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THE 


Benson  Family 


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TOGETHER    WITH    AN   APPENDIX    CONCERNING   THE 

BENSON   FAMILIES    IN  AMERICA 

OF 

ISnglfs!)  Bcsctnt 


^'""  -^-     ^^^■'^V■ 


Bv,i     Weirded    Ph'7A"         ____ 


PRIVATELY   printed! 


DECEMBER,    1872. 


Copies  of  this  book  have  been  deposited  in  the  following  libraries  : 


Maine  Historical  Society,  Brunswick. 

Dartmouth  Collegk,  Hanover,  N.  H. 

Vermont  Historical  Society,  Montpelier. 

Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  Bos- 
ton. 

N.   E.   Histokic-Gknealogicai.    Society, 
Boston. 

PfBLic  Libraky,  Boston. 

Athenaeum,  Boston. 

Harvard  College,  CambridRe. 

KssEX  Institute,  Salem. 

Old  Colony  Historical  Society,  Taunton. 

A.MERICAN  Antiquarian  Society,  Worces- 
ter. 

Rhode  Island  Historical  Society,  Prov- 
idence. 

Brown  University,  Providence. 

Redwood  Library,  Newport. 

Connecticut  Historical  Society-,    Hart- 
ford. 

New  London  Historical  Society. 
Yale  College,  New  Haven. 
New    York    Historical    Society,     New 
York  City. 


New  York  Genealogical  and  Biographi- 
cal Society,  New  York  City. 
Astor  Library,  New  York  City. 
Long  Island  Historical  Society,  Brook- 
lyn. 
State  Library,  Albany. 
Ulster  Co.  Historical  Soc'ty,  Saugerties. 
Buffalo  Historical  Society. 
New  Jersey  Historical  Society,  Newark. 
New  England  Socif.tv,  Orange. 
Pennsylvania  Historical  Society,  Phila- 
delphia. 
Nu.mismatic    and    Antiquarian    Society, 

Philadelphia. 
Virginia  Historical  Society-,  Richmond. 
South     Carolina     Historical    Society, 

Charleston. 
Georgia  Historical  Societs-,  Savannah. 
Library  of  Congress,  Washington. 
Historical  and   Philosophical  Society, 

Cincinnati. 
Public  Library,  Cincinnati. 
Wisconsin  Historical  Society,  Madison. 
British  Museum,  London. 


THE 

NEW  YORK 

PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


Astor,  Lenox  and  Tilden^ 

Foundations. 

1890 


Office  of  •'  The  J^aiion, 


3o.  5  Beekunan  Street.    (1\  O.  Box  6732.) 


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BUT    FOR    WHOSE     INFORMATION   AND    ASSISTANCE    JHIS    WORK 
WOULD   NEVER    HAVE    BEEN    UNDERTAKEN. 


ADDENDA. 

Page  14.  Gardiner  Benson.  "  Late  of  Newport,"  sa3'S  the  mention 
of  his  death  in  the  Providence  Gazette ;  from  which  it  may  be  inferred  that 
his  life  was  chiefly  spent  in  his  native  place. 

Page  19.  Capt.  Martin  Benson.  The  exact  date  of  his  marriage  was 
August  23,  1785.     (Trinity  Church  Records.) 

Page  43.  In  addition  to  the  anti-slaver\'  societies  herein  named,  similar 
organizations  existed  in  Maryland  (1789),  Connecticut  (1790),  Virginia  (1791), 
New  Jersey  and  Delaware  (1792).  The  New  York  Society  was  organized 
Jan.  25,  17S5,  and  Alexander  Hamilton  succeeded  John  Jay  as  President. 
(See  the  interesting  paper  by  Mr.  William  F.  Poole,  of  the  Cincinnati  Public 
Library,  published  in  the  Cincinnati  Gazette  of  Nov.  28,  1S72,  "  Sketch  of 
Anti-Slaver}-  Opinions  before  the  Year  1800.") 


"  T  T  APPY  is  the  people  whose  history  is  not  long."  The 
J-  A  Newport  Bensons  share  this  felicity.  The  public  records 
of  them  suffered  in  common  with  those  of  the  town  in  consequence 
of  the  British  occupation,  and  the  dispersion  caused  by  this  event 
and  by  other  circumstances  peculiar  to  the  family  resulted  in  the 
almost  total  destruction  of  their  private  papers.  The  last  depositary 
of  these  was  the  Rev.  'John^  Benson,  who  had  in  his  possession  at 
the  time  of  his  death  his  father's  and  grandfather's  books  of  account, 
bills  of  lading  and  of  sale,  and  other  documents  which  in  all  pro- 
bability would  have  thrown  light  on  their  English  connections.  He 
had  also  written  out  with  great  pains  a  full  autobiography,  but  he 
died  before  he  could  publish  it,  and  we  have  in  place  of  it  the  very 
meagre  account  of  his  seven  voyages  described  hereafter  (p.  23). 
The  family  papers  stored  away  in  his  desk  were  left  by  his  son  in 
Pomfret,  Conn.,  as  was  supposed  in  trustworthy  hands,  but  they 
were  wantonly  destroyed.  There  remained  only  traditions  too  vague 
and  fleeting  for  even  the  best  of  memories,  and  which  in  the  line  of 
"George^  Benson  had  wholly  faded,  leaving  nothing  certain  except 
that  Newport  was  the  cradle  of  the  family.  The  venerable  represen- 
tative, almost  the  oldest  survivor,  to  whom  I  have  dedicated  the 
fruits  of  my  enquiries,  retained  more  of  the  knowledge  necessary  to 
such  an  undertaking  as  this  than  any  of  his  relatives.  He  at  least 
furnished  the  clues,  which  I  had  only  to  follow  up. 

The  shortness  and  uncertainties  of  life  are  my  excuse  for  com- 
mitting this  genealogy  to  press  in  the  imperfect  state  in  which  it  is. 
I  feel  that  I  have  satisfied  all  reasonable  curiosity  as  to  their  lineage 


on  the  part  of  the  descendants  of  John'  Benson,  without  much  calling 
conjecture  to  my  aid,  and  never,  I  trust,  unjustifiably.  Whenever  it 
was  possible  to  refer  to  any  authority  I  have  done  so,  and  this  will 
not  only  neutralize  any  errors  there  may  be  in  my  transcription,  but 
enable  others,  if  they  see  fit,  to  extend  my  researches.*  This  is 
particularly  true  of  the  Appendix,  in  which  I  have  felt  it  my  duty 
to  gather  all  the  information  which  I  have  acquired  incidentally 
concerning  other  Benson  families  in  America,  omitting  those  of 
Dutch  descent. 

If  the  fewness  of  the  Newport  Bensons  has  rendered  my  task 
more  difficult  by  exposing  their  records  to  the  fate  which  I  have 
described  as  having  overtaken  them,  it  has,  on  the  other  hand> 
permitted  me  to  clothe  the  usual  skeleton  of  a  genealogy  with  some- 
thing like  real  flesh,  without  transcending  the  limits  which  a  natural 
regard  for  his  pocket  ever  imposes  upon  the  antiquary  not  more 
blessed  with  means  than  with  leisure.  I  have  brought  out  as  far  as 
was  discreet  the  character  and  idiosyncrasies  of  each  subject  in  turn, 
and  have  here  and  there  preserved  some  trait  of  the  times  or  the 
place  which  may  serve  to  give  life  and  reality  to  the  picture.f     Had 

•  For  this  purpose  I  will  here  note  that  I  have  looked  pretty  carefully  through  the 
Boston  Se-vs-Letter  for  the  years  1704-1742,  inclusive  ;  1755-1770,  inclusive;  17S0  and  1783. 
Providence  Gazette^  1762-1767,  inclusive  ;  1771 :  1777-1787,  inclusive;  and  1791-1796,  inclu- 
sive. Newport  Mercury ^  1762-1767,  inclusive.  My  impression  is  that  I  have  looked  much 
further  among  these  old  files  (not  always  complete,  by  the  way),  but  have  omitted  to  keep 
an  account  of  them.  The  Newport  correspondence  of  the  Ncws-Letter  was  of  great 
service  to  me,  and  I  regret  I  have  not  had  time  to  examine  the  same  in  the  contemporary 
press  of  New  York.    The  advertisements  were  also  highly  serviceable. 

t  The  temptation  to  do  much  more  of  this  than  I  really  allowed  myself  was  almost 
overpowering,  and  I  was  constantly  on  the  search  for  an  appropriate  place  in  which  to 
«tow  away  such  items  as  these  : 

—James  Codine  arrived  at  Newport  "  last  Lord's  Day  "  (Feb.  22,  V>o%Xii^  Ne-j^s-Lettcr , 
Mar.  2,  1719)  in  17  hours'  passage  from  New  York— "the  like  never  known  before,  and 
bound  there  again." 

—The  Episcopal  Church  was  first  established  in  Rhode  Island  (Newport)  in  1704. 

—Trinity  Church  spire,  Newport,  blown  down  in  the  great  gale  of  Oct.  23,  1761 
{Nrait-Lttter,  Oct.  29) ;  raised  by  43  Sons  of  Liberty,  July  18,  1768  Ui>.  July  28). 

—By  the  census  of  1774,  Providence  had  655  families,  4321  inhabitants.  (As  for  New- 
port, see  p.  16.) 


I  been  seconded  in  this  (particularly  in  dealing'with  the  fourth  gen- 
eration), I  should  not  now  be  obhged  to  apologize  for  what  seems 
like  partiality  or  negligence  in  the  compiler.  The  same  cause  has 
prevented  me  from  carrying  out  my  intention  of  illustrating  this 
genealogy  with  photographs. 

The  focus  of  the  Benson  tribe  in  America  was  in  the  district 
lying  between  Massachusetts  and  Narragansett  Bays ;  but,  though 
they  almost  elbowed  each  other  from  Hull  to  Newport,  I  have  not 
discovered  any  connection  between  the  Old  Colony  and  Aquidneck 
famihes.  Neither  the  North  Burying  Ground  on  Thames  Street,  nor 
the  Clifton  Burying  Ground  at  the  head  of  William  and  Tower 
Streets,  has  revealed  the  resting-place  of  the  founder;  but  even 
without  the  date  of  his  birth  I  believe  it  can  be  positively  asserted 
that  his  name  does  not  occur  among  those  recorded  in  the  Appen- 
dix. 

Nothing  was  pleasanter  in  the  whole  of  my  experience  of  what  I 
must  call  a  fascinating  pursuit  than  the  uniform  courtesy  I  met  with 
from  utter  strangers,  and  the  great  pains  often  taken  to  facihtate  my 
researches.  To  make  my  acknowledgments  is  therefore  a  duty  of 
the  most  agreeable  sort ;  and  passing  by  my  relatives  and  their  ever 
cordial  co-operation,  I  must  express  my  deep  indebtedness  from  first 
to  last — and  at  the  last  almost  as  much  as  at  first — to  Dr.  Henry 
E.  Turner,  of  Newport,  whose  kindness  has  far  exceeded  any  claim 
I  could  have  upon  him,  and  whose  laborious  gleanings  from  old 
records  and  papers  have  saved  me  years  of  blind  groping,  and  given 
its  chief  value  to  my  account  of  the  first  two  generations.  If  I  could 
make  such  a  return  for  his  unselfish  assistance  as  I  should  like,  it 
would  be  to  ensure  the  publication  in  a  permanent  form  of  the  vast 
amount  of  genealogical  data  which  he  has  collected  in  the  spare 
hours  of  a  busy  professional  life.*     Next  after  him  I  must  mention 

*  This  would  be  a  graceful  recognition  of  Dr.  Turner's  ser%-ices  if  undertaken  by  the 
Rhode  Island  Historical  Society  ;  and  I  would  also  direct  to  it  the  attention  of  the  New 
England  Historic-Genealogical  Society  of  Boston. 


8 


Mr.  Joseph  M.  Hammett,  of  Newport,  who  most  obligingly  volun- 
teered to  search  the  graveyards  for  me,  and  whose  success  furnished 
me  with  some  important  particulars  not  elsewhere  obtainable.  Mr. 
X.  H.  Gould  will  also  accept  my  thanks  for  many  favors,  along  with 
Messrs.  Benjamin  Marsh,  2d,  and  William  G.  and  David  Stevens, 
all  of  Newport.  In  Providence  I  received  substantial  aid  from 
Messrs.  J.  Carter  Brown  (uncle  and  nephew),  and  from  Hon,  J.  R. 
Bartlett,  late  Secretary  of  State;  and  more  or  less  of  interest  or 
friendly  attention  has  been  shown  me  by  the  Rev.  David  Benedict 
of  Pawtucket,  the  late  Rev.  S.  J.  May  of  Syracuse,  Mr.  Benson  J. 
Lossing  of  Dover,  N.  Y.,  Messrs.  William  H.  Whitmore  and  Albert 
H.  Hoyt  of  Boston,  and  Mr.  William  Still  of  Philadelphia.  To  all 
these  gentlemen,  to  Dr.  N.  B.  Shurtleff  of  Boston,  to  Mr. 
Reuben  H.  Guild,  librarian  of  Brown  University,  and  to  the 
librarians  and  other  officers  of  the  Redwood  Library,  the  Rhode 
Island  Historical  Society,  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society, 
the  New  England  Historic- Genealogical  Society,  the  New  York 
Historical  Society,  and  the  New  York  Genealogical  and  Bio- 
graphical Society,  I  tender  my  grateful  acknowledgments. 

W.  P.  G. 

New  York,  November  i,  1S72. 


/     ^v*--         OF  THt  -^       \ 


THE    BENSON    FAMILY 


NEWPORT,    RHODE    ISLAND. 


1  as  appears  from  the  records  of 
Trinity  Church,  Newport,  was  married,  October 
II,  1 714,  to  Anna  Collins,"  who  figures  in  the 
town  records  as  the  administrator  of  her  late 
husband,  under  date  of  August  6,  1722.  This  is 
all  that  is  positively  known  in  regard  to  him, 
and  it  is  even  a  matter  of  inference  that  he  is  the 
founder,  though  of  this  there  can  be  little  doubt 
— first,  because  in  the  later  generations  but  one 
line  of  Bensons  is  found  in  Newport;  and, 
second,  because  William ''  Benson  was  baptized 
in  Trinity  Church,  and  named  one  of  his  sons 
William  Collins,  as  will  be  seen  hereafter.  That 
John  Benson  came  to  this  country  after  May, 
1692,  may  be  conceded  from  the  fact  that  he  is 
not  included  in  Savage's  Dictionary.  That  he 
was  a  ship- owner  or  captain  Is  probable  from  the 


*  Probably  the  first  child  of  Wiiliara  Collius  and  Sarah  Whitman,  born  January  ig, 
169S. 


lO  ni:NS()\    lAMILV    OF    NEWPORT. 

fact  th:it  comnierce  was  the  occupation  of  the 
family  to  the  third  ^rencration,  both  William '  and 
Martin '  bearings  the  title  of  Captain.  And 
finally,  it  seems  altogether  likely  that  he  is  the 
same  John  Benson  who  "  cleared  outwards  for 
Rhode  Island  "  ""  from  Boston  in  December,  i  7 19 
{News -Letter,  Dec.  21),  and  arrived  some  time 
before  the  New  Year  (.'7^.  Jan.  4,  1720);  who 
was  announced  to  sail  on  his  return  trip  "  with 
the  first  opportunity"  {ib:  Feb.  15),  and  arrived 
duly  in  Boston  in  the  ship  A7tn\  (ib.  Alar.  14). 
No  other  trace  of  him,  it  is  believed,  occurs  in 
the  jVezi's- Letter  during-  the  years  1 718-1722. 
The  most  thorough  search  in  the  graveyards  of 
Newport  has  failed  to  discover  any  monument  of 
him. 

Tradilion  assigns  liiin  three  sons  :  one,  who  removed 
to  North  Carohna,  probably  at  the  tune  of  a  somewhat 
general  miq^ration  from  Newport  to  that  colony,  in  which 
the  Eastons  were  prominent,  though  they  afterwards 
worked  up  into  Virginia  (near  Richmond)  and  Pennsj^vania, 
and  are  believed  to  have  intermarried  with  the  Bensons. 
Mrs.  Martin'  Benson,  in  her  latter  years,  forwarded  a  min- 
iature of  her  deceased  son,  Martin^,  to  relatives  (presum- 
ably Bensons)  in  Virginia.  Another  son  is  reported  to 
have  settled  in  Savannah,  Georgia,  and  become  a  planter. 
This  one.  it  is  related,  was  often  visited  by  his  nephew. 
Captain  Martin'  Benson. 

The  first  of  these  was  presumably 
I.  i.    John-  IIr.XDRiCK,t  or  John  Benson,  junior.     At  least  it 


•  i.e.,  for  Newport;  the  name  of  the  town,  instead  of  the  island  on  which  it  is  situ- 
ated, being  first  used  in  the  correspondence  of  the  News-Letter^  June  23  (26),  1721. 
t  That  is.  tx  kyf'othfs!,  named  after  the  Captain's  wife. 
X  \  Caplaia  John  llcadrick  cleared  from  Bostoa  for  Plymouth  Dec.  10,  1720. 


FIRST  GENERATION— JOHN.  i  i 

seems  proper  to  identify  the  two.  TI^-C  records  of  James- 
town, near  Newport  (April  5,  1736),  show  that  John  Ben- 
son, junior,  was  married  to  Anne  Crocum,  (qu.  Slocum  ? — 
a  Jamestown  name),  December  9th  [1735].  From  the  record 
of  the  Second  Congregational  Church,  Newport  (and  also 
from  the  town  records),  it  appears  that  John  Hendrick 
Benson  was  married  June  13,  1745,  to  Ann  Hinkley.  Sup- 
posing both  to  be  one  and  the  same  person,  he  is  in  all 
probability  the  North  Carolina  colonist  and  ancestor  of 
John  Bexsox,  junior,  of  Columbia,  Penn.,  -who  married  Ab- 
igail Shearman,  daughter  of  Samuel,  of  Portsmouth,  near 
Newport,  February  26,  1824  (Nev/port  Mercury,  Feb.  28), 
but  concerning  whom  enquiry  has  failed  to  discover  any- 
thing further. 
WILLIAM,  baptized  August  29,  1710  ;  died  July  19,  1755. 

(If  tradition  is  insisted  on,  the  family  order  might,  con- 
sistently with  the  dates,  stand  thus  :  i.  John,  jr.  ;  ii.  Wil- 
liam ;  iii.  John  Hendrick.  But  it  would  seem  odd  that  the 
name  of  John  should  be  twice  bestowed  upon  living  chil- 
dren in  the  same  family.) 


12  BENSON  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 


SECOND    GENERATION. 

iEil^lUtcim'  23Cn0OJtt  according-  to  the  records  of 
Trinity  Churcli,  was  baptized  August  29,  1718, 
but  from  tiie  inscription  on  his  tombstone  it  may 
be  gathered  that  he  was  born  some  months  pre- 
vious to  that  date.  He  was  admitted  a  freeman 
oi  the  Colony  by  the  General  Assembly  at  New- 
port, May  I.  1744  (Bartlett's  "Rhode  Island 
Colonial  Records,"  vol.  v.,  p.  81).  The  trade  of 
Newport  with  Africa  direct  had  sprung  up  while 
he  was  yet  a  lad, "  and  he  succeeded  to  it  not  un- 

•  In  the  Boston  Ne-x's-Letier  of  Nov.  25,  1713,  may  be  found  what  is  believed  to  be 
t'ls  first  mention  of  it.  The  Newport  Custom-house  announces  (Nov.  i3)  the  departure 
of  Jonathan  Thurston  "for  Affrica,"  and  (Sept.  16,  1726 — Ne'uJs-Letier,Sz-pt.  22)  his  return 
from  Guinea;  the  ne.Tt  year,  Wra.  Barry,  for  Africa  (Jan.  21,  1726 — Ne-jus-Lctier,  Jan.  27). 
Hitherto  Newport's  commerce  had  been  chiefly  with  the  South  and  the  West  Indies.  The 
commerce  of  the  colony  at  the  date  of  Capt.  Benson's  marriage  is  well  depicted  in  the  fol- 
lowing extracts  from  the  Report  of  Governor  Richard  Ward,  on  paper  money,  to  the  Rt. 
Hon.  the  Lords  and  Commissioners  of  Trade  for  the  Foreign  Plantations,  Newport,  Jan. 
'),  1740  (Bartlett,  vol.  v.,  p.  13) : 

"  We  have  now  about  120  sail  of  vessels  belonging  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  colony, 
all  constantly  employed  in  trade,  some  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  others  in  the  neighboring 
colonies,  manv  in  the  West  Indies,  and  a  few  in  Europe. 

"  In  short,  if  this  colony  be  in  any  respect  happy  or  flourishing,  it  is  paper  money,  and 
a  right  application  of  it,  that  hath  rendered  us  so.  And  that  we  are  in  a  flourishing  condi- 
tion is  evident  from  our  trade,  which  is  greater  in  proportion  to  the  dimensions  of  our 
;;ovcrnmcnt  than  that  of  any  colony  in  Iler  Majesty's  American  Dominions. 

"  Nor  have  we  served  ourselves  only  by  engaging  so  deeply  in  navigation.  The 
neighboring  governments  have  been  in  a  great  measure  supplied  with  rum,  sugar,  mo- 
lasses, and  other  West  India  goods  by  us  brought  home  and  sold  to  them  here.  Naj-, 
Boston  itself,  the  metropolis  of  the  Massachusetts,  is  not  a  little  obliged  to  us  for  rum  and 
sugar  and  molasses,  which  they  distil  into  rum,  for  the  use  of  their  fishermen,  etc. 

'■  The  West  Indies  have  likewise  reaped  great  advantage  from  our  trade,  by  being 
Mjpplied  with  lumber  of  all  sorts,  suitable  for  building  houses,  sugar-worki,  and  making 
casks;  beef,  pork,  flour,  and  other  provisions,  we  are  daily  carrying  to  them,  with  horses 
1 1  turn  ihcir  mills,  and  vessels  for  their  own  use  ;  and  our  African  trade  often  furnishes 
ih  ;m  with  slaves  for  their  plantations.    To  all  this,  we  beg  leave  to  add  that  the  mer- 


SECOND    GENERATION— WILLIAM.  13 

naturally  if  the  son  of  a  sea-captain  and  a  mer- 
chant. He  is  said  to  have  had  three  ships  de- 
voted exclusively  to  fetching"  cargoes  of  gold- 
dust,  ivory,  and  slaves.  He  died  of  a  consump- 
tive disorder  July  19,  1755,  "  i^  the  3Sth  year 
of  his  age,"  and  was  buried  in  the  old  North 
Cemetery,  where  his  grave  is  still  marked  (along 
the  path  leading  to,  and  near,  the  southern  en- 
trance). 

He  was  twice  married :  first,  to  Sarah  Will- 
son""' — according  to  the  tovv'n  records  [June]  5. 
1739,  and  if  so,  during  a  violent  outbreak  of 
small-pox  in  Newport ;  but  probably  June  5, 
1 740  (Trinity  Church),  when  his  townsmen,  and 
possibly  he  among  them,  had  had  nearly  a  year 
of  very  successful  privateering  against  the  Span- 
iards, not  a  Rhode  Island  vessel  having  been 
lost,  and  the  spoils  having  undoubtedly  been 
great.     By  this  vrife  he  had  : 

MARTIN,  born  October  2,  1741  ;  died  December  24, 
iSii. 

William  Collins,  born  January  30,  1742-3;  died . 

JOHN,  born  June  20,  1744;  died  December  28,  181S. 

His  second  wife  was  Frances,  daughter  of 
Deputy-Governor  John   Gardner  f  and  his  wife 


chants  of  Great  Britaia  ha%-e,  within  these  twelve  month';,  or  thereabouts,  received  seven 
or  eight  sail  of  ships  from  this  colony  for  goods  imported  here  of  late,  and  sold  to  the  in- 
habitants." 

*  Born  about  1724,  died  December  23,  174.4,  in  the  soth  year  of  her  age,  six 
months  after  the  birth  of  her  youngest  child.  She  was  probably  the  daughter  of  Jona- 
than Willson  (gentleman)  and  Hannah  his  wife;  the  former  died  September  2,  1729,  in 
his  31st  year.  His  grave  is  the  third  to  the  north  of  his  daughter's,  which  stands  beside 
her  husband's. 

t  He  was  Assistant  to  the  Hon.  John  Vv'aaton,  Esq.,  Governor,  in  1736,  and  on  Mon- 


14 


6.  V. 


BENSON    FAMILY    OF    NEWPORT. 

Frances  *  (San ford).    They  were  married  Occo- 

bcr  3,  I  745.     By  her  he  had  two  sons  : 

Gardiner,  born  August  15,  1747;  died  in  Providence, 
between  two  and  three  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning,  Janu- 
ary 24,  1796.  His  death,  from  consumption,  was  preceded 
by  three  weeks  of  very  painful  confinement,  in  which  he 
was  faithfully  attended  by  his  younger  brother  George,  who 
was  greatly  attached  to  him,  his  half  brother  John,  then  a 
Baptist  clergyman,  and  also  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gano,  of  the 
same  denomination.     George  wrote  of  his  last  hours  : 

"  I  expressed  to  him  my  regret  that  he  had  not  come  in  town 
before  his  disorder  had  acquired  an  incurable  ascendency.  He  re- 
plied :  'Don't  reflect,  don't  reflect;  these  things  are  all  ordered, 
wisely  ordered.'  It  may  be  remarked  that  his  cough  was  extremely 
troublesome,  and  such  his  debility  of  body  that  he  has  at  times 
coughed  perhaps  ten  minutes  before  he  could  expectorate  ;  and  so 
excessively  emaciated  that  it  produced  a  sore  in  his  back  distressing 
to  those  who  beheld  it.  Yet  he  assured  me  that  his  light  afflictions 
were  nothing,  though  he  said,  '  No  tongue  can  tell  what  I  suffer.  I 
endeavor,'  he  added, '  to  put  on  patience.'  My  Aunt  Wanton, f  who 
■attended  in  his  chamber  the  four  weeks  preceding  his  death,  de- 
clares that  'he  never  uttered  a  complaint,  nor  even  an  impatient 
expression';  on  the  contrary',  appeared  thankful  for  the  least  atten- 
tion to  him,  and  often  expressed  much  apprehension  that  he  gave 
his  friends  too  much  trouble.  He  had  lived  a  regular  and  moral 
life,  and  for  several  months  previous  to  his  confinement  emplo5'ed  a 
great  part  of  his  time  in  reading  the  Bible  and  other  religious 
books." 

Ilis  remains  lie  buried  in  the  North  Burial-ground,  in 
Providence.  On  the  tombstone  is  inscribed  :  "  His  moral 
character  was  blameless,  but  his  hope  was  in  Christ." 

GEORGE,  born  August  20,  1753;  died  December  11,  1S36. 


daj'.  May  3,  175S,  was  elected  Deputy  to  the  Hon.  Stephen  Hopkins,  Governor.  He  was 
born,  of  Joseph  and  Catharine  (Holmes)  Gardner,  September  17,  1697,  and  died  January 
23,1764. 

*  Daughter  of  John  Sanford  and  his  wife  Frances  (Clarke),  daughter  of  Jeremiah'^ 
Clarke,  son  of  Governor  Jeremiah  Clarke.  Mrs.  Benson's  tombstone,  beside  her  husband's, 
bears  the  following  inscripiion:  "  In  memory  of  Frances,  relict  of  WiUiain  Benson,  Mer- 
chant, and  daughter  of  the  Hon.  John  Gardner,  Esq.  She  died  November  30,  177-5,  in  the 
45tli  year  of  her  age." 

+  Probably  Elizabeth  Gardner,  who  married  Captain  Peter  Wanton. 


THIRD    GENERATION— MARTIN. 


THIRD    GENERATION. 

"'^MUVtiU  ^  MtlW^U  was  born  in  Ncvv'port,  October 
2,  1 741.  At  the  time  of  his  father's  death,  he 
had  probably  received  some  training  in  the  busi- 
ness of  a  foreign  merchant,  even  if  he  had  not 
already  made  a  voyage  or  two  as  supercargo. 
He  continued  the  African  trade  upon  which  his 
father  had  entered,  and  resided  for  a  number  of 
years  on  the  coast  of  Africa.  Of  the  dates  of 
his  movements  v/e  have  no  record,  and  can  only 
conjecture  that  it  Vv^as  he  v/ho  was  met  by  his 
brother  John  in  London  in  the  year  1759-60. 
He  was  for  some  time  Governor  of  the  Is- 
land of  Goree,'"'  and  when  he  returned  home 
brought  with  him  a  large  property,  his  bottled 
gold-dust  alone  (according  to  the  family  tra- 
dition) requiring  two  wheelbarrow  loads  to 
transfer  it  from  the  ship  to  the  shore.  He 
purchased  what  was  then  and  still  is  known 
as  the  Governor  Wanton  House,t  on  the  Vv'est 

*  This  island,  of  considerable  importance  in  the  palmy  days  of  the  slave  trade,  has 
had  a  romantic  history,  not  easy  to  gather  from  any  single  source.  It  was  ceded  to  the 
Dutch  in  1617  by  King  Biran  of  Gape  Verd,  and  by  them  fortified.  They  were  driven  out 
in  1663  by  the  English  Admiral  Holmes,  but  recovered  Goree  under  De  Ru3-ter  in  1665, 
only  to  lose  it  finally  in  1677,  when  attacked  by  a  French  squadron  under  Count  d'Estrdes 
— a  conquest  confirmed  to  France  in  the  following  year  by  the  treaty  of  Nimeguen.  The 
English  retook  the  island  in  1759,  ^^^4  relinquished  it  by  the  treaty  of  1763  ;  again  cap- 
tured it  in  177S,  and  held  it  till  17S4.  In  1S04  they  reoccupied  it,  and  in  1814  restored  it  to 
France,  whose  possession  it  has  ever  since  been.  For  a  map  of  the  island,  see  Golberry's 
'■  Fragmens  d'un  Voyage  en  Afrique,  fait  pendant  Ics  annces  17S5,  1706,1787''  (Paris, 

I3C2). 

t  Originally  Governor  William,  afterwards  his  son,  Governor  Joseph,  Wanton's. 


1 5  BENSON  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

side  of  Thames  Street  (present  numbers  85-89), 
one  of  the  finest  residences  in  town,  with  a 
commanding  prospect  across  the  Bay,  where 
he  hved  for  many  years  and  brought  up  his 
familv.  Besides  this  house,  he  is  reputed  to 
have  owned'"'  the  Long  Wharf  or  dock  which  is 
the  present  landing  for  steamboats  from  New 
York.  He  was  also  the  owner  of  other  real 
estate. 

The  date  of  Captain  Benson's  return  is  quite 
obscure,  though  it  may  be  inferred  that  it  was 
after  1774,  as  the  census  of  Newport  for  that 
year  does  not  contain  the  nam.e  of  Benson, 
Possibly  he  arrived  immediately  after  the  evacu- 
ation of  the  town  by  the  British  (Oct.  25,  1 779).t 
That  he  v/as  at  home  early  in  1 780,  appears  from 
the  proceedings  of  the  General  Assembly  at 
Newport  on  the  second  Monday  of  September  of 
that  year  (Bartlett,  vol.  ix.,  p.  230) : 

Thj  former  was  Governor  ia  1732,  and  died  in  1733.  The  latter  was  Governor  from  1765 
to  1775,  and  died  July  19,  1780,  his  wife  Mary  having  died  March  2,  1767.  (See  the  Provi- 
dence Gazette  of  March  14,  1767,  and  July  29,  1780  ;  and  Boston   Gazette  of  July  31,  1780). 

•  There  is  some  doubt  about  this.  In  March,  1764  (see  the  Newport  Mercury),  the 
wharf  was  to  let  to  the  highest  bidder ;  and  in  April,  1795,  it  still  appeared  to  be  public 
propert)',  as  there  was  a  lottery  to  build  a  hotel  and  public  school,  and  to  repair  the 
wharf. 

t  The  bejinnins  of  the  British  occupation  was  in  December,  1776,  and  at  its  close 
the  town  had  been  more  than  half  deserted.  (By  the  census  of  1774,  Newport  had  a  popu- 
lation of  i.s:)^  families,  or  9,208  persons.)  The  State  House  was  left  in  ruins,  and  more 
than  500  building;s  h.td  been  destroyed.  The  Jews,  who  especially  contributed  to  the 
prosperity  of  the  place,  had  departed  to  Providence,  Leicester,  and  Boston.  To  such  a 
state  were  the  inhabitants  reduced,  that  contributions  were  forwarded  from  Boston  and 
other  neighborhoods  to  relieve  their  distress.  The  British  "  carried  with  them  the  records 
of  the  town  from  its  settlement  [in  163S].  The  vessel  containing  these  precious  papers 
was  sunk  at  Hell  Ga'.e.  Three  years  afterwards  the  half-obliterated  fragments  were 
returned  to  the  town,  and  a  espy  was  made  of  such  portions  as  were  still  legible  " 
(.^mold's  "  History  of  Rhode  Island,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  448). 


THIRD    GEXERATION— MARTIN.  I  7 

''Whereas,  Mr.  Martin  Benson,  of  Newport,  preferred 
a  petition,  and  represented  unto  this  Assembly,  that  in  May 
last  he  obtained  permission  from  the  council  of  war  of  this 
State  to  proceed  to  the  island  of  St.  Christopher's  for  the 
purpose  of  recovering  his  property,  then  in  the  said  island  ; 
that,  in  pursuance  of  said  permission,  he  took  passage  in 
the  sloop  Hope,  Captain  Benjamin  Alger,  bound  to  Grenada  ; 
that  the  said  sloop  was  taken  in  the  passage,  and  carried 
into  Antigua,  where  he  procured  a  vessel,  which  he  manned 
with  Americans,  and  proceeded  to  St.  Martin's,  and  from 
thence  to  St.  Christopher's,  where  he  recovered  his  property, 
and  took  the  same  on  board  ;  that  in  order  to  secure  his 
vessel  from  being  captured  by  British  vessels-of-war,  he 
obtained  a  clearance  for  Halifax,  in  Nova  Scotia,  witii 
an  intention  to  put  into  the  first  port  lie  should  make 
v.'ithin  tfte  United  States  ;  that  in  the  prosecution  of  his 
said  intention,  he  was  taken  by  the  ship  Rhadcs^  Nehemiah 
Buffington,  commander,  belonging  to  Salem  ;  that,  notwith- 
standing he  produced  the  resolve  of  the  council  of  war  as 
aforesaid,  and  the  permission  of  his  Excellency  the  Gover- 
nor grounded  thereon,  his  vessel  and  papers  were  taken 
from  him,  and  sent  into  Salem  ;  and  thereupon  prayed  this 
x\ssembly  to  grant  him  letters  recommendatory  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  that  he  may  obtain 
satisfaction  for  the  injur}'  he  has  received — which,  being 
dul}'-  considered, 

•■ '  It  is  voted  and  resolved,  that  the  said  petition  be, 
and  tlie  same  is  hereby,  granted  ;  that  William  Channing 
and  Thomas  Rumreill,  Esquires,  be,  and  they  are  hereby, 
appointed  a  committee  to  draught  a  letter  accordingly  ;  and 
that  they  report  the  same  as  soon  as  may  be.'  " 

No  Other  trace  of  this  appears  on  the  records, 
nor  Is  it  knov/n  if  the  attempt  went  further  than 
the  petition.  The  files  of  the  Boston  papers  of 
that  date,  however,  show  that  if  any  attempt 
was  made  it  v.-as  fruitless.  In  the  Boston  Gazette 
of  July  31,  17S0,  it  is  reported  that  "Saturday 


J  3  BENSON    FAMILY    OF   NEWPORT. 

last  a  prize  Snow*  laden  with  English  goods 
arrived  at  Salem."  In  the  same  paper  of  Sep- 
tember 1 1  and  1 S,  we  hnd  the  libel,  to  be  tried 
in  Maritime  Court,  Boston,  October  3,  1780,  of 
"  Nehemiah  Buffington,  commander  of  the  armed 
ship  Rhodes,  against  the  brig  Susannah,  burthen 
100  tuns,  or  thereabouts,  William  Bryant  [or 
Bryans],  late  master."  The  Gazette  of  Monday, 
November  27,  contains  this  advertisement:  "To 
be  sold  at  the  North  Bridge  in  Salem,  on  Thurs- 
day, the  30th  of  November,  inst.,  .  .  also, 
the  brig  Susannah,  about  80  tuns  burthen." 

An  unhappy  domestic  occurrence  about  the 
year  1808  broke  up  Mr.  Benson's  household, 
and  darkened  the  remainder  of  his  days.  Ac- 
companied by  his  son,  John  Coddington,  he 
made  a  voyage  to  the  coast  of  Africa,  before 
reaching  which  they  were  becalmed  for  several 
days,  and  suffered  greatly  from  want  of  water, 
until  relieved  by  a  passing  vessel.  A  severe  at- 
tack of  gout — a  disease  to  which  Mr.  Benson 
was  subject — superinduced  by  the  privations  of 
the  voyage,  ended  in  his  death.  The  event  is 
briefly  recorded  in  the  Newport  JMercnry  of 
February  22,  181 2,  and  as  follows  in  the  Provi- 
dence Gazette  of  February  1 5  : 

"  At  Goree  (an  island  on  the  coast  of  Africa),  on  the 
24.th  of  December  last,  Captain  Martin  Benson,  late  of  New- 
port, in  this  State,  aged  71  j'cars.    This  respectable,  enter- 

*  '  5«i>:t»— a  vessel  with  two  masts  resembling  the  main  and  foremasts  of  a  ship,  and 
a  third  small  mast  just  abaft  the  mainmast,  carrying  a  sail  similar  to  a  ship's  mizzen  " 
iMar.  Diet.).    A  sort  of  hermaphrodite  brig. 


THIRD   GENER^VTION— MARTIN.  19 

prising  gentleman  co.mmenced  his  mercantile  career  with 
very  flattering  prospects,  and,  for  some  time,  fortune  smiled 
on  his  honest,  animated  efforts;  but  in  the  course  of  his 
variegated  life,  ill  health,  and  a  series  of  disasters,  which 
prudence  could  not  avert  nor  caution  escape,  unhappily  in- 
terposed to  blast  his  anticipated  comforts — his  fairest  ex- 
pectations. Yet  he  did  not  despond,  but  virtuously  pur- 
sued the  even  'tenor  of  his  way,'  respected  and  beloved, 
till  Death  closed  this  transitory  scene,  and  removed  him  to 
another  and,  we  trust,  'a  better  world.' 
"  .  .  .  '  Death  is  victory  ; 
'  It  binds  in  chains  the  raging  ills  of  life.' 
"  His  remains  were  very  respectfully  entombed  on  the 
day  following,  attended  by  the  Governor  and  officers  of  the 
British  garrison  at  Goree,  with  a  number  of  private  gentle- 
men." 

Captain  Benson  Avas  a  man  of  hne  personal 
appearance  and  of  many  accomplishments  ;  affa- 
ble and  courteous,  and  much  esteemed  by  the 
ladies,  who  called  him  their  walking-staff.  He 
had  lonsf  been  re^jarded  as  an  old  bachelor  when 
the  following  announcement  appeared  in  the 
Providence  Gazette  of  September  3,  17S5: 
"  Married,  at  Newport,  j\Ir.  Martin  Benson, 
merchant,  to  Miss  Jenny  Coddington,"'"  daughter 
of  the  late  Captain  John  Coddington."  This  lady's 
parents  were  married  January  28,  1759,  and 
it  is  probable  that  she  was  born  about  1 762-63, 
which  would  make  her  more  than  twenty  years 
younger  than  her  husband — a  disparity  too  great 
for  happiness,  as  the  sequel  proved.      Mrs.  Ben- 

*  Her  mother  was  Mary,  daughter  of  Governor  Joseph  Wanton,  and  died  at  New- 
port, Sunday  evening,  February  4,  1798,  in  her  65th  year  {Mercury,  February  13).  Cap- 
lain  John*  Coddington  was  the  son  of  William^,  or  Nathaniel^,  sons  of  Nathaniel*,  the 
second  son  of  Governor  William  Coddington.     He  was  lost  at  sea  in  1762. 


20  BENSON  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

son,  who  is  still  remembered  by  many  citizens  of 
Newport  as  a  very  dignified  old  lady,  died 
December  6,  1S36  {jMercuiy,  Dec.  10;  but  the 
age  assigned  her  is  certainly  excessive).  The 
circumstance  of  her  sending  a  miniature  of  her 
son  T^Iartin  to  relatives  in  Virginia  has  been 
already  mentioned.  The  children  of  this  mar- 
riage were  :'" 

r.  i.  Martix,  born  probably  in  17S6.  lie  was  educated  at 
Brown  University,  and  graduated  in  iSo6,  his  chum  being 
the  late  Hon.  John  H.  Clarke,  formerly  United  State  Sena- 
tor from  Rhode  Island,  and  one  of  his  classmates  being  the 
Rev.  David  Benedict,  well  known  as  the  author  of  a  His- 
tory of  the  Baptists,  and  still  living.  Young  Benson  chose 
law  for  his  profession,  and  is  said  to  have  established  him- 
self in  New  York,  though  the  name  is  not  found  in  the  di- 
rectories of  that  city.  On  learning  of  the  death  of  his 
youngest  brother,  he  resolved  to  visit  Sierra  Leone  with 
the  same  object  ;  and,  having  provided  himself  with  the 
nccessarj''  documents,  embarked  (1816?)  in  a  vessel  which 
sailed  from  New  York,  and  was  never  heard  of  afterwards. 
He  was  married  in  the  spring  of  1811  to  Amey  Smith,  at 
North  Providence  (Providence  Gazette  and  Newport  Mer- 
cury of  June  I,  and  Rhode  Islajid  AmericaJt  of  May  31).  The 
officiating  clergyman  was  the  Re\-.  Ferdinand  Ellis,  Con- 
gregationalist,  who  died  in  1S58.  The  Gazette's  notice  ob- 
scurcl}-  reads  :  "  Mr.  Martin  Benson  (S.  J.)" 

ii.    \ViLLi.A.M    Collins.      All    that    is    known  of  him,   except 
that  he  died  of  consumption,  and  was  buried   in  Governor 
AVanton's  tomb,  is  contained  in  these  two  obituary  notices  : 
From  the  Newport  Mercury,  October  S,  1S03: 

"  On  Sunday,  the  25th  ult.,  William  Benson,  son  of  Mr.  Martin 
Benson,  of  this  town,  in  the  sixteenth  year  of  his  age.     This  was  an 
amiable  and   promising  young  man.     He  had  just   completed  an 
*  There  is  said  to  have  been  a  beautiful  daughter  Ann  (named  after  Ana  Wanton  ?), 
Who  was  buried  in  the  Wanton  tomb.    This  tomb,  by  the  pious  care  of  Mr.  Xathan 
Gould,  is  now  marked  in  the  Clifton  buryinj-jfround  by  a  substantial  marble  stone,  in- 
scribed; "  The  Family  Tomb  of  Governor  Joseph  Wanton." 


THIRD    GENERATION— MARTIN.  21 

education  adapted  to  the  course  of  life  he  had  chosen  for  his  pur- 
suit. A  happ}'  fancy  gilded  the  prospect  before  him,  and  with  the 
warm  heart  of  3-outh  he  was  hastening  to  enjoy  it." 

From  the  Providence  Gazette  of  the  same  date  : 
"  Master  William  Benson,  son  of  Martin  Benson,  Esq.,  in  his  i6th 
year.     He  was,  by  his  amiable  manners,  endeared  to  all  wlio  knew 
him,  and  his  dawn  of  life  seemed  to  promise  future  excellence." 

iij.   John  Coddington,  born   in  Newport  in  the  first  days  of 
November,  1794.     He  was  educated  for  the  navy.     Before 
his  studies  were  completed,  his  father  took   him  with  him 
(181 1  .')  to  West  Africa,  and,  as  already  related,  he  shared  the 
hardships  of  the  voyage  which  proved  fatal  to  the  former. 
He  was,  on  the  death  of  his  father,  invested  with  his  African 
estate,  but  appears  to  have  returned  liome  immediately, 
and   the  outbreak   of  war  with   England  hastened  his  en- 
trance into  the  United  States  Navy,  whicli  was  favored  \yy 
Commodore    Perrj-'s   intimacy  with    the    family.     He   was 
(Cooper's    "Naval    History")    commissioned    midsliipman 
August  22,  1S12,  and  probably  was  assigned  at  once  to  the 
United  States  ship  Adams,  42  guns,  Captain  Charles  }*Iorris, 
which  sailed  from  the  Chesapeake  in  January,  181 3,  passed 
to  the  south  of  Bermuda,  crossed  the  Atlantic,  captured  a 
number  of  prizes  (the  last  of  which,  the  India  ship  Wood- 
bridge,  taken  on  the  25th  of  March,  had  to  be  abandoned), 
and  arrived  home  in  April  (p.   243,  "  Naval    Monument," 
Boston,  1836).     The   tradition  is  that  he  was  witli  Perry  on 
his  flagship  at  tlie  battle  of  Lake  Erie,  September  10,  1813 
(but  this  lacks  confirmation).      He  v/as  certainly  on   the 
Adams  when,  on  September  2,  1814,  as  it   lay  at  Hampden 
on  the   Penobscot,  having  just   returned  from  a  cruise,  it 
was  surprised  by  a  large  British  fleet  with  troops,  and  blown 
up  by  Captain  Morris  to  avoid  its  falling  into  the  enemy's 
hands.     (^Ib.  pp.  248,  249.)     The  crew  escaped  to  land,  and 
dispersed  in  the  woods   between  the   Penobscot  and  the 
Kennebec,  rendezvousing  at  Portsmoutli.    They  were  then 
transferred  to  the  Congress,  36  guns,  lying  at  Boston,  under 
the  same  commander  as  before.     But  peace  was  declared 
before  the  vessel  was  ready  for  sea.     The  "  Naval  Register  " 
for  1815,  in  which  Mr.   Benson  appeared  as   midshipman, 


BENSON    FAMILY    OF    NEWPORT. 

shows  that  he  was  furloughcd  June  19,  1815.  Desirous  of 
disposing  of  his  father's  estate  in  Africa,  he  got  a  situation 
as  first  mate  of  the  brig  Caroline,  Captain  Jenckes,  lying  at 
Providence,  and  bound  for  Martinique  and  Sierra  Leone. 
After  being  three  days  at  sea,  the  brig  was  capsized  in  a 
storm,  washing  overboard  the  captain  and  cabin-boy.  Mr. 
Benson,  thus  being  left  in  command,  as  soon  as  the  storm 
abated,  ordered  one  of  the  crew  to  dive  down  and  unloose 
the  lashed  helm,  and  again  another,  but  both  were  afraid 
to  venture.  lie  himself  then  dived,  and  was  never  seen 
acrain. 


THIRD   GENERATION— JOHN. 


was  born  In  Newport,  June  20, 
1 744.  His  life  was  more  checkered  than  any  re- 
corded in  this  genealogy,  and  he  left  behind  him 
a  very  minute  and  voluminous  account  of  it,  of 
which  the  original  MS.  has  been  unfortunately 
lost.  A  condensed  account  of  his  voyages  was 
published  (prior  to  1824)  by  his  youngest  son, 
making  a  small  volume,  with  the  following  title  : 
"A  Short  Account  |  of  the  |  Voyages,  Travels, 
and  Adventures  |  of  John  Benson ;  |  comprising 

1  Seven  Voyages  ]  to  different  parts  of  the 
World ;  I  interspersed  |  with  |  Anecdotes  and 
Observations    |    upon    |    Men    and    Manners.  I 

Wr^itten  by  himself.  \  '  Omnc  tulit  punchun, 
qui  niisc2tit  utile  dulci!  \  Published  by  John 
C.  Benson.  ]  \Copyright  secured.Y  The  com- 
piler, however,  gave  only  the  sequence  of  the 
voyages,  and  left  the  dates,  and  often  the  duration 
of  them,  undetermined.  There  is  even  a  discre- 
pancy in  the  narrative  itself,  which  renders  the 
date  of  the  first  voyage  doubtful.  On  the  death 
of  his  father,  in  1755,  he  was  left,  at  the  age  of 
eleven,  in  charge  of  his  grandfather  (/.<?.,  his 
step -mother's  father,  the  Hon.  John  Gardner, 
Deputy  Governor),  and  applied  himself  dili- 
gently to  his  studies  until,   as   he   says  (p.  9), 

"  he   had  arrived  at  the  age  of  fifteen   years. 


24  BENSON  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

when  a  strong  inclination  to  travel  the  seas 
and  visit  distant  shores "  took  possession  of 
him.  On  p.  83,  however,  he  says  :  "  I  would 
inform  tlie  reader,  that  in  the  thirteenth  year 
of  my  age  I  attempted  a  voyage  to  sea." 
The  first  statement  is  more  likely  to  be  the 
true  one,  and  we  may  suppose  that  it  Vv-as  in  the 
summer  of  1759  that  he  was  disappointed  in 
getting  passage,  as  engaged,  on  the  "  good 
snow  "  Defiance,  Captain  Edward  Wanton,  bound 
for  Africa  ;  but  actually  sailed  a  few  weeks  later 
in  the  Indnstjy,  Captain  Edward  Emerson,  bound 
for  England.  This  vessel  was  caught  by  a 
French  privateer,  Le  Trioinphe,  in  the  British 
Channel,  but,  except  that  he  was  robbed  of 
everything,  young  Benson  fared  vrell,  by  being 
taken  into  the  Captain's  cabin,  till  landed  Vvith 
other  prisoners  at  Brest.  Here  he  was  for  some 
time  detained  in  prison,  but  was  exchanged  in 
the  autumn  at  St.  IMalo,  and,  via  Portsm.outh. 
reached  London,  where  he  met  "a  brother" 
(Martin  ?),  but  did  not  join  him.  He  returned 
home  in  the  spring  on  the  brig  Osprey,  Captain 
Thomas  Rodman,*  of  Rhode  Island,  working 
his  passage,  which  occupied  72  days.  The 
round  trip,  including  his  stay  on  French  soil, 
consumed  11  months  (1759-6.0).  The  second 
voyage  was  undertaken,  "  after  having  remained 


*  This  commander  subsequently  (1765)  died  en  the  coast  of  Africa.      (See  New- 
port correspondenre,  Dec.  30,  1765,  in  the  Boston  Nexvs-LeiUr  of  Jan.  9,  176c.) 


THIRD  GENERATION— JOHN. 


-0 


some  time  at  home,"  on  the  Othello,  Captain 
Edward  Chapman  (Messrs.  Godfrey  and  John 
iNIalbone  owners),  which  mounted  lo  carriage 
guns  and  a  few  swivels,  and  was  bound  for  An- 
tigua vv-ith  lumber  and  provisions.  A  French 
privateer  easily  captured  the  vessel,  through  the 
cowardice  of  its  captain,  and  Mr.  Benson  vv'as 
imprisoned  "  some  time  in  a  gloomy  dungeon" 
in  iMartinique.  Then  exchanged  and  sent  to 
Guadaloupe,  he  sailed  from  the  latter  island  in, 
the  Benevolence,  of  New  Haven,  Captain  Thomas 
Rice,  via  St.  Christopher's  and  Turk's  Island  to 
Fisher's  Island,  opposite  Stonington,  Conn., 
whence  he  made  his  vray  back  to  Nev/pcrt.  Ail 
this  might  have  been  accomplished  in  1 760. 
These  two  voyages  had  brought  only  loss  to  Mr. 
Benson,  and  he  sought  to  repair  his  fortune  on 
the  third,  in  tlie  Lydia,  Captain  Peter  Wanton,"' 
bound  for  Jamaica.  They  came  back  safely  with 
sugars,  and  the  profit  answered  his  expectations. 
They  were  pursued  by  a  large  ship  of  war,  but 
escaped.  This  voyage  should  probably  be  as- 
signed to  1 76 1.  The  fourth  voyage,  which  he 
entered  upon  "  forth v/ith,"  v/as  in  the  Rising 
Siin,  of  Newport,  Captain  William  Pinnegar, 
mountin2f  10  carria^-e  o'uns  and  8  swivels — ?. 
capture  from  the  French.  Her  destination  was 
Barbadoes,  the  bay  of  Honduras,  and  Holland. 
In  50  days  they  reached   Barbadoes,  and  sold 

Probably  his  kinsman,  who  married  his  step-mother's  sister,  Elizabeth  Gardner. 
4 


26  BENSON  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

their  cargo  for  slaves,  cash,  and  rum,  and  Mr, 
Benson  notes  that  he  saw  there,  "at  high-water 
mark,    the    heads   of  slaves,  fixed   upon    sharp- 
pointed   stakes,    while    their  unburied    carcases 
were  exposed  to  be  torn  by  dogs   and  vultures 
on  the  sandy  beach."     They  could  not  gain  ac- 
cess to  Honduras  Bay,  as  it  was  blockaded,  but 
anchored  a  league  from  Musquito  Inlet,  where, 
in  a  December  hurricane  (1761),  the  ship  was 
run  on  shore,  and,  out  of  a  company  of  25  (it  is 
not  clear  vvdiether  this  included  the  poor  slaves), 
16  were  lost,  among  them  a  kinsman  (Conkling) 
of  Mr.  Benson.     He  himself,  although  carrying 
a  lame  arm   in  a  sling,  managed   to  reach  the 
shore,  and  to  walk   to   the  British   garrison   at 
Black  River,  where  the  survivors  were  humanely 
received  by  the  governor,  ]\Ir,  Pitt.     Capt.  Pin- 
negar  saved  enough  from  the  wreck  to  purchase 
a  smaller  vessel,  in  which  Mr.  Benson  sailed  to 
Jamaica,  and  three  weeks  later  worked  his  passage 
thence  to  Nevv^port  in  Captain  Gregory  Cozzens's 
ship  (early  in  1762).     Still  undaunted,  "after  a 
few  weeks'  respite  on  shore,"  he  embarked  on 
the  schooner  Polly,  Captain  Peter  Wanton,  for 
Africa.    They  made  for  Sierra  Leone,  and  thence 
to  Anamaboe,  where  they  bought  90  slaves,  and 
then  set  sail  for  Guadaloupe,  where,  not  finding 
a  market  for  their  human  merchandise,  they  kept 
on  to  Monte  Christi,  and  sold  to  the  Spaniards. 
They  had  been  absent  eleven  months  when  they 


THIRD  GEXERATIOX— lOIIN. 


-/ 


returned  to  Newport  (1763).  Another  slave- 
trading  venture  of  the  same  Captain  Wanton,  in 
the  Charming  Abigail,  tempted  Mr.  Benson  to 
ship  under  him  after  he  had  "  become  tired  of 
loitering  on  shore."  But  he  nearly  lost  his  life 
when  they  had  been  but  a  short  time  at  sea,  by 
falling  overboard  as  he  was  endeavoring  "  to 
throw  the  fore-topsail  out  of  the  netting."  He 
swam  out  of  the  ship's  way,  and,  catching  a  rope, 
was  saved.  They  were  obliged  to  put  back  to 
Newport  on  account  of  a  rotten  mast,  and  were 
two  months  in  reaching  Sierra  Leone.  Twenty 
miles  up  the  river  they  took  in  slaves  and  rice 
to  feed  them  with,  and  then  sailed  to  the  Gold 
Coasf^  and  Anamaboe.  This  was  a  rendezvous 
for  slavers,  and  here  they  found  a  Philadelphia 
ship,  Captain  William  Rodman  of  Rhode  Island, 
together  with  a  Rhode  Island  ship,  Captain 
James  Searing.  The  slaves  that  Rodman  had 
on  board  rose,  and  their  example  was  followed 
on  Wanton's  vessel,  where,  however,  the  timely 
w^arning  of  a  "  Dunko  "  negro  saved  the  crew.. 
When  the  slaves  came  to  be  sold  at  Guadaloupe, 
for  sugar,  this  faithful  black  was  disposed  of 
alono^  with  the  rest.      "'  I  blush  to  record  so  in- 


*  The  Providence  Gazette  of  Feb.  25,  1764,  announces  the  arrival  upon  the  Coast  of 
Captains  Earl,  Carpenter,  Edward  Wanton,  Peter  Wanton,  and  Gardner,  from  Rhode 
Island.  Captain  Edward  Wanton  left  the  Coast  in  February  (see  Boston  News-Letter 
of  July  5),  and  returned  home  without  his  ship  in  June  (see  News-Letter  of  June  20),  and 
reported  Captains  IVantan,  Woodbury,  and  Morris,  from  Newport,  as  being  still  on  the 
Coast  at  the  time  of  his  departure. 


2  8  BENSON   FAMILY  OF  NEVv'PORT. 

famous  a  deed,"  says  the  autobiography.  Cap- 
tain Searing-  died  of  an  epidemic  that  prevailed 
among  the  shipping,  and  }vlr.  Benson  was  near 
sharing  the  same  fate.  He  lay  for  so  long 
in  a  trance  that  he  was  thought  to  be  dead, 
and  perhaps  with  any  other  captain  than  a  kins- 
man would  have  been  committed  to  the  deep. 
While  in  this  condition,  he  experienced  a  vision 
which  he  relates  at  length  in  his  narrative,  and 
which  changed  completely  his  views  as  to  the 
sinfulness  of  slave-trading,  as  well  as  awakened 
his  religious  nature  with  startling  pov/er.  Capt. 
Wanton  arrived  with  his  cargo  of  slaves  at  St. 
Kitts  early  in  1765  (Providence  Gasetic  of  Feb. 
1 6,  and  Boston  News-Lcttcr  of  Feb.  2 1 ).  Shord)- 
after  his  return,  Mr.  Benson  retired  to  Warren, 
about  18  miles  from  Nev/port,  intending  to  quit 
the  life  of  a  seafarer,  which  had  been  so  disas- 
trous to  him  ;  but  at  the  end  of  three  years  and 
a  half  (1768  ?)  he  resolved  on  a  short  voyage  to 
North  Carolina,  and  shipped  in  the  Enterprise, 
Captain  John  Bush,  for  that  purpose,  with  a  cargo 
of  naval  stores.  By  falling  overboard  from  a  boat, 
and  encountering  a  fearful  storm  while  crossing 
the  Gulf  Stream,  his  life  was  twice  imperilled  in 
this  trip  ;  and  if  he  had  been  born  to  be  drowned, 
a  speedy  opportunity  offered  when  he  was  upset 
in  crossing  the  harbor  of  Stonington.  He  was 
rescued  from  the  eel-orass  which  abounds  on 
those  shallows  by  the   singular  and,  as  he  re- 


1   \ 


THIRD  GENERATION— JOHN.  29 

garded  it,  P]:ovidential  agency  of  a  floating  board 
with  a  crooked  nail  which  cau^fht  in  his  shoulder. 

Having  received  a  good  education,  includ- 
ing a  knowledge  of  Latin,  he  engaged  in 
teaching,  and,  after  he  had  received  a  call  to  the 
Baptist  ministry,  he  continued  to  teach  as  well  as 
to  preach  in  various  places,  and  at  length,  about 
1804,  settled  in  Pomfret,  Connecticut,  where  he 
died  of  pleurisy  December  28,  1818,  leaving  a 
widow  and  seven  children. 

Mr.  Benson  was  an  accomplished  accountant 
and  penman,  but  he  resisted  the  persuasion  of 
friends  to  enQ^a^e  in  business  rather  than  enter 
the  ministry.  He  was  a  fine  reader  and  singer. 
It  was  probably  in  1 768  that  he  married  Mercy, 
daughter  of  John  Casey,  who  owned  some  1,200 
acres  in  South  Kingston,  R.  I.,  on  what  is  called 
Boston  Neck.  She  w^as  born  April  28,  1752, 
and  was  a  woman  of  unusual  mental  and  physi- 
cal powers — her  strength  in  lifting,  indeed,  be- 
ing something  incredible  in  these  days.  She 
was  an  excellent  manager  of  household  affairs, 
making  up  for  her  husband's  deficiency  in  that 
respect.  After  his  decease,  she  lived  with  her 
youngest  son  till  her  death,  which  happened 
July  22,  1835,  when  she  was  buried  beside  Mr. 
Benson,  in  the  family  burying-ground  at  Pomfret, 
a  handsome  monument  markinof  their  common 
grave.  They  had  in  all  ten  children,  as  fol- 
lows : 


20  BENSON  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

i.  Sally,  born  January  4,  1769;  died  November  24,  1837. 
She  married  Amos  Bo)^den,  of  Mendon,  Mass.  They  had 
David,  Joel,  and  William  ;  and  daughters  Abigail  (?),  bora 
about  1790,  and  married  ;  Nancy,  unmarried  ;  Amy,  mar- 
ried (?)  ;  and  one  who  became  the  wife  of  a  Mr.  Taft.  In 
all,  seven  children. 

ii.  Nancy,  born  May  28,  1771  ;  died  June  25,  1245.  She  mar- 
ried John  Amidon,  of  Douglas,  Mass.  They  had  Samuel, 
William,  and  John  ;  Celinda,  who  married  Abijah  Easty  ; 
and  perhaps  other  daughters. 

iii.  Polly,  born  June  10,  1776,  and  still  living,  the  oldest  de- 
scendant of  John'  Benson.  She  married  Stephen  Kerapton. 
of  Mendon,  Mass.  They  had  Martin,  ]Millens,  and  Harri- 
son ;  and  four  daughters. 

iv.     Martin,  born  177-  ;  died  of  croup  at  the  age  of  three. 

V.    Martin,  born  17 — ;  died  young. 

8.  vi.     Martin  Gardiner,  born  March  14,  1781  ;  died  February  6, 

1859.     He  was  bred  a  mechanic,  and  was  a  man  of  good 

physical  and  mental  capacity.     He  was  married  and  had 

children,  of  whom  two  sons  survived  him. 
vii.     Fanny,  born  March  20,  1783  ;  died  March  20,   1S62.     She 

married  James  Mitchell, 
viii.     Betsey,  born  November  6,  1788  ;  died  January  2,  1816.     She 

married  Sterry  Angell,  of  Pomfret,  Conn. 

9.  ix.    William  Collins,  born  March  9, 1791  ;  died  June  10,  185S. 

He  was  settled  as  a  farmer  in  the  northern  part  of  New 
York,  where  he  reared  a  large  family  whom  he  left  in  com- 
fortable circumstances.  Having  been  called  to  Paterson, 
N.  J.,  to  attend  his  sick  brother,  he  died  and  was  there 
buried  in  his  brother's  lot.     A  stone  marks  his  grave. 

10.  X.     JOHN  CODDINGTON,  born  November  3,  i794- 


THIRD  GENERATION— GEORGE.  3  I 


^Cftl^tB'^^  S^tH^'Oll  ^vas  born  in  Newport,  August 
20,  1 752. ■'■'"■  Concerning  his  early  youth  and 
tralnino-  his  descendants  have  no  knowledcre  or 
tradition.  He  was,  as  he  says  in  one  of  his  let- 
ters, "left  fatherless  so  early  as  to  have  no  re- 
collection of  a  single  feature  in  his  countenance"  ; 
and,  in  another,  he  laments  "  his  want  of  a 
liberal  education,"  though  he  was  a  very  correct 
writer  and  a  handsome  penman.  He  had  come 
to  Providence  and  engaged  as  clerk  v^ith  Nicho- 
las Brown  Sz.  Co.,t  merchants,  as  earhr  as  1771. 
Three  years  later,!  he  was  in  doubt  whether  to 

*  The  town  records  say  1751. 

+  Consisting  of  Messrs.  Nicholas,  Joseph,  and  Moses  Brown.    Nicholas  died  June 
4,  1791 ;  Moses  in  September,  1836,  three  months  before  Mr.  Benson  himself. 

J  Newport  April  4th,  1774. 

Sirs  :  I  have  Consulted  my  Friends  on  the  subject  of  my  continuing  at  Providence 
or  Returning  to  abide  in  this  Town,  and  have  attentively  Considered  the  matter  m3-selt. 
There  is  very  engaging  motives  to  Invite  my  Return  here,  as  I  have  repeatedly  ob- 
served. But  Considering  the  Peculiar  State  of  your  Business  (Tho,  I  don't  mean  entirely 
to  exclude  Self  Interest,  that,  I  own,  has  a  Share  in  the  Proposal)  have  Concluded,  that 
if  its  agrecablcy  and  you  will  add  Thirty  Dollars  more  ^  year  to  my  Present  Terms, 
will  engage  again  in  your  Employ,  But  should  not  Chuse  to  Contract  for  any  Certain 
Time,  tho,  you  may  Rely  I  will  not  Leave  your  Business  w-ithout  Due  notice,  and  ex- 
pect to  Continue  with  you  (should  miJ^  Proposal  Suit)  untill  next  Fall  at  Least  at  which 
Time,  its  Probable  I  may  engage  with  my  uncle  Wanton,  if  his  Business  should  succeed 
according  to  his  ivzshes. — I  Purpose  to  return  to  Providence  this  Week,  but  Should  be 
Glad  of  }"0ur  Reply  as  soon  as  may  be,  that  I  may  adjust  Matters  here,  accordingly. 
In  the  mean  Time,  or  Rather  at  all  Times, 

I  am  your  Assured  Friend, 

Mr.  M  B's.  Letter  to  his  Friend  Willson  I  Left  In  ~|  George  Be.nsox. 

the  Drawer  as  Capt.  Grinnell  does  not  expect  to  sail   1- 
untill  next  Sunday.    I  saw  A  Johnson  in  the  Street,  he  J 

told  me  he  wrote  you  a  few  Days  Past — is  it  True — or  was  it  onlj'  to  Prevent  a  Dunn  — 
Would  it  not  be  a  Good  Time  to  have  sc-ne  Paper  added  to  the  Ledger.  It  will  be 
needed  soon,  let  who  ivill  be  Clerk. 


32  BENSON  FAMILY  OF  XEVvTORT. 

remain  in  Providence  or  to  return  to  Newport, 
but  was  probably  granted  the  modest  addition 
to  his  salary  which  he  made  a  condition  of  stay- 
ing. "^^  The  outbreak  of  the  R.evolution  appears 
to  have  unsetded  him.  In  1775,  he  is  said  to 
have  ridden  on  horseback  from  Providence  to 
army  headquarters  at  Cambridge,  on  the  mem- 
orable 17th  of  June.  In  1779,  he  was  employed 
by  Col.  Ephraim  Bo  wen,  Deputy  Quartermaster 
General,!  for  how  long  a  period  is  unknown. 
In  the  spring  of  1783,  Mr.  Benson  had  removed 
to  Boston  and  engaged  in  partnership  v/ith 
Joshua  Eaton,  as  appears  from  the  curious  docu- 
ment printed  in  full  belov;',J  ^vhose   strict  and 

*  He  had  gone  to  Newport  to  attend  his  mother  iu  her  last  illness.  The  Newport 
Mercury  of  Dec.  6,  1773,  has  the  following  notice  :  "  Last  Tuesday  died,  in  the  49th  year 
of  her  age,  Mrs.  Frances  Benson,  widow  of  Mr.  William  Benson,  late  of  this  town,  de- 
ceased, and  second  daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  John  Gardner,  Esq.  She  was  a  lady  of 
great  virtue  and  piety  ;  a  most  tender,  affectionate  parent,  and  a  faithful  friend.  Her  re- 
mains were  interred  on  Saturday."    (See  ante,  p.  14.) 

t  Rhode  Island  Historical  Collections,  Book  vi.  pp.  224,  227.  Col.  Bowen  writes 
Gen.  Nathanael  Greene  (then  at  Middlebrook,  Va.),  under  date  of  Feb.  S,  1779  :  "  As  Mr. 
[George]  Olney  leaves  me  to-morrow,  I  have  engaged  George  Benson  to  take  his  place 
— Mr.  Olnej'  can  give  you  his  character.  I  gave  Mr.  Olney  eighty  dollars  per  month, 
and  engaged  to  board  him  and  his  wife  for  that  sum,  which  I  did,  notwithstanding  every- 
thing rose  30  per  cent,  afterwards.  Have  engaged  !Mr.  Benson  at  $100  per  month  till  j-our 
pleasure  can  be  known,  and,  if  you  do  not  consent  to  allow  it,  I  am  to  lose  it,  the  over- 
plus. It  is  very  difficult  to  get  a  person  to  take  charge  of  books  and  cash  that  can  be  en- 
trusted v.Mthout  giving  him  a  price  something  adequate  to  the  business  and  the  rise  of 
boarding."  Gen.  Greene's  replj^  is  characteristic  (Feb.  23) :  "  The  wages  of  Mr.  Benson 
are  very  high,  but  you  had  better  give  a  high. price  for  a  good  man  than  employ  a  bad 
one  for  nothing  at  all." 

*  "  CorPY   OF   .\N   AGREEMENT   SIGNED    BV    GB'S   TWO   AFrKENTICES   IN    BoSTON."' 

This  Agreement  Witnesseth,  That  v/e  John  Bryant  Junr.  and  John  Crosby,  both  of 
Boston  in  the  County  of  Suffolk  and  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  minors  with  the 
consent  of  our  respective  Parents  have  entered  into  the  following  Engagements  with 
Messrs.  Joshua  Eaton  &  Geo  Benson  both  of  Boston  aforesaid  Merchants,  commonli' 
known  by  the  firm  of  Eaton  &  Benson     ....     vizt     .    .     . 


Engage  faithfully  to  Keep  all  the  secrets  of  their  Business,  to  obey  all  their  Law- 


THIRD  GEXERATIOX— GEORG] 


onerous  requirements  the  clerk  of  our  day  would 
stand  ao"hast  at.  The  first  advertisement  of  the 
new  firm  occurs  in  the  Boston  Gazette  of  April 
7,  17S3,  and  is  dated  April  3.  It  enumerates  as 
"  for  sale  by  Eaton   &   Benson,  at  their  store 


full  Commands  and  not  to  hurt  or  Injure  them  or  their  property  or  see  another  do  it 
without  Giving  them  Notice  thereof 

2nd  We  Engage  not  to  risque  money  or  any  other  Property  whatever  at  Cards,  Dice 
or  any  other  unlawful!  Game  and  that  we  will  not  frequent  or  haunt  Alehouses  or 
Taverns,  or  be  from  Home  unseasonably  late  at  night.    .    .    . 

3rd  We  Promise  and  Engage  in  our  respective  Turns  constantly  to  open  and  have  the 
Store  ready  for  Business  in  one  hour  from  Sunrise  and  never  to  shut  without  care- 
fully searching  if  any  Person  is  in  it,  and  we  further  Promise  to  lock  the  Door  se- 
curely at  one  o  Clock  for  Dinner  and  open  it  again  at  three  Quarters  of  an  hour 
past  two  o  Clock  ia  the  Afternoon  and  when  it  is  our  respective  turns  not  to  open 
the  Store  we  Engage  to  be  there  in  one  hour  from  the  time  fixed  for  opening  in 
the  Morning,  and  always  by  three  o  Clock  in  the  Afternoon 

4'.h  We  Engage  not  to  allow  any  Idle  Boys  to  tarrj'  in  the  Store  on  any  Pretence  what- 
ever, and  we  will  not  procure  or  permit  any  person  not  belonging  to  the  Store  to 
assist  us  in  opening  of  it,  making  fires,  Sweeping  &c.    .    .    . 

5'.h  We  Faithfully  Promise  and  engage  to  put  all  the  Books  (except  those  usually  carried 
to  the  House)  into  the  Chest  Below  every  night,  and  the  Cash  Books  to  be  accu- 
rately compared  and  made  to  agree  every  Evening  before  the  Store  is  left  and  that 
we  will  not  leave  in  the  Store  all  night  any  Sum  of  money  exceeding  ten  Dollars, 
nor  any  Note  of  Hand  or  any  other  Valuable  Papers  whatever.    .     .    . 

eth  Lastly  we  Solemnly  Promise  and  Engage  to  consult  the  Interests  of  the  said  Eaton 
&  Benson  in  all  Cases,  to  use  our  utmost  Endeavours  to  secure  and  protect  their 

property  and  all  other  Property  whatever  that  may  be  comitted  to  their  Care. 

In  Witness  whereof  we  have  hereto  v/illingly  and  CheerfuU}'  Set  our  hands 
and  seals  in  Boston  this  twent}'  Eight  day  of  April,  One  Thousand  Seven  hundred 
&  Eighty  Three 

(  JOHM    BriVANT   JfNT. 

Sign  d         <  ^  „ 

I  J  Crosby 

Know  all  Men  that  we  John  Bryant  &  Daniel  Crosby  both  of  Boston  in  the 
County  of  Suffolk  and  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  Fathers  to  the  aforesaid 
John  Bryant  Junr  &  John  Crosby,  Do  hereby  Consent  to  &  approve  of  the  Promises 
and  Engagements  entered  into  by  our  said  Sons  with  the  said  Eaton  &  Benson,  and 
we  engage  to  exercise  our  endeavours  &  Authority  to  effect  their  Complyance 
therewith  &  Promise  to  indemnify  &  make  good  to  the  said  Eaton  &  Benson  all 
damages  Sustain'd  by  Default  of  our  said  Sons.  In  Witness  whereof  we  hereunto 
Subscribe  our  Names  &  affix  our  Seals  this  tv.-enty  Eighth  Day  of  April  One  Thou- 
sand Seven  hundred  &  Eighty  Three. 

(  John  Drvant 

/  Daniel  Ckosbv 


34  BENSON  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

No.  7  Butler's  Row,"*  superfine  and  black  pru- 
nella, other  broadcloths,  men's  and  women's  silk 
hose,  callicoes,  linens,  Congo  tea,  green  coffee, 
ribbons,  brown  sugars,  cotton  wools,  etc.  ;  also, 
the  best  James  River  tobacco.  Every  month 
there  was  a  fresh  advertisement ;  now,  "at  a 
peace  price  the  following  articles  just  received 
from  Nantz,"  viz.,  cutlery,  shoe  and  knee  buckles, 
etc.;  and  novr,  "by  wholesale,  at  a  very  lov/ 
price  indeed,"  velvets,  Marseilles  quilting,  dia- 
per, cogniac  brandy,  window-glass,  pepper, 
French  and  superfine  Philadelphia  flour,  etc., 
etc.  On  the  iSth  of  August,  however,  public 
announcement  was  made  that  the  copartnership 
had  been  dissolved  on  the  12th  inst.  by  mutual 
consent,  and  that  Joshua  Eaton  would  "  carry 
on  the  commission  business  as  usual "  at  the  old 
place.  Very  likely,  offers  had  been  received  by 
Mr.  Benson  from  Providence  which  were  too 
tempting  to  permit  him  to  stay  in  Boston  longer 
than  to  settle  his  affairs  (the  advertisement  in 
the  Gazette  is  inserted  for  the  last  time  October 
27). 

In  the  Providence  Gazette  of  January  3,  i  7S4. 

*  So  called  from  Peter  Butler,  "wko  figured  in  Boston  about  two  hundred  years 
Ego,  and  whose  descendants  owned  the  land  now  bounded  by  Merchants  Row  on  the 
west  and  by  State  Street  on  the  south.  In. 1825  (the  time  of  the  great  improvement  of  the 
Dock  by  Mr.  Quir.cy,  when  the  streets  parallel  to  the  Market  House  were  laid  out), 
Chatham  street  used  up  Butler's  Row,  although  the  name  continued  to  be  used  many 
years  after.  In  1S35,  or  thereabouts,  the  opening  to  the  Row  was  closed  by  a  building; 
so  that  to-day  one  can  only  find  the  Row  by  entering  a  passage-way  from  State  Street. 
The  old  sign  Butler's  Ro-m  may  be  seen  in  the  present  building  on  its  south-east  corner." 
(From  a  very  kind  communication  by  Dr.  Nathaniel  B.  ShurtlefF,  e.x-Mayor  of  Boston.) 


THIRD  GENERATION— GEORGE.  35 

one  may  see  the  advertisement  of  Brown  & 
Benson,  that  they  have  just  imported  from  Lon- 
don, and  will  sell  by  wholesale  and  retail,  a  gen- 
eral assortment  of  European  goods,  etc.,  "  at 
their  store  a  little  southward  of  the  Great  Bridge, 
and  nearly  opposite  Nicholas  Brown's  house." 
From  this  time  on,  the  advertising  is  constant, 
and  we  may  fairly  give  the  credit  of  it  (for  it 
was  very  liberal  for  those  days)  to  Mr.  Benson, 
seeing  what  his  practice  had  been  in  Boston. 
Fall  and  winter  goods ;  flour  and  European 
goods  ;  tobacco  and  bar-iron  ;  salt  in  exchange 
for  fish ;  West  India  and  New  England  rum  ; 
flax-seed,  etc.,  etc. — such  was  the  merchandise 
of  Brown  &  Benson  when,  in  January,  1791 
(see  Providence  Gazette  of  2 2d,  etc.),  jNIr,  Nicho- 
las Brown,  jr.,  "  being  connected  in  the  house," 
the  style  of  it  was  changed  to  Browns  &  Benson, 
in  whose  transactions  Russia  hemp  and  duck  be- 
gan to  figure  prominently.  Nicholas  Brown,  Sr., 
died  June  4,  1791,*  but  the  firm  was  otherwise 
unchano-ed  until,  on  the  marriasfe  of  Mr.  Thomas 
p.  Ives  with  Miss  Hope  Brown  (the  only  daugh- 
ter of  the  deceased),  March  6,  1792,  the  only 
surviving  son  and  namesake,  together  with 
Messrs.  Benson  and  Ives,  "  entered  into  copart- 
nership, and  assumed  the  collection  and  payment 


*  Jan.  14,  1791  (Providence  Book  of  Deeds,  Xo.  23,  p.  15S),  "  George  Benson  con- 
veys, by  warranty  deed,  to  Nicholas  Brown  for  £1^0  lawful  money,  >i  part  of  a  lot  of 
land  on  Weybosset  St.  in  Providence,  a  little  southerly  from  Weybosset  Bridge." 


;^6  BENSON  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

of  the  debts  of  the  late  Company, "■'■  and  adopted 
the  style  of  Brown,  Benson  &  Ives.  Their  im- 
portations now  began  to  spread  greatly  :  wines 
from  Malaga ;  fresh  Bohea  tea,  a  great  variety 
of  china-v/are,  satins,  nankeens,  lacquered  tea- 
trays,  etc.,  direct  from  Canton,  in  their  own  ship 
yo/i;i.  yay,  460  tons  burthen  (launched  Oct.  8, 
1 794)  ;  Swedes-iron  ;  brandy  from  Bordeaux  ; 
and  India  goods,  June  25,  1796,  they  offer  for 
sale  their  brig  Friendship,  and  July  20-August 
6,  their  ship  Hamilton,  just  returned  from  India, 
having  made  a  previous  voyage  or  voyages  to 
Europe.  This  latter  advertisement  is  probably 
the  last  put  forth  by  Brown,  Benson  &  Ives. 
Mr.  Benson  withdrew  October  17,  1796,  being 
somewhat  fearful  of  the  extended  risks  he  was 
called  upon  to  share,  and  the  new  firm  of  Brown 
&  Ives  has  remained  to  this  day  and  acquired  a 
national  reputation. f 

Other  traces  of  islr.  Benson  as  a  business  man 
are  to  be  found  in  the  Providence  Gazette  of 
Oct.  6,  1792,  from  which  it  appears  that  on 
the  Monday  previous  (Oct.  2),  he  was  unani- 
mously elected  a  director  of  the  Providence 
Bank,  in  place  of  Tslr.  Nicholas  Brown,  v/ho  re- 
signed in  his  favor  ;  and  in  the  same  paper  of 
Jan.  18,  iSoo,  where  he  figures  as  director  and 


*  Date  of  March  21,  1792  (Providence  Gazette  of  24th,  etc.) 

t  On  this  account,  it  has  been  thought  worth  while  to  preserve  the  detsils  of  its  va- 
rious transformations  from  the  beeinninff. 


THIRD  GENERATION'— GEORGE.  37 

secretary  of  the  Washington  Insurance  Com- 
pany, of  Providence,  then  just  formed.  He  was 
also  one  of  the  Trustees  of  Brown  University, 
but  retired  from  the  Board  in  1801.  A  letter  of 
his  dated  September  3,  1801,  and  addressed  to 
Mr.  President  Maxcy,  is  given  in  Mr.  R.  A. 
Guild's  "  History  of  Brown  University  "  (Provi- 
dence, 1 86 7),  and  is  so  characteristic  as  to  bear 
reproducing  here : 

"  Sir  : — Will  you  do  me  the  favor  to  request  the  Corpo- 
ration to  accept  the  following  trifling  donation  for  the 
College  Library,  viz.  :  Thoughts  on  Religion,  Natural  and 
Revealed,  and  Reflexions  on  the  Sources  of  Incredulity, 
etc.,  in  2  volumes,  by  the  Rt.  Hon.  Duncan  Forbes.  This 
is  a  scarce  tho'  celebrated  performance.  A  Vindication  of 
the  Divine  Inspiration  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  in  answer  to 
Paine's  Age  of  Reason,  by  Thomas  Scott,  Chaplain  to  the 
Lock  Hospital.  Discourses  on  the  Genuineness  and  Au- 
thenticity of  the  New  Testament,  and  on  the  Nature  and 
Danger  of  Infidel  Philosophy,  by  the  Rev.  President 
Dwight.  A  Summary  of  the  Evidences  of  Christianity,  by 
John  Fawcett.  The  Gospel  its  own  "Witness,  by  Andrew 
Fuller,  D.D.,  to  which  is  subjoined,  a  Summary  of  the  Prin- 
cipal Evidences  for  the  Truth  and  Divine  Origin  of  the 
Christian  Revelation,  by  the  Bishop  of  London. 

"  May  the  pernicious  errors  detected  and  refuted  in  the 
preceding  productions  be  forever  excluded  from  the  Col- 
lege, and  may  the  important  truths  they  inculcate  and  en- 
force, prevail  and  abound  therein. 

"  I  am,  dear  sir,  assuredly  your  friend, 

"  George  Benson," 

Mr.  Benson  was  married  Sunday,  January  27, 
1 793,  by  the  celebrated  Baptist  clergyman  Dr. 


38  BENSON  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

Stephen  Gano,  to  Sally  Thurber,'"'  daughter  ot 
James  Thurber  {Gazette,  Feb.  2).  They  went 
to  housekeephig  (the  next  year  ?)  in  the  elegant 
residence,  near  the  corner  of  Angell  and  Prospect 
Streets,  which  still  stands,  perfectly  preserved 
and  but  little  altered.  Mr.  Benson  had  built  it 
for  himself  in  the  most  thorough  manner,  and  its 
site  was,  in  those  days,  one  of  the  most  com- 
manding in  the  town.  Here,  in  the  course  of 
the  next  twenty-nine  years,  all  their  children 
were  born.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  Mr.  Ben- 
son, yielding  to  the  solicitations  of  his  son 
George,  who  was  very  desirous  to  become  a 
farmer,  let  his  house,  and  in  the  spring  of  1824 
(the  deed  bears  date  Jan.  8)  removed  with  his 
family  to  Brooklyn,  Conn.  Here  he  had  pur- 
chased, though  without  personal  Inspection,  a 
farm  of  75  acres,  with  a  substantial  house  (still 
standing),  very  convenient  for  his  large  family. 
Possibly  he  had  known  something  of  the  locality 
on  account  of  his  brother  John's  living  in  Pom- 
fret  close  by.  There  he  quietly  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life.  "  Land,"  he  wrote  his  son 
in  1835  (Oct.  10),  "is  more  secure  property 
than  trade,  but  for  me  it  is  little,  very  little 
profit."      He    had   been  a  remarkably  healthy 

*  She  was  born  August  28,  1770,  and  died  of  consumption  in  Providence,  at  the 
house  of  her  daughter  Charlotte,  Sunday,  August  25,  1844.  Her  father  (son  of  Edward^, 
son  of  James^,  son  of  John  who  came  to  America  in  1672)  had  some  time  prior  to  176S  re- 
moved to  Durham,  Greene  Co.,  New  York,  where  Sarah  was  probably  born.  In  1783-4 
siie  was  brought  to  the  home  of  her  uncle  Edward'',  in  Providence,  and  there  brought  up. 


THIRD  GEXERATIOX— GEORGE.  39 

man,  but,  having  already  had  a  long  confine- 
ment in  1834  on  account  of  cold,  in  November 
of  the  following  year  he  contracted  another  in 
Providence  which  probably  never  left  him,  al- 
though he  seemed  to  have  recovered ;  and  he 
died  in  Brooklyn,  on  Sunday  evening,  December 
II,  1836,  after  a  painful  illness  of  fourteen  days. 
It  is  thought  that  his  life  w^as  shortened  by  leav- 
ing off  smoking,  which  had  been  his  habit  from 
a  young  man,  but  which  he  ceased  from  at  once 
when  convinced  that  it  was  bad.  His  remains 
lie  beside  those  of  his  wife  in  the  North  Burying 
Ground,  Providence. 

Of  Mr.  Benson's  personal  appearance  some 
idea  may  be  had  from  a  miniature  painted  on 
ivory  when  he  was  a  young  man.  His  skin  at 
his  death  was  as  fair  as  a  child's.  He  was  ver}' 
regular  and  methodical  in  all  his  ways,  and  had 
never  known,  when  he  died,  what  toothache  or 
headache  was — all  his  teeth  being  sound  at 
eighty-four.  He  never  ate  any  supper.  His 
manners  were  courtly,  and  made  him  a  favorite 
in  ladies'  society.  In  all  matters  of  business  he 
was  very  punctilious.  It  was  customary  with 
him  to  save  every  letter,  paper,  and  document 
of  any  interest  to  himself,  and  these  he  carefull}- 
filed  way.  Especially  was  he  fond  of  writing 
out  and  communicatincr  to  his  friends  extracts 
from  moral  and  religious  works,  which  he  like- 
v.ise  preserved.     He  was  at  one  time  a  promi- 


40  BENSON  FAMILY  CF   NEWPORT. 

nent  member  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in 
Providence,  and  as  Clerk  his  name  is  regularly 
affixed  to  an  advertisem.ent  in  the  Gazette  of 
August  and  September,  179 1-4,  -warning  against 
"  encroachments  or  nuisances  on  the  Meeting- 
house Lot,  especially  at  or  near  the  time  of  the 
annual  Commxencement "  of  Rhode  Island  Col- 
lege. These  Commencements  were  announced 
in  a  companion  advertisement,  signed  George 
Benson,  Secretary,  to  be  "  publicly  celebrated 
in  the  Baptist  Meeting-house"  {Gazette,  August, 
1794-6).  It  was  probably  in  1795  that,  on  oc- 
casion of  a  quarrel  between  the  minister  and  his 
Vv'ife,  in  vvhich  his  sjmipathies  were  with  the  lat- 
ter, he  Avithdrew  from  this  church,  and  never 
connected  himself  with  any  other,  but  attended 
Friends'  meeting  mostly.  He  was  by  nature 
highly  philanthropic.  As  early  as  1775,  it  is 
supposed  he  was  interested  in  the  abolition  of 
slavery  in  his  native  State,  a  letter  in  the  Gazette 
of  Sept.  9,  of  that  year,  signed  "A  Friend  of 
America,"  being  attributed  to  him.  This  com- 
munication had  reference  to  a  petition  to  the 
General  Assembly  to  pass  an  act  (printed  on  the 
same  sheet)  "for  prohibiting  the  importation  of 
negroes  into  this  colony,  and  asserting  the  right 
of  freedom  of  all  those  hereafter  born  or  manu- 
mitted within  the  same."  At  the  June  session 
of  the  General  Assembly,  in  1 790,  was  passed  an 
"Act    to    incorporate    certain    Persons    by   the 


THIRD  GENERATION— GEORGE.  4 1 

Name  of  The  Providence  Society  for  promoting 
the  Abolition  of  Slavery,  for  the  Rehef  of  Per- 
sons unlawfully  held  in  Bondage,  and  for  im- 
proving the  Condition  of  the  African  Race,"  of 
which  the  preamble  was  as  follows : 

"  Whereas  a  voluntary  Society  hath  subsisted  for  some 
Time  past,  called  The  Providence  Society  for  abolishmg  the 
Slave- Trade  :  And  whereas  the  Persons  hereinafter  named, 
being  Members  thereof,  have  petitioned  this  General  As- 
sembly for  a  Charter  of  Incorporation  for  the  said  Society, 
to  enable  them  more  effectually  to  carry  into  Execution 
the  Purposes  of  their  humane  Institution,  in  promoting 
the  Abolition  of  the  Slave-Trade,  and  of  Slavery,  protect- 
ing the  Rights  of  Persons  unlawfully  held  in  Bondage,  and 
for  improving  the  Condition  of  such  Blacks  as  are  or  may 
be  emancipated,  and  of  their  Posterity  : 

"  Section  i.  Be  it  therefore  enacted,"  etc. 

The  list  of  corporators  consisted  of  ii  7  per- 
sons belonging  in  Rhode  Island,  68  in  Massa- 
chusetts, 3  in  Connecticut,  and  one  in  Vermont 
— the  first  New  England  Anti-Slavery  and 
Freedmen's  Society  combined — and  was  headed 
by  the  Hon,  David  Howell.  The  Rev.  Dr., 
Samuel  Hopkins  was  the  thirteenth  signer,  and 
George  Benson  the  thirtieth.  The  latter  was, 
as  he  says,  "  a  member  in  its  very  incipient  state, 
and  was  one  of  the  first  committee  appointed  to 
transact  the  business  during  the  recess  of  the 
Society  " ;  and,  during  the  closing  period  of  its 
existence,  was  its  secretary,  as  Judge  Howell 
was  its  president.     This  society  was  evidently 


^2  BENSON   FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

patterned  after  the  "  Pennsylvania  Society  for 
Promoting  the  Abolition  of  Slavery,  the  Relief 
of  Free  Negroes  unlawfully  held  in  Bondage, 
and  for  Improving  the  Condition  of  the  African 
Race,"  whose  first  president  was  Franklin,"  and 
which  voluntarily  elected  Mr.  Benson  an  honor- 
ary member,  his  diploma  bearing  date  October, 
1792.  Of  the  Providence  Society,  Mr.  Benson 
further  says  :  "  It  had  the  most  [more]  formida- 
ble opposition  to  encounter  than  any  other. 
The  inhabitants  of  Newport  had  been  many 
years  engaged  in  that  inhuman  trafiick,  wdiich  in 
its  various  ramifications  furnished  employment 
to  numerous  persons.  It  was  the  source  of  al- 
most every  other  branch  of  business.  Of  course 
the  ship-owners,  officers,  and  seamen,  with  all 
their  connections,  were  inimical  to  the  Society, 
as  was  also  the  town  of  Bristol,  though  of  minor 
importance.  Add  to  this,  some  of  the  principal 
merchants  in  Providence  were  in  the  opposition 
rank."  On  Feb.  24,  1834,  Mr.  Benson  was 
elected  the  third  president  of  the  New  England 
Anti- Slavery  Society,  and  served  for  that  year. 
When  the  Windham  County  (Conn.)  Peace 
Society  was  founded  in  1826  by  the  late   Rev. 

*  In  April,  1787.  The  Society  had  been  previously  organized  in  1773  for  the  pur- 
pose of  preventing  the  kidnapping  and  enslavement  of  free  negroes.  A  change  in  the 
Constitution  took  place  in.i7S7,  as  indicated  in  the  new  title.  (See  Edward  Needles's 
"  Historical  Memoir  of  the  Pennsylvania  Society,"  Philadelphia,  1S48.)  The  New  York 
Directory  for  17S6  gives  the  list  of  officers  of  "The  Society  for  promoting  the  Manumis- 
sion of  Slaves,  and  protecting  such  of  them  as  have  been,  or  may  be  liberated."  The 
Hon.  John  Jay  was  president. 


THIRD  GENERATION— GEORGE.  43 

Samuel  J.  May,  Mr.  Benson  was  probably  made 
president,  and,  though  wishing  to  resign  in  1835, 
he  was  continued  in  the  office  till  his  death. 
He  was  ever  active  in  distributinor  documents 
on  "this  interesting  and  truly  Gospel  subject," 
as  he  termed  the  cause  of  peace. 

INlr.  Benson  had  a  crest  of  arms  which  he  used  in  seaHrsg 
his  letters.  Unfortunately  his  seal  has  been  lost,  but  the 
device  is  remembered  by  his  son  as 
being  identical  with  that  of  which  a 
rude  cut  is  here  given,  from  a  repre- 
sentation on  a  piece  of  family  china  in 
the  possession  of  his  daughter,  i\lrs. 
\V.  L.  Garrison.  The  seal  had  a  short 
motto,  not  exceeding  four  words,  and 
was  attached  to  the  owner's  old-fash- 
ioned silver  Avatch,  which  was  made 
in  London,  and  had  belonged  to  his  father.  Mr.  V^''.  II. 
Whitmore,  of  Boston,  who  has  been  kind  enough  to  exam- 
ine the  crest,  expresses  his  opinion  as  follows  : 

"  The  form  of  course  is  heraldic,  and  diough  I  do  not  recollect 
such  a  crest,  I  have  seen  many  of  a  like  symbolic  nature,  e.j^.,  a 
crowned  heart,  a  dove  and  branch,  etc.  It  is  therefore  a  possible 
and  not  very  improbable  crest.  But  I  do  not  find  that  any  English 
family  of  the  name  ever  used  any  crest  resembling  it.  The  st}'Ie  of 
the  shield  resembles  the  work  of  our  Callendar,  an  engraver  vv-ho 
made  many  book  plates  about  iSoo  ;  and  I  should  suggest  that 
such  an  origin  would  be  a  likely  one  for  this  shield.  Callendar, 
like  engravers  of  this  date,  is  no  authority.  He  engraved  good 
coats  and  those  without  authority  indifferently." 

As  the  seal  is  likely  to  have  accompanied  the  w^atch,  the 
origin  of  the  crest  must  be  sought  for  in  a  previous  gene- 
ration, especiall}'-  as  Mr.  John  C.  Benson  has  an  indepen- 
dent recollection  of  its  being  used  by  his  grandfather, 
William  Benson. 


44 


BENSON  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

The  children  of  George  Benson   and  Sarah 
Thurber  were  as  follows  : 

.  Frances,  born  July  21,  1794  ;  died  Oct.  31,  1832,  in  Broolv- 
lyn,  Conn.,  and  buried  in  the  North  Burying  Ground, 
Providence.  Her  disease  was  neuralgia.  Slie  was  nev^er 
married. 

JMarv,  born  April  24,  1797  ;  died  in  Cambridgeport,  iNIass., 
January  29,  1842.     Her  remains  have  been  deposited  in  the 
North    Burying   Ground,    Providence.      Her   disease   Avas 
spinal  affection.     She  became  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
Friends  by  request,  in  1829.     She  was  never  married. 
.     Sarah,  born  January  3,  1799  ;  died  of  cancer,  in  Northamp- 
ton, Mass.,  Sunday,  October  6,  1850,  and  was  buried  there. 
She  was  never  married. 
.    Ann  Elizabeth,  born  October  21,  iSoi ;  died  of  dropsy,  in 
Northampton,  jNIass,  September  12,  1843,  and  was  buried 
there.     She  was  a  member  of  Friends'  Society  by  request. 
She  v.-as  never  married. 
.     Charlotte,  born  August  3,   1803.     Married,  October  22, 
1826,  in  Brooklyn,  Conn.,  by  Rev.  Samuel  J.  May,  to  Henry 
Anthony,  of  Providence,  where  they  settled  and  still  live. 
Their  children  are  : 

George  B., born  August  4,  died  August  i3, 1S27. Mary  G.,  born 

November  13,  182S,  and  died  on  the  same  day. Mary  Gould, 

born  December  6,  1829  ;  married  by  Rev.  E.  B.  Hall,  September  14, 
1S53,  to  William  C.  Townsend,  whose  children  are  :  Annie,  born 
March  10,  1S57  ;  Henry  Anthony,  born  September  26,  i860  ;  Fos- 
ter Hodges,  born  May  15,  1863. Sarah  Benson,  born  September 

27,  1S32  ;  married  by  Rev.  Augustus  Woodbury,  May  26,  1S57,  to 
Tames  Tillinghast,  whose  children  are  :  William  Richmond,  born 
April  15, 1858  ;  Henrj' Anthony,  born  September  15, 1S59  ;  Theodore 
Foster,  born  September  25,  1861  ;  Stephen  Hopkins,  born  April  17, 
1863,  died  March  7,  1S65  ;  Charles  Foster,  born  September  18,  1871  ; 

Charlotte  Lusanne,  born   November   16,   1872. George   Henry, 

born  June   13,  1835. Joseph  Bowen,   born  July   16,    1837. 

Frederick  Eugene,  born  October  iS,  1S40 ;  married  by  Rev. 
Augustus  Woodbur}',  June  5,  1S72,  to  Julia  Perkins  Adie. 

vi.  George,  born  Januar}-  9,  1806;  died  April  22,  1S07. 


THIRD  GENERATION— GEORGE.  45 

II.  vii.  GEORGE  WILLIAM,  born  February  15,  1S08. 

viii.  Helen  Eliza,  born  February  23,  181 1  ;  married  September 
4,  1834,  in  Brooklyn,  Conn.,  by  Rev.  Samuel  J.  May,  to 
William  Lloyd  Garrison,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  where  they  set- 
tled, after  various  changes,  and  still  live.  Their  children 
are  : 

George  Thompson,  born  February  13,  1035,  in  Brooklyn,  Conn. 

William  Lloyd,  born  January  21, 1S38,  in  Boston  ;   married  by 

Rev.  Samuel  J.  May,  September  14,  1864,  to  Ellen  Wright,  of  Au- 
burn, N.  Y.,  whose  children  are:  Agnes,  born  June  14,  1866; 
Charles,  born  June  ig,  1S68  ;  Frank  Wright,  born  October  18, 1S71. 

Wendell  PHiLLiPS,born  June  4, 1840,  in  Carabridgeport,  Mass.; 

married  by  Rev.  William  H.  Furness,  December  6,  1865,  to  Lucy 
McKim,  of  Philadelphia,  whose  children  are  :  Lloyd  McKim,  born 

May  4,  1867  ;  Philip  McKim,  born  September  28,  1S69. Charles 

Follen,  born  in  Cambridgeport,  Mass.,  September  g,  1S42  ;  died  in 
Boston,  April  8,  1S49. Helen  Frances,  born  in  Boston,  Decem- 
ber 16,  1S44  ;  married  by  Rev.  George  Putnam,  January  3,  1866,  in 
Roxbury,  Mass.,  to  Henry  Villard,  of  Bavaria,  Germany.  Their 
children  are:  Helen  Elise,  born  June  28,  1S68  ;  Harold  Garrison, 
born  December  3,  1S69  ;  Oswald,  born  March  13,  1872. Eliza- 
beth Pease,  born  in  Boston,  December  11,  1846  ;  died  there  April 
20,  1848. Francis  Jackson,  born  in  Boston,  October  29,  1848. 

ix.  Henry  Egbert,  born  July  31,  1814;  died  in  Providence, 
Tuesday  afternoon,  January  6,  1S37.  This  favorite  son  and 
brother,  whose  untimely  loss  was  keenl}-  felt  by  his  sur- 
viving relatives,  was  a  young  man  of  great  beauty  of  per- 
son and  character.  He  commenced  business  as  clerk  and 
bookkeeper  for  Joseph  Rogers,  a  commission  merchant  of 
Providence,  dealing  principally  in  cotton.  His  leisure 
time  and  his  evenings  he  spent  in  im.proving  the  condition 
of  the  colored  population  in  that  city,  every  family  of  whom 
he  visited  in  his  benevolent  rounds  ;  and  his  first  public 
address  was  to  a  colored  audience.  He  resided  in  Provi- 
dence during  the  years  1831-34.  When  not  yet  nineteen, 
we  find  him  at  Canterbury,  Conn.,  on  an  errand  connected 
with  the  Prudence  Crandall  affair  (see  Rev.  S.  J.  May's 
"  Recollections  of  our  Anti-Slavery  Conflict,"  pp.  39-72. 
and  "  The  Life  of  Arthur  Tappan,"  pp.  152-15S).     In  1S32, 


45  BENSON  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

he  was  solicited  by  his  future  brother-in-hiw,  Wm.  Lloyd 
Garrison,  to  act  as  agent  for  the  Liba-ator  in  Providence, 
he  being  at  the  same  time  agent  for  Mr.  May's  Unitarian 
paper,  called  the  Christian  Monitor  and  Conunon  People's 
Adviser.  During  the  first  visit  of  George  Thompson,  the 
celebrated  English  orator  and  philanthropist,  to  this  coun- 
try, in  1835,  Henry  Egbert  served  as  his  travelling  asso- 
ciate and  secretar}^  In  March  of  that  year,  in  fulfilment 
of  this  engagement,  he  visited  New  York  and  Philadelphia, 
and  also  made  a  pleasant  journey  up  the  North  River  as 
far  as  Albany,  on  business  connected  with  the  Liberator. 
In  July,  he  accepted  an  appointment  as  Secretary  and 
General  Agent  of  the  Massachusetts  Anti-Slavery  Society 
in  Boston,  and  held  this  position  till  March,  1S36,  keeping 
the  Liberator  s  books.  The  immediate  cause  of  his  retire- 
ment and  return  to  Providence  was  an  attack  of  tj-phoid 
fever,  in  convalescing  from  which  he  took  cold  and  had  a 
relapse  which  left  him  in  an  enfeebled  condition,  and  an 
easy  prey  to  consumption.  He  sought  medical  treatment 
in  various  ways  in  Boston  and  Providence,  and,  as  usual, 
his  condition  excited  alternate  hopes  and  fears.  Towards 
the  last,  in .  Brooklyn,  his  health  "continued  quite  com- 
fortable" up  to  his  father's  death  in  December,  1836,  soon 
after  which  "  there  appeared  a  change  in  his  disorder  ;  and 
he  complied  with  the  urgent  request  of  several  friends  to 
try  steaming  as  a  dernier  ressort."  He  left  home  about  ten 
da3's  previous  to  his  decease,  and  never  returned.  At 
Pawtucket,  the  doctors  gave  him  up,  and  he  went  back  to 
Providence,  where  he  met  his  fate  composedly,  being  per- 
fectly sensible  to  the  end.  During  the  last  sixteen  hours, 
he  could  not  lie  abed,  on  account  of  the  great  distress  he 
had  in  breathing.  His  remains  were  deposited  in  the 
North  Burying  Ground,  Providence.  An  obituary  notice 
appeared  in  the  Liberator  of  Jan.  21,  1837,  from  the  pen  of 
Mr.  Garrison. 

The  unusual  n.anie  of  EgLcrt  naturally  suggested  to  the  compiler 
of  this  genealogy  some  relationship  between  the  famous  Judge 
Egbert  Benson,  of  New  York,  and  the  Rhode  Island  family.  There 
is,  however,  no  evidence  to   show  that  any  existed,  the  weight  of 


THIRD  GENERATION— GEORGE.  47 

tradition  being  in  favor  of  an  English  derivation  for  the  latter,  while 
Judge  Benson  was  unquestionably  of  Dutch  descent.  The  naming 
of  young  Benson  was  apparently  due  to  the  same  cause  to  which 
the  historian,  Mr.  Benson  J.  Lossing,  owes  his  first  name,  viz., 
intimacy  of  the  Judge  with  the  father  in  each  case,  and  nothing 
more,  Mr.  George  W.  Benson  remembers  the  Judge's  visits  to  his 
father's  house  in  Providence  whenever  he  came  on  to  attend  court. 
He  invariably  sent  his  colored  servant — a  very  gentlemanly  man — 
the  day  before,  to  say  that  his  master  would  give  himself  the  pleasure 
of  passing  the  following  day  with  them,  and  to  add  that  he  should 
like  for  dinner  a  certain  kind  of  blackfish  then  only  found  in  the 
bay  about  Newport.  The  next  morning  always  the  servant  came 
early  to  the  house,  took  entire  control  of  the  kitchen  and  dining- 
room,  dressed  the  fish  in  the  peculiar  manner  best  relished  by  the 
Judge,  and  at  table  waited  behind  his  master's  chair.  The  host 
followed  the  fashion  of  the  times  in  the  liberal  use  of  wines. 


48  BENSON  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 


FOURTH    GENERATION. 

S08W  ©O^^inCjtClir  ^tnnon  was  bom  in  Dou- 
glas, Worcester  County,  Massachusetts,  Novem- 
ber 3,  1 794.  He  was  the  youngest  son  of  the 
family,  strong  and  enduring  from  childhood,  and 
of  quick  and  retentive  memory.  He  received  a 
good  education,  and  studied  physic  and  surgery 
with  Dr.  Thomas  Hubbard,  of  Pomfret,  Conn., 
acquiring  some  proficiency,  and  being  called 
upon  to  assist  in  some  difficult  cases  of  surgery. 
He  left  medicine,  temporarily  as  he  then  ex- 
pected, to  engage  in  manufacturing,  to  which  he 
had  been  invited ;  but  his  success  was  so  great 
that  he  never  resumed  his  profession.  Begin- 
ning March  3,  18 13,  he  gave  his  attention  to  all 
the  varieties  of  cotton,  woollen,  and  silk  manu- 
facture. He  had  previously,  indeed,  at  his 
father's  house,  helped  grow  silk  and  make  it 
into  sewing-silk,  and  is  now,  perhaps,  the 
oldest  American  manufacturer  living  in  the 
branches  just  named.  His  operations  became 
very  extensive.  In  1838,  he  removed  from  New 
England  to  New  Jersey,  built  a  factory  in  Tren- 
ton, which  he  carried  on  till  1843,  ^^^^  ^^"^^^"^  ^^' 
linquished  it  on  account  of  his  health.  He 
removed  to  Paterson   (where  he    still  resides), 


FOURTH  GENERATION— JOHN  CODDINGTON.  49 

and  carried  on  both  the  cotton  and  silk  manufac- 
tures with  his  customary  success. 

In  the  large  cotton  and  woollen  factory  in  which  he  was 
employed  as  superintendent  in  1S13,  he  introduced  a  rigid 
temperance  rule,  applicable  to  all  the  employees,  under 
pain  of  discharge.  At  that  time,  the  company  v/ho  were 
the  proprietors  dealt,  as  was  then  common,  in  ardent 
spirits,  both  by  wholesale  and  retail,  deriving  on  that  side 
a  large  profit  from  sales  to  their  own  hands,  which  they 
lost  on  the  other  from  irregular  and  imperfect  work  caused 
by  the  Saturday  night  and  Sunday  excesses  in  drinking. 
Mr.  Benson  persuaded  them  to  abandon  this  traffic,  and 
may  undoubtedly  claim  the  credit  of  being  the  first  tp  en- 
force temperance  principles  in  manufacturing  establish- 
ments in  this  country.  His  mill  being  in  "Worcester 
County,  he  frequently  drove  to  Boston  and  back  in  the 
same  day,  transacting  his  business,  and  rising  after  a  short 
rest  to  spend  a  long  day  in  the  factory  without  inconve- 
nience. He  remembers  while  in  Boston  seeing  the  Gingko 
tree  transplanted  to  its  present  place  on  the  Common,  an 
incident  which  Dr.  Holmes  has  used  in  his  pleasant  man- 
ner in  his  "  Autocrat  of  the  Breakfast-Table  "  (p.  324). 

Mr.  Benson  has  been  twice  married  :  first,  to 
Mary  Ann  Kempton,  January  i,  1828  ;  born 
August  24,  1808;  died  September  12,  1862. 
She  was  buried  in  the  family  lot  at  Paterson, 
where  a  stone  marks  her  grave.  By  her  he  had 
three  daughters  and  one  son,  as  follows  : 

i.  Eliza  Ann,  born  October  31,  1828.     She  married   Daniel 

Kempton,  jr.,  of  Woonsocket,  R.  I. 
ii.  Electa  Caroline  Coddington,  born  September  22,  1834  ; 

died  August  28,  1854.    A  sweet  and  estimable  character, 
iii.  Grace,  born  September  23,  1S37  ;  died  November  28  of  the 
same  }'ear. 


;0  BENSOX  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

ir.  John  Coddingtox,  born  in  Trenton.  N.  J.,  M.irch  i.  1S44; 
died  the  next  day. 

j\Ir.  Benson  married  for  his  second  wife  Sarah 
Augusta  Luther,  born  February  22,  1823.  They 
have  no  children. 


FOURTH  GENERATION— GEORGE  WILLIAM. 


"  George  WtlUmtV  MtllBOn  was  bom  ill 
Providence,  February  15,  1808.  At  the  age  of 
fifteen  he  persuaded  his  father  to  purchase  a  farm 
in  Brooklyn,  Conn.,  as  already  related.  Of  this, 
after  the  family  had  removed  thither,  he  had  the 
entire  management,  and  subsequently  also  of  the 
farm  of  old  IMoses  Brown,  in  Providence,  going 
back  and  forth  as  the  interest  of  each  required. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  became  a  part- 
ner in  the  wholesale  and  retail  wool  and  leather 
firm  of  Benson  &  Chace,  v\'hose  place  of  busi- 
ness v/as  12  Westminster  street,  Providence, 
He  still  continued  his  manao-ement  of  the  two 
farms.  In  1833,  the  firm-style  became  Geo.  W. 
Benson  &  Co.  On  the  death  of  his  father,  at 
the  close  of  1836,  in  accordance  with  a  promise 
made  to  his  mother,  he  abandoned  mercantile 
life,  and  returned  to  Brooklyn,  where  he  be- 
came the  head  of  the  house.  An  experience  of 
four  years  having  shown  that  the  farm  could 
not  sustain  two  families,  it  was  sold  finally 
,'  (Feb.-Apr.,  1841)  ;  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year 
he  removed  to  Northampton,  settling  in  that 
portion  of  it  which  for  a  time  was  known  as 
Bensonville^  but  (for  reasons  growing  out  of  the 
silk  interest)  was,  after  he  had  left  it,  given  the 


BENSON   FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

name  of  Florence — since  become  more  legiti- 
mately famous  for  its  manufacture  of  sewing- 
machines.  Here,  in  company  with  Messrs, 
Samuel  L.  Hill  and  I.  Conant,  hebous^ht  a  lart>-c 
tract  of  four  or  five  hundred  acres,  intending  to 
go  into  the  manufacture  of  sewing-silk  ;  but,  be- 
fore they  had  fairly  embarked  in  this  business, 
they  were  seized  with  the  communistic  fever 
then  prevalent,  and  the  result  was,  on  April  8, 
1842,  an  organization  of  ten  persons,  including 
Messrs.  Hill  and  Benson,  but  not  Mr.  Conant,  as 
"  The  Northampton  Association  of  Education 
and  Industry'."  To  this  body  the  Northampton 
Silk  Company  sold  Its  land,  dwelling-houses, 
factory,  saw-mill,  and  water  privileges  for  about 
$31,000.  The  career  of  this  community,  which 
is  remarkable  among  other  American  attempts 
In  the  same  direction,  and  which  was  dissolved 
November  i,  1846,  Is  given  (from  Mr.  Benson's 
own  statements)  In  Noyes's  "History  of  Ameri- 
can Socialisms,"  pp.  154-160  (Philadelphia:  J. 
B.  LIppIncott  «&  Co.,  1870).  It  maybe  added 
here  that  Mr.  Benson  was  made  president  of  the 
Association,  and  continued  In  that  office  to  the 
end.  In  spite  of  wrangling  and  friction  among 
the  adults,  the  children's  life  in  these  five  years 
was  joyous  and  to  be  remembered  with  pleasure. 
They  shared  fully  In  the  industry  of  the  enter- 
prise by  taking  the  whole  care  of  the  silkworms 
and  the  field  of  mulberries  on  which  they  fed  ; 


FOURTH  GENERATION— GEORGE  WILLIAM.  53 

the  boys  cultivating"  the  field  and  helping  the 
girls  pull  the  leaves,  and  the  girls  feeding  the 
worms.  After  all  It  was  found  cheaper  to  Im- 
port the  raw  material.  The  education  and 
amusement  of  the  children  were  carefully  looked 
after.  On  the  dissolution  of  the  community,  Mr. 
Benson  took  the  brick  factory  and  turned  it  into 
a  cotton  mill,  which  it  still  remains,  though  In 
other  hands.  His  partners  were  three  men  of 
capital,  but  having  widely  different  views  as  to 
the  kind  of  help  to  be  employed — Mr.  Benson 
almlnof  to  secure  the  best  at  ofood  wasfes — and 
as  to  the  observance  of  Sunda}'-,  when  they  ob- 
jected to  the  repair  of  machinery.  The  result 
was  that  Mr.  Benson  retired,  and  carried  on  a 
silk-mill  till  the  fall  of  1850,  when  he  removed 
with  his  family  to  Willlamsburgh,  Long  Island, 
and  undertook  the  laundry  business.  In  1855, 
he  removed  to  New  York  City,  and  became  a 
commission  broker.  Being  greatly  troubled  by 
his  throat,  he  removed  for  the  sake  of  the  cli- 
mate to  Kansas,  in  the  spring  of  i860,  settling- 
just  outside  of  Lawrence,  where,  at  this  date,  he 
is  surrounded  by  all  his  family.  In  the  elections 
of  1869,  he  was  chosen  State  representative  for 
District  No.  136,  and  in  January,  1870,  went  up 
to  attend  the  session  of  the  Legislature.  In  the 
November  election  of  the  same  year,  he  was 
again  chosen  to  represent  Wakarusa  township. 
IMr.  Benson   earl)'  shared  his  father's  views  on 


54  BENSON  FAMILY  OF  NEWPORT. 

the  subject  of  slavcn-  in  particular,  and  of  reform 
in  general ;  and  both  as  an  officer  of  societies 
and  as  a  pubHc  speaker  assisted  in  the  abohtion 
agitation.  Though  the  Northampton  commu- 
nity was  not  founded  in  accordance  with  the 
doctrines  of  Fourier,  it  sent  Mr.  Benson  as  one 
of  its  representatives  to  the  first  convention 
which  introduced  Fourlerism  to  New  Enorland. 
and  he  was  made  a  vice-president  (December, 
iS43-January,  1S44,  in  Boston;  see  Noyes,  p. 

514)- 

Mr.  Benson  was  married,  in  Waltham,  i\Iass., 

to  Catherine  Knapp  Stetson,  Tuesday,  Decem- 
ber 10,  1833.  She  Vv-as  born  May  21,  1809. 
Their  children  v/ere  as  follows  : 


i.  Anna  Elizaeetii,  born  in  Providence,  September  23,  1834; 

married  September  23,  1S53,  in  Williarasburgh,  L.  I.,  to  Dr. 

Ed\vard   R.  Percy.     They  have   had   one  child,  Charlotte 

Helen,  born  July  17,  i860  ;  died  in  Kansas,  January  7,  1870. 
ii.  Henry  Egbert,  born  in  Brooklyn,  Conn.,  October  7,  1S37. 
iii.  George,  born  in  Brooklyn,  January  7,  1S39. 
iv.  Eliza  Davis,  born  in  Brooklyn,  February  24,  1S41  ;   died 

of  scarlet  fever  May  3,  1842. 
v.  Thomas  Davis,  born  in  Northampton,  September  i,  1842. 
vi.  Mary,  born  in  Northampton,  October  18,  1843;  married 

June  17,  1S63,  in  Wakarusa  township,  Kansas,  to  William 

L.  G.  Soule.     They  have  had  two  children,  Helen,  born 

November  8,  1S65,  died  November  6,  1S67  ;  and  Emma,  born 

October  7,  1S71. 
vii.  Sarah,  born  in  Northampton,  October  17,  1S46  ;  married 

October  13,   1S64,  in  Wakarusa   township,  to   Horace   E. 

Stone.     Thev  have  had  one  child,  Mildred,  born  Mav  22, 

1S65. 


APPEXDIX.  rr 


APPENDIX 


In  the  fourteenth  volume  of  The  A'e^v  Enghvid IHstorical  and  Genealogi- 
cal Register  {Bosion,  iS6o),  pp.  347,  34S,  Mr.  S.  G.  Drake  has  printed  part  of 
the  contents  of  a  volume  discovered  and  copied  by  him  in  the  Rolls  Office, 
bound  in  vellum,  containing  about  three  quires  of  foolscap,  with  an  inscrip- 
tion on  the  vellum  nearly  the  same  as  this,  which  is  found  inside  : 

Register  of  the  names 

of  all  3'e  Passinger  wch 

Passed  from  ye  Porte  of 

London  for  on  whole 

yeare  Endinge  at 

Xp'mas  1635. 

The  first  entry  under  this  heading  is  of  a  vessel  which  sailed  vi  Jan- 
uarii  1634  for  St.  Christophers  and  the  Barbadoes.    Then  follows  : 

17  Februarij  1634. 
Theis  under  written  names  are  to  be  transported  to  the  Barbadoes  imbarqued  in  ye 
Hopewell  Capten  Tho :  Wood  Mr.  bound  thither.    The  passengers  have  taken  the  oath 
of  Allegeance  and  Supremacie. 

Among  the  passengers  thus  registered  was  William  Bensox,  aged  28. 
The  barque  Falcon  sailed  nearly  two  years  later  : 

25  decembris  1635. 
Theis  underv.-ritten  names  passed  in  a  Catch  to  the  Downes  ;  and  were  put  aboard 
the  aforesaid  shipp  Tho :  Irish  Mr.  to  the  Barbadoes. 

Among  these  passengers  was  Henry  Benson,  aged  ig. 

These  are  the  earliest  emigrants  to  America  of  the  name  of  Benson  of 
whom  the  compiler  has  found  any  mention.  Inasmuch  as  Capt.  ^Martin" 
Benson  had  property  interests  in  St.  Kitt's  (see  ante  p.  17),  an  attempt  was 
made  to  have  the  records  of  that  island  consulted,  but  the  persons  entrusted, 
with  this  commission  went  no  further  than  promises. 


56  APPENDIX. 

B. 

Rhode  Island  Bctisous  apparently  not  related  to  those  of  N'ewport. 

Providence. — Book  of  Deeds  No.  6,  pp.  359,  360  (ofTicc  of  the  Town 
Clerk).  Jacob  Binsox  conveys  by  warranty  deed  to  Col.  Samuel  Browne, 
of"  Salem  in  the  County  of  Essectes  in  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay, 
for  _j^30  current  money,"  a  piece  of  land  containing  a  small  dwelling  house 
and  14  "acres  of  land  by  the  eighteen  foot  pole"  in  that  part  of  the  town- 
ship of  Providence  "  towards  Mendon."  October  2d,  in  the  12th  "year  of 
the  reign  of  our  Sovereign  Lord  George  King  of  Great  Brittan,"  a.d.  1725. 

his 
Signed  Jacob  J  Binson. 

mark 

Book  of  Deeds  No.  8,  pp.  14,  15.  Job  Benson,  of  Providence,  yeoman, 
conveys  by  warranty  deed  to  Isaac  Richardson,  of  Providence,  for  ;^2o  14s. 
current  money  of  New  England,  a  piece  of  land  containing  9I4  acres  by 
estimation,  more  or  less,  in  the  township  of  Providence  on  the  easterly  side 
of  the  seven-mile  line.     January,  172S. 

June  5,  1795,  entered  the  Port  of  Providence  Ship  Charlotte,  Benson, 
from  Turk's  Island. 

Nine  Partners. — Some  )-ears  before  the  Revolution,  Jacob  Benson  moved 
hence  to  Easton,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  lived  till  iSoo,  when  he 
moved  to  Cincinnatus,  then  in  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.  Before  leaving  Rhode 
Island,  he  had  married  IMary  Meach,  by  whom  he  had  Daniel,  Judith, 
LrsiNA,  Edward,  Bildad,  Margaret,  John,  Didymus,  and  Alexander 
Hamilton — all  dead  (1S71).     He  was  wounded  in  the  French  War. 

John  Benson,  his  brother,  was  taken  prisoner  at  Ticonderoga,  and  car- 
ried to  Montreal,  where  he  suffered  very  much.  With  two  companions,  he 
broke  jail  and  made  his  way  home  through  the  woods  by  the  aid  of  a  pocket- 
compass,  amid  great  hardships.     He  had  a  large  family. 

Daniel  Benson,  son  of  Jacob,  had  ten  children,  of  whom  onl}^  two  sons 
survived  in  1S71.     One  of  these  was 

Gen.  E.  W.  Benson,  living  at  Spencerport,  Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y.  He 
served  in  the  War  of  1S12,  and  was  "in  the  Rebellion  loyal."  In  April, 
1S71,  when  he  communicated  these  facts,  he  had  one  son,  De  Witt  S.,  of  the 
firm  of  John  Mott  &  Co.,  New  York  ;  one  in  St.  Louis  ;  one  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 
at  258  Main  Street ;  and  one,  George,  in  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  firm  of  Morse, 
Benson  &  Co.,  shoe  dealers,  66  Massachusetts  Street.  Gen.  Benson  was  at 
that  date  S3  years  old.  He  states  that  he  has  never  met  any  person  bearing 
the  name  with  whom  he  could  trace  relationship  outside  of  his  father's  family. 

Glocester. — May  2,  173S,  Is.VAC  Benson,  admitted  a  freeman  (Bartlett, 
Colonial  Records,  iv.) 


APPENDIX. 


57 


1739,  first  Tuesday  in  May,  JoiiN  Benson  admitted  a  freeman.     {Ibid.) 

1760,  first  Wednesday  in  May,  Isaac  Benson  admitted  a  freeman. 
{Ibid.) 

By  the  census  of  1774,  Jobe  Benson  had  six  children,  of  whom  four 
were  males — two  above  and  two  under  sixteen  ;  and  two  females — both  over 
sixteen.  By  the  same  census,  John  Benson  had  four  children,  of  whom 
one  was  a  male,  above  sixteen  ;  and  three  females,  one  above  and  two  un- 
der sixteen. 

A  Capt.  John  Benston  cleared  for  South  Carolina  from  Newport  July 
29,  1725  ;  returned  November  4,  and  was  again  bound  out  November  12. 
(Boston  N'ezvs-Lcttci;  Aug.  5,  12,  Nov.  11,  iS.) 


Massachusetts  Bcnsons. 

Ilinghain. — John  Benson  came  from  Southampton,  1638,  in  the  Confi- 
dence,  aged  30,  with  wife  ISIar}',  and  children  John  and  Mary,  under  four 
years  old  ;  had  grant  of  land  at  Hingham  that  year,  says  Lincoln,  47.  He 
was  of  Caversham  in  Oxfordshire  ;  but  both  the  names  of  place  and  person 
were  strangel}' misspelt  in  jV.E.  Geneal.  lieg.  ii.  109.  (Savage's  Genealogical 
Dictionar)\) 

Rochester. — Jo:iN  Benson,  by  wife  Elizabeth,  had  Mary,  born  March  10, 
i589  (168S,  Reg)  ;  Sarah,  July  15,  1690  ;  Ebenezer,  March  16,  1693  ;  John, 
June  10,  1696,  died  soon  ;  Joseph  and  Benjamin,  twins,  March  16,  1697  ; 
Bennett,  Sept.  10,  1698  ;  Martha,  March  5,  1703  ;  Joshua  and  Caleb, 
twins,  Jan.  29,  1705  (1704,  Reg)  ;  and  Samuel,  March  22,  1707  (1706,  Reg.) 
(Savage.     The  N.  E.  Gen.  Register  referred  to  is  for  1S51,  p.  85). 

Hull. — 'Joseph  Benson,  made  freeman  in  May  Court,  167S  (Mass. 
Records,  v.  p.  53B).  Had  in  Dec,  1675,  been  a  soldier  of  Johnson's  com- 
pany for  the  bloody  Narragansett  fight.     (Savage.) 

"Joseph  Benson,  son  of  John  of  Hull.  His  first  wife  was  Prince,  his 
second  Mary  Curtis,  of  Scituate,  1727,  and  his  third  Alice  Pickels,  1739. 
He  died  in  Scituate.  (Dean's  History  of  Scituate.)  Father  of  the  fol- 
lowing : 

Scititaie. — Joseph  Benson,  son  of  the  foregoing  No.  2,  settled  in  Scituate 
in  1743.  His  farm  was  on  the  south  of  Hoop-pole  Hill,  near  Margaret's 
brook,  where  his  descendants  nov/  reside.  He  married  Abiel  Stockbridgc, 
1743.  Joseph,  his  son,  was  his  only  child,  he  having  deceased  1745.  His 
widow  married  John  Bryant. 

Joseph  married  Susanna,  the  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Clap,  Esq.,  1770. 
He  was  a  useful  and  worthy  man,  often  employed  in  the  business  of  the 


58  APPENDIX. 

town,  and  clerk  of  the  second  parish  for  many  years.  His  sons  John  and 
JosEni  are  deceased.  Stepiiex  and  Artemas  are  living  in  Scituate,  and 
GoRiiAM  in  Charleston,  S.  C.     (Dean's  Histor)'  of  Scituate,  Boston,  1831.) 

nymoiith. — June  6,  16S2,  John  Binson  was  among  those  "  propounded 
to  take  up  theire  Freedom,  if  approved"  (Colonial  Records,  vi.  p.  87).  His 
name  afterwards  appears  in  Nathaniel  Morton's  list  of  the  freemen  of  the 
Colony,  16S3-S4.     {Ibid.,  viii.,  p.  203.) 

Bridge'cvater. — JoHN  Benson  (from  Weymouth  perhaps,  and  son  of  John 
of  Hull)  settled  in  South  Bridgewater,  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  probably 
of  Jonathan  Washburn  [Dec.  4],  1710,  and  had  Susanna,  Benjamin,  Eliza- 
beth, Mary,  Hannah,  and  Jonathan  ;  he  died  1770,  his  will  dated  the 
same  year,  in  which  it  appears  Benjamin,  Elizabeth,  Marj-,  and  Hannah 
were  then  dead. — Susannah  married  Jonathan  Cushman,  1736. — Hannah 
married  James  Dunbar,  jr.,  1746,  and  died  about  1757. 

2.  Benjamin  (son  of  John')  married  Keziah,  daughter  of  Amos  Snell, 
1743,  and  had  Benjamin,  an  only  child,  who  married  Abigail,  daughter 
probably  of  Nathan  Pratt,  1770. — Benjamin,  the  father,  died  1749,  and  his 
wife  Keziah  1750  ;  his  will  174S,  hers  1749  ;  the  wife  of  Benjamin,  jr.,  died 
1771. 

3.  Jonathan  (son  of  John')  married  Martha,  daughter  of  Amos  Snell, 
1740,  and  had  John,  1742;  Eunice,  1744;  Mary,  1745  ;  INIartha,  1749; 
Lois,  1751  ;  Jonathan,  1752  ;  Ecenezer,  1755  ;  David,  1756  ;  Jonah,  1759  ; 
lie  died  17SS,  of  small-pox  ;  she  iSoi,  aged  84  ;  his  will,  dated  17S8,  hers 
1791. — Eunice  married  John  Harden,  1766. — Mary  married  Benjamin  Hay- 
ward,  jr.,  1767. — Martha  married  Elisha  Waterman  of  Halifax,  1774. — Lois 
married  Cornelius  Washburn,  jr. 

4.  Jonathan  (son  of  Jonathan^)  married  Lydia,  daughter  probably  of 
Samuel  Harden,  1774,  and  had  John,  Betsey,  Cyrus,  Jonathan,  and  Abi- 
gail, and  perhaps  others  ;  he  died  1S02,  ?et.  50. — John  died  1S05,  ret.  27. — 
Cyrus  married  Lydia,  daughter  of  Capt.  Simeon  Wood,  1806. — Jonathan 
married  Jane,  daughter  of  Jonah  Benson,  1S20. — Abigail  married  Samuel 
Jones,  iSii. 

5.  Ebenezer  (son  of  Jonathan^)  married  Silence,  daughter  of  Nehemiah 
Packard  and  widow  of  Seth  Leonard,  1777,  and  had  a  daughter,  Olive,  who 
married  ALirtin  Conant,  1797,  and  had  two  sons,  AsA  and  Hosea  ;  and  all 
went  to  Jay  in  Maine. 

6.  David  (son  of  Jonathan')  married  Charit)-,  daughter  of  Seth  Hay- 
ward,  17S0,  and  had  Tabitha,  17S1  ;  Eunice,  17S2  ;  Charity,  1784  ;  Sarah, 
1786;  David,  1783,-  Seth,  1790;  Bethiah,  1793;  Keziah,  1796;  Polly, 
179S. — Tabitha  married  Wm.  Fuller,  iSoi. — Eunice  married  Abner  Keith, 
1803. — Charity  married  Ebenezer  Cushman,  of  Kingston,  1S05. — Sarah  mar- 


APPENDIX. 


59 


ried  James  Pool,  jr.,  about  iSoS. — Eethiah  married  Seth  Thompson,  i3i5. — 
Keziah  married  John  Atwood  Jackson,  1S15. — Polly  married  Ebenezer 
Chamberlin,  1S20. 

7.  Jonah  (son  of  Jonathan')  married  Martha  Thompson  of  Halifax, 
1782,  and  had  Jon.vh,  W.\itstill,  Patty,  Naiiu.m,  Lucia,  and  Ja.ne. — Jonah 
married  Chloe  Hathaway,  iSrg. — Waitstill  married  Benjamin  Holmes, 
1S07. — Patty  married  Philander  Wood,  1S13. — Xahum  married  Chloe  Dun- 
bar, iSig. — Lucia  married  a  Drake. — Jane  married  Jonathan  Benson,  1S20. 

JoH.\  Benson  married  Sarah  Williams,  1765. — Keziah  married  Ebene- 
zer Cushman,  jr.,  of  Kingston,  1S05. — Hann.vh  married  Jabez  Waterman  of 
H.,  17S5.  (Mitchell's  History  of  the  Early  Settlement  of  Bridgewater,  Bos- 
ton, 1S40.) 

Tainiton. — Joseph  Benson  married  Deborah  Smith,  April  17,  1699. 
(A'.  E.  Geneal.  Register,  xiii.  p.  253.) 

Brookline. — BENJAMIN  Benson,  of  Brookline,  is  mentioned  in  the  inter- 
leaved almanac  of  Samuel  Sewall,  jr.,  April  17,  1724.  (A^.  E.  Geneal.  Regis- 
ter, xvi.  p.  65.) 

Framingham. — Nero  Benson,  colored  servant  of  Mr.  Swift,  married 
Dido  Dingo,  1731.  He  was  trumpeter  in  Capt.  Clark's  Company,  1726,  and 
a  legacy  to  Ebenezer  Robie,  1742.  (Barry's  History  of  Framingham,  Bos- 
ton, 1S47.)     It  is  not  known  from  what  master  he  derived  his  surname. 

Middleboroiigh. — On  the  roll  of  Capt.  Job  Pierce's  company  from  this 
town,  which  made  a  secret  expedition  to  Tiverton,  R.  I.,  in  1777,  being 
thirty  days  on  duty,  appear  the  names  of  privates  John  Benson  and  IsA.vc 
Benson.     (N.  E.  Geneal.  Register,  xxii.  p.  176.) 

Freeto'vn. — This  was  a  Tor}--  town,  but  Capt.  Levi  Rounsevill's  minute 
company  marched  hence  on  the  alarm  on  the  19th  of  April,  1775,  twelve 
miles,  doing  three  days'  duty.  Among  the  privates  on  the  muster-roll  was 
Jacob  Benson,  who  afterwards  (October,  1775)  served  under  the  same  com- 
mander as  a  member  of  the  gth  Regiment  Continental  Army.  (iV.  E.  Geneal. 
Register,  xxii.  pp.  175,  180.) 

Douglas. — Capt.  A.\ron  Benson  was  (some  time  prior  to  1S24)  sub- 
scriber to  the  narrative  of  the  voj-ages  of  Rev.  John  Benson  (see  ante  p.  23). 

jSIendoK. — J.vPvED  Benson  and  John  Benson  were  subscribers  to  the 
same  book. 

Francis  Benson  was  master's  mate,  and  J.acob  Benson  quarter-gun- 
ner, on  board  the  U.  S.  frigate  Essex,  Capt.  Edward  Preble,  on  her  first 
voyage,  iSoo.     (Essex  Institute  Hist.  Coll.,  X.,  iii.  p.  53.) 


6o  APPENDIX. 

D. 

JMaine  Bexsons. 

Jay. — See  ante  Bridgewater,  Mass.,  No.  5. 

Kitteiy. — Henry  Bexsox,  whose  wife's  name  was  Quint,  went  from  ) 

Kitlcrj-  to  Biddeford  before  1750.  Several  of  his  children  married  and  set- 
tled in  Arundel.  Hexry  married  Susan  Fletcher  ;  Mercy,  Benjamin  Lit- 
tlcfield  ;  Llxy,  Benjamin  Green  ;  Lydia,  Timothy  Crawley  and  James 
Adams  ;  and  Olive,  Isaac  Curtis,  Edmund  Jeflery,  and  John  Tarbox. 
Three  of  the  sons  remained  in  Biddeford,  and  one  lived  in  Kitter}'.  The 
children  of  H en r}-,  jr.  (of  Arundel),  were  Henry,  married  Hannah  Huflf; 
Lydia,  James  Adams;  Betsy  (not  married);  Samuel,  Mary  HufF;  John, 
Abiel  Springer;  Robert,  Lydia  Stone;  James,  and  one  other  who  died 
}-oung.     (Bradbury's  Historj'  of  Kennebunk  Point.     1S37.) 

IVinthrop. — Samuel  P.  Bexsox,  member  of  the  Maine  Historical  So- 
ciety, 1847.     See  Appendix  H  below.  j 

E. 

New  Hampshire  Bensons. 

Portsmouth. — Mercy  Benson  married  Nathaniel  Brown,  also  of  Ports- 
mouth, 1714  (?)    (^N.  E.  Registc7-,  xxiii.  p.  270.) 

Jemima  Benson,  of  Portsmouth,  married  John  Allixander,  of  Durham, 
England,  Oct.  7,  1716.     {/bid.,  p.  393.) 

John  Benson  married  Hannah  Brown,  also  of  Portsmouth,  June  i3, 
1724.     {Ibid.,  Jan.,  1S70,  p.  17.) 

Anna  Benson,  of  Portsmouth,  married  John  Searle,  of  Luppitt,  Devon- 
shire, England,  Aug.  31,  1726.     {Ibid) 

Ne-djington. — J.\mes  Benson  married  Susanna  Row,  April  8, 1725.  {Ibid., 
xxii.  p.  24.) 

Joseph  Benson  married  Mary  Yeaton,  June  i,  1759.     {Ibid.,  p.  156). 

F. 

Vermont  Bensons.  , 

South  Royalton. — James  Benson  married,  about  1S16,  Sylvia  Mason,  a  ; 

descendant  of  Major  John  Mason  who  destroyed  the  Pequots.     (A'.  E.  Reg-  \ 

ister,  xvii.  p.  41.)  ' 

G.  \ 

NE^v  York  Bensons.  \ 

[ 
Easthampton,  Long  Island. — In   David  Gardner's  history  of  this  town,  \ 


\ 


APPENDIX.  6l 

mention  is  made  of  a  Peter  Bensox  who  was  a  schoolmaster  there  in  early 
times. 

iVeiu  York. — Friday,  March  15,  1765,  Captain  Benson  arrived  here  from 
Dover,  and  last  from  Plymouth,  England.    (Boston  News-Leiter,  March  2S.) 

H. 

Benson s  Graduates  of  American  Colleges. 

Columbia,  N.  Y. — Judge  Egbert  Benson  (see  ante  p.  46),  Class  of  1765  ; 
"  gradu  honorario  donatus"  by  Harvard  in  1808.  Robert  Benson,  jr., 
Class  of  iSoi.     Egbert  Benson,  jr.,  Class  of  1807. 

Brown,  R.  I. — Martin  Benson,  Class  of  1806  (see  ante  p.  20). 

Bowdoin,  Me. — Hon.  Samuel  Page  Benson,  Class  of  1S25  ;  president 
of  the  college  curators  in  1870.  John  Benson,  M.D.,  Class  of  1S31.  Wil- 
liam R.  Benson,  M.D.,  Class  of  1S61. 

No  person  of  the  name  ever  graduated  at  Harvard  or  at  Yale,  or,  I 
believe,  at  Princeton, 


Bensons  of  England. 

Yorkshire. — JoAN  Benson  married  Thomas  Morton,  of  Yorkshire,  Oct. 
iS,  15S8.     (N.  E.  Register,  1S50,  p.  178.) 

Lancaster. — The  following  extracts  are  from  Fishwick's  "  History  of  the 
Parochial  Chapelry  of  Goosnargh."  (London :  Triibner  &  Co.  1871.) 
Goosnargh  is  about  twenty  miles  north  of  Liverpool  : 

(P.  105.)  From  the  parish  registers,  which  were  begun  in  April,  1639  ■ 
"  July  [1640].  Married  was  George  Benson  and  Katherine  Crombleholme 
the  xij.  day." 

(P.  io3.)  From  the  same  :  "fTebruary  [1645  ?].  in  templu.  Buried  was 
Katherine  the  wife  of  George  Benson  i6th  day."  "  Jan.  1646.  in  templu. 
Buried  was  an  infant  of  Capt.  Bensone  the  xvj.  day." 

(P.  68.)    "  Kidsnape  Tithe.    George  Benson — Seaven  pence  halfe  pefiy." 

Middlesex. — Mr.  BRY.A.N  Benson  was  first  director  of  the  Bank  of  Eng- 
land for  1722.     (Boston  A'ews-Letter,  July  2,  1722.) 

Bishop  M.  Benson  delivered  a  sermon  before  the  Society  for  the  Pro- 
pagation of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  Feb.  15,  1739-40,  which  was  printed 
(London,  1740),  and  is  preserved  in  the  Prince  Collection  of  the. Boston 
Public  Library — No.  106.  -"  '   .  . 


*■        -xW' 


:^'oc 


INDEX  OF  NAMES. 


Families  intcrniarried  7vith  the  Newport  Bensons  are  marked  by  italics. 


Adams,  60. 

Adie,  44. 

Alger,  17, 

Allixandcr,  60. 

Ainidcn,  30. 

Angell,  30.  -  .  -  - 

Anthony,  44. 

Barr}',  12. 
Benedict,  20. 
Benson  &  Chace,  51. 
Benson,  Judge  Egbert,  46,  47,  61. 
Bensons,  first  emigrants  to  America, 
55. 

graduates  of  American  Col- 
leges, 61. 

of  England,  61. 

of  Maine,  60. 

of  iMassachusetts,  57. 

of  New  Hampshire,  60. 

of  New  York,  60. 

of  Rhode  Island  (not  of  New- 
port), 56. 

of  Vermont,  60. 
Bensons  of  Newport,  g-54  : 

Ann  Elizabeth  (4),  44. 

Anna  Elizabeth  (5),  54. 

Betsey  (4),  30. 

Charlotte  (4),  44. 

Electa  Caroline  (5),  49. 

Eliza  Ann  (5),  49. 

Eliza  Davis  (5),  54. 

Fanny  (4),  30, 

Frances  (4),  44. 

Gardiner  (3),  14. 

George  (3),  31  ;  George  (4), 
44  ;  George  (5),  54  ;  George 
William  (4),  51. 

Grace  (5),  49. 

Helen  Eliza  (4),  45. 

Henry  Egbert  (4),  45  ;  Henry 
Egbert  (5),  54, 

John  (founder),  9  ;  John  (2), 


10 ;    John  (3),    Rev.,    23  ; 
John  (of  Columbia,  Pa.), 
II  ;  John  Coddington  (4), 
midshipman,    21  ;      John 
Coddington  (4),  manufac- 
turer, 4S  ;  John  Codding- 
ton (5),    50 ;   John   Hcn- 
drick  (2),  10. 
}ilartin  (3),  15;  Martin  (4), 
20,  Oi;  ISIartin  (4),  infants, 
30  ;  Martin  Gardiner  (4), 
30. 
Mary  (4),  44  ;  Marj^  (5),  54. 
Nancy  (4).  30. 
Polly  (4),  30. 
Sally  (4),  29  ;  Sarah  (4),  44  ; 

Sarah  (5),  54- 
Thomas  Davis  (5),  54. 
William    (2),    12  ;    William 
Collins  (3),  13  ;   William 
Collins  (4),  20  ;   William 
Collins  (4),  farmer,  30. 

Benston,  57. 

Binson,  56,  58. 

Biran,  15. 

Bowen,  32. 

Boy  den,  30, 

Brown,  31,  35,  36,  51,  60. 

Brown  &  Ives,  31-36. 

Browne,  56. 

Br\-ant  (Bryans),  iS. 

BrA-ant,  32,' 33,  57. 

Buffington,  17,  iS. 

Bush,  28. 

Butler,  34. 

Callendar,  43. 
Carpenter,  27. 
Casey,  29. 
Chace,  51. 
Chamberlin,  59. 
Channing,  17. 
Chapman,  23. 


64 


INDEX    OF    NAMES. 


Clap,  57. 
Clark,  59. 
Clarke,  14,  20. 
Coddingtoii,  19. 
Codinc,  6. 
Collins,  g. 
Conant,  51,  55. 
Conkling,  26. 
Cozzens,  2&. 
Crandall,  45. 
Crawley,  60. 
Croc II III  (?),  II. 
Cromblcholme,  61. 
C:rosb_v,  32,  33. 
Curtis,  57,  Co. 
Cushman,  5S,  59. 

De  Ruyter,  15. 
Drake,' 55,  59. 
Dunbar,  58,  59. 
Dwigbt,  37. 

Earl,  27. 

Easton,  10. 

Easty,  30. 

Eaton,  32,  34. 

Eaton  &  Benson,  32-34. 

Ellis,  20. 

Emerson,  24. 

Estrees  (d'),  15. 

Fawcett,  37. 
Fletcher,  59. 
Forbes,  37. 
Franklin,  42. 
Fuller,  37,  55. 
Furness,  45. 

Gano,  Rev.  Stephen,  14,  33. 
Gardner,  13,  14,  :-3,  25,  27,  y. 
Garrison,  43,  45,  46. 
Gould,  20. 
Green,  Go. 
Greene,  32. 
Grinnell,  31. 
Guild,  37. 

Hall,  44. 
Marden,  5S. 
Hathaway,  59. 
Hayward,  5S. 
Hendrick,  10. 
Hill,  52. 
Ilinkhy,  II. 
Holmes,  14,  15,  49,  59. 
Hopkins,  14,  41. 
Howell,  41. 


Hubbard,  48. 
Huff,  60. 

Irish,  55. 
Ives,  35. 

Jackson,  59. 
Jay,  42. 
Jcfler)%  60. 
Jenckes,  22. 
Johnson,  31. 
Jones,  5S. 

Keith,  58. 
Kempton,  30,  49. 

Leonard,  5S. 
Littlefield,  59. 
Lossing,  47. 
Luther,  49. 

JlleKim,  45. 

Malbone,  25. 

IMason,  60. 

Maxcy,  37. 

]\Iay,  Rev.  Samuel  J.,  43,  4^,  45,  40. 

Meach,  55. 

Mitchell,  30. 

Morris,  21,  27. 

jMorse,  56. 

Morton,  58,  61. 

Mott,  56. 

Olney,  52. 

Packard,  58. 
Percy,  54.  , 

Perry,  21. 
Pickels,  57. 
Pierce,  59. 
Pike,  60. 
Pinnegar,  25,  26. 
Pitt,  26. 
Pool,  59. 
Pratt,  58. 
Preble,  59. 
Prince,  57. 
Putnam,  45. 

Ouinc}-,  34. 
Quint,  60. 

Rice,  25. 
Richardson,  53. 
Robie,  59. 
Rodman,  24,  27. 
Rogers,  45. 


INDEX    OF    XAMEfN 


Rounscvill,  59 
PvOw,  60. 
Rumrcill,  17. 

Sanford,  14. 
Scott,  37. 
Searing,  27,  23. 
Searle,  60. 
Sewall,  5g. 
Shearman,  11. 
Shurtleff,  34. 
Slociim  (?),  II. 
Smith,  10,  59. 
Snell,  58. 
Souk,  54. 
Springer,  60. 
Stetson,  54. 
Stockbridge,  5 
Stone,  54,  60. 
Swift,  59. 

raft,  50. 


Tarbox,  60. 
Thompson,  46,  59. 
Thitrbcr,  38,  44. 
Thurston,  12. 
TiUinghast,  44. 
Townsend,  44. 

ViUard,  45. 

IVanton,  13-1=^,  19,  20,  24- 
Ward,  II. 
Washburn,  58. 
"Waterman,  58,  59. 

IVhittiian,  9. 
Whitmore,  43. 
Vv'illiams,  59. 

JViiison,  13,  31. 
Wood,  55,  58,  59. 
Woodbur)',  27,  44. 

Wright,  45. 

Ycaton,  60. 


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