Benjamin Waite (abt. 1645 - 1704)

Born about 1645 in Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Martha (Leonard) Waite — married 8 Jun 1670 in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 29 Feb 1704 at about age 59 in Deerfield, Franklin, Massachusetts

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Biography

Benjamin Waite, "Hero of the Connecticut Valley" was born in about 1645 probably in Portsmouth, Rhode Island to Thomas Waite, 29, and Eleanor Paine, 26 of Portsmouth. He married Martha Leonard, daughter of John Leonard and Sarah Heald, on June 8, 1670, in Hadley, MA ^[1] and they had eight children together.

Benjamin was a colonist and involved in many skirmishes with Indians who attacked the settlement.

On September 19, 1677, During King Phillips' War^[2], Indians attacked Hatfield, took 17 hostages , burned 7 houses and barns, killed 12 villagers and wounded four. Among the captives were Benjamin Waite's wife and three young daughters.

"On the morning of Sept. 19, 1677, the town of Hatfield was visited by a sudden and awful calamity, - another attack from the savages, like a bolt from a clear sky, that left a trail of ruin and devastation. On that bright fall morning most of the men were at work in the meadows cutting the golden corn. The women were busy with their household duties and the children were playing about their houses and in the streets unconscious of impending danger. At eleven o'clock, when the savory odors of the noonday meal were rising into the tranquil air, a blood-curdling yell suddenly pierced their ears - the dread war-whoop of the Indians. In a moment the savages were upon the defenseless village and the work of destruction was begun.

Through Middle Lane poured a band of armed and painted warriors who fell upon houses lying outside the stockade. The torch was applied to the buildings of Samuel Kellogg at the corner of the lane and his wife, Sarah, and her infant son were killed and another child, Samuel, a boy of three years, was seized and bound. Surprised by the suddenness of the assault, Obadiah Dickinson and one child were captured unresisting at the house below. His wife was wounded and left for dead and the house was set on fire. John Allis's barn was burned and his six-year-old daughter, Abigail, captured. With no attempt to enter the open gate of the stockade the invaders rushed across the street to the houses on the east side, whose inmates in alarm were seeking places of safety. As the savages sped northward they stopped to kill the wife of Selectman Samuel Belden, who lived on the Silas Porter place. John Coleman's house was burned and his wife, Hannah, and infant child, Bethiah, were slain, one child was wounded and two were captured, of whom little Sarah was only four years old. John Wells's daughter, Elizabeth, aged two, was killed, his wife. Sarah, and one child wounded. Hannah Jennings, wife of Stephen Jennings, was made a prisoner with her two children by her former husband, Samuel Gillett, who was killed at the Falls fight. Philip Russell's wife, Elizabeth, and their three-year-old son, Stephen, met death. Across the street, on the J. D. Brown place, stood the home of Samuel Foote, who had moved from his first allotment. His wife, Mary, with a young son, Nathaniel, and a three-year-old daughter, Mary, was seized and dragged along. On the next lot above men were at work building a house for John Graves, Jr., who was soon to marry Sarah White, daughter of John White, Jr. Hastening northward to finish their work of destruction, with an attack on the family of their hated foe, Benjamin Waite, they shot from the frame of the structure being erected the brothers, John and Isaac Graves, and two young carpenters from Springfield, John Atchisson and John Cooper. Waite's house was at the very end of the village street, the site now occupied by M. J. Ryan. The revengeful savages vented their hatred by burning his house and barn and taking away with them his whole family, - his wife, Martha, and three children, Mary, Martha, and Sarah, aged six, four, and two. Abigail, the eight-year-old daughter of William Bartholomew, a former resident of Deerfield, was also captured."^[3]

Two men agreed to represent colonists and lead the mission to redeem the captives. "Both men great sufferers from the raid, both in the prime of life. One distinguished for his prowess, Benjamin Waite a noted Indian scout and fighter, familiar with the woods, the Indians and their habits and methods. A man of great endurance and fertile in expedients. The other a man of great discretion, Stephen Jennings, a thoughtful silent man but resolute, persevering and patient, over whom obstacles had no influence save to increase his determination."^[4]

On Dec. 10, Waite and Jennings (whose wife and her two children were also captives) were given permission to go after the captives. Now the rescuers were faced not only with traveling through unknown territory but with deep winter snows. A local warrior guided them to Lake George, helped them fashion a canoe, and drew them a rough map of Lake George and Lake Champlain -- and then departed.

December 16, 1677 - Lake Champlain was reached, the first time English colonists had set foot there. Strong winds and ice slowed their progress, their provision ran out and they were forced to live off the land. But nothing could stop these two men for long. On or about January 6, the trackers reached the frontier of Canada, nearly 4 months after the raid on Hatfield. In a nearby town Hannah Jennings and a few other captives were found. The other hostages were close by with their captors. Immediately Waite and Jennings started for Quebec to bargain with Governor Frontenac for the release of the hostages. With the governor's help, the payment of two hundred pounds secured the release of the English. Of the 21 captives, 17 were returned; 2 children had been killed during the long trek north, probably because they fell ill. Sergeant Plympton of Deerfield was burned at the stake in Canada. Two children were born in Canada. Martha Waite had a daughter on January 22 who was named Canada. Nearly two months later, Hannah Jennings had a daughter who was named Captivity.

The English remained in Canada until the winter weather was over. At long last, on May 2, 1678, the entire party began the long, slow trip back home. When they reached Albany, the following letters were sent off to Hatfield:

"Albany, May 23, 1678. "To my loving friends and kindred at Hatfield- These few lines are to let you understand that we are arrived at Albany now with the captives, and we now stand in need of assistance, for my charges is very greate and heavy; and therefore any that have any love to ourr condition, let it moove them to come and help us in this straight. There is 3 of ye captives that are murdered,-old Goodman Plympton, Samuel Foot's daughter, Samuel Russell. All the rest are alive and well and now at Albany, namely, Obadiah Dickenson and his child, Mary Foot and her child, Hannah Gennings and 3 children, Samuel Kellogg, my wife and four children, and Quintin Stockwell. I pray you hasten the matter, for it requireth greate hast. Stay not for ye Sabbath, nor shoeing of horses. We shall endeavor to meete you at Canterhook; it may be at Houseatonock. We must come very softly because of our wives and children. I pray you, hasten then, stay not night nor day, for ye matter requireth greate hast. Bring provisions with you for us. "

Your loving kinsman,

Benjamin Waite.

"At Albany, written from myne own hand. As I hve bin affected to yours all that were fatherless, be affected to me now, and hasten ye matter and stay not, and ease me of my charges. You shall not need to be afraid of any enemies."

^[5] On receipt of the letters, a party from Hatfield immediately set off to escort the exhausted group home.

Troubled relations continued between the settlers and Indians over the next 24 years. On Feb. 29, 1704, During Queen Ann's War, between the British, the French and their allies, the Deerfield, Settlement was attacked in a surprise raid at night by 200-300 French soldiers and their Native American allies. Forty-seven English men, women, and children were killed and 112 residents were driven on a forced march through heavy snows to Canada. Of those taken captive, 60 were later redeemed.^[6]

Among the dead was Benjamin Waite, of Hatfield, age of 60. He was killed in the meadow, defending Deerfield. ^[7] His body was stripped and mutilated. He was buried in Old Deerfield Burying Ground.^[8]

Excerpt from Family Records of the Descendants of Thomas Wait

"He was a petitioner of Hadley, Mass., Apr. 25, 1665, lived at Hatfield, 1668, and was slain by Indians at Deerfield, Mass., 1704. Bought lands at Brookfield, Mass., with Thomas of Rhode Island, Feb. 3, 1700, which were conveyed by his children Mary 24, 1717, who warranted the same against their uncle, Thomas, Benjamin's brother. Benjamin was a soldier and Indian scout in The French and Indian Wars - a brave and hardy man. For an interesting story or the capture of his wife and children by the Indians, who took them to Canada; his long and determined pursuit and final recovery of them; the mother giving birth to a dau. while in captivity, who was named "Canada," and one of whose descendants founded Smith's College at Northampton, see 'Craft's History of Whateley, Mass. pp. 31, 32, 33, and 34. Benjamin m. June 8, 1670, Martha Leonard, b. May 14, 1649, dau. of John Leonard of Springfield, Mass. (See Craft's History of Whately, Mass., p. 593) and they had eight children."^[9]

Children

• Mary Waite Wells 1672–1704
• Martha Waite 1673–1717
• Sarah Waite Belding, Allis 1675–1726
• Canada Waite Smith 1678–1749
• John Waite 1680–1744
• Joseph Waite 1682–1686
• Jeremiah Waite 1684–1733
• Joseph Waite 1688–1780

Sources

1. ↑ New England Marriages Prior to 1700, p. 770
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Philip%27s_War
3. ↑ History of Hatfield, pp 88-90
4. ↑ 212th anniversary of the Indian Attack on Hatfield...
5. ↑ History of Deerfield, p. 186
6. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_on_Deerfield
7. ↑ Deerfield Captives of 1704
8. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_on_Deerfield]
9. ↑ Family Records of the Descendants of Thomas Wait..., p. 13

• 212th anniversary of the Indian attack on Hatfield, and field-day of the Pocumtuck valley memorial association, at Hatfield, Massachusetts, Thursday, Sept. 19th, 1889, https://archive.org/stream/212thanniversary00bart/212thanniversary00bart_djvu.txt
• Deerfield Captives of 1704, http://www.babcock-acres.com/Misceallaneous/deerfield_captives_of_1704.htm
• FAMILY RECORDS of the DESCENDANTS OF THOMAS WAIT of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, 1904 - John Cassan Wait (NYC), https://archive.org/stream/familyrecordsde00waitgoog#page/n24/mode/2up/search/benjamin+wait
• Genealogical Dictionary of New England, Vo. IV, by James Savage.
• A History of Deerfield, Massachusetts: The Times when the People by Whom it was Settled, Unsettled and Resettled, Volume 1, By George Sheldon.
• A History of Hatfield, Massachusetts, in Three Parts: I. An Account of the Development of the Social and Industrial Life of the Town from Its First Settlement. II. The Houses and Homes of Hatfield, with Personal Reminiscences of the Men and Women who Have Lived There During the Last One Hundred Years; Brief Historical Accounts of the Religious Societies and of Smith Academy; Statistical Tables, Etc. III. Genealogies of the Families of the First Settlers, Daniel White Wells, Reuben Field Wells. Pub. under the direction of F.C.H. Gibbons, 1910 - Hatfield (Mass. : Town) - 536 pages, https://books.google.com/books/about/A_History_of_Hatfield_Massachusetts_in_T.html?id=8w0WAAAAYAAJ
• Gazetteer of Hampshire Co., Massachusetts, W.B. Gay *New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Clarence Almon Torrey, Genealogical Publishing Com, 1985 - Reference - 1009 pages
• Directory of Ancestral Heads of New England Families, Frank R. Holmes
• King Phillip's War, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Philip%27s_War
• Pioneers of Massachusetts, The, a descriptive list, drawn from records of the colonies, towns and churches and other contemporaneous documents by Pope, Charles Henry, 1841-1918, Published 1900, Publisher: Boston, Pages 582.
• Raid on Deerfield, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_on_Deerfield
• Wait, John CassanWait Family of Rhode Island ( 1904)