Benjamin Sanford (1733 - 1828)

Born 9 Jul 1733 in Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island

Ancestors

Husband of Abiah (Pease) Sanford — married 27 Oct 1748 in Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, MA

Husband of Amelia (Bentley) Sanford — married 28 Feb 1754 in Newport, RI

Husband of Lydia (Strong) Sanford — married 4 Oct 1804 in Cornwallis (Kentville), NS

Descendants

Died 4 Jun 1828 at age 94 in Cornwallis Township, Kings, Nova Scotia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Shari Ourth [send private message] and Ann Borgers [send private message]

Biography

Benjamin Sanford was born c. 1732 at Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island.^[1] He was the eighth child of eleven born to Capt. Esbon Sanford and Mary Woodward.^[1]

To Cornwallis, Nova Scotia

Benjamin, and Joshua Sanford (his brother or uncle), and Samuel Bentley (his father-in-law) were some of the first to remove from Rhode island to Nova Scotia.^[1] After the Acadians were evicted in the 1750's, Governor Charles Lawrence of Nova Scotia issued (11 January 1759) a proclamation inviting settlers on excellent terms.^[2] It offered generous land grants, almost no taxation or rents, military protection, and most importantly complete freedom of religion.^[2] There was to be an initial grant of land "in proportion to the abilities of the planter to settle, cultivate, and enclose the same," and an additional fifty acres for each "white or black, man, woman, or child, of which such person's family shall consist."^[2] According to the "List of settlers brought on the Sloop Sally." in May 1760, "Benjamin Sanford & family" consisted of 7 people.^[2] This would have been Benjamin and Amelia, the four children born in Newport, and one mystery person, possibly a servant? Eventually six of Benjamin's siblings and their families settled in Nova Scotia.^[1]

Newport Historical Society Records

Benjamin's date of birth appears in the Bible record now held by his descendants in California. From the private records kept by Rev. Samuel Kingsbury and Rev. Joseph Thaxter with additions by and held by Miss Harriett A. Pease of Edgartown, 1906, we find the record; 'Abiah Pease bapt. 13 June 1731, m. Benjamin Sanford of Newport, R.I.' Most marriages have the date of intentions, this one does not. We do find in the original records of the First Congregational Church of Newport, R.I. (Austin states Bristol, R.I. in error), #53, 2 Oct. 1748, 'This day the Banns of marriage between Benja. Sanford of Newport, R.I. and Abiah Pees of Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard were published for the third time.' These records are held by the Newport Historical Society.

Benjamin m. second Amelia Bentley and all his children were born to her. Little is known of their life in Newport, R. I. where their first 4 ch. were born. He must have inspired confidence in his maternal grandfather, Israel Woodward, as Israel named him executor of his estate amounting to several thousand pounds. Israel died 16 April 1762 and Benjamin returned from Nova Scotia to attend to that duty.

The Newport Town Council records state; - '5th day of July 1762... last will and testament of Israel Woodward... likewise an inventory of his personal estate ... and Mr. Benjamin Sanford ye executor named in will of Israel Woodward appeared in Council and prayed he might have administration... to him on ye personal estate... therefor is hereby granted unto ye Benjamin Sanford fully authorizing him to act and do all things needed and necessary in ye law...'.

All the records of Newport were taken by the British when they occupied the town during the Revolutionary War and were transported to New York City. The ship carrying the records was sunk in N. Y. Harbor and the records were underwater for some time. When removed, they were thrown in a warehouse and left for further deterioration. Many were lost for all time. Others have been carefully preserved between layers of fine silk and are kept in the vaults of the ... showing missing words.

What it must have meant to Benjamin and Amelia to leave Rhode Island with their 4 ch., the 4th being an infant of only a few months, will never be known. Possibly the glowing accounts brought back by those who went to investigate the proposition made by the Government at Halifax, N. S. made it possible for them to refuse to consider it. We know nothing of the many talks that must have been held between the brothers. Their parents being dead, they could not lean on them for advice. We do not even know who might have been the leader of the movement.

Benjamin sailed on the Sloop Sally arriving 2 Apr 1760 at Falmouth Township, Hants County, Nova Scotia with seven in his family and his brother Joshua with his wife and one child. He was a rich man and settled in Newport Township, Hants County, having received Farm lot D, Second Division Number 3 of that Township in February 1762.^[3] In December 1763 he purchased land in the Pereau section of Cornwallis Township, Kings County, Nova Scotia.^[4] He appears in Cornwallis census records for 1786^[5], 1791^[6], 1795^[7]

The Horton Church (Wolfville Baptist) erected a monument in 1960 to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the landing of the Planters. Benjamin’s name is inscribed a charter member.^[8]. This date is also taken from the Bible record. Since Benjamin had brother Joseph, he being under age at the time.

The only way we have of determining the movements of Benjamin and his family is through a study of land deeds he bought and sold. No written record has come down to us to tell us of these first days, weeks, and months; in fact the record of those on the "Sally" and "Lydia" are as far as we know, the only records of passengers arriving in Nova Scotia in that year.

Family

Benjamin married three times, but all of his children were by his second wife, Amelia.^[1] The first four children were born in Newport, and the rest in Cornwallis.^[1]

• Benjamin married c. 1748 1) Abiah Pease.^[1]
• Benjamin married 28 February 1754 at North Kingston, Rhode Island, as his 2nd) to Amelia Bentley, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Baker) Bentley.^[1]
• Benjamin married 11 October 1804 at Nova Scotia, as his 3rd) to Lydia (Strong) Rand, widow of John Rand.^[1]

Benjamin and Amelia have 13 children.

Death and Legacy

Benjamin's will was dated 4 June 1828 and was admitted to probate on 24 May 1829 at Kentville, King's County, Nova Scotia.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9} Notes and Historical Intelligence Vital Records from The NEHGS Register. (Vol 104, Pages 74-77) Online database accessed October 30, 2014. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (Compiled from articles originally published in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register.)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Huling, Roy G., "The Rhode Island Emigration to Nova Scotia." Providence: reprinted from the Narragansett (R.I.) Historical Register Vol 7, (Pages 10-13) April 1889, Archive.org accessed October 30, 2014
3. ↑ Duncanson, John V. Newport, Nova Scotia: A Rhode Island Township. Mika, 1985.
4. ↑ Eaton, Arthur Wentworth Hamilton. The History of Kings County, Nova Scotia. Salem, MA: 1910. pp. 809-812.
5. ↑ 1786 Cornwallis Census Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 443 no. 38
6. ↑ 1791 Cornwallis Census - Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 444 no. 7.
7. ↑ 1795 Cornwallis Census - Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 444½ no. 60.
8. ↑ Ancestry.com OneWorldTree

• Sanford, Jack Minard, 1900- . President John Sanford of Boston, Massachusetts and Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and descendants with many allied families, 1605-1965. Also adding the male members given in the "William Sanford of Madison, New York" genealogy by Heman Howes Sanford, 1890, with many families brought up to date. Publisher Rutland, Vt., Printed by Sharp Printing. 1966. Benjamin Sanford, pp. 76-84

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this profile. See the Changes page for the details of contributions and edits.