Richard Benham (1755 - abt. 1819)

Born 24 Feb 1755 in Monmouth, Province of New Jersey

Ancestors

Husband of Lydia Robbins — married 1797 in Warren, Ohio

Descendants

Died about 1819 at about age 63 in Symmes, Hamilton County, Ohio, United States

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Biography

Private Richard Benham served with New Jersey Militia during the American Revolution.

Richard Benham is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A009103.

"Richard Benham, the youngest son of Peter and Anna (James) Benham was born February 24, 1755, in Monmouth Co., New Jersey, and died in Hamilton County, OH, about 1819. He served as a private in the New Jersey State Troops from Monmouth County during the Revolutionary War. He died intestate but the names of his children and heirs appear in a series of deeds of land recorded in the Hamilton County Court House, in which deeds they sold the land left them by their father. From various deeds we learn that Richard's wife was Lydia Benham. She appears as the head of the family in Symmes township in the 1820 census records of Hamilton County OH, as do her widowed daughter, Betsy Luther, and her sons-in-law, Henry A. Balser, Robert Hughes, and Amos Harris. In a deed of November 14, 1823, in Warren County OH, we have the last known record of Lydia Benham. Her date of death is not known."^[1]

Richard and Lydia married about 1797 and had the following children:^[2][3]

1. Sarah Benham, b. 1780(?), according to Mrs. Cooley, Sarah married Asa French in 1801. The records indicate that Asa married Sarah Benham Jackson, suggesting she was previously married to --? Jackson, who died before 1801.
2. John Benham, b. 11 Aug 1784; d. 23 Apr 1870;^[4] m. 12 Jul 1805, Montgomery Co., OH, Abigail Nutt.^[5]
3. Richard Benham, Jr., b. 15 Mar 1791; d. 25 Mar 1870; m. 1) abt. 1830, Mary Nutt, 2) Abigail (Underwood) Baltsell.^[6]
4. Elizabeth Benham, b. bet. 1791-1794; m. --? Luther.
5. Catherine Benham, b. abt. 1794; m. Amos Harris.
6. Mary Benham, abt. 1796; m. Henry Balser.
7. Peter Benham, b. 18 Aug 1797; 19 Dec 1883, Beavercreek, Greene, OH;^[7] m. 1) 25 Dec 1817, Catherine Beck; m. 2) abt. 1865, Catherine Nave.
8. Lydia Benham; m. Robert Hughes.
9. Benjamin Benham, b. aft. 1800.
10. Abigail Benham, b. aft. 1800; m. Edward P. Thomas.^[8]
11. Amy Benham, b. 15 Dec 1803; d. 19 mar 1836; m. 21 Apr 1824, Henry Shaver.^[9]

The following suggests that Benjamin, Abigail and Amy were the youngest of Richard and Lydia's children and that they were minors in 1821.

At A Court of Common Pleas April 23, 1821:^[10]

"On application of Israel NOBLE for partition real estate court appt. James Ross guardian ad litem to Benj. Abigail and Amy Benham children of Richard Benham."

Aug 1799. William Miller dec'd. Samuel Freemad Admr. Inv. & appr sworn to re validity by Roasannah Miller & Reuben Rood. James Miller acct laid over. Depositions of Charles Avery, Reuben Rood, Rosannah Miller & Richard Benahm to be taken before John Mercer or some other justice.^[11]

The following is taken directly from "The Benham Brothers":^[1]

"According to Benjamin Van Cleve, nephew of Richard Benham, in about 1784/5 'Captain Robert Benham, my mothers brother, paid us a visit. He strongly solicited my father to remove to that county (the land west of the Monongehelah in Pennsylvania), gave him a list of the different places on the road and every necessary advice relative to his preparations and journey. The object to be surmounted. He was, however, all summer getting ready and did not commence the journey until the second day of November. It seemed hard to leave the country of our nativity, our near relatives, and almost all that was dear to us. My father's mother was living and had lived with us for many years. My mother's grandmother who had brought her up from two years old, lived within a quarter of a mile; she had never lived further off. There was a numerous connection of both sides. We were now to separate from forever. But the prospects of being better enabled in a new country of providing for a growing family preponderated. We commenced our journey on the second of November, 1785, with two wagons of my father's one carrying a set of smith's tools and the other the household goods, in the company with Cornelius Shourd and family, whose wife is my mother's sister. They were in another wagon. My father and uncle and each an apprentice and a young man by the name of Tunis Voorheis, and neighbor, came with us to see the country, and my Uncle had with him likewise my Uncle Richard Benham's wife and son. We made this day near thirty miles and put up at the ferry on the Delaware River about two miles below Trenton.'

Skipping some entries, we continued: - 'Dec, 6 came to James Crawford's Ferry on the Monongehela. Here we were met by Uncles, Robert and Peter Benham, with fresh horses and before night we arrived at the end of our journey on the north fork of Ten Mile Creek in Washington County Pennsylvania.

We lived on the Plantation of my uncle, Robert Benham, nearly opposite Wises (afterwards Wallaces) Mills during the years 1786 - 87. My father cultivated a small field and worked at his trade. In 1788 my father rented a farm.

On the 25th of November 1789 we sailed from Crawford's Ferry, one boat carrying the families of my father, uncle Richard Benham and some passengers, one of who was Jacob Tappan of New Jersey.'

The family of Amey Benham and Cornelius Shroud (her husband) remained in western Pa. The journey was made safely and the company landed at Losantiville, opposite the Licking River, on January 3, 1790. The new arrival quickly made preparations for living quarters and the care of their families. John Van Cleave, a blacksmith by trade, who had brought his tools with him, all the way from his home in New Jersey, set up a shop.

Richard Benham's brother, Robert, followed shortly after with his family while their brother, Peter, and his family came several years later. Richard and Robert Benham soon bought property in Hamilton Co., property which now is of great value, being in downtown section of Cincinnati. Their names appear on the record of distribution and sale of lots in the town of Losantiville, 1789-90. Deeds in the Hamilton county Court House attest to early ownership of land by both of them.

Richard Benham's land became his as a "volunteer settler" on property offered by John Cleves Symmes. A "volunteer settler" was required to improve the land and represent his section whenever required for seven years before he was granted ownership. This was called the "Rule of Sale and Settlement of Miami Lands." Should the volunteer settler not live up to his part of the contract he lost the right to claim property and someone else was allowed to apply for it. Richard Benham, according to court house records, never seems to have left Hamilton County although he lived several places in it including the old settlement of Columbia, where from deeds we know he lived in 1802. It was at this time that he became tired of clearing lots Nos. 243 and 244, at the north west corner of fifth and Race Streets in Cincinnati, and paying taxes on them, so he decided to sell them deeming them valueless. On January 4, 1802, he sold the two lots for .00.

Richard Benham did not leave a will but from other sources I learned that his wife was Lydia (Last name unknown). He died intestate but the names of his children and heirs appear in a series of deeds of land recorded in Hamilton County court House, in which deeds they sold the land left them by their father. This property was located in the north west corner of Symmes township. Lydia appears as the head of the family in Symmes township in the 1820 census records of Hamilton Co., as do her widowed daughter, Betsy Luther, and her sons-in-law, Henry A. Balser, Robert Hughes, and Amos Harris. The last known record of Lydia is in a deed dated November 14, 1823 in Warren Co., Oh. Richard Benham built the third cabin on the present site of Cincinnati. He had ten acres there at one time. He died near Todd's Forks and at the time of his death he owned 114 acres."

Richard was a private in the Virginia militia during the Revolutionary War ^[12]

According to FindAGrave, Richard is buried at Sugar Creek Baptist Church Cemetery (Old Centerville Cemetery), Centerville, Montgomery, Ohio.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Cooley, Elizabeth Morrow. "The Benahm Brothers--Robert, Peter, and Richard, Early Settlers of Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky". In the Bulletin of the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio, Vol. 10, No. 1. p. 69-73.
2. ↑ Cooley, Mrs. Frank E., Jr, Ft Thomas, Ky. "Benham, Richard--Hamilton Co". In The Official roster of the soldiers of the American Revolution buried in the state of Ohio, Roster III, p. 34. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Adjutant General's Dept., 1929-1959.
3. ↑ Scoudan, Fern Orr; Bowater, John. Benham - A Pedigree. Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California: the Authors (1989). p. 1-2.
4. ↑ "Another of our Pioneer Fathers Gone". Obituary from The Dayton Daily Journal, 26 April 1870. Pg 3, Col 5. This obituary gives his DOB and names his mother as Lydia Robins.
5. ↑ Ancestry.com. Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Film no.: 001030835. Original data: Marriage Records. Ohio Marriages. Various Ohio County Courthouses.
6. ↑ Ancestry.com. Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Film no.: 000562858. Original data: Marriage Records. Ohio Marriages. Various Ohio County Courthouses.
7. ↑ Ancestry.com. Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Ohio County, District and Probate Courts. Will Record 1803-1959; Probate Place: Greene, Ohio.
8. ↑ The History of Warren County, Ohio. Chicago, IL: W. H. Beers & Co. (1882). p. 854.
9. ↑ Ancestry.com. Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Film no.: 000964272. Original data: Marriage Records. Ohio Marriages. Various Ohio County Courthouses.
10. ↑ Abstract of Book 1 & Book A, Probate Records, 1791 & 1826, Hamilton County, Ohio. Cincinnati, OH: Hamilton County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society (1977).
11. ↑ Abstract of Book 1 & Book A Probate Record 1791 - 1826, Hamilton County, Ohio. Cincinnati, OH: Hamilton County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society (1977). p. 97.
12. ↑ Adelberg, Michael S. Roster of the People of Revolutionary Monmouth County, New Jersey. Baltimore, MD: Clearfield Company, Inc. (1997). p. 21.

Acknowledgements

WikiTree profile Benham-182 created through the import of Liles - Craig Family Tree_2012-03-21_01.ged on Mar 21, 2012 by Paul Liles.