Benjamin, T21
           by Clarence McDaniel March 2002 updated December 2008

Benjamin's father is likely Benjamin, B28. His mother's name was Sarah and she
gave consent to his Friends marriage. Benjamin married Elizabeth Horne
Oct 3,1758, at Friends Meeting house, Phila. His marriage certificate  was
signed  by 47 persons.

Benjamin was a cordwainer (maker of leather shoes) and had a shop in the
city. He became a justice on the Orphans Court and a city court  justice
from 1777 to  1785. The Historical Society of PA.  has  his  personal  account
book as a justice from 1778-1784 in their manuscripts section. His  father was 
deceased when he married Elizabeth Horne in 1758 as  only the mother gave  
consent to  the  Quaker  marriage. His wife died in 1778 and he  married 2nd'ly, 
Mrs. Sarah(pyle) Woods in 1780.

His subsequent line  is a large one and has been placed in this position(B28) as 
likely. I have read a story (Gilpin?) which  places the judge, Benjamin, in  a  
revolutionary  war setting  about  the  Tory  exiles  taken  to  Virginia. He  
was  expelled  from  the  Quakers  for  his  joining  of  the  "committee of 
safety". This means his descendants qualify for membership in patriotic societies. 
Benjamin was a member of the Free Quaker Society from its first meeting held in 
1781; his mother seems to have been a member also. He had two sons, Edward  and  
Benjamin, both married  and had issue but those of Edward died in infancy. 
Benjamin, T21, died in 1785 and left a will naming his 2nd wife and son, 
Benjamin, T211.

For the past 18 years much effort by Donna Cooper of Des Moines  and  the author 

has been expended attempting to locate his parents. Many prospects have been 
eliminated. There is no known Sarah Paschall born before 1715 who could be the 
mother. 

NOTE: An extract of a Bible record of 1925 lists as it's first entry the death 
of Elisabeth, wife of Benjamin, in 1728(no day/mo). I now believe this was likely 
Elizabeth(horne) who died in 1778.

RECENT: There is a possible answer to all this mystery that is a common one. 
We may use the example of Benjamin Franklin to illustrate it. Franklin in his 
autobiography acknowleged that his son, William, was illegitimate but never named 
the mother. In most of these cases the person does not have siblings and the father 
or mother or both may be unknown. Benjamin, T21, fits this profile but we have his 
mother's given name and date of death. It is highly likely that Benjamin was named 
for his father. The quest then is for a man named Benjamin --- and a Sarah ---. The 
father died before 1758. 

There is some reason to think that Benjamin(1709-1745), B28, may be the
father. This Benjamin (cuttler) did not marry Margaret Price until about 1734 
(this was not a Quaker sanctioned marriage); He died in 1745, his wife surviving 
and remarring. Of his 3 sons by Margaret, one, Benjamin, was born c1743 and died a 
minor according to records. He obviously was not the Benjamin (cordwainer),T21, that 
married Elizabeth Horne. 

Note: Some sources, the oldest  seems  to  be  the  notes  of Gen. Lewis Merrill, 
published in Lloyds Manuscripts list Benjamin, B28, as marrying Elizabeth Horne. 
He would have been 50 years old! This idea is abundantly disproved in documents. In 
this case the gossip may be close;  Elizabeth Horne married, not him, but his son 
by Sarah...

The William McCready internet site, Thomas Paschall file, shows that Benjamin 
Paschall(B28) married Mar 10, 1728, and had son, Benjamin. Unfortunately this is not 
documented nor can I find any source for this assertion.

Primarily, we now need to find the ID of Sarah, the mother of  Benjamin. The Bible 
extract has her death as Sarah Paschall on 1 June, 1785. The 1785 city directory shows 
a Mrs Paschall living near to Benjamin, her? A search has been made of persons from 
those  names  signed  on  Benjamin's  marriage certificate with no positive results. 
No Quaker records  have been found that lists her. She was quite old when she  died  
and likely would have been living at or near her son's house. The subsequent lines 
of  Benjamin named sons Jesse Zane Paschall. This suggests a  connection to the Zane 
line and a Sarah Zane signed in the relatives reserved area. However, no connection 
has been found to indicate that she was the mother.

My best guess: Sarah, dau/sister of one  of  the  marriage certificate signers, 
and  Benjamin Paschall, B28, had  a  son, Benjamin, born 1732. Benjamin, B28, had  
a  Quaker birthright but would thus not be "cleared" to later marry Margaret Price 
as was the case.

This conjecture would mean that Benjamin, T21, was a member of the old families of 
Phila. and as such could be raised among the ruling class. See the book, 
"Albion's Seed" for a discussion of this topic and their intermarriages. 

If Benjamin,B28 was the father he likely provided for his son by apprenticing him 
to a cordwainer of the city. Benjamin, T21, was provided for and purchased property 
quite early in life. In 1760 he bought a lot adjoining to the "Man Full of Trouble" 
tavern that has survived to the present.

This is the state of the search at this time, December 2008.

Note: the ID's are found as 1st line in notes(bad PAF problem here)