Benedict researchers are deeply indebted to Henry Marvin Benedict and Elwyn E. Benedict for the two volumes of The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America. Both of these author/ compilers researched the Benedict family thoroughly in an effort to find out all they could about the family. But there have been other books written before and after Volume One was published in 1870 and Volume Two in 1969. This article is an effort to review and list a few of these sources.

At the Library of Congress the earliest book about the Benedicts, A Genealogy of the Benedict Family Taken from a Manuscript Kept by James Benedict, Esq. of Ridgefield (A.W. Pearce, Pawtucket: 1853) was located. This book was quoted and referenced by Henry Marvin Benedict in Volume One of The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America. It is the source of the old family tradition that the immigrant Thomas Benedict came from Nottinghamshire, England.

Many of the Benedict books we've encountered perpetuate that belief. In the introduction to The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, Vol. II, there is a convincing discussion from the eminent genealogist, John Insley Coddington which refutes the Nottingham nativity. Coddington suggested that Deacon James Benedict was a "worthy but muddle-headed old gentleman" who mixed up his maternal Gregory ancestors - who were from Nottinghamshire - with his Benedict ancestors. Coddington wrote that there was "not the slightest trace of a Benedict family anywhere in any Nottinghamshire records". There is, however, recorded in Norfolk, the marriage in 1629 of John Bridgham and Elizabeth "Benedick" widow, of Woolpit in Suffolk. Coddington believed that Mary "Bridgum"'s father married Thomas Benedict's mother and the two step-siblings later married and brought their progeny to America. Further confirmation exists in that 1629 marriage entry which states "both came out of Norfolk". According to Coddington, "Norfolk and London are the only two localities in England where the very rare name of Benedict - probably continental in origin - is to be found in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries."

About the same time that Elwyn Benedict was completing Volume Two, Claud C. Benedict was putting together The Family Book or Genealogy of the Descendents [sic] of Enoch Benedict "Being the Seventh Generation of Thomas Benedict" and Associated Families. He published this book about 1967 and it is now available from the Family History Library or on film No. 824379 from your nearest Family History Center (Mormon Branch Library). The main body of Claude Benedict's work focused on the life and descendants of Albert B. Benedict born 1811 "son of Enoch Benedict". Albert Benedict left Groton, New York in 1838 and migrated to St. Louis Missouri by 1839. He was a farmer and gunsmith. The latter occupation served him well in an expanding west where guns were essential tools to supply families with meat. Also, many guns were being converted by gunsmiths to "Cap and Ball from Flint Lock." The format of this book consists of family cards, a sort of modified register, divided by families. All persons are numbered and it is fairly easy to read. The book is indexed by given names and surnames.

Volume I of the book Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut edited by Richard Cutter (Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York: 1911), pages 489-492 discusses "The Benedict Line". It notes that "the surname Benedict is derived from the Latin benedictus, meaning

blessed, used as a personal or baptismal name in Latin countries and in fact throughout all Europe. St. Benedict founded the Roman Catholic order of Benedictines in A.D., 520 and fourteen Popes took this name between 574 and 1740." As is usual in the Cutter volumes, the "line" is followed directly only to certain prominent citizens, in this case Aaron Benedict⁶ (Aaron⁵, Captain Daniel⁴, Daniel³, Lieutenant Daniel², Thomas¹) and his son, Charles. The two men, who probably donated money for its publication, have large pictures in the book.

In Susan Benedict Hill's History of Danbury, Conn. 1694-1896 (New York, Burr Printing House: 1896) there are numerous references to Benedicts. Samuel, James, and Daniel Benedict, sons of the first Thomas are described as first settlers of Danbury and some detail is given about their children on page 46. In Chapter X: "Danbury in the Revolution", the following Benedicts are listed among the 98 members of a company raised by Noble Benedict who became the captain: Corporal Jonah Benedict, Privates Eleazer, Hezekiah, Gilbert, and William Benedict. Captain Benedict's company joined the Sixteenth Regiment and was ordered to duty with the northern army, reporting at Lake Champlain. They returned after a term of six months without the loss of a single member. Captain Nobel Benedict was a stutterer and had a difficult time saying the password "Ticonderoga" one night to the sentry. Corporal Jonah Benedict took an active part in the war. He was taken prisoner with many others while on duty at Fort Washington, on the Hudson River, November, 1776. He was allowed to depart prison due to illness and near death in April 1777. He and his old father Matthew who lived with him in Danbury, were taken out of their beds before daylight on Sunday morning April 27, 1777, and tied to trees in his garden while the British troops set fire to his house. After the Revolution Jonah manufactured hats at South Salem, where he died 28 March 1811.

Some other titles in the Library of Congress (which we did not review) follow:

______, The Story of the Benedicts; a Genealogy of the Benedict Family for the Descendants of Ira and Seely Benedict of the Seventh Generation in America (Belmont, Wis., Success Press: 1939). Subjects: Ira Benedict, 1788-1875 and Seely Benedict, 1786-1848.

Anderson, Joseph, Aaron Benedict (Waterbury, Conn., Press of the American Printing Co.: 1873). Subject: Aaron Benedict, 1785-1873.

Benedict, Clare (ed.), Five Generations (1785-1923) Being Scattered Chapters from the History of the Coopers, Pomeroy, Woolson and Benedict Families (London, Ellis: 1930?). In the Rare Book Room.

Benedict, Clare (ed.), Appreciations of Voices Out of the Past, Constance Fenimore Woolson, The Benedicts Abroad; the Family Trilogy by Clare Benedict (Leatherhead, Eng., F.B. Benger: 1941).

Benedict, Henry Marvin, A Memorial of Brevet Brigadier General Lewis Benedict, Colonel of 162d Regiment N.Y.V.I., Who Fell in Battle at Pleasant Hill, La., April 9, 1864 (Albany, N.Y., J. Munsell: 1866), 155 p.

Benedict, Schuyler B., Some Descendants of Jane Cronkhite and Hiram Benedict of Cambria, Niagara County, New York (Worcester, Mass.?, S.B. Benedict: 1983).

Chichester, Francis E., To the Probate Court for the District of Norwalk:- (n.p.: 1882). Subject: Whitlock, Lorana (Benedict), Mrs. 1795-1868. Other name: Davenport, Amzi Benedict, 1817-1894. 3 p. (also available as a microfilm).

Hall, John Taylor, Memorial of Lewis and Susan Benedict (New York?, printed for the family: 1870), 55 p.

Hart, Levi, The Christian Minister; or Faithful Preacher of the Gospel Described (New-London, printed by T. Green: 1771), 30 p. Request in Rare Book/ Special Collections Reading Room.

Hunt, Aurora, Kirby Benedict, Frontier Federal Judge; an Account of Legal and Judicial Development in the Southwest, 1853-1874, with Special Reference to the Indian, Slavery, Social and Political Affairs, Journalism, and a Chapter on Circuit Riding with Abraham Lincoln in Illinois (Glendale, Calif., A.H. Clark Co.: 1961). Request in Law Library Reading Room.

Pearce, Marvin J., Benedict Pioneers in Kentucky (El Cerrito, Calif.: 1968).

Tankersley, Athla Howard, Benedict Centennial History (Benedict Centennial Committee, Benedict, Neb.: 1987). This is the town history of Benedict, Nebraska;

Walker, Elizabeth Vohland and Zusman, Lois Vohland (compilers), The Benedict and Osborn(e) Families: Ancestors and Descendants of Dorothy Osborne Vohland (United States?: 1985)

Some of the above books may be available through interlibrary loan or in other genealogical collections near you. A search of a library catalog may yield references to the family you seek in another family's genealogy. However, use with caution. Especially when the Benedicts were collateral relatives to authors, the material was often copied from Henry Marvin Benedict's 1870 genealogy with little analysis or correction of the material.

Examination of these other books enables the careful genealogist to appreciate the outstanding compilation, analysis, and corrections made by Elwyn E. Benedict in Volume Two of The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America. In the 1960s, Elwyn's mother Clara M. (Cramer) Benedict assisted in the data collection and Elwyn and his wife Esther (Wemes) Benedict and their two young sons traveled all over the United States. Everywhere they stopped, they searched phone books and local libraries' collections to learn about local Benedict families. They visited in many of our families' homes. Before he reprinted Volume One, Elwyn added numbers for families on whom more information was found and made notes. In Volume Two he connected and detailed nearly another century of descendants. Introductory material in Volume Two corrected and expanded the information in the first volume. Unconnected families appeared in the back of the book and all names were indexed (without the aid of a computer!).

The two-volume set of the Genealogy of the Benedicts in America is still available at $55 for the set, postpaid from: Elwyn E. Benedict, 7949 Adams Road, Kirkville NY 13082. [2002 - check for current cost, phone (315) 656-2311]

Search for Benedict Silversmith

From Francis Crook, P.O. Box 275, Bandon, Oregon 97411

Does anyone know of a Benedict that made silver serving trays? We have one that is about 12½ inches long, across the top and 6 inches on the bottom. It is 1½ inches high, and width tapers from 3 inches on the handle ledge to 5¾ inches across the middle and back to 3 inches on the other end. It has a design at the end on the bottom of the handle: On the top handle it has filigree around flowers and has a letter "O" in the middle:The "O" might have been engraved for the family name. We have had this tray for a long time and don't know how old it is. Can anyone help us? [ See the next issue for replies to this letter]

Editorial Notes

An index to the first three volumes of The Benedict Family News [was] included with this issue. Creator was Wayne A. Campbell⁷(Dorothy Mae Stockbauer⁶, Mary Catherine Pinkerton⁵, Orpha Benedict⁴, Eli³, Benjamin², Johannes¹) of 1234 Lynda Lane, Warminister PA 18974-1949. Wayne is a descendant of one of the German branches of the family, his first two generations described in The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America Vol. II, pp. 474-475. Wayne reports that although the index took months of work, he is pleased with the results and hopes our readers and librarians will find it useful. The incredible detail and meticulous care with which it was created is unusual and and we think you will find it very helpful... [this tool, though originally printed, is now available online at http://hometown.aol.com/benedictnz/BenedictNews/intro.htm]

In addition to his regular circulation editorship, Larry Benedict volunteered to take on the Family Tree Editor's job. Larry said he would like to help the family to organize material for a Volume III The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America. The first steps will include entering into a genealogical computer program, the data that is already included in Vols. I and II, a project which was started by Krista Benedict Phipps....

Queries

Abbreviations in this issue:

b. = born m. = married d. = died Co. = County ca = circa (about) info = information dau. = daughter

two-letter zip code abbreviations are used for states. Note: This addresses may no longer be current.

BENEDICT/ MESSENGER/ HULL

Thomas BENEDICT m. Mary MESSENGER, Jan 1664/5, Jamaica, NY. Mary m. Dr. John HULL after Thomas' death and d. by 1699. Mary dau. of Andrew MESSENGER. Desire more info re Mary & Andrew and their ancestry.

--- James H. Gilbert, R..R. 1, Box 28, Dorset VT 05251

BENEDICT/ WALCOTT/ WEBSTER

Seek information on Florence Webster BENEDICT b. 30 Apr 1881, New York, NY; m. Philip Cory WALCOTT, 5 Oct 1904; d. ca Sep 1957. Also need info on her parents, Ruth WEBSTER and Robert BENEDICT.

--- Richard M. Harrison, 6 Brown Rd., Corning NY 14830

BENEDICT/ MATTHEWS

Seeking info on Rachel BENEDICT b. ca 1755, Danbury, CT; m. John MATTHEWS, 28 Oct 1772. Where did they die? Need wills & estate settlements. Need Children. Would like to correspond with their descendants. Her parents were John & Lydia (?) BENEDICT according to the Genealogy of the Benedicts in America.

--- Mrs. Rosalie V. Flint, 17431 Road 5.2 NW, Quincy WA 98848

BENEDICT/ BORDERS/ THOMPSON

Who were the parents of Elizabeth Jane BENEDICT b. 1824-1828 OH? She m. Henry Brenton BORDERS, 19 Mar 1848, Pike Co. IN. Lived in Pike Co. in 1850 & 1860, Knox Co. IN in 1870. In 1873 they signed land records in Pike Co. stating they were of Gibson Co. IN. Children (all BORDERS): Jerome, John N., Emily b. ca. 1853, Isaac Alexander b. 1865, James N. b. ca 1856, Albert b. ca 1860, Rebecca J. b. 1862, Nathaniel B. b. ca 1863, Sarah b. ca 1865, and Henry b. 1869. Apr 1875 Henry Brenton BORDERS mar. 2nd Mary H. THOMPSON in Warrick Co., IN.

--- Sarah L. Rowe, P.O. Box 1574, Yuma AZ 85366-1574

BENEDICT/ BATTLES

Who were the parents of Tolbert Perry BENEDICT b. ca. 1823 OH? d. 14 Mar 1864 Franklin, KY, m. Virginia Ann BATTLES, 22 Sep 1849, Pike Co. IN. Children: George W. b. ca 1850, Ellen b. ca. 1854, William b. ca. 1856, Julia b. ca. 1859, Clarie b. ca. 1861. They lived in Pike Co. IN.

--- Sarah Rowe, see previous query

BENEDICT/ MEAD/ DEADMAN

Who were the parents of Nathaniel P. BENEDICT b., ca. 1814 OH? d. 4 Sep 1874 Pike Co., IN, m. No. 1, Zurilda MEAD, 3 May 1839, Pike Co. IN. Div. 1864. Mar. 2nd Sarah Ann DEADMAN, 3 Dec 1871, Pike Co. IN. Children of Zurilda & Nathaniel: James M. b. ca. 1840, John b. ca. 1848, Henry b. ca. 1852, Ellen b. ca. 1854, William b. ca. 1859, Albert b. ca. 1862. James M. was a shoemaker in 1861.

--- Sarah Rowe, see previous queries

BENEDICT/ ??

Who was the husband of Phebe BENEDICT listed on the 1840 Pike Co. IN Census age 50-60 with 2 males ages 5-15 and 1 female 5-10?

--- Sarah Rowe, see previous queries

BENEDICT/ FETTINGER

Who was Elisha BENEDICT who m. Mary Ann FETTINGER, 26 Dec 1845, Pike Co. IN? Elisha d. intestate Mar 1850. Child: Samuel Thomas BENEDICT b. 18 Dec 1849 d. 5 Feb 1914 Pike Co. IN., Samuel Thomas was raised by his maternal grandparents. What happened to his mother Mary Ann?

--- Sarah Rowe, see previous queries

Benedicts 1850 in Illinois

Transcribed by the editor from films at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City , Utah and at the Archives and Regional History Collections at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Acceleration Index Systems (AIS) was relied on for searching the names. The films were very faint and difficult to read. If you feel your family was in Illinois in 1850 and they do not appear here, you may wish to peruse the entire county where you think they resided. National Archives Roll Numbers are given.

Page Dwelling Family Surname Given Name Sex Age Occupation Real Estate BP Other

Roll 4, DeKalb County, Pampus Township

372 104 111 BENEDICT Alonzo [?W] m 29 Farmer NY

BENEDICT Ellen f 29 NY

BENEDICT Andrew m 4 IL

BENEDICT Norman G. m 26 NY

372 104 112 BENEDICT James N. m 29 NY

BENEDICT Betsey A. f 26 NY

BENEDICT Sarah f 4 IL Kinyon family and others in same HH?

Roll 98, Boon County, Belvedere Village

12 184 211 BENEDICT Dorcus f 38 NY In HH. of

____ A. HUMPHREY age 36 & family

Roll 99, Champaign County, Urbana

95 106 4 BENEDICT Slylvanus m 21 Laborer $none IN In HH of Innkeeper Asahel BRUER

Roll 100, Clark County, Marshall District

164 15 15 BENEDICT H. m 32 Livery keeper $2,000 NY

BENEDICT N. f 32 Ireland

BENEDICT NA f 7 IN

BENEDICT MS f 5 IL

BENEDICT Wm. m 4 IL

BENEDICT M f 2 IL

BENEDICT I f 5 mo IL

Roll 103, Cook County, Chicago

173 689 702 BENEDICT Mr. m 12 Merchant NY (In this same HH is a Mr. Shipper 10 y/o male who is a Unitarian mister and an 11 y/o clerk. There seems to have been a copying error or some other distortion made by the census enumerator.)

Roll 105, DuPage County, Town of Winfield

52 116 729 BENEDICT Jonathan m 27 Farmer $1,000 NY

BENEDICT Sarah E. f 26 NY

BENEDICT Alfred m 7 NY

BENEDICT Clarrissa f 5 NY

BENEDICT Edwin M. m 3 NY

Roll 105, Edgar County, District Nineteen

216 1344 1383 BENEDICT Kerby m 39 Attorney $1,500 CT b. Litchfield

BENEDICT Charlotte f 39 CT b. Fairfield

BENEDICT Worthena C. f 3 IL b. Macon

CURTIS Polly f 61 CT b. Fairfield

ALSUP Mary f 10 IL b. Dewitt

POLICK Cynthia f 25 KY

Roll 112, Kane County, Aurora

192 72 283 BENEDICT William m 16 Working in factory IL In H.H. of Joseph G. STOLF, manufacturer. Has many apparent boarders, factory workers

199 167 45? BENEDICT Edwin m 26 Shoemaker $500 NY

BENEDICT Ruth f 22 NY

BENEDICT Sarah f 17 NY

BENEDICT Jane f 9 NY att. school

Roll 112, Kane County, Blackberry

167 91 1160 BENEDICT Roswell m 64 Farmer VT

BENEDICT [?Diantha] f 57 NY

BENEDICT William m 21 Farmer NY

167 92 1161 BENEDICT Joseph m 55 Farmer VT

BENEDICT Amy f 50 NY

BENEDICT Perry m 15 NY att. school

BENEDICT [?Mellvill] m 13 NY att. school

BENEDICT Nancy f 11 NY att. school

BENEDICT Oscar m 9 NY att. school

Roll 112, Kane County, Town of Virgil

86 5 1234 BENEDICT Royal m 27 Farmer $800 NY

BENEDICT Mary J. f 23 NY

BENEDICT Newell A. m 3 IL

BENEDICT Thomas m 60 Farmer VT

86 6 1235 BENEDICT Chancy m 26 Farmer $400 NY

BENEDICT Hannah f 30 NY

ASH Rachel f 10 NY

Roll 112, Kane County, St. Charles

126 309 1844 BENEDICT George m 56 Farmer $1,000 CT

BENEDICT Betsy f 55 NY

BENEDICT Louisa f 20 NY

BENEDICT Alfred m 15 Farmer NY

BENEDICT Edgar m 10 NY

126 316 1852 BENEDICT John m 30 laborer NY

BENEDICT Ellen f 22 NY

BENEDICT Andrew m 4 IL

Roll 113, Knox County, Township 11 North - 1 East

360 716 723 BENEDICT J.L. m 25 Farmer $1,200 VT

BENEDICT Hannah f 26 NY

BENEDICT Martha f 10 mo IL

SHERMAN George H. m 16 Laborer NY

SHERMAN Martha I. f 13 NY

Roll 113, Knox County, Hendersonville

399 1066 1193 BENEDICT Sarah f 25 NY In HH. of 31 y/o Randall JAMES & other apparent boarders

Roll 114, Lake County, Town of Cuba

67 25 25 BENEDICT Wallace m 74 Farmer NY

BENEDICT Elizabeth f 70 NY In HH of Ira INGRAHAM, age 53

Roll 114, Lake County, Town of Antioch

89 143 144 BENEDICT Levi m 24 Farmer NY In HH. Lewis COOLEY, age 34

Roll 114, Lake County, Town of Waukegan

133 251 263 BENEDICT Paul m 60 Painter MA In HH of Dewitt C. PRATT, 27 y/o painter.

Roll 115, LaSalle County, South Ottawa

237 914 920 BENEDICT John m 16 Farmer IL HH David STEARNS and other apparent boarders

Roll 115, LaSalle County, Eagle Township

244 1016 1024 BENEDICT Reuben m 44 Farmer PA Rueben, at bottom of page 244 was missed by the indexers.

BENEDICT George m 6 IN

BENEDICT [?Lyman] m 4 IN

Roll 115, Lawrence County, No Township Named

51 740 741 BENEDICT Anna f 68 $4,000 NY Living alone in dwelling with ORGAN family

Roll 120, Marshall County, No Township Named

115 8 8 BENEDICT Sydney m 30 Farmer $120 NY

BENEDICT Helen f 19 OH

Roll 124, Perry County, District No. 7

365 443 445 BENEDICT Lindsey m 48 Farmer $340 KY

BENEDICT Elizabeth f 45 TN

BENEDICT Sarah A. f 17 KY

BENEDICT Benjamin m 19 Farmer KY

BENEDICT Nancy f 15 KY

BENEDICT John W. m 12 KY

BENEDICT Joshua MR m 13 IL

BENEDICT James MR m 11 IL

BENEDICT Catherine f 9 KY

BENEDICT George m 7 IL

BENEDICT Samuel m 6 IL

BENEDICT Lindsey m 2 IL

BENEDICT Henry B. m 4 mo IL

Roll 124, Perry County, District No. 7

397 919 925 BENEDICT Stout m 23 KY

BENEDICT Martha f 23 TN

BENEDICT Elizabetha A. f 4 IL

BENEDICT William I. m 2 IL

BENEDICT James M. m 6 mo IL

Roll 125, Randolph County, South Range 6 West

113 22 32 DIXON Mungo m 62 Farmer $400 Scotland

DIXON Margaret f 34? Scotland

DIXON Alexander m 11 Scotland

BENEDICT Isabella f 28 Scotland

BENEDICT Isabella f 1 IL

BENEDICT Mungo D. m 5mo IL Many neighbors b. Scotland

Roll 126, Rock Island County, District 37

201 893 893 BENEDICT Joseph E. m 39 Carpenter $800 NY

BENEDICT Martha f 31 PA

BENEDICT Mary E. f 7 IL

BENEDICT Sylvia A. f 4 IL

Roll 126, Rock Island County, Lower Rock Island City, District 37

220 1192 1192 BENEDICT Albert m 24 Merchant NY

BENEDICT Eliza f 20 NY

STEWART Livonia f 40 NY

Roll 129, Tazewell County, No Township named

43 596 596 BENEDICT Elijah m 46 Farmer $3,000 VT

BENEDICT Polly f 46 VT

BENEDICT Elijah [?F] m 24 Farmer $1,600 VT

BENEDICT Abel E. m 21 Farmer VT

BENEDICT George W. m 14 VT

BENEDICT Albert J. m 12 VT

BENEDICT Jeanette f 20 NY

BENEDICT Charles R. m 1 IL

Roll 134, Winnebago County, New Millford

356 71 78 BENEDICT Samuel M. m 29 Farmer $300 NY

BENEDICT Mary M. f 30 NY

BENEDICT Emily F. f 6 NY

BENEDICT Samuel M. m 2 IL

Roll 134, Winnebago County, ?Recton?

404 96 102 BENEDICT Lewis m 35 Cong. minister $1,200 NY In HH. of Seely PERRY, 29 y/o teacher and his family. Also other apparent boarders.)

(End of Illinois 1850)

Letter from Down Under

(Forwarded by Larry Benedict)

Could you please tell me more about the Benedict Family News? I heard about it whilst chasing my family tree on the internet. I believe you also include articles relating to other European variations of the Benedict surname.

As far as I know, my Bennedick spelling is unique to Australia. My great-grandfather Joseph Bennedick came to Australia pre 1864 from either Venice, Trieste, of Fiume (then in Austro-Hungarian Empire) now Italy and Croatia. We are not sure exactly when he arrived in Australia. The oldest record I can find is of his marriage to Mary Anne Kerr (from Ireland) on the 12th November, 1864 at Rockhampton in QLD [?Queensland - a state in N.E. Australia?]. The following are the details Joseph gave; age 26, place of residence - Gladstone, QLD, where he worked as a digger on the Calliope gold fields, his place of birth as Venice, Italy, his fathers name as Jacopo - a gardener and mother unknown. Unfortunately Joseph was illiterate all his life.

I believe our surname spelling was derived from the interpretation on Joseph's marriage certificate and its true spelling will probably never be known.

You will appreciate that this has made it almost impossible to trace my family tree back any further on this line... If you could offer me any suggestions to help in my abovementioned matter, I would greatly appreciate it.

Bruce Bennedick, Ferguson Lodge, P.O. Box 223, Lidcombe NSW 2141, Australia.

E-mail: [email protected]

P.S. I have seen the name George Bennedick mentioned in the memoirs of an early settler of Estacado, Texas in the 1890's but at this stage I am unable to establish any connection.

Underground Railroad House in Morrow County, Ohio built 1846 by Aaron Benedict. Sketch by James S. Benedict M.D., from a photograph sent by Frances Crook of Bandon, Oregon

The Underground Railroad

(Series concluded, this segment form The Sentinel, Mount Gilead, Morrow County, Ohio, Thursday 24 August 1893)

Horrible Treatment of Slaves by Their Masters

Words in Conclusion of this Most Interesting Series of Articles

By Aaron Benedict

Long ago, when I was a small boy, there was brought to my father’s an old colored man and his wife. They said they had belonged to a kind master in Kentucky. Their master died and they were sold, with other slaves, to a Louisiana slave trader; he took them to Louisiana and sold them to a sugar planter; their new master treated them so cruelly that they ran away into a cane brake. Their master set blood hounds on their trail; the dogs caught the old woman and bit and mangled her limbs so that the skin calloused to the bones in places afterwards; before the old man could beat them off; he said they laid there two months before the old woman could travel; her wounds became so putrid that he had to stay by her in the daytime to keep off the flies and turkey buzzards, and that they subsisted on parched corn and he went out to the plantation at night and secured. He said he secured a few rabbits by snaring them. They finally worked their way back to their old home in Kentucky; traveling all the way by night; here they were secreted by their colored relatives and friends and taken by them to and across the Ohio River; here they got aboard the "Underground Railway" and went on their way to freedom, stopping off here at this station and were forwarded on to Canada and freedom.

There are many instances of hardships, privations and hair breadth escapes that they encountered on their long journey from Louisiana to Kentucky that would be interesting to write if I had the space to write them. Hearing these old, gray haired slaves, in my childhood tell of being chased by dogs and pursued by men, no less savage than the dogs they were bitten by, produced in me a sympathy that lasted up until all the slaves were emancipated.

I am now in my old age, living as it were, in my childhood days. Things that happened when I was a boy and a young man are more vivid in my mind than things that happened fifteen and thirty years ago.

I remember a runaway slave that came here years ago and told me that he was born free; that his father and mother were free colored persons living in Kentucky; and that he was kidnapped and sold to a slave trader and taken to Mississippi and sold to a planter. He soon left his master and went into the swamps. He frequently went out to the plantations among the slaves to get something to eat. He had not been long at this place until he was told by the slaves that there was a reward of five hundred dollars offered for him dead or alive. He then concluded to try and make his way back to Kentucky. The slaves told him he would find hiding places in the swamps by following the Mississippi River. He bade them adieu and started on his way north. He said he frequently went to the slave cabins in the night to get something to eat and directions about the swamps. He finally came across some fugitives that were foraging who told him they lived on an island, in the swamp, surrounded by water and there were only two places they could get to without swimming. He said he went with them to this island and found about thirty fugitive slaves, some women and children. He said the island was five miles out in the swamp from the plantation and the bushes were so thick that it took a long time to get through them. Going back and forth he said the islanders made a paste or salve out of some kind of a root that they put on their shoes or feet when they went out foraging so the blood hounds could not follow them. He said this paste was very offensive to the dogs, and was told that the fiercest blood hounds would not molest any one who had a quantity of it about their person. He said that while on this island he could hear blood hounds in different directions in the swamps on the trail of fugitives and was informed by the islanders that there was so much foraging done on the plantations near the swamps that the planters would get up what they called a regular "nigger hunt," and send for men who kept trained dogs and followed hunting runaway slaves for the rewards offered for them. In those hunts the planters offered a reward, so much a head for all that was captured, bond or free, dead or alive; many were caught by the dogs that had no chance to climb or get out of the reach of the dogs; and were literally torn to pieces before their owners would get to them, but the reward was the same as if taken alive. After the hunts were over they would hold a jollification and have their slaves come to it to hear the sickening story of the chase, to warn them what they might expect if they should It is no wonder to me that it cost so much blood shed to put a stop to such inhuman acts when I remember that the law-makers of the take to the swamps.

United States joined in with them and furnished blood hounds to hunt their slaves in the swamps of Florida, utterly ignoring the declaration of our forefathers, "That all men were created free and equal, endowed with certain inalienable rights, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

We used to petition Congress for the peaceable emancipation of slavery in the District of Columbia; our petitions were strictly ignored; Congress said it had no jurisdiction with slavery in the States; but they had jurisdiction enough to pass the Fugitive Slave Law and make it a crime to feed and harbor the poor and needy all over the Northern States.

But this law did not check the travel on the Underground Railway, but rather increased it; the slave holders were not unaware of this fact and they rebelled; all those over middle age know how this rebellion ended; the fearful loss of life and treasure that it cost.

In conclusion, permit me to say that intemperance causes more real misery than human slavery ever did. It extends all over our land, causing woe and misery wherever it is. Men are sent to Congress to make laws for us; they put a tax on liquor which causes all this misery, and say to a man, give us so much money and you can make it and sell it. Why do they give us this permission at all? Why don’t they outlaw it and say, you shall not make or sell it? If we had the right kind of men to make the laws they would. Who finally pays this revenue or tax which causes all this misery? The poor drunkards, while their children all over the land are ignorant, hungry and naked.

"Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, my brethern, ye did it not to me." "Righteous exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."

[End]

Linking Aaron Benedict's Ancestry

In response to our article last issue "Aaron Benedict's Peru Township, Morrow County, Ohio", one of our subscribers, Sharon Lee, of Castle Rock, Colorado responded with evidence that provides the link for the Aaron Benedicts of Morrow County. Aaron Benedict (1740-1816) was the son of Gideon Benedict of New Milford, Connecticut. Rather than a son of Joseph³ (John², Thomas¹) as was speculated before, Aaron was Joseph's grandson. The proof sent by Ms. Lee is in the following guardianship entry from Woodbury Probate Records, Vol. 3, page 14, LDS film #0006172:

Aug^tthe 11th 1755 - this Court being certified that Aaron Benedict, Son of Gideon Benedict late of New Milford, a Minor of Lawful age for choosing, hath made choice of Captⁿ John Warner of New Milford to be his Guardian, which this Court alloweth and S^d Warner, on the date above, personally appeared, and Declared his acceptance of S^d Care and himself bound unto this Court in a Recognizance of ten pounds in Lawful money that he will be faithful unto the above [?] reposed in him, and [?account] with S^d Minor now of lawful age, and with this Court if called thereto:

Attest: A. Stoddard Register

Armed with the link to Gideon, we were then able to see that this connection was discovered in Volume II, The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America [hereafter GBA:II] on page 39. Additional information on that page was also given about Gideon born 15 March 1710 Norwalk, Conn., married

11 April 1737 Dorothy, daughter of Samuel and Dorothy (Plum) Prindle of New Milford, Conn., born 19 Jan 1706/7 and had married 19 March 1734 Elnathan Botsford of New Milford. Apparently there were no children by Botsford. Gideon Benedict lived near New Milford and paid 10 shillings a year to pass the toll gate. He died intestate on 17 August 1748. His widow, Dorothy, and her brother Daniel [Prindle], were appointed administrators of his estate by the Probate Court of Woodbury. Dorothy married a third time.

Joseph [the grandfather of Aaron] married first Anne, who died at the birth of her fourth child, 9 Dec 1716 at Ridgefield, Connecticut [which would make her the mother of Gideon]. Joseph married second 21 March 1720 Mary Groom Pitman (or Pittman). After living a few years in Ridgefield, he moved to Newtown, near New Milford. In 1733 he bought from Joseph Ruggles a whole right-of-land in North New Milford Town where he built a house. It lay on the west branch of Wauccoe Creek at Shepaug Neck. On 9 December 1734 he was excused from paying his "Minister's rate" in Newtown for the four months of winter in case a minister was called to Shepaug in the spring. It was nearly 30 years before the other church was built. In 1739 he joined the church in New Milford by letter from Newtown. In 1751 he gave 16 acres of land near Cranberry Swamp to his son, Jonathan [?Benedict], and the same amount east of the swamp to his son, Samuel Pittman. In his will, proved 4 August 1755, he names all of his children except Ezra and John, appoints a guardian for Aaron, son of his son, Gideon, deceased, and orders his son, Jonathan, to pay 20 shillings each to the heirs of Gideon. The will is on file in Woodbury, Connecticut."

The Aaron Benedict (born 1817 or 19) who, in his 90th year, wrote the preceding series of articles, was the grandson of Aaron (1740-1816) and son of William (1776-1843). The author Aaron's sketch appears in GBA:II on page 70. [We incorrectly reported the author's birth and death years in the last issue. No death date was given for him in either Volume I or II and the birth year we gave was actually the birth year of the first Aaron.]

In our next issue, we hope to publish a very interesting article by Sharon Lee in which she describes the Quaker marriage in 1799 of Cyrus Benedict (1774-1828) and Hannah Barker (died 1862). Cyrus was the son of the first Aaron of Morrow County, Ohio (1740-1816) and an uncle to Aaron the author.

Waterbury Button Company Founded 1812 by Aaron Benedict⁶ (... Daniel²)

(Clipping source unknown, contributed by Sharon Lee, 170 Burgess Drive, Castle Rock CO 80104-2073. Note: This is a different Aaron than the one who went to Morrow Co., Ohio)

"Question: About six months ago while residing in Arizona, I found two old military buttons not far from Apache Pass. The face of each button resembles silver and each bears the inscription 'Waterbury Button Co., Conn.' ....Can you give me any information about these old buttons and if they are worth anything? M.W.R.

"Answer: You have two Air Force buttons which are of little value. The Waterbury Button Co. - known as Waterbury Companies, Inc. since 1944 - has a long history. It began in 1812 at Waterbury, when Aaron Benedict began to make bone and ivory buttons. The name Waterbury Button Co. was adopted in 1849. Since 1820, the company has produced metal buttons of various types and, during the 40's, plastic buttons were added to their line."

[The founder Aaron⁶ (Aaron⁵, Daniel⁴, Daniel³, Daniel², Thomas¹) and his button business is described in Volume I, Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, pp. 383-384. He was born 9 August 1785. He married 17 September 1808, Charlotte Porter born 29 October 1789 at Middletown, Connecticut, daughter of Abel and Hannah (Elliot) Porter.]

English Ancestry of Richard Platt and Mary Wood to be Published

(Contributed by Barbara Boell, 15704 Pinecroft Lane, Bowie MD 20716)

A paper by Douglas Richardson regarding the ancestry of Richard Platt (1604-1685) and Mary Wood (1605-1676) which is to be published in the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record in 1996 was abstracted in the Platt Newsletter, Vol. 13, p. 24, edited by Richard N. Platt, Jr., 132 Platt Lane, Milford CT 06460-2054. This will be of interest for the descendants of the many Platt/ Benedict researchers.

According to the abstract, Mr. Richardson has shown that a George Platt married Mary Sell at Great Munden, Herts. on 22 July 1593. This George Platt is the father of the immigrant Richard Platt, as is shown by evidence provided by Richardson in the article. The parents of George Platt have not yet been located.

[Barbara Boell has promised to let us know when the article appears in the Record.]

Cortland County, New York Records

Births in Cortlandville - Transcribed from original records in the Cortland County Clerks Office [by ?]

(Extracted by the editor from LDS film No. 0017609)

"1848 May 11 Born to Horace and Nancy Benedict, daughter, Martha Levina

June 28 Born to Luke and Maria Benedict, son John Leroy

Dated Jan 31, 1849

Adin Webb, Town Clerk

"1849 July 23 Born to Horace Benedict and Nancy Benedict, daughter Brrilla [sic] Jane Benedict

Sept. 3 Born to Albert H. Benedict and Caroline Benedict [no sex or name]

Dated Jan 29, 1850

Adin Webb, Town Clerk"

Record of Burials of the Cortland Rural Cemetery - original record, starts 1885

(Extracted from LDS film No. 1304772, Item 5)

"1890 March 2 Irving C. Benedict, Cortland, 28, male, Typhoid fever

1892 Nov 18 Ethel C. Benedict, Cortland, 46, male [sic] Section M, Lot 116, Internal injuries maid [sic] July 18/92

1894 Feb 22 Mary C. Benedict, Cortland, 87, Female, Vault, La. Grippe [all on this page in the vault - because of winter?]

1897 May 14 Eliza Welch Benedict, Cortland, 72, Female, Section M, Lot 124, Bright disease

1902 April 8 Emma M. Benedict, Binghanton [sic], 54, Female, Section S., Lot 17, Pulmonary Tuberculosis (Communicable)

1908 March 16 Byran A. Benedict, Cortland City [age not given] male, Section V, Lot 7, Apoplexy

1916 May 27 Frederick H. Benedict, Pittsburg Pa.,

age 26-0-0, male, Section J, Lot 17, Fracture skull

Oct 24 Samuel H. Benedict, Cortland City, 5-9-13, male, Section F, Lot 17 [?Burning]

1918 Oct 12 Roland H. Benedict, Cortland City, 30-0-18, male, Section J, Lot 17, Bro[?nchial] Pnemonia

1921 June 14 Ann T [?L] Benedict, Cortland City, 73-8-22, Female, Section [?U], Lot 7, Chro[?nic] Mycocculitis [this word is not in Taber's Cyclopendic Medical Dictionary - 1980]

1931 Jan 21 Mary [?W] Benedict, Cortland City, 8-1-29, Female, Section M, Lot 116, Concussion of brain

1933 March 11 Delos F. Benedict, Groton, 53, male, Section F, Lot 17, Edema lungs [?coronary] failure"

[Record ends Dec 26, 1952. All Benedicts were extracted]

Jacob R. Benedict, Stephen Amos Benedict, Lovilla (Dewey) Benedict About 1875. From a ferrotype (tintype) in possession of the writer.

Jacob R. Benedict of Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana

By Mary Alice Benedict Grindol, Originally published in the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research Magazine, Vol. 53:3, Spring 1990, Ruth Scofield Kennedy, editor. Reprinted here with permission of the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research, Inc.

This is a case study of Jacob R. Benedict, a Michigan pioneer, who raised two families, neither family seeming to know about the other. Letters written from Kankakee, Illinois, in the 1850s by Jacob Benedict to his first family¹ combined with discovery that the 1860 Federal Census for Kankakee (p. 16) shows a Jacob Benedict with the wife and child of the second family, hinted at a probable connection between the two Jacob.

Research included gathering as many documented facts as possible about this ancestor from each of the two families and compiling the facts in chronological order. The accumulated evidence indicates that the Jacob R. Benedict who was a pioneer in Michigan from 1835 to about 1857, is the same Jacob Benedict who resided in Illinois and Indiana from 1857 to 1882.

Descendants of Jacob Benedict's second family believed that he was born about 1800 and died about 1880. They knew that he had been married previously and had children by that marriage. They thought Jacob had come from the Catskill Mountains of New York.²

Jacob's first family believed he was born in Greenville, Greene County, New York (in the heart of the Catskills), 4 March 1796, the son of Reverend Stephen and Miriam (Jones) Benedict. Jacob's ancestry has been traced back [Stephen⁶, Stephen⁵, Samuel⁴, Thomas³, Thomas², Thomas¹].³

As late as 1833, when his father died in Onondaga County, New York, Jacob Benedict was named as a resident there.⁴ Soon after, he went to the Territory of Michigan. On 22 October 1835, Jacob Benedict received a territorial patent from the United States Government for 40 acres of land in Section 17, Fayette Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan. According to the patent application, Jacob was already a resident of Monroe County, Michigan, a major port county from the East.⁵ Michigan became a state on 26 January 1837.

Jacob brought his first wife, Cynthia (Brightman) Benedict to Michigan with him. They established their family in Fayette Township near what later became Jonesville. In 1838, he served as one of three highway commissioners for Hillsdale County.⁶

Jacob and Cynthia raised two daughters, Julia A. and Miriam M., who both married well, and a son, Joseph Blaisdell Benedict, who served in the army during the Mexican War, studied medicine in Ohio, and in 1853 went to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he died in 1854. Both Julia and Miriam lost their husbands and remarried while quite young.⁷

His children grown, Jacob Benedict left his wife, Cynthia, about 1857. There apparently were problems with their marriage beginning about 1849. In a letter to his niece in 1859, Jacob said, "I would give all the world if I could go back even ten years but the past can't be helped."⁸

Following in chronological order are the events during these years:

In the 1850 Federal Census for Fayette Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan, is Jacob Benedict, farmer, 54, born in New York; Cynthia Benedict, 48; and Joseph B. Benedict, 24, (p. 524).

In September 1855, after his daughter Julia and her second husband, Daniel Samuel Waldo, moved to Burr Oak, St. Joseph County, Michigan, Jacob began a plan to be near them. He wrote, "...should be glad to see you before you make any arrangements for I calculate to eather sel or rent the place off if you like I will come out there & so assist you so as not to hire & save exspence I can't do the worke neither can I hire anyone to depend on with out giveing all the $ I can ern. I can soon arange buisness so as to come when Albert get smart enough to come out you had beter come out & see what we can do..."⁹

Cynthia Benedict appeared to have been ill during 1856. In March of that year, in a letter from Jonesville, Jacob stated, "your mother is quite down since you left but she is quite better today." On 7 April 1856, Jacob wrote, "your mother is rather slim," and on 11 April, "... I shall see to [?if] that you mother is better."¹⁰

On 21 April 1856, Jacob Benedict, already named as a resident of Burr Oak, purchased Lot No. 1, Section 23, in the village of Burr Oak, ¼ acre for $500.¹¹ On 29 April 1856, Jacob Benedict, of Burr Oak, bought Lot 1, Section 1, situated south of the Michigan Southern Railroad in the village of Burr Oak, ¼ acre. One of the witnesses was E.G. Berry, perhaps the person implied as the store manager in Jacob's April 11th letter when he wrote, "I'm afraid I can't get the store or any part of it untill Oct. Berry says he can't give up untill then..."¹²

On 4 August 1856, Jacob and Cynthia sold their 42 acres in Hillsdale County to their daughter, Julia A. Waldo. All were residents of Burr Oak, St. Joseph County, Michigan.¹³

On 13 October 1856, Jacob Benedict of Burr Oak purchased eight acres in Burr Oak Township.¹⁴ On 5 December 1856, he signed a quit claim, subject to a mortgage.¹⁵ This was fully paid off by 29 December 1856.¹⁶

On 4 December 1856, Jacob Benedict of Burr Oak purchased three acres in Section 37, in the township of Burr Oak.¹⁷

When on 1 January 1857, Jacob Benedict sold the three acres in Section 23 in the Village of Burr Oak, and the eight acres in the township of Burr Oak to Julia A. Waldo [his daughter], Cynthia Benedict's name did not appear as a grantor on either deed.¹⁸

Cynthia Benedict is named as Jacob's wife, however, and did sign on 26 January 1857, when still of Burr Oak, he sold the three acres purchased in December 1856.¹⁹

On 20 February 1857, Jacob Benedict sold to his other son-in-law, Daniel B. Lewis, Lot 1, Section 23, in the village of Burr Oak , which had been purchased the previous April 29th. Cynthia Benedict is not mentioned in this deed.²⁰

Immediately, on 9 March 1857, the same property was sold again for $500 by D.B. Lewis and Miriam M. Lewis to Cynthia Benedict [Jacob's wife]. All were residents of Burr Oak.²¹ This disposed of all of Jacob Benedict's property in St. Joseph County. From then on, in St. Joseph County, Cynthia Benedict purchased and sold property singly.²²

A letter written from Jonesville, Michigan, in July 1857, from renter B.A. [Ben] Bowen to D.S. Waldo, in Burr Oak, says "...about the threshing machine, I would say that I have seen no one that wanted it yet. Daniel Lewis was here the 4th and says it belongs to your wife's mother and he wished to sell it for her if he did not he should take teams and come after it and thresh on the way back and then sell it there. If there was a chance to sell it I should hardly dare to do it, if that was the case, for if Benedict should ever come back, he could make me pay for it again..."²³

The last disposition of the land of Cynthia Benedict in St. Joseph County, Michigan, on 20 July 1872, names her as a resident there, but her signature was notarized in Rock County, Wisconsin, by Daniel Waldo, Justice of the Peace, in that place. Witnesses to Cynthia's signature, in Wisconsin, were A.B. Gardner [probably her grandson Albert Gardner] and Daniel S. Waldo.²⁴

It is not known where or when Cynthia Benedict died but a belief among her descendants is that she is buried near LaPorte, Indiana.²⁵ No cemetery record could be found there, however.

From Kankakee City, Illinois, in 1859 and 1860, Jacob Benedict wrote letters to relatives in Indiana and Michigan. He told them that he still loved his [first] family and asked to hear of and from them. Apparently there were no replies. In the last letter which has been preserved, written 7 February 1860, Jacob sounds resigned, "...I hop if we nere meet again in this land of sorrows we shall all meet in Heaven where we shall part no more."²⁶

According to the 1860 Federal Census for Kankakee County, Illinois, (p. 16) Jacob "Benedic," 64, resided in Kankakee City with "Rovilla" [Lovilla] C. "Benedic," 25, and Perry "J. Benedic," 4. Jacob was born in New York, "Rovilla," and Perry were born in Ohio. The initial "J" differs from the middle name "Wallace," as known by Perry's descendants. However, the disparity in the ages of Jacob and Lovilla conform to family information. No other Jacob Benedict has been located in the census records of Kankakee City that year, nor has a search of land records in Kankakee City or County revealed any Jacob Benedict, or other such name, as a landowner there during that period.

Perry Wallace Benedict, Jacob's eldest son of his second marriage, was born in Geauga County, Ohio, 23 June 1857, the son of Jacob Benedict and Lovilla C. Dewey.²⁷ This date of birth indicates that Perry was conceived while Jacob was still married to his first wife. A family group record in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah, gives Perry's birthplace as Pierpont, Ashtabula County, Ohio. Perry's marriage record in Porter County, Indiana, 13 January 1886, to Alvaretta Thatcher, does not show his birthplace or the names of his parents.²⁸

No divorce record has been found for Jacob and Cynthia Benedict nor a marriage record for Jacob and Lovilla C. Dewey. Marriage and divorce records were searched in Hillsdale, Branch, St. Joseph, and Kalamazoo Counties, Michigan; Ashtabula, Lake, and [Geauga] Counties, Ohio; Porter, LaPorte, lake, and St. Joseph Counties, Indiana; as well as Kankakee, Will, and Livingston Counties, Illinois.

Queries placed in a variety of Midwest genealogical society publications have yielded no [marriage or divorce] information. It is supposed by the writer that no legal divorce occurred. Common-law marriages were accepted as legal in that era, and that appears to be the liaison Jacob and Lovilla established. [After Jacob's death, Lovilla did remarry in Lake County, Ohio, 22 December 1885 to Albert Williams.]²⁹

Lovilla C. Dewey was born in Montville, Geauga County, Ohio, 28 January 1836, the daughter of Amos and Keziah (Williams) Dewey.³⁰ Before her fourteenth year, Lovilla was apparently orphaned. Her mother died 15 October 1845.³¹ Her father has not been found in 1850 or in any subsequent census records in any state.

"Loville" Dewey, 14, born in Ohio, was enumerated in the 1850 Federal Census with the family of T.A.E. Campbell in Center Township, Porter County, Indiana (p. 103). No relationship is known to this family. Thomas E. Campbell settled in Porter County about 1833, and was one of its most prominent citizens.³²

Perhaps Jacob Benedict met Lovilla Dewey while visiting or staying with his Indiana relatives. Jacob's sister-in-law [Miriam (Waldron) Benedict], widow of his eldest brother Stephen S. Benedict, lived in LaPorte County, Indiana, near the Porter County line [See BFN Vol. II, No. 3, pp. 24, 25]. One of her sons, Levi Jones Benedict, owned property in both counties.³³ They were Jacob's nearest kin other than his wife and children in Michigan, and their homes seem likely havens for a run-away husband.

No land records or evidence other than Perry Benedict's birth in Ohio have been located to show the residence of Jacob and Lovilla Benedict together in that state. His second family had an idea that Jacob was married previously, but little was known of it. Apparently he talked little, if at all, about Michigan connections.

Jacob and Lovilla Benedict raised four children besides Perry. Clara Alice and an un-named twin were born in Illinois about 1861. According to family information, Clara's twin died as a baby, fatally burned while in a high chair. Clarence Albert (called Albert) was born in Kankakee City, Illinois, 2 March 1863. [it is interesting to note that Jacob Benedict left two grandsons in Michigan, one named Clarence and one named Albert.] The fifth child, Stephen Amos, apparently named after his two grandfathers, was born in Porter County, Indiana 26 November 1872.

The [Benedict] family lived for a while in Momence, Kankakee County Illinois. They moved to Center Township, Porter County, Indiana, by 1870 when the Federal Census shows Jacob, 64, Lovilla, 35, Perry, 13, Clara A., 9, and Clarence A., 7 (p. 24).

On 16 April 1873, Jacob Benedict purchased less than one acre near Flintvillle, Center Township, Porter County, Indiana. He worked as a carpenter and joiner in the barrel factory at Flint Lake, near his home.³⁴

About 1876, Jacob and Lovilla were separated or divorced. According to a grandson, this was because Jacob was "caught in the blueberry patch with another woman."³⁵ A Circuit Court Judgment brought against Jacob in 1876 may be related, although he had a co-defendant. The complainant was a John Weis. In this civil action, due to default, Jacob Benedict and another man were made to pay $90.25 plus costs for some unnamed offense.³⁶

In the 1880 Federal Census, Jacob Benedict was enumerated in Center Township, Porter County, Indiana, living alone, 84, "divorced or widowed," (p. 506). Lovilla, also "divorced or widowed," 44, Alice 19, and Stephen, 7, were in the same township. (p. 501R)

On 20 July 1881, Jacob Benedict sold his property to his daughter from his first marriage, [now remarried] Miriam M. Duncan, a postmistress in Westville, LaPorte County, Indiana.³⁷ Apparently Miriam allowed her father to remain on the property for life. Shortly after his death, Miriam then a widow of Cook County, Illinois, sold the property.³⁸

Jacob Benedict died at Flint Lake, Center Township, Porter County, Indiana, 2 October 1882, at the residence of James Merrill. His death was the result of "lung fever" but "he was vigorous and able to do a good day's work until a few days before his death."³⁹ He was buried by the county, it is said, at Kinne cemetery near Flint Lake. A great-granddaughter remembers taking flowers to his grave as a child. No stone existed then nor does it now.⁴⁰

References:

1. Original letters of Jacob Benedict [in 1990] in possession of Pat Moore, 717 Silver Leaf Place, Raleigh, N.C. [now deceased. The writer has photocopies of these letters.]

2. Elwyn E. Benedict, Genealogy of the Benedicts in America Vol. II (Syracuse, NY: EE Benedict, 1969), p. 455-56; Pictorial & Biographical Record of LaPorte, Porter, Lake, and Starke Counties, Indiana (Chicago: Goodspeed, 1894) Vol. 2: 84-85.

3. Henry Marvin Benedict, Genealogy of the Benedicts in America (Albany, NY: Joel Munsell, 1870, reprinted Syracuse, NY: EE Benedict, 1969), Vol. 1:1-29, 30-33, 38-39; History of the Methodist Church of Greenville and Norton Hill on the Centennial of their Sanctuaries, 1873-1973 (Greenville, NY: Town Historian's office) pp. 3-4; Greene County, New York Deeds E 2:270-121, Stephen Benedict and Miriam his wife to [Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church at King Hill].

4. Onondaga County, New York, Surrogate Court, Probate: Stephen Benedict, 3 December 1833.

5. E. Gray Williams and Ethel W. Williams, First Land Owner of Hillsdale County, Michigan (Kalamazoo, Mich.: Authors, 1968) p. 23; Tract Books, Michigan, Vol. 2:69 (microfilm) NW ¼ Section 17, Twp. 6S R3W, 40 acres $50.00, Jacob Benedict, 22 October 1835, Receipt No. 9641, Certificate of Patentee No. 9641.

6. History of Hillsdale County, Michigan (Philadelphia: Evarts and Abbott, 1879) p. 123.

7. Henry Marvin Benedict, Genealogy of Benedict... pp. 1-29, 30-33, 38-39.

8. J. Benedict letters.

9. Ibid.

10. Ibid.

11. St. Joseph Co., Mich. Deeds: 26:5-6, Jacob Benedict from George K. Handy & wife.

12. J. Benedict letters

13. Hillsdale Co., Mich. Deeds 27:444, Jacob Benedict from John Runyan & wife.

14. Ibid. 27:341, Jacob Benedict from Jacob Woolfe & wife.

15. Ibid. 27:635, Jacob Benedict to Dan B. Lewis.

16. St. Joseph Co., Mich., Mortgages 12:469, Jacob Benedict and J. Woolfe to May & Hathaway (release).

17. St. Joseph Co., Mich., Deeds 27:444, Jacob Benedict from John Runyan & wife.

18. Ibid. 27:475 and 27:496, both sales by Jacob Benedict to Julia A. Waldo.

19. Ibid. 27:543, Jacob Benedict and wife to Jacob Wolfe.

20. Ibid. 27:635, Jacob Benedict to Dan B. Lewis.

21. Ibid. 34:154, Cynthia Benedict from Dan B. Lewis & wife.

22. Ibid. 39:603, Cynthia Benedict to H.N. Rounds & Mary A. Wilbur; 41:37, Cynthia Benedict from Peter Fry & wife; 46:367, Cynthia Benedict to George F. Ford; and 61:627, Cynthia Benedict to Lucelia A. Cooper.

23. J. Benedict letters.

24. St. Joseph Co., Mich. Deeds 61:627, Cynthia Benedict to Lucelia A. Cooper.

25. Pat Moore [deceased formerly of] Raleigh, N.C., a descendant of Julia A. (Benedict) Waldo, Correspondence 1973-1987 [letters in possession of the writer].

26. J. Benedict letters.

27. P.W. Benedict obituary, Vidette, Porter Co., Ind., 10 Nov. 1927, p. 1; Porter Co., Ind. Death Certificate of Perry W. Benedict, 10 Nov. 1927, aged 70y 4m 17d; History of Porter County, Indiana, 2 vols. (Chicago: Lewis, 1912) Vol. 2:578.

28. Family History Library (LDS Archives), Salt Lake City, Utah, [references] newspaper clippings, Perry Benedict's marriage certificate, and family Bible. Family group sheet furnished prior to 1954 by Hallie T. Swingle, Inglewood, Calif. None of the documents give birthplace or parents of Perry Benedict; Porter Co., Ind. Marriage Records 8:54, Perry Benedict to Alveretta Thatcher, 13 Jan. 1886.

29. Lake Co., Ohio, Marriage Records G:523, Albert Williams to Lovilla Benedict.

30. Lake Co., Ohio, Death record, Lovilla C. Williams, d. 22 Apr. 1920; Charles C. Williams, Ancestry and Posterity of Richard Williams of Taunton, Massachusetts, typescript (Los Angeles, 1924) p. 133, photocopy at Allen Co. Public Library, Fort Wayne, Ind.

31. William L. Chaffin, A Biographical History of Robert Randall and His Descendants, 1608-1909 (New York: Grafton Press, 1909)

p. 31.

32. Pictorial and Biographical Record of LaPorte, Porter, Lake, and Starke Counties, Indiana (Chicago: Goodspeed, 1894) pp. 84-85.

33. LaPorte Co., Ind. Probate B:417 Levi Benedict, 31 Aug. 1880; Porter Co., Ind. Deeds L:54, Levi J. Benedict and D.A., his wife to David Petro.

34. History of Porter Co., Ind. 2 vols. (Chicago: Lewis, 1912) p. 578; Maxine (Benedict) Gruel, 1068 S. State Road 49, Valpariso, IN 46383, letters 1969-1987, personal visit May 1985, and affidavit Sept. 1986 [in possession of writer].

35. Virgil Benedict, grandson of Jacob Benedict, now deceased, formerly of Battle Creek, Michigan. Information given to him by Lovilla Benedict, and by grandson to writer in an interview on 2 May 1982.

36. Porter Co., Ind., Miscellaneous court records. Circuit Court Book (found in Highway Department storage room) John Weis vs Jacob Benedict, Judgment 29 Feb. 1876, Order Book M:170; Letter F:91; Fee Book J:76; Execution Docket F:6, 84, 167. Paid. Civil Order Book M (at courthouse attic) John Weis vs Jacob Benedict, Daniel Rothgins & Emerson. States the defendants failed to appear, though summoned and so were found guilty by default.

37. Porter Co., Ind., Deeds 35:520-521, Jacob Benedict to Miriam M. Duncan; Record of Appointments of Postmaster, 1832-30 September 1971, National Archives Publication M 841.

38. Ibid. Deeds 38:126, Miriam M. Duncan to James Bloodgood, 10 Oct. 1883.

39. Obituary of Jacob Benedict, Porter Co., Ind., Vidette, Thursday, 5 Oct. 1882.

40. Maxine (Benedict) Gruel, see note 34.

(End)