Benjamin Lobb (1772 - 1850)

Born 27 Apr 1772 in Upper Darby Township, Chester, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Heald — married 26 Jan 1818 in Chester, Pennsylvania, United States

Descendants

Died 27 Feb 1850 at age 77 in Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware, United States

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Biography

Banjamin Lobb of Pennsbury was born in 1772. He passed away in 1850. He was the son of Benjamin Lobb Jr. and Mary Ball of Upper Darby.

A Benjn Lobb appeared on the 1798 tax rolls for Delaware and parts of Chester Pennsylvania.^[1] He owned a 27 by 40, two-story stone house on two acres in Upper Darby. This was likely the household of this Benjamin's father.

In his will recorded 26 May 1817, Benjamin Lobb of Upper Darby, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, left his son Benjamin $800 to be paid out over ten years.^[2] The farm and personal estate went to older brothers John and Thomas.

On 26 Jan 1818, Benjamin and Joseph Lobb took out a license for Benjamin to marry Mary Heald.^[3] Mary was about 20, while Benjamin was considerably older at 46.

Their first child, Lydia, was born 31 May 1818, which means Mary would have been about five months pregnant when she married.^[4]

Lydia was not Benjamin's first daughter, however. The oldest of his known daughters, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Lobb, was born about 1805. Although her reported age in various census records varied widely, she was certainly born before 1818. At her death on 3 Sep 1785 she was reported to be 80, which would put her year of birth at 1804 or 1805.^[5] This suggests Elizabeth was the product of an earlier marriage or born out of wedlock.

Benjamin appeared in the 1820 U.S. Census in Pennsbury. He would have been the male over 45 (he would have been 48).^[6] Mary would have been the inferred wife 16-25 (23). Also at home were two females under 10, most likely Elizabeth, and Louisa. Elizabeth's age was inconsistent with later censuses. She was reported to be 80 and the time of her death on 3 Sep 1885, which meant she would have been 14 or 15 in 1830.

In 1830, Benjamin Lobb was again in Pennsbury.^[7] Mary was likely the female 40-49, even though she was only 33 at the time. Benjamin, 58, would have been the male 50 to 59. There was one female in the home 10-14 (Louisa and one other). There were also two females under 5 (Sarah Ann and Mary Ann) and three 5 thru 9 (Margaret, Susannah and Louisa).

In his will, Benjamin named six daughters including Elizabeth. But the census data does not match up. Either Elizabeth was not part of the household in 1820 and 1830, in which case there was probably another daughter who likely did not survive to adulthood, or Elizabeth's age was misrepresented, possibly to help prevent scandal.

Anna, the youngest daughter was born in 1832.

It is possible that either Mary Ann or Anna was actually Elizabeth's biological daughter. In 1860, when Elizabeth was living with Anna and Mary A. Smith, who was the head of the household, she identified herself as "Widow with Daughter." Despite calling herself a widow, there is no other reason to suspect that Elizabeth ever married. Women who had birthed a child out of wedlock often remained unmarried in that era.

Benjamin and Mary purchased property in Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware on Front Steet between Jefferson and Madison on 29 Mar 1848 according to records to the sale of the same property two years later. This was not their primary home, which appears to have been a brick house on Third Street between Walnut and Poplar and had been purchased previously.

Benjamin died on 27 Jan 1850 and was buried in the Friends Meeting House Burial Ground in Wilmington.^[8]

In his will dated 15 Jul 1848, Benjamin named her executrix and their son-in-law John Morrison as executor of his estate.^[9] Mary inherited all of his personal estate and was given use of the house she and Ben had lived in on Third Street between Walnut and Popular in Wilmington for as long as she lived.

Benjamin's will specified that the Front Street property be sold to pay bills and funeral costs. On 23 Mar 1850, Mary Lobb and John Morrison, as executrix and executor, sold the property for $1,000.^[10]

Mary got used of the Third Street house for the rest of her natural life. After her death in 1869, it went to Benjamin's daughters in accordance with his will, and they sold it on 25 Mar 1870 for $3,025.^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, U.S., U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Original data: United States Direct Tax of 1798: Tax Lists for the State of Pennsylvania. M372, microfilm, 24 rolls. NAID: 5121373. Records of the Internal Revenue Service, 1791-2006, Record Group 58. National Archives at Washington, D.C.
2. ↑ Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Pennsylvania County, District and Probate Courts.
3. ↑ Ancestry.com. Delaware, U.S., Marriage Records, 1744-1912 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data: Public Archives Commission, Delaware Public Archives. Marriage Records, 1744-1912. Dover, Delaware: Delaware Public Archives. Record Group # RG 1325; Subgroup # 003; Series # 004.
4. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112726785/lydia-c-mecannon: accessed 22 October 2023), memorial page for Lydia C. Lobb Mecannon (31 May 1818–11 Jul 1889), Find a Grave Memorial ID 112726785, citing Riverview Cemetery, Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware, USA; Maintained by Tedd Cocker (contributor 47025283).
5. ↑ Ancestry.com. Delaware, U.S., Death Records, 1861-1933 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Delaware. Delaware Vital Records. Microfilm. Delaware Public Archives, Dover."
6. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Fourth Census of the United States, 1820. (NARA microfilm publication M33, 142 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
7. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1830 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Fifth Census of the United States, 1830. (NARA microfilm publication M19, 201 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151753977/benjamin-lobb: accessed 22 October 2023), memorial page for Benjamin Lobb (27 Apr 1777–27 Jan 1850), Find a Grave Memorial ID 151753977, citing Friends Meeting House Burial Ground, Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware, USA; Maintained by Richard Morrison (contributor 46928373).
9. ↑ Ancestry.com. Delaware, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1676-1971 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Delaware County, District and Probate Courts.
10. ↑ Ancestry.com. Delaware, U.S., Land Records, 1677-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Original data: Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, New Castle County, RG 2555, Subgroup 000, Series 011. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware. Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, Kent County, RG 3555, Subgroup 000, Series 021. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware. Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, Sussex County, RG 4555, Subgroup 000, Series 030. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware.
11. ↑ Ancestry.com. Delaware, U.S., Land Records, 1677-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Original data: Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, New Castle County, RG 2555, Subgroup 000, Series 011. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware. Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, Kent County, RG 3555, Subgroup 000, Series 021. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware. Delaware, Land Records, 1677–1947. Recorder of Deeds, Sussex County, RG 4555, Subgroup 000, Series 030. Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware.