sgt/Priv
Horace K 14 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Ira C. A 69 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Ira C. L 4 OH Cav Priv/Priv
Isaac H. G 2 OH Hvy Art Priv/Corpl
Jacob C 43 OH Inf Priv/Priv
James - 188 OH Inf Priv/Priv [No Co listed]
James - 189 OH Inf Priv/Priv [No Co listed]
James A. D 196 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Jeremiah B 88 OH Inf Priv/Priv
John E 6 OH Inf Priv/Priv
John B. F 31 OH Inf Priv/Priv
John M. D C B 18 OH Inf Priv/Capt
John M. A 18 OH Inf Capt/Lt Col
Jonathan S. C 3 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Jonathan S. C 3 OH Inf Priv/Priv 3 years
Levi C 51 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Napoleon B. M 3 OH Cav Priv/Priv
Napoleon B. I 21 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Richard H 132 OH Inf Corpl/Corpl
Richard W. C 85 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Rodolphus C 88 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Stephen D 65 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Sylvester K 88 OH Inf Priv/Priv
Timothy A. G D 26 OH Inf Corpl/Corpl
William - 17 Indep Bty OH Lt Art Priv/Priv
William C 43 OH Inf Priv/Priv
William A. C 113 OH Inf Priv/Priv See Anson W.
William C. A 103 OH Inf Priv/Priv
William H. C 11 OH Inf Priv/Priv
William H. C 26 OH Inf Priv/Priv
William N. A C 69 OH Inf Corpl/Capt
William T. K 19 OH Inf Priv/Priv
William T. - 25 Indep Bty OH Lt Art Priv/Priv
William T. A 2 OH Cav Priv/Priv
Z.T. A 126 OH Inf Priv/Musician
(End)
Abbreviations in this issue:
b. = born, two-letter zip code abbreviations are used for states. Note: addresses may not be current
BENEDICT
Trying to locate my grandmother's family. Her father was Louis E. (Edgar?) Benedict b. May 1832 NY, his father was b. CT, date & place unknown. His wife Casturina ? b. 1842. Children: Ellsworth b. ca 1863 and Nellie F. or H. b. Sep 1867. They probably resided in Hudson NY between 1880-1900.
--- William Burr, 2503 NW 49th Ct., Tamarac, FL 33309.
Frazier, Ian, Family (1994). Published by Farrar Straus Giroux, New York and simultaneously in Canada by HarperCollinsCanada Ltd. Contact publishers for price and ordering information.
We are indebted to Ellen Keyne Seebacher, an internet corespondent, for calling to our attention the detail on the author's Benedict ancestors contained in Family. Wary at first, when it was referred to as a "best seller" and "genealogy" in one paragraph, we found that the first designation made it easily obtainable through interlibrary loan. It is not, in the traditional sense of the word, a genealogy, nor does the author attempt to call it one. However, it is definitely not fiction. Frazier, a regular contributor to the New Yorker, has written other books, Dating Your Mom (1986), Nobody Better, Better Than Nobody (1987), and Great Plains (1989). Chapter 10 of Family, appeared in the Atlantic Monthly in somewhat different form.
Ian Frazier's Benedict ancestors are through his paternal grandmother, Cora (Wickham) Frazier, daughter of Louis W. Wickham & Ellen Eliza Benedict9 (David Deforest8, Jonas Boughton7, Platt6, Jonas5, Daniel4, Daniel3, Daniel 2, Thomas1). From Daniel2 Ian Frazier's ancestors' genealogies appear in Genealogy of the Benedicts in America Vol. I on pages 365-367; 373; 380-382 (including a lithograph of Platt Benedict); 396-7 and in Volume II on page 402. Ian Frazier acknowledges that he read Volume I, but apparently had not discovered Volume II. Frazier has added to the detailed genealogies of various branches of his family, heart and soul.
After the death of his parents in 1987 and 1988, Ian Frazier inherited old family letters and documents dating to the early 1800's. Transcriptions of some of these letters reveal not only literacy, but talented writing. The author's inheritance obviously included those talents. From his father, who was a scientist, Ian Frazier must have also inherited his attention to detail. From the narrative accounts of life in those faded documents and from extensive research, the author has included a sense of historical place. Newspapers; historical writing; theological works; military accounts; interviews with those who knew and worked with his parents and with distant relatives and older family friends; and other sources were used. Consequently, this tale of a midwestern family that is now spread out, identifies not only what is unique about it, but what is common.
The author handles with tenderness, the illness of his once-brilliant father who ultimately developed Alzheimer's disease. He moves us through the deaths of his brother Fritz and his mother with equal detail and softness. He examines his own philosophy of life and it's roots. In so-doing, he examines society as a whole. He tells the truth about relatives who were less-than-perfect: those who were slave-traders, bigots, and drunkards. He investigated the truth about those who were really nice. You feel as if you trust what he has learned.
By the time you finish this book, you'll feel as if you know this family intimately - indeed, that you are a member of it.
Benedicts in Iowa 1850
Continued from Vol. 3 No. 3, page 49
1850 IOWA LEE County, Dist. 29 page 456 & 457 Oct 3, 1850
1052 1058 Benedict Ezra 44 M Farmer $200 Canada
Edith 36 F Canada
Hebu 16 M Farmer Canada
Clarissa 14 F Canada
Fenton 9 M Canada
Malinda 8 F Canada
Jachim 6 M Canada
William 3 M Iowa
Melissa 5/12 F Iowa
1065 1071 Benedict Isaac 27 M Farmer $250 Canada
Martha 26 F Canada
William 7 M Canada
George 4 M Canada
Emily 3 F Canada
Levi 7/12 M Iowa
1850 IOWA LEE County, Ft. Madison Tn page 291
Aug 3,1850
167 167 Benedict John 30 M no Occp given Germany
Margaret 32 F Germany
Henry 4 M Germany
Elizabeth 1 F Germany
1850 IOWA LINN Conty, no twnp given page 006 Aug 30, 1850
90 99 Benedict Lyman 36 M Farmer $600 NY
Sanpsta (?) 25 F Ohio
James C 8 M Iowa
Sarah Anna 6 F Iowa
Winfield 2 M Iowa
Amanda 4/12 F Iowa
Nonnan John 13 M Germany
1850 IOWA POTTAWATTMIE County, Dist 21 pg 138 Nov 19,1850
1173 1173 Benadict Sarah 16 F NY [Living with Josiah DeForest Schoolmaster 36 M NY]
1850 IOWA SCOTT County Dist 4 page 213 Oct 3, 1850
639 677 Benedict Loyd 37 M Farmer NY
Eliza J. 37 F Conn
Miranda 11 F Penn
Catherine 6 F Iowa
Amelia 4 F Iowa
Henrietta 1 F Iowa
For a copy of any page, send 25 cents [in year 2002 at least 50 cents or a dollar] and SASE to:
Carol I. Evans, 5517 Aurora #24, Des Moines IA 50310 This address may not be current.
Benedicts in Orphan's
Court, Lancaster, Pa. 1742-1891
Contributed by Wayne Campbell, 1234
Lynda Lane, Warminster PA 18974-1949
Following is a transcription of all Benedict’s [and variations] in the Index to Orphan’s Court Miscellaneous Books, 1742-1891, Lancaster, PA, (FHC Film Number 0021368) The first column (Xp) is the page in the index in "B" Section. The last number [Misc] is the page in the Miscellaneous Book.
X p Surname Given Name Year Comment Misc
5 Benedict Detrick [?] 1763-1767 Inquest 21
5 Benedict Detrick [?] 1763-1767 Guardian Appointed 22
5 Benedict Deter [?] 1763-1767 Inquest Confirmed 39
5 Benedict Deter [?] 1763-1767 Admininstration Account 39
10 Benedick Deeter 1772-1776 Guardian Appointed 117
83 Benedict Leonard 1838-1841 Admininstration Account 28
88 Benedict George 1841-1844 Sale of Real Estate 180
90 Benedict George 1841-1844 Citation Awarded 379
90 Benedict George 1841-1844 Admininstration Account 433
90 Benedict George 1841-1844 Guardian Appointed 430
119 Benedict Jacob 1852 ----- Approved 122
120 Benedict Jacob 1852 Sale Awarded 181
120 Benedict Jacob 1852 Sale Confirmed 181
148 Benedict Philip 1865 Order to Ex. to pay $ 647
156 Bennevit Henry 1868 Order of Sale 301
156 Bennevit Henry 1869 Guardian Appointed 342
156 Bennevit Henry 1869 Widow’s Allowance 337
156 Bennevit Henry 1869 Sale Confirmed 302
N/A Benedict Rebecca 1886 Sale Awarded 4
N/A Benedict Rebecca 1886 Sale Confirmed 5
Note: The name Dieter (misspelled here as Deter & Deeter?) is derived from the name Dietrick (George Jones, German-American Names).
Update on John Benedict (1714-1778)
John E. Benedict who compiled the lead
article in the winter issue, "John Benedict (1714-1778)
Correction to
Volume I" and who contributed the article on page 57 this
issue, "Index to Compiled Service Records..." wrote the
following soon after we published his winter article:
"During the Christmas holidays I finally managed to find one small, and admittedly minor, fact about John Benedict (1745-1830), which I had been trying to track down for some time.
The materials in the Revolutionary War pension files for his buddy Ebenezer Peck and heirs of his widow Chloe Benedict don't contain the number of John Benedict's (1745-1830) regiment. As War Department notations in both pension files attest, no records for his regiment survive. So bit by bit I've poured over Rev'y War reference books looking for Colonel John Durgy, whom greatx5 granddad identified in his affidavit for Mr. Peck as their commanding officer. Over the Christmas holidays, in Phoenix, reading through yet another footnote-filled Revolutionary War book I had toted with me, I found him: Colonel John Durkee commanded the 20th Connecticut regiment."