WILLIAM BENNETT 

 BAKER FAMILY HISTORY

THIS PAGE IS A COMPLILATION OF MATERIALS THAT I HAVE FOUND ON MY BENNETT

LINE PRESENTED ALONG WITH MY OWN PERSONAL RESEARCH.  IT IS PRESENTED

HERE AS A RESEARCH AID IN YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND ALL FACTS SHOULD

BE VERIFIED. 

LINDA HANSEN

2005

I owe a special debt of gratitude to the following Bennett descendants that were of great assistance in putting together my Bennett family tree.

Arlene Adkins

Dale and Florence Collins

Martha Western

Any additional information or corrections on my William Bennett family would be greatly appreciated.

AND GENEALOGY

THIS SECTION CONTAINS THE WILLIAM BENNETT BRANCH

OF THE ANCESTORS OF STEWARD BAKER

Please feel free to use this information for your personal use but please do not copy in whole for use on the Internet or for profit. I would appreciate your consideration for the years of work that I have done by providing a link from your page back to this site. 

THE DESCENDANTS WILLIAM BENNETT

1.  WILLIAM BENNETT 

More About WILLIAM BENNETT:

Not much is known about William Bennett, some say that he is the William of Stonington, Ct. and other's believe that this is not so.  William lived to be 104 years old. He served in King Philip's War.

Known Children of WILLIAM BENNETT are:

              i.   REBECCA BENNETT, b. November 22, 1678.

              ii.   JOHN BENNETT, b. August 11, 1683.

2.          iii.   MAJOR WILLIAM BENNETT, b. 1711

             iv.   HENRY BENNETT, b. Abt. 1713.

             v.   JAMES BENNETT, b. Abt. 1715.

GENERATION 2

2.  MAJOR WILLIAM BENNETT (WILLIAM¹) was born 1711 and was of the Susquehanna River Settlements, and died January 1812 in Shenango Twp., Crawford Co., PA.  He married ANN.  She was born Abt. 1737, and died 1819 in Shenango Twp., Crawford Co., PA.

Notes for MAJOR WILLIAM BENNETT:

It would seem probable that William had at least one wife that preceeded Ann and that they most likely had a sizable family as the children that are believed to be Ann's were born late in William's life.  Below you will see that James and John are not proven as William's sons, or they could possibly be sons by a previous marriage.  I believe them to be Williams sons as the names James and John are carried down through the family in the traditional way.  There were so few families that were early settlers in the Espyville, Shenango area that it seems doubtful that at this early stage in development there would have been two unrelated Bennett families using the same names.  This is why "I" have chosen to list James and John as sons of William.

A William Bennett is listed in 1775 the Buffalo Valley Numeration as owning a grist mill on land belonging to William Blythe. He had 1 horse and 1 cow.

A William Bennett Jr. is listed in the same enumeration he had 17 acres, 1 horse, 3 sheep on William Blythe's land.

Source: Annals of Buffalo Valley by Linn p. 75

This passed on by Pauline Brown from her cousin Dale Collins;

"William Bennett probably not from Stonington, CT., but perhaps Old Philadelpia Co., PA. First official location; Bald Eagle Twp., Northumberland Co., PA. in May 1778.  Taxed 1787 Nipponose Twp. recorded in Sunbury.  He is buried in S. Shenango Cemetery 1711-March 25, 1812.  They were Seceders* from the Susquehanna area.

Children : possibly James, John, William -  Northumberland."

* Seceders or Covenanters came to be know as “Reformed Presbyterians and in the mid-1800’s, they united with some of the factions from which they had split earlier in the century becoming known as members of the United Presbyterian Church.

 "Bennett Family history:  William Bennett was born in 1711, died in 1812, 101 years old.  It is said he built the first keel boat on the Susquehanna, before emigrating to North Shenango Twp.  It is likely that William was one of the first settlers on the Susquehanna perhaps around the years 1753-1754.  William Bennett was a First Lieutenant* in Capt. Somme Dale's Company formed in Upper Div. of Northumberland Co. was among the body of soldiers present at Ft. Augusta on 25 June 1777.  Col. Bennett erected the first grist and saw mill in the township in 1800 or 1801 on Bennett's Run, and both were operated for many years.  He was a Major in the 133rd Regiment under Col. Samuel Goudy in the War of 1812--promoted to Colonel."

Source: The Espy-Espey Genealogy Book

*Wm#2, if he was a 1st Lt in 1777, he would have been 66 yrs old.  Those over 60 wer not expected to serve.  It has been reported to us that the Espy book may contain many errors, check carefully.

7.8.05 email sent by Dale Collins.

William Bennett lived in Bald Eagle Twp, Northumberland Co., PA, May 1778, according to Linn's "History of Centre and Clinton County".  In the original tax records in Sunbury, Northumberland Co., PA entitled "Northumberland, Muncy, and Others 1778-1796" is found the following information concerning Bennetts.  Bald Eagle Twp.

Taxes:  William Bennett - Exonerated 36  19s 9p

             William Bennett Jr. - collected 11s

In 1785 listed in Washington township, now partly Lycoming and a subdivision of White Deer are the 1st inhabitants and among them are the following:  Ephraim, Justice, Thaddeus, Abraham and William Bennett.

At Sunbury, 1785 Nippinose Twp., then Northumberland, now Lycoming Co., across the Susquehanna River from Jersey Shore:

William Bennett, 1 horse, 1 cow, 400 acres

James Bennett, 2 horses, 1 cow, 200 acres

John Bennett, 3 horses, 1 cow

Linn's History stated: Residents of Bald Eagle Twp., in 1786:

James Bennett, William Bennett, and John Bennett-single man.

Nippenose Twp., 1787: William Bennett, James Bennett, William Bennett, John Bennett.  Nippenose is about 15 mile from Bald Eagle, along the river.  They could have owned or rented land in both places in order to secure lumber.

Linn's History contains the following (pp 595,586)  YoungWomanstown (now North Bend), also called William Reed's Improvement, was on the shore of the west branch of the Susquehanna now Chapman Twp., Clinton, Co.  It was occupied before 1780 by William Reed who had no title.  Reed sold his improvements to Stuart Campbell.  Campbell sold to Thomas Robison who obtained a pre-emption warrant 1 Oct. 1785 for 307 acres on the north side of the west branch of the Susquehanna beginning at upper end of the narrows in the lower ends of sides and extending up the river to the head wing of a fish-dam and adjoining John Fleming's improvement.  This included nearly all the flat land adjacent to the mouth of Young Womans's creek.  Robison sold to Andrew Epple of Philadelphia 10 Jan. 1787.  William Bennett rented it from Epple for 56.  He built a tub-mill at the mouth of YoungWoman's creek for which he was allowed 33, which was deducted from his rent bill.

YoungWomanstown, Jan. 19th 1798

Sir I take this opportunity to let you know that I am going to Move of your place in the spring: my son has been out at French Creek and they have a Mind to Move out their in the spring And I would be glade you would take this place of my hands and send some Man to it a Cording to your Mind that you can be shoure of paying the rent I can get men a-nauf here that would take it But I would rather you would satisfy you Self.  I have a very good fall crop in the ground thir is 20 acres of Wheat and 11 of Ry and land fit for a prime Crop corn oats or flax all fit for the plough and they can have all the grane if them and me can agree there is men anof her that would Be glad of it but I would be glad you would Send Some Man to it that would pay you the Rent and give me no more trouble a Bout it Sir please to Send me an ancer by Frances Fargy for I would be glad to know as quick as possible and so I Remain your Hum Ser't.

William Bennett

To Andrew Epple

Source: "Bennett Family" by Dale W. & Florence H. Collins p 85-86

The Collins, Henry, David, Isaac, and Elijah were in Conniut Twp., Crawford County and were counted in the 1800 census.  William Reed and his family were settled here, as did the Barrackman s and Linn's.  The Bennetts came about 1801 and the Espy's about 1802. 

William Bennett was born in 1711 and died at the home of his son, Robert in South Shenango Twp., Crawford Co., PA.  He and his wife have a common marker in South Shenango Cemetery.  Row IX, #19.

The gravestone reads: died Jan. 1812.  The Crawford Co. Atlas says he died March 25, 1812 and Warner's History of Crawford County says he lived to be 101.  William's wife, ANN, died 1819, age 82 years.  She may have been a second wife.

Crawford County Genealogy.

Source: "Bennett Family" by Dale W. & Florence H. Collins pp 86-87

1787: with James Bennett owned a Grist Mill

1798, moved with son's Anthony & Henry to Crawford Co.

He died at home of son Robert.

Occupation: Iron Master

William was probably married two or more times. There is a long standing family tradition that William, James, and John were first cousins of General Anthony Wayne. Dale and Florence Collins have done some research, that so far has been unsuccessful in connecting the Wayne family to the Bennett’s through the Iddings line. Iddings was Gen. Wayne’s mother’s maiden name.

(Ann may or may not be the mother of all of eight of William’s children)

Generation 1