The Ancient Historical Records of Norwalk, Conn.

Benjamin married Juliet Bouton.* Eliza Weed. William. James M.* James M. married Cornelia M. Downs. Esther Bouton* / Seth Williston married ( married Nathaniel Benedict.'^ \ Fanny R. Benedict. Sally Bouton married Nehemiah Raymond.' Seth Seymour. Emily married Joh7t. Hudson. Fanny.* Julia. ■*' Maria. Catharine. Eliza. William. Emily. Susan. John and 2 more. Ann. Eliza. Fanny. John. Julia Ann. William.* William. Benjamin. Emeline. Cornelia. Harriet. John. < James Marion.* r Louisa married Legra-nd Lockwood. Charles Williston married Jane McAlpin. James Hoyt. Sarah Esther.* Sarah Francis. Emma Jane, f Marg't(see J.Bouton) Sarah Ann married Gillmore. I John. I Julia. I Susan I Banks. 1 Wilbur. Mary. i Harvey. (. Emily. Fifth Generation Le Grand. Williston Benedict Rosweli Ebenezer; \ Charles GENEALOGICAL REGISTER, 307 Second Generation. Clara Bouton* married Isaac Russ. Third Generation Isaac Edwin. Isaac Edwin, William * Martha. John.* Susan Ann Harriet.* Seth Bouton* married <; Raymond. Asenath Raymond. I Joseph Bouton married Betty Bixbee. Susannah Bouton married Samuel G. Waring. John Bouton married Hannah Betts^ Betsey Chichester. Mary Bouton married Henry Banta^ Christopher Gtoyer^ Samuel Raymo^id* Anna Bouton married Horatio N. Downs. Nathani«i Bouion married Harriet Shermati.'^ Man/ Ann P. Bell* E. A. Vaiey. \ Mary Esther. Juliet* Fanny.* Fanny Esther marri Valentine Merrills. Amanda married John Dibble. Joseph married William. .JSTathanisL William married Margaret Hudson, Mary.* Clarissa married Nathan Nash^ John. Elizabeth. Sarah Esther. Hannah Harriet. / Susan Banta* married William '-rhomae. Eliza Banta married Linus Scvdder, John Banta married William Gwyer. Mary Gwyer married Daniel Toionsend. Ann."^ {Harriet Newell.* Charles Algernon. Harriet Angenora. Cornelia Marion.^ (see Benjamin Reed. Elizabeth Ripley. Nathaniel Sherman. John Bell. Harriet Sherman. Mary Ann Peris. Samuel Fletcher. Christopher, and 3 more. Fourth Generation. 4 -children. 4 children, r Elizabeth. I Joseph. «! Charles Edgar. I Albert Bouton. [ Emma Louisa, t Melissa Amanda. I Julia Frances. ) Homer Arlington. r Emily, j Julia. ] Le Roy [ John. Clarissa Ann C Josephine; < Virginia. t Augusta. f Emma.* j Susan. j George Heniy- [ Linus Melville. f William Henry.. / Cornelia. I Leonora. Charles 308 JSrORWALK. APPENDIX B, pp. 184, 5. GENEALOGY OF THE BENEDICT FAMILY. [In the year 1755, Dea. James Benedict, of Ridgefield, grand- son of Thomas Benedict, sen., of Norwalk, wrote a genealogy of the family, from which, and from a manuscript prepared by Eras- Tus C. Benedict, Esq., of New York, a descendant of James, the leading facts relating to the first six generations have been derived, Dea. James Benedict learned the particulars he gives of the early history of the family, down to his own[memory, from his grand- mother, Mary Bridgum, the wife of Thomas Benedict, sen., with whom he lived in his youth. In 1768 this record was copied by his grandson, Rev. Abner Benedict, while a member of Yale College, and by him sent to Thomas Benedict, of Norwalk. Other copies have been made for other branches of the family. The record here given is confined to a single line, viz.: 1. The children of Thomas, sen. 2. The children of John, his 2d son. 3. The children of his grandsons," John and James*. 4, Of his great grandson, Nathaniel. 5. Of Nathaniel 2d, his fifth descendant; and Gth, of Nathaniel 3d, the sixth descendant; which brings it down to the present generation, and to" the writer of this intro- ductory note. Were the descendants of each of the children and grandchildren to be traced and^recorded the list would make a vol- ume of itself. " S. W. B.j FIRST GENERATION. William Benedict, is the first of the family of whom any trace has been found. Tradition says that he resided in Not- tinghamshire, England, about the year 1500, and that he was the only son of his father. He had also but one son, who was also called William. SECOND GENERATION. William Benedict, who also resided in Nottinghamshire, and had an only son, also called William. THIRD GENERATION. William Benedict, who also resided in Nottinghamshire, lie also had an only son, who was named Thomas. * See Appendix C, p. 330. GENEALOGICAL REGISTER. 309 FOURTH GENERATION. Thomas Benedict and Mary Bridgum, his wife. He was born in England, 1617. He was an only son, and when he left England, tradition says, the name had been con- fined to only sons for more than one hundred years, and that he did not know another person of the name in existence; from which it would seem that his father was then dead. He lost his mother early, and was put apprentice to' a weaver during his minority. His father married a second wife, who M'as a widow, a Mrs. Bridgum, who had a daughter named Mary Bridgum. When Thomas became of age (1638), he ^nd Mary Bridgum came to New England in the same vessel, and first settled in '' The Massachusetts Bay." Not long after "the said Thomas Benedict was joined in marriage with said Mary Bridgum, and from these have arisen a numerous offspring" — the Benedicts in America. They lived some time in the Massachusetts Bay, and then removed to Southold, Long Island, where their children were born — five sons and four daughters — Thomas, John, Samuel, Jj^MES, Daniel, Betty, Mary, Sarah, Rebecca. From Soathold they removed to Huntington, where they re- sided several 5'-ears. Thej^ were residing there in June, 1656. They removed thence to Jamaica, on the same Island, where Thomas, the eldest son, married Mary Messenger of that place. The eastern part of Long Island being at that time considered a part of Connecticut was of course principally set- tled by the English pilgrims, who gradually extended them- selves westward, and rather encroached upon their Dutch neighbors of New York, with whom they were not much dis- posed to coalesce. The Long Island settlements (except the extreme west), were principally English, and when on the 27th August, 1664, the Dutch Governor, Stuyvesant, capitulat- ed to Col. Richard Nichols, the change of government was highly acceptable to the English settlers, and they immediate- ly set about extending their settlements. On the 26th Sep- tember in the same year, John Bailey, Daniel Denton, and Thomas Benedict, and others, made a written application to Col. Nichols for liberty to settle a plantation upon the river 14* ' 310 'NORWALK„ called Arthur-Cull Bay, in New Jersey. On the 30th of the same month he granted the petition and promised encourage- ment That place is now Elizabethtown. The principal pe- titioners were in Jamaica in 1665, It is therefore to be pre- sumed that they sent out a colony. Governor Nichols issued " To the magistrates of the several tounes upon Longisland," an order of election, dated James ffort, in New York, 8th February, 1664, reciting that the in- habitants had for a long time groaned under many grievous inconveniences and discouragements occasioned partly from their opposition to a foreign power, in which distracted con- dition few or no laws could be put in due execution, bounds and titles to lands disputed, civil liberties interrupted, and from this general confusion private dissentions and animosi- ties had too much prevailed against neighborly love and Christian charity, and in discharge of his duty" to settle good and known laws," requiring two deputies to " a general meet- ing," to be chosen from each town " by the major part of the freemen," and recommending " the choice of the most sober, able and discreet persons, without partiality or faction," to meet '* on the last day of February at Hempstead." The del- egates from Jamaica were Daniel Denton and Thomas Bene- dict. This is believed to be the first English legislative body ever convened in New York, In 1665, he was commissioned by Gov. Nichols as a Lieu- tenant " of the Foot Company of Jamaica." His commission was dated at " Fort James in New York, the 7th day of April, 1665." Whether he accepted the commission is not known. It is certain, however, that he did not hold it long, as during the same year he removed from the State to Norwalk, in the Colony of Connecticut, with all his family. There they lived together, and thence they scattered abroad in little colo- nizing parties to let in the light on other parts of the neighbor- ing wilderness, or to swell the numbers of the pioneer bands who had already planted settlements in the vicinity. In 1666, February 19lh, he was chosen town cierk and se- lectman of Norwalk GENEALOGICAL REGISTER. 311 In 1669 he was again chosen town clerk, and the list of freemen of Norwalk contains his name as one of 42 of which the list was composed Oct. 13, 1669. In 1672 he was again chosen town clerk, and held the office for many years after- wards. The records, in his own hand writing, are still pre- served and are legible, properly attested by his own signature, a fac simile of which, as here given, it may also be interest- ing to preserve. This primitive pilgrim pair are thus described in the manu- script of Dea. James Benedict already referred to : " They walked in the midst of their house with a per- fect heart. They were strict observers of the Lord's day from even to even. It may be said of them as it was of Zachariah and Elizabeth, that the}'" walked in all the com- mandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless, and obtained a good report through faith. Their excellent example had a good effect through the blessing of God upon their children. He was made a deacon of the church in Norwalk, and used that office to good satisfaction of that church to his death, which was in the year of our Lord 1690, in the seventy-third year of his age, and was succeeded in his office as deacon by two of his sons, viz. John and Samuel, who used that office until old age and its attendants rendered them unable to serve ; and there are at this time seven of the family and name which use the office of a deacon, and I trust some of them, at least, to good acceptance both to God and man," His wife sur- vived him and lived to the age of one hundred years.