THE BENEDICT FAMILY NEWS
Volume 1 Number 1 Spring 1993
Editor: Sheila Benedict, CGRS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Straightening out the Confusion
Queries: BENEDICT/ TAYLOR/ HOYT/ BROWN/ ACKERMAN/ WILSON/ BRIGHTMAN/ DUNCAN/ LEWIS/ WALDO/ GARDNER/ SMITH/ STEWARD/ HALEY/ HEARN
William Son of Benedict v Kersebroc (1225)
Hello to all descendants and collateral families of Thomas BENEDICT1, who came to America from England ca. 1638. He arrived at Massachusetts, soon moved to Long Island, NY and eventually Norwalk, CT. His wife was Mary Bridgum. (see "Straitening out the Confusion" for further data)
For many months a group of us have pondered the merits of a family newsletter. We finally put together this introductory "trial run" if you will. It is complimentary and you are under no obligation to respond.
You might be wondering how you got on yet another mailing list. All of us get many mailings from a variety of genealogical and historical societies, product manufacturers and distributors, and other allied groups and companies. No suspense - no secret devices your name came from one of several sources: 1) electronic bulletin board members who saw our posting under BENEDICT and requested a copy; 2) lists generously supplied by Elwyn Ellsworth Benedict, the compiler of Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, Volume II (see Profiles); or 3) word of mouth advertising.
BUT - fear not, this is the ONLY issue you will receive UNLESS you write us wanting to continue. That is, if the project succeeds. We have vowed not to go any further if there is not enough interest to continue. The reason is simple: this is not a profit-making endeavor! We are devoting and donating our time and resources because we want to further QUALITY Benedict research. Frankly, it will not be just another generic research mailing. All of us, whose brainchild this has been, are busy people with a definite purpose in mind.
Our mission - as we see it - is threefold:
1) to develop a networking device for Benedict family descendants and researchers;
2) to eventually form a Benedict One-Name Association;
3) to assist the research efforts of E.E. Benedict so Volume III can become a reality.
Indeed, our hope is that this publication will achieve a high level of scholarship, yet be basic enough for all researchers to study and enjoy.
This issue is intended to be a teaser to give you an idea of the type of data we think will interest all Benedict researchers. If it continues, there will be four issues per year, for which minimal subscription fees would be charged (we are thinking $10-12/year depending on production costs). Each quarterly will contain profiles of living Benedicts; profiles of ancestors, starting with Thomas and his sons; articles about collateral and descendant lines; and, queries. In addition, we will offer research tips, contemporary information of interest to all genealogists, perhaps guest columnists and ??? (YOU tell us!!)
Please remember - we need to get your reaction, preferably by mail. Included in this issue, is a very brief questionnaire which we would like you to fill out and mail back. In addition, there are several names and addresses listed elsewhere in the newsletter. You can respond to any or all with additional questions, comments (good & bad) and ideas for future issues.
Okay - all the prior information gives you the purpose or rationale behind this mailing, but now we want to briefly tell you about us.
We, the "founding fathers and mothers, are either Thomas Benedict descendants, collateral families, or married to a descendant of Thomas. And, like all of you, all of us have "black holes" in our research which we would like to fill with accurate information. Our expertise ranges from beginner to advanced to professional. Our common bond, of course, is to locate additional reliable and verifiable Benedict research data.
So, if we have piqued your interest, let us continue > > > > >
We begin with Elwyn Ellsworth BENEDICT10 (EEB), without whom many of us would really be struggling to figure out from which son of Thomas our families began. Elwyn’s line is Thomas1 Samuel2, Nathaniel3, Nathaniel4, Gilbert5, Levi6, Alexander H.7, James Alexander8, Oscar Alexander9. For 33 years he worked as a Senior Facilities Planner at Carrier Corporation. He is a graduate of East Syracuse (NY) High School, 1949.
On 24 Jan 1953, Elwyn married Esther Winefred (Wemes), who graduated from Ontario (NY) High School and attended Rochester Business Institute. They have two sons, Darrell Arnold & Gilbert Alexander; two grandchildren, Gilbert and wife Kimberly (Edich), Erica Lynne and Ryan John; and two step-grandchildren, Darrell and wife Elizabeth, Rolly and Ronald Mabitad. They own a 120 acre farm where they raise Quarter Horses & Palominos and are the developers of a 30-home housing project, "Benedict Manor."
In 1870, Henry Marvin BENEDICT (a descendant of Thomas’ son, John) wrote Genealogy of the Benedicts in America. [now called Volume I.] However, it was EEB who updated and republished the book in 1969, along with his own Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, Volume II [previously mentioned]. NOTE: further reference to both books will be cited as GBA, V.I and GBA, V.II
Next, yours truly, editor pro tem Sheila BENEDICT. I am not a descendant - my husband is Paul Dewey BENEDICT Sr.10 He traces back through Thomas1, John2, Joseph3, Gideon4, Aaron5, Cyrus6, Nicholas7, Henry Bigelow8, Henry Dewey9. They are a branch of the family that left Connecticut and New York for Ohio and points west. And, like Elwyn & Esther, until recently Paul & I were the owners and operators of a Quarter Horse Breeding Farm in southern California.
For me, the importance of documenting accurate Benedict data is for future generations of genealogists. I have been a researcher about seventeen years and started taking clients in 1991. Last year, I received my C.G.R.S. (Certified Genealogical Record Searcher).
There are others who have been instrumental in the foundation of this enterprise and who will be an integral part of any future publications. Each one will be featured at length in upcoming issues:
Ivan BENEDICT12: Thomas1, Samuel2, Nathaniel3 (like EEB), John4, John5, Samuel6, Ezra7, Martin Michael8, Francis9, Royal10, Earl11. This line goes into VT, to NY and finally to Iowa.
Charles BENEDICT Jr.10 (he prefers Chuck) and his sister, Margaret (Benedict) MacNeill10: Thomas1, John2, John3, Nathaniel4, Nathan5, James6, James7, James Everard Sr.8, Charles Sr.9.
Mary Alice (BENEDICT) Grindol9: Thomas1, Thomas2, Samuel3, Stephen4, Stephen5, Jacob6, Clarence Albert7, Virgil Merrill8. (Mary will be our featured BENEDICT in the next issue)
Roberta Bell (Jones) Pierson11: Her line is through BENEDICT daughters. Thomas1, John2, James3, then his daughter Sarah Benedict4; then Hannah Smith5, Hannah Scott6, Lyman Osborn7, Huldah Jane Osborn8, Lafayette Parker Bell9, Esther Mae Bell10.
Carolyn Childress: Working on her connection (see query this issue). Great-great-great-grandfather was Captain
______ BENEDICT. Carolyn says, "Help...!"
Larry BENEDICT11: Thomas1, John2, Joseph3, Gideon4, Aaron5, Cyrus6, Nicholas7, John McCurdy8, Ralph Jacob9, Ralph Frederick10. (Note: Larry and Paul have close ancestry. John McCurdy - Larry/gr-grandfather- and Henry Bigelow - Paul/grandfather - were brothers)
Mary Ann (Booth) Gohr12: Thomas1, Thomas2, Thomas3, Samuel4, Samuel5, Joseph6, David7, Joseph8, Henry Smith9, Alta Agnes BENEDICT Booth 10, James Robert Parker Booth11.
Final Business...
WE NEED A NAME!! If you notice, the heading says The Benedict Family News. Is that boring or what? Other names mentioned have been:
BENEDICT BUGLE;
BENEDICT BEGATS;
BENEDICT BRANCHES;
BENEDICT BULLETIN; etc.
It was suggested we have a NAME THAT NEWSLETTER contest, the winner getting a one-year subscription. Any other ideas?
STRAIGHTENING OUT THE CONFUSION?...
Coat of Arms:
In reference to the Family Crest displayed in GBA, V.II, at the top of page 1, you will find an enlargement, along with a history of "The Benedict Coat of Arms." There is also a disclaimer stating there is no certainty that the Benedicts in America descend from the family who used it. We decided to print the crest with the hope someone could validate its authenticity. We also need your opinion whether it should continue to be featured in future issues.
Nottinghamshire Origins
In GBA, V.I, p.1, it states that Thomas Benedict was from Nottinghamshire, England. However, recent data received by EEB indicates that may be inaccurate. Also, there has been corrected information published about the ancestors of Ann Hunlock, Thomas' mother. By listing what we have, perhaps some confusion will be cleared (or made worse) and maybe some of you can help with any substantiating data to which you might have access.
Summary of Ancestry
As historical preface, let us start again in GBA, V.I, Chapter 1, titled "Thomas Benedict, The First Settler." Evidence (testimony of Mary Bridgum - documented by her grandson) is offered that Thomas was the only son of William Benedict (family from Nottinghamshire) and his first wife, Ann Hunlock. When Thomas came to America, he was accompanied by his step-mother, then widowed, Elizabeth Bridgum Benedict and her daughter, Mary.
According to a note from EEB, they left England on the ship Mary & Anne May 1637 and arrived at Massachusetts Bay Colony some months later. After their arrival, Thomas and his stepsister Mary were married (by 1639). They soon left for Southold, L.I., NY, where most of their nine children were born and where Thomas ran a gristmill. They were to move again, first to Jamaica, L.I., then Huntington L.I. Eventually, after the children were grown, their final move was to Norwalk, CT., where Thomas operated another, larger gristmill.
In the will of George Benedict Jr., proved 16 Sep 1584 in Norfolk, England, (of Saxlingham, Nethergate, Norfolk) he lists one of his children as William Benedict. And, according to data submitted by EEB to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, this William had two wives, Anne Hunlock and the widow of John Brigdum, Elizabeth . The submission also indicates William married Elizabeth 8 Sep 1629 in Woolpit, Suffolk, England. None of the current data - wills, etc. make reference to Nottinghamshire.
In addition, Anne Hunlock's ancestry has been corrected. In a book by David G. Edwards, The Hunlokes of Wingerworth Hall, (Wingerworth, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, 1976), he lists Anne Hunlock's father as Nicholas I, s/o Nicholas II, s/o Thomas I and Alice Brycher. However, in "The Hunlokes of Wingerworth Hall. Corrections and additions to pp. ii-vii," September 1986; previously published in Wingerworth Bulletin, 1985-86, he states there does not appear to have been a Nicholas I. He writes that "...it is clear from Nicholas II's will, dated 1551 [Lichfield Joint Record Office], that his father's name was Thomas. Furthermore, the same will gives Alice as the name of Nicholas II's wife [but] there is some uncertainly whether Alice was of the family of Bryche, of Bryche Hall, Lancs., or Bridge, of Bridge Hall, Cheshire. Nicholas II mentions only one of his children - Henry - in his will.
In Genealogical Gleanings in England. Volume I, by Henry F. Waters, A.M. (Genealogical Publishing Co, Baltimore, 1969), p 1047 lists the will of Henry Hunlocke, proved 13 July 1610 in which it clearly lists his daughter, Anne "BENEDICKE" and son, William "BENEDICKE".
Queries can bring families together, fill gaps in pedigree charts and find collateral lines. They are an important part of any newsletter. The submitters' names are listed BEFORE their data and queries are not in a formal format because there is so much variation in the information requested. [Note: many of the addresses may no longer be current.]
NOTE: Generation superscript numbering will NOT be used in queries.
Quick tip: s/o,son of; d/o,daughter (dau) of; w - wife; b,bpt,m,d - born, baptized, married, died
Mrs. Gordon H. (Shirley) Woodward, 10809 Fairway Court West, Sun City, AZ 85321
Need name and ancestry for: _____, Elizabeth: b: ca. l720, prob CT m: John BENEDICT ca. l740, Norwalk, CT b: 1718, Norwalk, CT; s/o Thomas and Millison (Hoyt) BENEDICT. Thomas is s/o John, s/o Thomas-1617.
(Interesting side note from Shirley W: her husband, Gordon Woodward, is the Benedict. And, he has two lines! Beside the one listed above, he has Thomas/James/Elizabeth b: 1686, Danbury, CT; m: Daniel Taylor)
Jamie Niekamp, 44414 N Denmore Ave. Lancaster, CA 93535
Looking for information on her BENEDICT ancestry. She writes, "My line 'begins' with gg grandfather Daniel BENEDICT Sayre s/o Lewis Sayre and Zillah BENEDICT (b 1813), ...d/o Daniel BENEDICT (b l783)." Daniel is s/o Daniel/Daniel/Benjamin/John/Thomas.
Carolyn Childress, 910 No. Fountainview Est., Lakeland, FL 33809
Captain _____ BENEDICT, b: abt 1776, d: abt 1880 m:??? Dau Hattie b: abt 1800, m: Brown; dau Caroline Augusta Brown b 18 Nov 1848, Fairfield, CT.; m: James E. Ackerman 12 Apr 1863. Their dau, Grace Fredella Ackerman Wilson is my grandmother. Who is Captain BENEDICT and who did he marry? Where was he b/m/d?, CT or NY?
Mary Alice Benedict Grindol, 7421 Wausau Trail, Gaylord MI 49735 (summer) or 1821 Belfry Lane, Winter Haven FL 33881 (winter):
Would like to correspond with descendants of Jacob R. BENEDICT (1796), w/Cynthia Brightman, who lived in Hillsdale & St. Joseph Cos, MI and Porter Co IN. A dau, Miriam M. Duncan (aka Lewis) was a post-mistress in Michigan City (LaPorte) IN, 1880-81. 1882, she res. Cook Co IL. Another dau, Julia Ann Waldo (aka Gardner) of MI, went to WI & SD. Also a son, Joseph Blaisdell BENEDICT who went to Baton Rouge, LA.
Elwyn Ellsworth Benedict, 7949 Adams Rd. Kirkville, NY 13082
Looking for information on Harold James BENEDICT, Bell, CA, s/o Allen James BENEDICT, b: 30 Sep 1888 OR Aug 18 1886 d: 1943, m: Olive Smith. Harold went to business college Sioux City, IA.
Sheila Benedict, C.G.R.S., P.O. Box 1867, Santa Ynez CA 93460-1867
Looking for information on Alice Cvnthia Steward (Haley), b: 28 Apr 1856, OH? m: Henry Bigelow BENEDICT (2nd wife & 2nd husband) ca l885 (s/o Nicholas), d: 30 Aug 1925, San Bernardino, CA. (Both Alice and Henry buried in Loveland, CO) Further info: 1) Alice was widow w/1 son, Harry Haley. 2) All of Henry and Alice's six children b: Almena, KS 3) Alice's parents were William M. Steward and Elizabeth (possibly Hearn).
ON A LIGHTER NOTE...:
Received from Larry Benedict
Find the following ancestors:
ANDREW Samuel's 2nd wife (surname)
DANIEL Fifth son of Thomas & Mary
ELIZABETH First dau of Thomas & Mary
ELWYN Benedict Genealogist
GENEALOGY The science of finding dead relatives
GREGORY John & James' wives (surname)
JAMES Fourth son of Thomas & Mary
JOHN Second son of Thomas & Mary
MARVIN Daniel's wife (surname)
MARY Second dau of Thomas & Mary
MARY Thomas' wife
MESSENGER Thomas Jr's wife (surname)
OLMSTED Mary's husband (surname)
REBECCA Fourth dau of Thomas & Mary
SAMUEL Third son of Thomas & Mary
SARAH Third dau of Thomas & Mary
SLAUSON Elizabeth's husband (surname)
THOMAS First Benedict in the colonies
THOMAS JR. First son of Thomas & Mary
WOOD Rebecca's husband (surname)
Note: Mary is listed twice and can be found twice in the puzzle.
WILLIAM SON OF BENEDICT v KERSEBROC (1225)
From Elwyn E. Benedict - sent to him by Catherine (Dunn) Walker, December 1992 (Mother, Eleanor BENEDICT, Grandfather, Daniel R. BENEDICT). According to Catherine, she found the following while researching for a paper on Renaissance Law in England, "Covenant" p 278:
William son of Benedict of London filed claim again the widow of Henry de Kersebroc (Joan) requiring her to "...keep the covenant made between them about the wardship of the land and of the heir of the said Henry in Cheshunt and in Darcies." Further, William claims "...she granted him the marriage of that heir and all the land which she held in the same vills, saving to the same Joan her dower..." The writing goes on about the dower and the land in Cheshunt.
Joan denies all and tells the court she will "...deny it in whatever way the court shall adjudge."
The entry ends "Joan de Kersebroc waged law against William son of Benedict of London in a plea of covenant, the record of which is in the octave of trinity in the year last past. And on this day she has done her law, and so [the entry ends there]."
Catherine Walker wonders, as do we all, whether "William son of Benedict" is related! We know that our Thomas' great-uncle William was a resident of London. His will was proved on 19 Oct 1614 in Prerogative Court of Canterbury and states "...I William Benedicke of London Scrivener..."
Editor's note: could he be a gr-gr-gr-gr-gr-something to great-Uncle Willie? Whether related or not, old old William son of Benedict sure wanted that dower and old old Joan knew how to "wage law" to protect it!