The Benedict Family History News
Formerly The Benedict Family News
Volume 6 Number 1 Summer 1998, pp. 1-14
Editor: Mary Alice Benedict Grindol
Table of Contents This Issue
Benedict/Parmelee Family Part II
Benedict Cemetery, German Flatts, Herkimer Co., N.Y.
Mary Benedict & John Olmstead/Olmsted Descendants
Benedict/ Brown in New York Questions
Queries: BENEDICT/ BOOTH/ McKINLEY/ SPRAGUE/ LOVELAND/ MENGEL
Abel Carter Benedict 1877 ------ Lizzie (Parmelee) Benedict [?1877]
The Benedict / Parmelee Family - Part II
[Corrections: In "The Benedict / Parmelee Family" in the last issue, we omitted an addition and an important correction to The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, Vol. 2 (1969). On page 48 of the newsletter, add for the wife of Ralph Paul Davis, Jan Yvonne Sharrer. On page 49, an attempt was made to correct the spelling of Parmelee Benedict Eastman but we added the extra "l" that was also in G of BA. We also incorrectly inserted an extra letter in the name of the author in his byline on page 45. His correct name is Richard Beleņa Benedict as below.]
By Richard Beleņa Benedict, 1773 Monroe Avenue,
Seaford NY 11783-2121
(Part I appeared Vol. V, No. 4)
An obituary can be the source of valuable family and biographical data. The obituaries of my granduncle Edwin Carter Benedict and his wife Cornelia Kirby (Sutliffe) Benedict offer interesting information, yet both obituaries raise an issue which requires examination.
The Edwin Carter Benedict obituary states that his father, Dr. Abel Carter Benedict was "appointed assistant surgeon of volunteers in the Civil War. On more than one occasion Dr. Benedict is said to have attended Lincoln."
Information concerning Abel Carter Benedict’s Civil War military service appears in The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, Vol. I by Henry Marvin Benedict (1870), p. 340. It states: "March 19, 1863, was appointed by the President assistant surgeon of U.S. Vols.; Sept. 16, 1863, promoted surgeon U.S. Vols.; June 1, 1865, received brevet appointment of lieutenant colonel."
I have not researched this military service information. Therefore, I cannot verify the March 19, 1863 appointment by President Lincoln. However, I have in my possession the commission which appointed Abel C. Benedict "Surgeon of Volunteers." It states the rank is effective from September 16, 1863. The commission, dated July 1, 1864, is signed by President Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin McMasters Stanton.
To my knowledge, this is the only documented connection between President Lincoln and Abel Carter Benedict: the execution and receipt of a military commission. I doubt that Abel Carter Benedict ever "attended" Lincoln in a professional capacity. My grandfather Ralph Curtiss Benedict, Abel Carter Benedict’s youngest son, never mentioned any connection to Lincoln other than the military appointment. While it would make an interesting item to include in the family history, I believe that based upon the evidence at hand, one must reject the assertion as unsubstantiated and most probably incorrect.
Regarding the obituary of my grandaunt Cornelia Kirby (Sutliffe) Benedict, it contains a third variant spelling of her maiden name: Sutliffe. In review, in The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, Vol. II by Elwyn E. Benedict (1969), on p. 360 her name appears as Futcliff. In the transcribed notes of Cornwall, Connecticut: Benedict Tombstone Inscriptions (published in the previous issue), her maiden name is recorded as Sutcliff.
Of the three sources cited, one might think the cemetery readings would be the most accurate resource. Certainly one would expect her family to inscribe the correct spelling of her maiden name upon the tombstone. The question presented: was the gravestone transcribed correctly?
As the individual responsible for the transcription, I would hope that my records are accurate. However, after reviewing additional material, I believe that I may have made a transcription error. At the time of my visit to the Cornwall Cemetery (1979), I had not yet located my grandaunt’s obituary. I believed that her maiden name was Sutcliff. That was the name as it was spelled by my father’s sisters when they supplied me with family information. Therefore, I was unaware that the spelling of Aunt Cornelia’s maiden name was at issue. Perhaps while recopying my notes I read Sutliff or Sutliffe, and wrote down the familiar Sutcliff. I would have to travel to Cornwall to check the tombstones in order to be certain of the transcription’s accuracy.
I recently consulted the Genealogy Collection at the New York Public Library to see whether any additional information might be located. Information relating to Cornelia Kirby Sutliff, born Feb. 21, 1866, Cherry Valley, New York, married Edwin Carter Benedict, October 26, 1887, Syracuse, New York was located in A Record of the Ancestors and the Descendants of Betsy Mulford Sutliff by Mary Louisa Sutliff (1897), pp. 35, 39 (hereinafter Sutliff Record).
The Sutliff Record states that Cornelia Sutliff was the daughter of George Washington and Charlotte Louisa (Ramsey) Sutliff. It also contains the names of Edwin and Cornelia’s two children: Douglas Graeme Benedict (born Mar. 23, 1891, Brooklyn, NY) and Bette Bent Benedict (born June 24, 1897, Brooklyn, NY). While this is clearly the correct family, a fourth variation of my grandaunt’s maiden name is now presented: Sutliff.
A review of the Sutliff Record reveals that its compiler Mary Louisa Sutliff was a first cousin of Cornelia (Sutliff) Benedict. They were both granddaughters of Henry and Betsy (Mulford) Sutliff. Based upon the close family relationship between the two women, it would be reasonable to accept Sutliff as the correct spelling of Cornelia Benedict’s maiden name and to discard the previously published versions: Sutliffe, Sutcliff and Futcliff. Though the latter two surnames may be eliminated, the surname Sutliffe must be retained as a possible spelling of Cornelia’s maiden name.
The Sutliff Record identifies Cornelia and Mary’s paternal grandfather Henry Sutliff as having been born in Abbey Leix, Queens Co., Ireland. On page 33, Mary Louisa Sutliff writes, "In the parish registers of Abbey Leix the name is spelled Sutliffe, and many of the descendants of Henry Sutliff retain the original e. In this sketch, however, the name of these descendants is spelled uniformly Sutliff."
The "correct" spelling of the surname appears to be either Sutliff or Sutliffe. Descendants apparently spelled the name according to their personal preference. The New York Times obituary spells the name with the "original e": Sutliffe. Since Cornelia Benedict was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a review of the DAR lineage books should reveal the spelling used by Cornelia.
The review of the Sutliff Record also provided the probable identities of the two other "Sutcliff" [sic] individuals buried in Edwin Carter Benedict’s cemetery plot. Charlotte Louise Sutliff(e) is most likely Cornelia’s mother, Charlotte Louisa (Ramsey) Sutliff(e). Betsie Milford Sutliff(e) is probably Cornelia’s older sister whose name appears in the Sutliff Record as Betsy Mulford Sutliff (born Oct. 14, 1861, Cherry Valley, NY). It is not Cornelia’s paternal grandmother Betsy (Mulford) Sutliff (died April 4, 1871, Cherry Valley, NY - long before Edwin C. Benedict could have purchased the cemetery plot).
Source:
Sutliff, Mary Louisa, A Record of the Ancestors and the Descendants of Betsy Mulford Sutliff, Fort Orange Press, Brandon Printing Co., Albany, NY (1897).
Following on the next pages are obituaries of Edwin Carter Benedict and Cornelia (Sutliffe) Benedict, as well as a transcription of the aforementioned Abel Carter Benedict’s military commission.
Edwin Carter Benedict (1865 - 1936)
Obituary: Edwin Carter Benedict
The New York Times, Tuesday, May 12, 1936, page 23,
col. 3
E. C. BENEDICT DIES;
REALTY EXECUTIVE
Retired Vice President of New
York Firm Had Negotiated
Large Transactions
ACTIVE IN HOSPITAL WORK
Descendant of Old New England
Families Was Formerly in
the Lead Business
SCARSDALE, N. Y., May 11. - Edwin Carter Benedict, for twenty-two years a vice president of Charles F. Noyes Company, Inc., New York real estate firm, until his retirement six years ago, died today at his home here, 5 Woods Lane, at the age of 71.
Mr. Benedict, who had negotiated some of the largest real estate transactions in New York, was stricken with his final illness a week ago Saturday. He rallied sufficiently to leave his bed until last night, when his condition became critical. His death was due to a stroke of paralysis.
As head of the appraisal department and at one time head of both that and the mortgage department of the Noyes company, Mr. Benedict, according to his associates, earned some of the highest appraisal and loan commissions of the period between 1923 and 1930.
Members of the real estate world credit Mr. Benedict with having largely directed his company's interest from East Side real estate to Fifth Avenue and midtown properties, in which the company dealt in later years.
Dealings With Notables
In his early days in the real estate business Mr. Benedict's transactions gave him contact with many notable figures in New York and other cities. He had had dealings with the elder J. Pierpont Morgan, Andrew Carnegie and Cyrus H. K. Curtis. One of his largest transactions was in connection with the purchase of the site and the construction of the General Motors Building, Broadway and Fifty-seventh Street.
Mr. Benedict was born at Cornwall Bridge, Conn. His father, Dr. Abel Carter Benedict, for many years a surgeon of Syracuse, was appointed assistant surgeon of volunteers in the Civil War. On more than one occasion Dr. Benedict is said to have attended Lincoln.
Mr. Benedict traced his ancestry to the Benedict and Carter families of New England.
Beginning his business career in the wholesale grocery business in Syracuse, Mr. Benedict later became connected with the National Lead Company and had charge of its Eastern territory. He subsequently was with McLoughlin & Co., real estate, and in 1914 entered upon his connection with the Noyes firm.
Mr. Benedict was a member of the Lotos Club and the New England Society and a member of the board of directors of Beekman Street Hospital.
Interested Many in Hospital
He was actively interested in the consolidation of the hospital with the old Volunteer Hospital, his connection with the undertaking having started after he had made an appraisal of the latter institution. As a director he interested many leading business and professional men in the future of the hospital. Many large gifts to the hospital have been attributed to the ability of Mr. Benedict to win friends for the institution. He also made generous contributions for its support.
Since his retirement, due to failing eyesight, Mr. Benedict had maintained his office with the Noyes Company, where he went twice weekly to business in an advisory capacity, and more recently had launched a real estate deal in San Francisco involving several millions of dollars. He was also interested in the development of the suburban community where he lived.
His widow, a daughter, Mrs. Franklin E. Everson, and five grandchildren survive.
Obituary: Mrs. Edwin C. Benedict
New York Times, Sunday, 7 July 1957, p. 61, col. 1
SCARSDALE, N. Y., July 6 - Mrs. Cornelia Sutliffe Benedict, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution here, died today at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Franklin E. Everson, after a short illness. Her age was 90. Mrs. Benedict was the widow of Edwin Carter Benedict, a former vice president of Charles F. Noyes Company, Inc., real estate firm of New York.
A member of the D.A.R. for fifty-seven years, she had been active in the Harvey Birch chapter in this community.
Surviving also are five grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.
--------------------------------------
Kate Parmelee Benedict 1896, sister to Edwin C. Benedict----------Ralph Curtis Benedict, ca. 1905, brother to Edwin C. Benedict
Abel Carter Benedict Military Commission:
Recorded Volume 18 page 44
Adjutant Generals Office
July 1, 1864
The
PRESIDENT of the United States of AMERICA
E PLURIBUS UNUM
To all who shall see these presents greeting:
Know Ye, That reposing special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity, and abilities of Abel C. Benedict I have nominated, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint him Surgeon of Volunteers in the service of the United States: to rank as such from the Sixteenth of September eighteen hundred and Sixty three He is therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of Surgeon by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto belonging.
And I do strictly charge, and require all Officers and Soldiers under his command, to be obedient to his orders as Surgeon And he is to observe and follow such orders, and directions, from time to time, as he shall receive from me, or the future President of the United States of America, or the General, or other superior Officers set over him, according to the rules and discipline of War. This Commission to continue in force during the pleasure of the President of the United States, for the time being.
Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, this First day of July in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and Sixty four and in the Eighty eighth
year of the Independence of the United States.
By the President Abraham Lincoln [signature]
E.M. Stanton [signature]
Secretary of War
Benedict / Brown
Connection in New York?
From Terry Heismann, 20817 Marlin St.,
Orlando, FL 32833-3950, heismann@bellsouth.net
I had been trying to track down the Browns - grandchildren of Rebecca Benedict and Samuel Brown and have finally found them! What threw me was Samuel Brown Jr. was listed as being buried in Ashville, New York in his obituary Yet, each place I wrote to either did not respond or could not help me locate him. On a complete accident I discovered he had been
removed to Lake View Cemetery, Jamestown, New York. From there I found his children as well. So, here is what I have:
Rebecca's parents were: Samuel Benedict5 (Isaac,4 Nathaniel,3 Samuel,2 Thomas1) born July 29, 1753 near Danbury, Connecticut, died June 28, 1845 Ashville, New York. and Sarah Weed born about 1755, died March 17, 1845 Ashville, New York. They married October 25, 1774.
[Editor’s note: The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, Vol. 1 (1870 by Henry Marvin Benedict), p. 249 does not give the birthplace of Rebecca. A sister six years older was born at Ballston (?New York) and a brother three years older was born in Salon - first male child born in that town. There is no further information on Samuel Brown.]
The Known Descendants of Rebecca Benedict and Samuel Brown and other Benedicts:
All buried in Lake View Cemetery, Jamestown, New York (information obtained from photocopies of their Lake View Cemetery Death Certificates:
Their children:
3. Ferdinand Delos Brown born June 30, 1828 Ashville, New York, died August 14, 1863 Jamestown, New York. married Sarah Jerome.
4. Rebecca Adelia Brown born May 6, 1830 Ashville, New York, died November 21, 1834 Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania.
5. Addison Gardiner Brown born October 16, 1832 Ashville, New York, died June 12, 1836 Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania.
6. Orsell Cook Brown born about 1835 Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania, died March 21, 1881 Jamestown, New York. He served in the Civil War and never married. He worked for Revenue Department, Washington, DC.
7. Charles Gardiner Brown born about 1837 Ashville, New York. died October 29, 1874 East Creek, Herkimer County, New York. He married but wife’s name not known
8. Oliva A. Brown born August 6, 1840 Ashville, New York, died December 16, 1905 Jamestown, New York. He married April 25, 1867 Abner Hazeltine.
9. Ella E. Brown born May 16, 1843 Ashville, New York, died October 2, 1922 Jamestown, New York. She married A. Emmett Williams.
10. Mary E. Brown born about 1850 Chautauqua County, New York, died before 1905. She married Eleazer Green second.
Source not given for the following:
Maple Grove Cemetery, Ashville, NY
Can you connect the following?
From website: <http://www.rootswebcom/~nychauta/CEMETERY/Till_cem.htm>, copied 9 July 1998. Original source: Fenton Historical Society "Deserted Cemetery Series" in the Jamestown Journal 27 September 1969, compiled by Edna Igham:
Tillotson Cemetery, Harmony, Chautauqua County, New York.
BENEDICT, Daniel died 9 Dec. 1889, age 97-1-25.
BENEDICT, Sally his wife, died 27 Dec. 1864, age 69-6-27.
BENEDICT, William J., their son (and husband of Hannah Barker Beals) died 27 June 1853, age 34.
From <http://www.rottsweb.com/~nychauta/CEMETERY/BEMU_CEM.htm> extracted from website 9 July 1998
Original source: Gravestone Inscriptions of Bemus Point Cemetery, Bemus Point, Chautauqua Co., N.Y., compiled and edited by Minnie Cohen (1932)
Bemus Point Cemetery, Mayville, NY
BENEDICT, Warner G. b. 1852 d. 1917
BENEDICT, Anna Salome b. 1854 d. 1917
BENEDICT, "Odin, M.D." d. Mar 11, 1874 age 68
BENEDICT, Sarah Ann d. Sep 26, 1874 age 69 wife
Some Benedicts in the 1855 New York State Census, Harmony, Chautauqua County, New York, page 49
Name Age Birthplace Years Resident
BENEDICT, Daniel 62 W. Chester 22
Sally 60 Conn. 22
Mary Ann 24 Chenengo 22
BENEDICT, Boughton 55 W. Chester 9
Lucy 48 Chenengo 9
Elen 21 " "
Belinda 19 " "
Stephen 15 " "
Emily 11 " "
[Editor’s note: These two are brothers. In the line of John2 - not closely related to Terry’s husband. Daniel Benedict on pages 100 and 184 in Vol 1 The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, Vol. I (1870) and Boughton [Bouton] Benedict on pages 100 & 186.]
Also in Harmony, 1855:
BENEDICT, Rose (Niece) living with Permelia Barker (Widow)
[Not enough info here to tell anything. - ed.]
Ellicott, New York 1st District 1855 Census, page 23 Relation/Occupation
BENEDICT, Issac 31 Chaut. (Chautaqua) 7 Measures
Mary 28 " 7
Hiram 8 Penn. 7
Clara L. 6 Chaut. 6
Willis N. 2 "
BIDWELL, Almira 43 Vermont 2 (cousin) Tailoress
[Editor’s note: Isaac is a nephew of Terry’s husband's ancestress Rebecca Benedict. On the page 249 that I sent you, you'll see that she had a brother Hiram. Isaac is Hiram's eldest son. Isaac's descendants are carried forward into volume 2 and some of them appeared to be living in 1969 when Vol. 2 was published.]
Here are some that that Terry has connected:
(Ellicott 1st District 1855 Census) Page 14
BENEDICT, Hiram 57 Onondaga 13
Joanna 54 Cortland 13
Sarah 22 Chaut. 13
Ellery, New York 1855 Census, page 42
BENEDICT, Wiliam C. 27 Chaut. 27
Mary 28 Chaut.
Willis 6 "
Warner 4 "
Infant Male 2 "
Infant Male 1/12 "
Westfield, New York 1855 CENSUS (Terry doesn’t have these connected either), page 27
BENEDICT, ADDISON C. 34 DUTCHESS 3
Margaret 36 Ireland 3
Frances M. 9 Dutchess 3
Edward B. 7 " "
Katherine A.A. 5 " "
John C. 4/12 Chaut. "
[Editor’s note: We were unable to find listed in the indexes either volume of the genealogy, an Addison of the correct age with said children. We even tried Charles Addison but he was born 1865. Also checked was the BFHN index to date.
Terry also sent a biography from page 322, Dilley’s Biography and History of Chautauqua, County, New York ?date about Sardius Frisbee, a descendant from an old New England family, and "one of the substantial, wide-awake merchants of Ellington," the son of James and Eunice (Harris) Frisbee who was born at DeWittville, Chautauqua County on 24 September 1839. In 1862, Mr. Frisbee married for his second wife, Miss Amelia Benedict, daughter of John Benedict of Ellington, who died in 1884, leaving two children, both sons, John B. and James H. Frisbee. There is considerably more in the sketch about Sardius Frisbee, his other two wives, and his children. We were unable to identify this marriage from a search through the index of Vol. I or II of G of BA.]
Abbreviations used this issue:
b. = born d. = died m. = married ca. = circa
(on or about) dau. = daughter
Two letter zip code abbreviations are used for states
The first query following is a repeat with a correction. A slightly incorrect e-mail address was given for the submitter last time:
BENEDICT/ BOOTH/ McKINLEY
BFHN Winter 1998, "Benedicts in Early Massachusetts", has Sarah BENEDICT, b. 19 Dec 1762 Tyringham, child of Jabez and Cha[__] [BENEDICT], church record, Congregational at Monterey." My line descends from Jabez BENEDICT 4 (Abraham3, Samuel2, Thomas1) and Charity BOOTH. My records show: Sarah BENEDICT, b. 1762 Cornwall CT, dau. of Jabez and Charity, m. John McKINLEY, a Highlander and Revolutionary War Soldier. Is this the same Sarah?
---Marjorie Gillick, 30 Beverly St., Stittsville, Ontario, Canada K2s 1C3 - e-mail <mgillick@compmore.net>
BENEDICT/ SPRAGUE/ LOVELAND/ MENGEL
I am researching the ancestry of Caroline BENEDICT, b. 30 June 1835 (in NY?), dau. of Amos BENEDICT b. 8 Jan 1789 & Lydia SPRAGUE b. 10 Nov 1792. The lineage I have thus far is: Caroline (Amos, James, Thomas, James, John, Thomas, William, George Jr., George Sr) However, I lack definitive substantiation, and particularly lack information for James, Thomas, James, Caroline's grandfather & g grandfather & gg grandfather. Caroline BENEDICT m. Edwin Alonzo LOVELAND 12 Feb 1856 in Wellington OH and they lived in OH and had two children, Edwin Benedict LOVELAND b. 17 Jan 1858 and Frances Ermina LOVELAND b. 31 July 1861. Caroline Benedict is my husband's gg grandmother. John Thomas MENGEL5 (Joan Wilson Loveland4, Francis Jerome Loveland3, Frances Ermina Loveland2 [yes, she was a Loveland who married a Loveland], Caroline Benedict1). If it is of interest, I could supply a fairly complete genealogy for Caroline's descendants.
—- Alida (Loinaz) Mengel, San Jose CA, e-mail AlidaLM@aol.com [Contact the editor or queries editor if you are related to this family and do not have access to e-mail.]
Benedict Cemetery -
Town of German Flatts, Herkimer County, New York
From the following web site, visited by
the editor, 13 July 1998, web site last updated 1 November 1997
<http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyherkim/gfcem1.html>
The following list of the Benedict family cemetery notes that it was "back of the pond where Vrooman Road and Shoemaker meet". Shoemaker Road is Route 68. This list was provided by the Herkimer County Historical Society.
ZOLLER, Mary Ann
d. May 11, 1860 ae 42yr
husband Solomon
BENEDICT, B. F.
1824 - 1897
BENEDICT, John
1835 - 1871
BENEDICT, Maria L.
1831 - 1907
BENEDICT, William
d. Oct. 7, 1838
ae 9mo 26da
son of Christiana and Obedajah
HARPER, Dr. Henry S.
d. Mar. 13, 1842
ae 40yr 4mo 7da
BENEDICT, Catharine HARPER
1811 - 1887
wife #2 of Obedijah
BENEDICT, Christiana
d. Mar. 16, 1843
ae 39yr 1mo 8da
wife #1 of Obedijah
BENEDICT, Obidiah
1801 - 1881
BENEDICT, Rebecca
d. Apr. 8, 1837 [G of BA gives year 1831]
ae 71yr
husband Elias
BENEDICT, Elias
d. Mar. 12, 1821
ae 69yr 3mo
wife Rebecca
AMBLER, Samuel
d. Oct. 4, 1808
84yr 4mo 6da
Editor’s note: According to The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, Vol. 1 (1870) by Henry Marvin Benedict, p. 296, S. Ambler was the father of Rebecca who married Elias5 (James,4 John,3 James,2 Thomas1) The other persons have not been identified in either Volume I or Volume II of G of BA.
Because of the debate aired in this newsletter in the past two issues regarding the existence of Ann Hunlocke, a possible ancestress of Thomas Benedict of New England, the editor used personal funds to engage a researcher to examine and further evaluate the microfilmed will of Henry Hunlocke, the elder, gent., Wingerworth, Derbyshire, England (Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1613, 20 Capell). Lorna Higgins Hale, M.A., CGRS, A.G. has a Master of Arts in Family and Community History from Brigham Young University and is certified by the Board for Ceritfication of Genealogists and accredited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. She specializes in English research and is a skilled interpreter of old English writing. (Sample lines from the will follows her letter to illustrate the skill needed.) Following is the report of her research:
6880 S. 700 East
Midvale UT 84047
(801) 562-2708
July 15, 1998
Dear Mrs. Grindol,
I have read through the material you sent to me and the explanation written in the Benedict Family History News by Roberta B. Pierson certainly seems very logical. In her article she mentions the Ancestral File and the fact that it states Ann Hunlocke married William Benedict. I must caution you concerning the Ancestral File. Contributions to this file are made by anyone wishing to share their genealogical findings with other people who are working on the same ancestral lines. If the material placed in the Ancestral File is documented then the material is very valuable, however, many of the patrons submitting this material have merely copied the information from another person. If the source is not documented but is merely names and dates written by a family member who remembers hearing this information from another relative who was living at the time, then of course, the information needs to be documented to prove its reliability. I do not wish to demean the value of the Ancestral File as it is a valuable source, but I always feel I must use caution and document all of the information I extract from this source.
I have copied the will that you question and have underlined the portion that is presenting a problem. This will is difficult to read because of the bleed-through on the right hand side of the page. As you can see "to my loving sonne Mr William" is quite plain but the bleed-through does make the name Benedict and the remainder of this line very difficult to read. I can determine "to buy" and the caret with what appears to be a Roman Numeral of "CL" and a blob that I assume is an "s." In the small space provided it couldn't be written out as forty shillings. Now as you look at this copy you will see where the left hand edge is also difficult to read because it is lighter and appears that perhaps the parchment did not lie flat as it was being filmed. On the last line that I have underlined it reads "sonne Henry" [?] After Henry there is a little mark that looks like it could be a small "i" but I think looking at the other "y" in this will, it is probably a part of the flourish on the "y" at the end of Henry. The next word appears to start with a capital F(ff). If you look two lines above the line containing "William Benedict" you can see at the right hand edge where he has written "Frances" and the capital "F" appears to be the same. The end of this word does appear to be "se." The letter following the capital "F" is possibly an "e" but on this copy it is not that clear. If the next mark is "ll" then part of the first "l" is missing from this copy.
It has been suggested from the material you sent that some feel this is the Latin for son, filius. In the first place there hasn't been a Latin term in this will prior to this so why would he put one at this point? Also in the various cases of the Latin noun, son, ending in an s (filius, filios, fillis) I don't think the two characters that appear to be an "e" could be felt to be an "i." Henry has already called this person "my sonne" so why would he add the Latin term for son after this name. I must agree this is a vary confusing idea that Henry Hunlocke's son would be called Henry Felles. I do know from past experience that you cannot always take kinship in wills as accurate according to the rules we have today for kinship. Quoting from David Hey in his book The Oxford Guide to Family History, page 123, where he is referring to kin, "The nature of these groups is determined, as in the past, not by an clear set of rules but by individual preferences and circumstances." Maybe Henry felt some close relationship to this person. Anyway my feelings are that the word is probably Felles, but without having a better copy of this will where this word is more exact, I could not make a definite statement as to the correctness of this word.
You could write to the Public Record Office in England and ask if they could supply you with a better copy of this will. There will probably still be bleed-through on the right hand edge of the will but possibly the left hand edge would be more legible.
In addition to spending time locating and studying the will I checked into the Family History Library Catalog to see if we had the registers for the parish of Wingerworth, Derbyshire for the years 1539-1934. We do have these records and this parish has been extracted by the library so it appears in the International Genealogical Index (hereafter referred to as the IGI). I am enclosing the references to christenings ( 1539 - 1868) and marriages (1664 -1895) of the Hunlock/ Hunlocke surname in this extraction. As you can see prior to Henry's will in 1610 there is a Henry son of Christopher Hunlocke christened in 1584. If this is the Henry of the 1610 will, then he was only 26 years old when he wrote his will. This is quite young to have been married twice. As you can see there aren't any christenings for children of Henry in the time period before his will of 1610. The only marriages for the Hunlocke surname in Wingerworth are in the 1700's. Some of the christenings in the 1600's could be for the son Henry mentioned in the will. There wasn't any reference to the Benedict surname in this parish.
Checking into references in the IGI: I am enclosing a copy of the references I checked for Hunlocke and Benedict surnames. Notice the marriage of Henry to his assumed first wife, Margaret has been estimated by patrons sending this name in as 1570, 1576, and 1591. The marriage to his second wife, Edith is listed as 1545, 1570, 1571, and 1602. All of these entries list an estimated date of "about" instead of an actual date. This indicates from some type of record, such as the christening of children, or possibly from this will, the date of marriage has been estimated. As the marriages of Wingerworth prior to 1664 have not been extracted, the marriage of Henry Hunlocke to Anne Alvey 2 Dec 1616 has very possibly been found in the Wingerworth parish registers. It is obvious from these various dates that information on Henry is not documented.
On the Benedict surname that was in the IGI, the dates are also listed as "about." The persons who submitted the marriage of William Benedict to Ann Hunlocke apparently are assuming from the will of Henry that Ann is his daughter and she married William Benedict. As the dates given on the Benedict surname are also "about" I would again assume they are estimated dates. I really feel that the estimated dates on both the Benedicts and the Hunlockes may provide clues, but in my estimation, they would require additional research before I would feel the information is veritable.
Where the author of this article, Roberta B. Pierson, has given you a documentation to a parish register you can check the authenticity of the date. References to books need to be checked to see where the author of the book acquired the information. It would appear to me that her evaluation of the connection between the Hunlockes and the Benedicts is probably accurate, however, to give you a definite conclusion that this is correct I would need to check each reference. This of course could be very time-consuming and costly. If you feel this is necessary I would be glad to assist you in this research, but I need to warn you that this type of work can be very time-consuming.
Sincerely,
Lorna
The Descendants of
Mary Benedict and Lt. John Olmsted/Olmstead
Contributed by Kenneth Struber Bloxsom,
25 Ruby Lane, Stratford CT 06497
In this article I hope to show that Mary Benedict and Lt. John Olmsted had nine children, not twelve, as stated in most genealogies. Lt. John Olmsted did have twelve children, but by two wives: nine with Mary Benedict and three with his second wife, Elizabeth Pardee.
Mary Benedict, daughter of Thomas was married 17 Jul 1673 at Norwalk, Connecticut to Lt. John Olmsted (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America... 1912). I could not find a death date for Mary but Mary's last child Deborah was born about 1693 in Norwalk, Connecticut. The first child of Lt. John's second marriage was born ca.1696 so I assume Mary died between 1694 and 1695.
Lt. John Olmsted died 1703/04. His will was inventoried in 1704 and distributed 17 April 1705 in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Children of Mary Benedict and John Olmsted:
2. Jane Olmsted (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p. 192) born ca.1677, married in Norwalk about 1700 Benjamin Wilson of Norwalk. (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p 192)
3. Sarah Olmsted (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p.192) born about 1679 married in Norwalk, Connecticut on 5 June 1696 Jonathan Abbott of Norwalk. Jonathan was the son of George Abbott. (L/R Vol. 4, p.1, Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p 192)
4. Rebecca Olmsted (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p 192) born about 1681. She married Samuel St. John. (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p. 192)
5. Daniel Olmsted (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p. 192-193) born about 1685 in Norwalk, Connecticut. He married Hannah Ketchum 9 May 1711 in Ridgefield, Connecticut. (Ridgefield L/R Vol. 1, p.227, Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p. 192) Hannah was the daughter of Joseph of Norwalk. In Descendants of Captain Richard Olmsted of Fairfield Connecticut by Frederick Stan Hammond of Oneida, New York, Mr. Hammond states that Daniel is the oldest son of Lt. John.
6. Eunice Olmsted (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p 192) born about 1690 in Norwalk, Connecticut was married to Joshua Lobdell as his second wife, possibly in Ridgefield, Connecticut about 1713. Conclusive evidence of their marriage is found in the Norwalk Land Records Vol. 5, p 225. When he sold land in Norwalk to Joseph Platt, Joshua Lobdell stated, ". . by right of my wife Eunice that was one of the daughters of Lt. John Olmsted of Norwalk deceased." This document was signed on the first day of January 1722/3 by Joshua Lobdell.
Under Joshua's signature and seal is written: "Ridgefield March 23, 1722/3 personally appeared Joshua Lobdell and Eunice Lobdell his wife and . . . this above written instrument to be their . . . and deed before me. Richard Osburn Justice."
Beneath Richard Osburn’s signature is written: "The above entry is a true copy of the original brought to record April 8, 1723 compared by me John Copp, Recorder."
Eunice may have gone to Ridgefield with brothers Daniel and Richard. She could have married Joshua in that part of Ridgefield that was called The Oblong which after a long battle with New York was given to New York and is now North and South Salem, NY. All vital records from this period were destroyed by fire in New York.
Some say that Eunice may have married first, Joseph St. John. The only references found by this researcher about Joseph St. John are in Descendants of Captain Richard Olmsted of Fairfield, Connecticut by Frederick Stan Hammond who wrote, "Eunice Olmsted probably married Joseph St. John. " No other information was given.
In Norwalk Connecticut Land Records Vol. 5, p.8 Eunice Olmsted sells to Joseph St. John land in Norwalk. She is in Danbury 4 January 1708/9.
Also in Norwalk Land Records, we learned that Joseph St. John married Sarah Betts, daughter of Thomas Betts 5 March 1697. They had a son Joseph Betts born 5 November 1703. If someone has proof or very reasonable conclusions of the marriage of Joseph St. John and Eunice Olmsted, please come forward and send it to this compiler [as well as publishing it in this newsletter].
Joshua Lobdell's first wife Mary Burwell died ca.1712/13. They had seven children: Anna, Samuel, Joshua II, Sarah, Mary, Ebenezer, and Susannah. (Lobdell Genealogy)
7. Elizabeth Olmsted (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p. 192) born ca.1690 in Norwalk, Connecticut was married 14 June 1710 at Norwalk, Connecticut to Henry Whitney (L/R Vol. 4, p.3, Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p.192)
8. Captain Richard Olmsted (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p. 192) born ca.1692 in Norwalk, Connecticut married in Ridgefield, Connecticut Mary Betts, daughter of Samuel and Judith (Reynolds) Betts of Norwalk on 22 April 1714. Richard, with brother Daniel, removed to Ridgefield, Connecticut about 1708 where they bought land from the Indians. (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family, p.194)
Lt. John Olmsted's second wife Elizabeth Pardee was born 10 June 1660 in New Haven, Connecticut. She was the daughter of George Pardee and his second wife Katherine Lane. Elizabeth's first marriage was to Thomas Gregory on 25 December 1679 in Norwalk, Connecticut. (From Pardee Genealogy in Ancient Families of New Haven, Vol. 6, p.1345-46)
Children of John Olmsted and Elizabeth Pardee:
2. Anna Olmsted (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p. 192) born ca.1698, possibly in Norwalk, Connecticut. She was married ca.1720 to Robert Andrews of Grassy Plain, now Bethel, Connecticut. He was born about 1693 to Abraham and Sarah Porter of Waterbury, Connecticut (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p. 192)
3. John Olmsted (Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America, p.192) born ca.1700 possibly in Norwalk, Connecticut. He may have died young. I could not find any more information on him. Other researchers have connected him to Mary Small or a Mindwell ____. The following information contradicts those entries:
Genealogy of the Olmstead Family p. 193 has a "John Olmsted. b. at Norwalk, Conn., 1700; d. bef. Jan.,1749 (some authorities say 1788-9); m. Feb. 29, 1717-1718, Mary Small; dau. of Robert Small (transient), sometime of Norwalk, Conn. It is said that he died and she married again and had two children."
This John Olmsted is the son of Capt. James Olmsted, son of Richard, first generation. Page 195 of the Genealogy of the Olmstead Family has a "John Olmsted. b. 1700; m. (1) Mindwell Sherwood; b. Sept. 8, 1696; dau. of Benjamin and Sarah Sherwood, of Stratford, Conn. He prob. m. (2) Jemima . Mindwell, wife of John Olmsted, was admitted to full communion in the First Church, Fairfield, Conn., Feb. 10 or 20, 1723. Jemima, wife of John Olmsted, was admitted to the Church (Greenfield Hill records) from the First Church in this town, Feb. 22, 1730."
This John Olmsted was the son of Joseph Olmsted third generation, son of Captain James Olmsted second generation. No other John Olmsted is found in the Olmstead Genealogy for this time frame 1700.
Sources:
1. Fairfield Probate Records
2. Henry Marvin Benedict, The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America (1870, reprinted and annotated 1969 by Elwyn E. Benedict)
3. Henry King Olmsted M.D., Genealogy of the Olmstead Family in America Embracing the Descendants of James and Richard Olmsted and Covering a Period of Nearly Three Centuries 1632 - 1912 (New York: A.T. DeLaMare, 1912), pp. v-xviii, 187-200.
4. Norwalk and Ridgefield, Conn. Vital Records.
5. Norwalk, Conn. Land Record, Vol. 5, p. 225 (microfilm).
6. Edwin Hall, The Ancient Historical Records of Norwalk, Connecticut.
7. Jacobus, Donald Lines, History and Genealogy of Old Fairfield.
8. Pardee Genealogy from Family Tree Maker
9. Jacobus, Donald Lines, Families of Ancient New Haven Vol VI. (printed from Family Tree Maker, "Family Statistics," 20 Dec. 1997).
10. Julia Harrison Lobdell, Lobdell Genealogy.
11. Frederick Stan Hammond, Descendants of Captain Richard Olmsted of Fairfield, Connecticut.
12. Oma Lee Rose, Lobdell Genealogy and Family History, A Sequel.
They Went West:
Benedict Ancestors
(Continued from Volume V, No. 4, p. 54)
Extracted by the editor February 1998 from the surname cards, pedigree charts, and membership files of the Genealogical
Forum of Oregon, Inc., 2130 SW Fifth Ave., Suite 220, Portland OR 97201-4934. Notes in italics reflect information that is new or different than what is in The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, Vols. I or II. Although no documentation for facts is generally given in these records, they may provide clues for a search.
R-170 = Deborah E. Rothery, 1174 N.E. 73rd Ave., Portland OR 97213, Phone: 256-0633 (Charts undated - joined 1982. Not a current member.) Her husband Kenneth Rothery’s mother was:
Hazel Alice Benedict, born 14 Oct 1911 (?W.W. Lock, WA), married April 1931 Rhododendren OR Francis Culver Rothery born 27 Jan 1907 The Dalles OR, the son of George Francis Rothery and Mae Belle Culver.
[There are several generations missing here, either on the member charts or in our transcription: See p. 154, Vol. I, Genealogy of Benedict in America (1870, annotated 1969 by E.E. Benedict) and Vol. II G of BA (1969 by E.E. Benedict), pp. 158 - 161.]
Francis Leroy was the son of John W. Benedict born 13 Jan 1853 Pleasantville PA and Mariette Bennett (no dates or parents) who he’d married 18 June 1876 Atchison MO.
John W. Benedict was the son of Albert B. Benedict born 4 August 1826 Pleasantville Pa and Louise _____ born 3 Apr 1826 Boston NY, died 3 July 1879 Atchison MO who he’d married 30 Oct 1846 Pleasantville PA.
Transcribed from microfilm by Mary Alice Benedict Grindol August 1998 at Western Michigan University Archives and Regional History Collections, Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Automated Index System (AIS) index was relied on to find these names. The indexing was sometimes done using the handwritten page numbers and sometimes using the stamped on page numbers (in which only every other page was numbered, thus giving a "B" designation to the second page.)
Abbreviations: Dw = Dwelling, Fam = Family, $ RE = Value Real Estate, BP = Birth place (standard two-letter postal abbreviations given here though in original several abreviations were used), Att. school = Attended school within year.
Dw Fam Surname Given name Age Sex Occupation $ RE BP Comments
Roll 659, Astabula County
District 7, Williamsfield, page 366B
144 153 Benedict Levi 29 M Farmer OH
Benedict Margaret 24 F OH
Benedict George 1 M OH
Kelsey Peter 28 M Farmer 1000 OH
Allen Joel 23 M Farmer 600 OH
Phillips Martin 32 M Farmer 750 NY
Holbrook Alvira 22 F OH
Cinnamon Edward 17 M Farmer OH
District 8, Hartsgove Twp., page 454
1135 1172 Bell Epaphras C. 29 M Lawyer 2200 CT
Bell Betsy 21 F MA
Benedict Aaron 21 M Laborer OH
District 8, Orwell Twp., page 477B
1510 1554 Benedict Benjamin 33 M Laborer 350 NY
Benedict Anne 26 F NY
Roll No. 662, Brown County
Franklin Twp., District 13, page 803
1837 1843 Benedict Darius 53 M Stone Mason CT
Benedict Anne 39 F VA
Benedict Hiram 22 M Farmer OH
Benedict Sidney 19 M Farmer OH
[?Heanma] Martha J. 10 F OH Att. School
St. John Sarah A. 9 F OH Att. School Huntzman Philip 7 M PA
Roll No. 672, Cuyahoga County
Cleveland 1st Ward, page 239
382 413 Abbey Seth A. 50 M Marshall NY
Abbey Mercy 50 F NY
Ingersoll John 25 M Merchant OH
Ingersoll Hannah W. 22 F NY
Abbey Harret A. 19 F NY
Abbey Charles 16 M OH Att. School
Abbey Peter M. 12 M OH Att. School
Abbey Frances 10 F OH Att. School
Benedict Laura L. 41 F NY
Abbey Peter M. 81 M 2000 CT
Benedict Cornelia 13 F 1000 OH Att. School
Benedict Laura 7 F OH Att. School
Fox Susan 45 F NY Blind Cleveland 2nd Ward, page 389
1475 1121 Benedict Stephen 25 M Hatter NY
Benedict Caroline 24 F NY
Cleveland 2nd Ward, page 411
1123 1775 Benedict G.A. 40 M Lawyer NY
Benedict Sarah 36 F NY
Benedict Geo. A. 10 M OH Att. School
Benedict Mary 5 F OH
Benedict Harriet 1 F OH
Stone Harriet 50 F CT
Richards Betsy 25 F Eng
Irish James 20 M Ire
Cleveland 3rd Ward, page 518
1760 1908 Benedict W.C. 30 M Physician NY
Benedict Elizabeth A. 26 F PA
Benedict Melissa 4 F NY
Benedict William M. 3 M NY
Benedict Edwin H. 1 M NY
Dempsey Mary A. 21 F Ire
Cleveland 3rd Ward, page 536
1879 2028 Benedict Levi 55 M Hatter CT
Benedict Alice 53 F CT
Benedict Edwin G. 22 M None NY
Gregory Helen E. 18 F CT
[?unreadable] Lucinda 27 F NY Mulatto
Cuyahoga County, Roll No. 673
Town of Orange, page 766
3454 3711 Benadeck[sic] Henry 70 M [?Carpenter&Joiner] OH In household of O. Cothen or Cather
Bedford Twp., page 166
1221 1342 Benedict Rodolphus 39 M None NY Family in household of Levi Lord,
bookeeper
Benedict Cynthia 25 F NY
Benedict Lucia 11/12 F CT
Bedford Twp., page 176
1290 1412 Benedict Andrew 22 M [?Farmer] 2500 VT Written over, RE value may be erasure
Benedict [?unreadable] 21 M " 2500 VT
Benedict Sarah L [or S] 35 F OH
Benedict Henry [?I] 13 M OH Att. School
Benedict Edward 10 M OH Att. School
Benedict William 5 M OH
Benedict Catherine 67 F CT
McElrath [?Wanda] 20 F [blank]
Bedford Twp, page 179
1316 1438 Benedict P. 30 M Carpenter NY
Benedict Louisa 28 F NY
Benedict [?Albert] 41 M OH
(To be continued)