In my efforts to identify slave owners in Connecticut, I'm currently working from the US Census. In the 1790 US Census, Greenwich, Connecticut, we find Caleb Benedict, whose household consists of the following:
- 4 free white persons, males <16
- 1 free white male >16
- 3 free white females
- 2 free persons of color
- 2 slaves
If only I could figure out which Caleb Benedict it is. It appears to be someone who only spent a brief time in Greenwich, as I'm not finding many records at all there. Findagrave doesn't have any Benedicts born before 1794 listed in Greenwich. (Search result.) The following list of Caleb Benedict profiles is drawn from every single one listed in the index of Henry Marvin Benedict's Genealogy of the Benedicts in America (1870):
- Caleb Benedict (1739-1819)
- Caleb Benedict (1740-1812)
- Caleb Benedict (1758-1800)
- Caleb Benedict (1762-1822)
- Caleb Benedict (1764-1848)
Any takers as to which one it might be? Mostly I can get them on my own, and there's a handful I've put aside till later. This one, I guess I'm done for the day I'll check in to look for brilliant suggestions tomorrow. My next step will be to check their wills; sometimes slaves are specifically bequeathed or included in the estate's inventory. Not always, but it's worth a look.
Other Benedict slave holders listed below. I'm leaving out the households with free persons of color here, many of whom could have been emancipated slaves, since the "peculiar institution" was phasing out in the Nutmeg State by the time the US Census came to town:
- Nathaniel Benedict, 1790 in Norwalk + Stamford
- Sherman Benedict, 1790 in Norwalk + Stamford
- Thaddeus Benedict, 1790 in Redding
There was also Caleb Benedict in Norwalk 1800 w/1 free person of color in his household. Might be the same Caleb as 1790 in Greenwich, but not necessarily. And numerous other Benedict households with free persons of color I'm not listing here.
I'm looking forward to brilliant solutions from you all!