The progenitor of the Benton family of Lewis county, N.Y., was Andrew Benton, born 1620, first found in Milford, Conn. in a list of the first settlers therein recorded Nov. 20, 1639, as "free planters," with liberty to "vote for public offices, to carry on public affairs in that plantation when they settled, the power in the church to choose persons out of themselves to divide the land into lots, as they should take light from the word of God, and take order from the timber."
It was at this meeting with these voters thta Milford started her own little republic. They appointed judges to act in all civil matters as a court, to "try and punish any offense and sin against the commandments" until a body of laws should be established. The judges were "to observe and apply themselves to the rule of the written word of God."
Andrew Benton was made freeman of Milford in 1665. He married at New Haven, and resided at Milford until he took a dismission from the church in Milford to the church at Hartford in 1666. He was a juror and owned land in Hartford in 1664, so his actual residence there must have been earlier than 1666, when he took his church letter. His wife Sarah was admitted to the Milford churh in 1649.
He died at Hartford, Conn., July 31, 1683, aged sixty-three years. He married (first) Sarah ____, who bore him Hannah, Andrew, Mary, John, Samuel (see forward), Dorothy and Joseph.
By his second marriage he had:
Ebnezer, Lydia and Hannah.

(II) Samuel, son of Andrew and his first wife Sarah Benton, was born in Milford, Conn., Aug. 15, 1658. He settled in Tolland, Conn., as did his brother Joseph, who was the first sworn town clerk of Tolland. Samuel was one of the grantees in the deed to the first proprietors of Tolland, May 11, 1719. There were three other Bentons named in the deed, Samuel Jr., Joseph Sr., and Joseph Jr.
His son Daniel's name appears as a petitioner respecting lands in Coventy in 1718. Samuel, then living in Hartford, gave a deed to lands in Tolland in 1719 to Daniel Benton, of Hartford, whom he styles "his loving son."
Samuel married and had two sons:
Daniel, married Mary Skinner, Jan. 3, 1722, and had Daniel, William and Elijah.
Samuel, of whom further.

(III) Samuel (2), son of Samuel (1) Benton, was born in Tolland, where his name appears on original deeds. He married, Dec. 22, 1743, Jane Bradley.
Children:
1. Elihu, born Dec. 26, 1744.
2. Jonathan, Sept. 9, 1746, mentioned below.
3. Ozias, Feb. 25, 1748.
4. Thankful, burned to death when an infant of twelve months.
5. Thankful (2), born Aug. 22, 1752.
6. Dorothy, Feb. 23, 1755.
7. Samuel, May 9, 1757.
8. Zadoc, March 7, 1761.
9. Sarah, Dec. 21, 1764.
10. Jacob, Sept. 30, 1768.

(IV) Jonathan, second son of Samuel and Jane Bradley, was born in Connecticut, Sept. 9, 1746. It was in this generation that the family of Benton began to settle in New York state. They were prominent in Columbia county, where Caleb Benton represented that county in the state legislature. Leve Benton was the first man to make white man's home in No. 8, first range, Yates county, where the town of Benton is named in his honor. Jonathan Benton married and had children.

(V) Thomas, son of Jonathan Benton, was drowned when a young man of thirty-three years. He married Clara Davis, and had children, Lorain Davis and Miranda.

(VI) Lorain Davis, only son of Thomas and Clara (Davis) Benton, was born July 14, 1798, died May 11, 1883. He married, March 12, 1879, Sarah Seward, born Nov. 10, 1804, died July 29, 1889, daughter of Swain Seward, and granddaughter of Nodiah Seward. Nodiah Seward had sons, Eliphalet, Stephen and Swain. Swain Seward had children, Laura, Dolly, Sarah, married Lorain Benton, John, Salvina, Seneca and Rachel.
Children of Lorain Davis & Sarah (Seward) Benton:
John L. Benton, of Peekskill, N.Y.
Thomas Swain, see below.

(VII) Thomas Swain, son of Lorain D. and Sarah (Seward) Benton, was born in Otsego county, N.Y., Sept. 29, 1830. He was seven years of age when his parents settled in Lewis county, N.Y. He learned the carpenter's trade, and in connection owned and operated a farm of one hundred acres, located in the town of Martinsburgh.
He enlisted during the civil war in Company D, 59th Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry.
He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is now deceased.
He married, Oct. 18, 1855, Fanny Henrietta Larkin, born Feb. 12, 1831, in Jefferson county, N.Y.
Children:
Eugene Thomas, born July 13, 1857.
William Seward, Dec. 2, 1860.
Loren John, see forward.

(VIII) Loren John, youngest son of Thomas Swain and Fanny H. (Larkin) Benton, was born in Martinsburg, Lewis county, N.Y., April 23, 1867. He was educated in the town public school, completing his studies at Lowville Academy. After leaving school he taught for a few terms. In 1890 he learned the business and art of cheesemaking, and has since been continuously engaged in cheese manufacturing.
He is a Republican in politics, was elected supervisor; representing Martinsburg in 1907, re-elected in 1909. He is a member of the building committee of the county board of supervisors (1910), which contracted for the enlargement of the county court house. He is a capable, energetic business man, devoted to his business, which has brought him prosperity.
He is unmarried.

SECOND ENTRY:

(VII) Erasmus Darwin, second son of Dr. Abner (q.v.) and Hannah (Cooper) Benton, was born July 5, 1813 in Fabius, N.Y., and was reared at Ox Bow, where he passed hius whole life, and died July 28, 1892. He resided on the paternal homestead, which comprised a fine farm, and this he cultivated, besides engaging in iron mining, an industry which is still pursued in Antwerp.
He was a consistent member of the Episcopal church, and a public spirited and active citizen. An earnest Democrat in early life he was among the founders of the Republican party. He was noted for his philanthropic nature and open-handed hospitality, everything that he possessed being ever at the disposal of any who called upon him. A man of positive convictions, he made no enemies by intolerance, but illustrated his principles in his daily life, and never used tobacco or any kind of intoxicants. His funeral was attended by the entire community, which thus showed its respect and esteem.

He married, Sept. 23, 1846, Cornelia Beach Hinchman, born Jan. 23, 1824, at Succasuna Plains, New Jersey, daughter of John R. Hinchman, and a descendant of Dr. James Hinchman, a surgeon of the British army. John Redding Hinchman, son of the last named, was born May 14, 1782, and married, Jan. 19, 1809, Mary Morris DeCamp, whose ancestry is traced to an early period, as follows:
Joseph Tuttle, born Nov. 2, 1698, married Abigail Ogden, born 1710. Moses, son of Joseph and Abigail (Ogden) Tuttle, born Nov. 19, 1732, married Jane Ford, born Jan. 29, 1737. Jane Tuttle, their daughter, born Sept. 22, 1766, became the wife of Joseph DeCamp, and the mother of Mary Morris (DeCamp) Hinchman. The last named was the wife of John R. Hinchman and mother of Cornelia B. Hinchaman. Jane Ford was a daughter of Colonel Ford, or Morristown, New Jersey, and died in 1794, aged fifty-seven years.

Erasmus D. and Cornelia B. (Hinchman) Benton were the parents of two sons and a daughter. Charles Abner is the subject of following paragraphs.
Mary Hannah, the second, is the wife of Harry R. Williams, a banker of Utica, N.Y. John Henry is interested in the oil trade, with headquarters in Boston, Mass. The mother died in Utica, Feb., 1907.

(VIII) Charles Abner, eldest child of Erasmus D. and Cornelia B. (Hinchman) Benton, was born Aug. 19, 1847, at Ox Bow, and passed his youth in that village. He was educated at private schools, Governeur Wesleyan Seminary, and the Polytechnic Institute, Brooklyn, N.Y. At the age of seventeen years, in 1864, he ran away from the latter and enlisted in Battery M, 5th U.S. Artillery. For gallant service at Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, 1864, he received first sergeant's chevrons. Subsequent to the close of the war, his battery was ordered over the line of Sherman's march, and later station in Florida. When in Fort Clinch, Fernandina, he, with many others, was subjected to a severe attack of yellow fever. This led to his being mustered out in the spring of 1866.

To please his father, he took up the study of law with Starbuck & Sawyer, of Watertown, N.Y., completing with Meyers & McGone, of Ogdensburg, being admitted to the bar in the winter of 1869-70. Practicing law was, however, distasteful to him, and he re-entered the army in the U.S. cavalry and saw much service in the various Indian campaigns of that period and on the Mexican frontier. In 1876 he left the service and entered commercial life. He was among the firstg to exploit the long distance telephone in Spain, making his headquarters for some time at Madrid. Returning to this country in 1880, he became acquainted with the vice-president of the Edison Company, and was, for many years following 1880, the representative of that corporation in the state of New York, being one of the active assistants of Mr. Edison in exploiting the incandescent light. He then entered the employ if the Sprague Electric Railway & Motor Company, and during his service with it was installed the first electric street railway in existence, at Richmond, Virginia. He remained with this company until it was consolidated with the Edison General Company. Soon after, he became general sales manager of the Detroit Electric Works, explioiting the Rae system of electric railways. A year later he returned to New York and became interested with Mr. F. J. Sprague in the incorporation and development of the Sprague Electric Elevator Company. After achieving most rapid development this company was purchased by the Otis Elevator Company. With others of the Sprague staff he became connected with the Marine Engine and Machine Company, Mr. Benton as general sales manager, with offices at 80 Broadway, New York, and as such equipped the Washington Monument, the White House and many government buildings with the product of his skill. The Marine Engine and Machine Company was purchased by the Otis company, and Mr. Benton, under contract with them, became and is now (1910) sales manager of the Sultan Motor Company, manufacturers of automobile motors, taxicabs and touring cars, with offices in upper Broadway, near Long Acre Square. During his connection with the Edison Light Company he was a great friend and favorite of Thomas Edison, the "Wizard," who sent him to various parts of the world in his interest. Mr. Benton has a wonderful memory for names and faces, a gift which is of much value to him in business.
He has always been interested in the development of the thoroughbred horse, and is secretary and treasurer of the Arab Horse Breeders' Association of America. His father and grandfather imported many thoroughbred horses from England and these became famous and well-known throughout the entire country. Mr. Benton devotes considerable of his leisure time to horseback riding, of which pastime he is exceedingly fond. For several years, under Commissioner Bingham, he purchased all the horses for the Police Department without compensation. For many years he was a most active member of the New York Riding Club, one of the oldest organizations of that kind in America.
Mr. Benton is a member of Lafayette Post No. 140, Grand Army of the Republic, the only cavalry post of the order. He is a member of the Magnetic Club of New York, of the New York Electrical Society, and of the Jefferson and St. Lawrence County Associations in New York City.
In politics he is a firm Republican but has given little attention to political movements.

He married, Sept. 1, 1885, at Castleton, N.Y., Helen Van den Berg Bleasby, a native of New York City, daughter of Edward B. and Antoinette (Van den Berg) Bleasby, and granddaughter of James S. Van den Berg, who built old Trinity Church at Wall Street and Broadway, New York City.
Children:
Charles Van den Berg.
Helen De Camp.
Elsie De La Mater.
The son graduated at Yale in 1907, and is now engaged in a bank on Pine street, New York.
Mrs. Benton is a member of the Episcopal church, active and prominent in the work connected therewith. The family resides at Yonkers, N.Y.
On May 26, 1910, the youngest daughter, Elsie De La Mater, was married to James Burch Murray, of Utica, N.Y.

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