Benjamin Knowlton (1771 - abt. 1842)

Born 12 Feb 1771 in Boscawen, Hillsborough, Province of New Hampshire

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Jackman) Knowlton — married 6 Aug 1793 in Boscawen, Hillsborough, New Hampshire, United States

Died about 1842 at about age 70 in Wentworth, Grafton, New Hampshire, United States

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Biography

Birth

Benjamin was born February 12, 1771 in Boscawen, Province of New Hampshire, the son of John Knowlton and Hannah Flanders.

Marriage

Benjamin married Mary (Polly) Jackman on August 6, 1793 in Boscawen, New Hampshire.

Profession

Benjamin was a physician.

Residence

In 1791 Benjamin was on a list of Boscawen citizens who purchased seating in the new meetinghouse with all the proceeds going toward completing the building according to the History of Boscawen.

On February 20, 1799 Benjamin purchased from his brother Joseph, for $400, 100 acres of property in Dorchester, New Hampshire. In the Deed Benjamin is described as "of Boscawen, Physician". However, the following year, on August 21, 1800 he sold the property, for $450, to Joseph Clifford and Jasse Taylor. In this Deed Benjamin is said to be of Dorchester.

After the sale of the Dorchester property, Benjamin and his family moved to Wentworth, New Hampshire where on February 11, 1803, Robert Eames sold 40 acres to Benjamin Knowlton of Wentworth, Physician, for $250, " a certain piece of land in Wentworth on which Benjamin Knowlton's house and barn now stand".

Benjamin is found in the 1810, 1830 and 1840 U.S. Census records for Wentworth. While Benjamin was a physician, he was also very active buying and selling Wentworth property. The records show his involvement in over 50 real estate transactions during these years.

Later Life

While there is no record of his decease, Benjamin's Will dated February 8, 1838 was presented for probate on September 20, 1842. He appointed Luke Aiken his executor. In his Will Benjamin mentions: his wife Polly, his son Enoch, daughter Mary wife of William Clough, daughter Elizabeth wife of Andrew Clark, grandchild Phebe Jessamine (only child of daughter Hannah Jessamine), daughter Mary wife of Warren Y. Smith, and daughter Charlotte wife of Cyrus Richards.

Sources

• Dunbar, Edith. The Flanders Family from Europe to America (The Tuttle Publishing Company, Inc., Rutland, VT, 1935) Page 90
• New Hampshire Birth Records, Early to 1900; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLGD-5FH
• Stocking, Rev. Charles Henry Wright. D.D. The History and Genealogy of the Knowltons of England and America. Vols.1, & 2 pgs. 79 and 173. New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1897. Stocking ID 970.
• New Hampshire Marriage Records Index, 1637-1947 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLDL-DKC
• History of Boscawen, Page 142, https://archive.org/details/historyofboscawe00coff/page/142
• Grafton County, New Hampshire Deed Records: Book 31, Page 58, Image 464 (Knowlton to Knowlton), Book 32, Page 208, Image 113 ( Knowlton to Clifford etal), Book 38, Page 311, (Eames to Knowlton)
• The Will of Benjamin Knowlton, Book 24, Page 482, Image 548, Grafton County, New Hampshire Probate Records; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WH-N9ZQ-Y?i=547&cc=2040537&cat=340607