John Benham (1671 - 1751)

Born 3 Nov 1671 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Anna Neeltye Kymber — married about 1720 in Bergen County, New Jersey

Descendants

Died 1751 at about age 79 in Kings County, New York

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Edward Askins [send private message]

Biography

John Benham born 3 Nov 1671 in Wallingford, New Haven, CT to Joseph Benham and Winifred King who married in Boston, MA on 15 Jan 1657.^[1][2] Apparently due to Winifred’s persecution in a witchcraft case, the family moved briefly to New York where John and three of his sisters remained when Joseph and Winifred returned to Connecticut. About 1691, John Benham married Anna Neltje 'Nellie' Kymber[source needed for name] born abt. 1672 in Brooklyn, NY, and died 1751 in Kings County, NY.^[3]

Children of John and Neltje:

1. John Benham, probably the eldest, reportedly born 15 Aug. 1692. He moved to Monmouth County, NJ where he married, about 1721, Giertje (later Catherine) Van Dyke, daughter of Peter and Hendrika (Sutphen) Van Dyke.
2. Antje (Anne) Benham, baptized 23 Oct. 1698. Possibly married Reynier Falleman by 1720, based on the baptismal sponsorship of Reynier and Anntje Falleman’s daughter Catryna by John Benham on 31 Aug. 1720 at the New Utrecht Reformed Dutch Church, Kings Co., NY.^[4]
3. Joosje (Joseph) Benham, baptized 8 Sep 1700 at Brooklyn.^[5] Joseph married Catryna (possibly Stillwell) by 1725 and had the following four children baptized at New Utrecht: Antje, 1726; Jan and Marya, 1733; and Jan, 1736. Sponsors for these children included Jan Benham and wife Elsie, Antje Stillwell, and N. Stillwell and wife Martha.
4. Cornelius Benham, born about 1706, married Magdalena Kymber about 1731. Their only child, Cornelius, jr. was baptized on 25 June 1732 at the New Utrecht Dutch Reformed Church.^[4] Baptismal record lists mother as Helena. The sponsors were Jan Benham and his wife Elsie. Cornelius Benham died about the time his son was born. His widow was remarried before 1735 to Peter Van Buren, by whom she had six children according to the LDS Ancestral File.

Kings County records show that John was there by 1693 (assessment roll cited by Bergen), that he was married and had a child (presumably John) at the 1698 census, and had another child (Antje) baptized later the same year. In 1700 he had a child Joosje baptized, and despite the usually feminine-je ending, this probably was his son Joseph. There is no baptismal record for his third son, Cornelius.

John Benham is listed on the 1693 Kings County, New York Assessment Roll, the 1698 Census of Flatbush,^[6] the 1709 Assessment List of Flatbush and the 1738 List of Inhabitants of Flatbush, Kings Co., New York. He served as a Constable in Flatbush for the years 1705-1707, 1708-1709 and 1710-1713. In 1715 he was an Ensign in the 2nd Company of the Kings Co. Militia.

John's wife is called "Vulpie" in 1698 and "Wolje" in 1700. These are almost certainly different clerks' attempts to write the same name. The spellings do not resemble any familiar English or Dutch name. No other example of such a name has been found, and it was not carried on in subsequent generations of the Benham family. Nevertheless, Wolfje or Vulpie was probably the mother of all of John's children.

Bergen calls John's wife Nealtye, but of the records he cites for John, only the two baptisms give a wife's name. An examination of the original church record (on film) for 1700 shows the name clearly written as "Wolje," while three separate readings of the 1698 baptism all give it as "Vulpie". Since it is not likely that Bergen would have misread both entries, one can only suspect that he got his notes mixed up and made an outright mistake here.

Wolfje/Vulpie probably died before 1720, and it is conceivable that she was the deceased person for whom "J. Benn." paid for the use of the shroud at Flatbush in 1715. When John witnessed baptisms in 1720 and 1726, no wife appeared with him. At the census of 1731 his household (erroneously transcribed as "Renham") consisted of two males and no females. But starting in June 1732 he appears in several records with a second wife Elsje, and she was named in his 1738 will and survived him in 1751.

Will of John Benham^[7]

In the name of God Amen the tenth day of May in the Year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred and thirty-eight. I John Benham of Flatt Bush in Kings County on the Island Nassau Carpender being at present in good health and of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God— therefore calling into mind themortality of my Body and knowing that it is appointed for all Men once to dye to make and ordain this my last Will and Testament that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my Soul into the hands of God that gave it and for my Body I recommend it to the earth to be buried in a Christian like and decent manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the General Ressurrection I shall reeive the same again by the mighty power of God and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form Imprimis after my funeral charges is dessayed and my lawfull debts are payed I do give and bequeath to Ealsse my dear beloved Wife my Whole Real and personal Estate in Flat Bush in Kings County on the Island Nassaw or else where for her to have and to hold possess occupy and enjoy without any lelt hindrance or molestation of any Person or persons whatsoever for and during my said loving Wife's natural life or so long as shee dus remain my Widow Except that Room of my house wherein my son Joseph Benham now lives shall be for his and her families use Item if my said loving Wife shall not be able to pay my lawfull debts then I do give to her full power and absolute authority to sell and convey my whole Real and personal Estate for the payment of my lawfull debts and such Deed or Deeds as Ealse my loving Wife shall make to any Buyer or Buyers shall be as good and authentick in the Law to all Intents and purposes as if I myself had Executed the same in my lifetime Item if my said Estate is not sold at my loving Wives decease or Remarriage, that at her decease or Remarriage my whole estate above said shall devolve to my Children by names John Benham & Joseph Benham unto them their heirs and assigns forever but if my said loving Wife shall have occasion to sell my said Estate for to pay my lawfully debts the Remainder aftermy Lawfull debts are paid out of my Estate the Remainder shall for the use of Ealse Benahm my loving Wife for her maintenance during her natural life or so long as she is my Widow and immediately after my said loving Wifes decease or Remarriagemy two Sons above named shall have the remainder of my estae each an equal proportion and I do constitute and appoint Ealse my loving Wife to be my Whole and Sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament and to see that it is duly and truely preformed according to the true intent and maining thereof And I do hereby utterly disalow revoke and disannul all and every other former Testaments Wills and Legacies bequest and Executors by me in anyways before this time named willed and bequeathed Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and Seal the day and Year above written.

John (his mark) Benham

Signed sealed published pronounced and declared by the said John Benham as his last will and Testament in the presence of us Subscribers (Viz) Samuel Gerritson, Junr. Koerts Voorheest S. Gerritson

Be it Rememberd That at Flatbush on the 29th day of August Anno 1751 Sameul Gerretsen one of the subscribing Witnesses to the within written Will of John Benham deceased appeared before me and made Oath on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God that he saw the said John Benham sign and seal the within written Instrument or Will and Testament that at the time thereof he the said John Benham was of sound disposing mind and Memory to the best of his the deponents knowledge and belief and that he the Deponent and Samuel Gerretson Junr and Koutz Voorheest subscribed their names as Witnessess to the said Will in the Testators presence.

Notes

John's siblings^{[8][9][10][3]}

1. Mary
2. Joseph
3. Sarah
4. Joanna
5. Elizabeth
6. John
7. Elizabeth
8. Samuel
9. Sarah
10. James
11. Winifred

It seems that John roamed around as records indicate he lived in Bergen, NJ, Long Island NY, Columbia Co., NY, Flatlands and Flatbrush and possibly Monmouth, NJ. [ John Benham, son of Joseph and Winifred never lived in NJ]

The question has been raised as to whether we can be sure that this John who died in Flatbush c. 1751 was the same as John, son of Joseph, because the will was signed by mark, while the 1728 Wallingford records appears to have his signature. John's use of a mark in 1738 cannot be attributed to illness, as he said in his will that he was "in good health". Nor was it necessarily due to old age, since back in 1701/2 he also signed by mark. While there are cases in this period of a man signing his name both ways, there is also the possibility that the Wallingford town clerk made a slip in copying the 1728 document into his records, and omitted a mark there.

The use of the title "Captain" for John in the 1728 document is consistent with his being Ensign of the Flatbush militia company in 1715 and 1722. It was likely he was promoted to a higher rank after 1722, but the militia records for those years are lost.

Examination of Kings County records over the period 1693-1751 leaves no doubt that there was only one and the same adult John Benham in the conty during all this period. The only records that can definitely be attributed to another John is John's naming of his son John in his will.

There is an Antje Bennum (Benham?) stated to be the wife of Vincentius Antonides in Genealogies of Long Island Families^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ Cutter, William Richard. Genealogical and Family History of Wester New York, Vol. 1. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co. (1912). p. 67-68.
2. ↑ Davis, Charles Henry Stanley. History of Wallingford, Connecticut. Meriden, CT: the Authors (1870). p. 653-656.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Scoudan, Fern Orr; Bowater, John. Benham, A Pedigree. Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California: self-published (1989). p. 1-2.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} The Archives of the Reformed Church in America. New Brunswick, New Jersey; New Ultrecht Church, Record Book, Baptisms, Burials, Marriages, 1718-1922.
5. ↑ The Archives of the Reformed Church in America; New Brunswick, NJ; First Church, Protocolle Book, 1660-1664. Lists mothers name as Woltje.
6. ↑ Bergen, Teunis G. Register in Alphabetical Order of the Early Settlers of Kings County, Long Island, N. Y., from its First Settlement by Europeans to 1700. New York: S. W. Green's Son (1881). p. 27.
7. ↑ Records of Wills and Probates, 1665-1787. New York State Archives; Albany, New York; Series Number: J0043-92,
8. ↑ Source: #S77 Page: Vol. 1, Page 165; Vol. 3, Page 27
9. ↑ Source: #S316 Page: A - B. Vol. 1, 1999. p. 67-69.
10. ↑ Source: #S951 Page: p. 62
11. ↑ Genealogies of Long Island Families from the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, vol. ii. Praa-Youngs. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. (1987). p. 621.

• Source: S316 Author: Anderson, Robert Charles Title: Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633 Publication: Name: New England Historic Genealogical Society; Location: Boston; Date: 1995;
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• Source: S951 Title: New England Marriages Prior to 1700 Publication: Name: Genealogical Publishing Co.; Date: 1985;
• Source: S-642516599 Repository: #R-1099179740 Title: U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc APID: 1,3824::0
• Repository: R-1099179740 Name: Ancestry.com Address: Note:
• Source: S-642568730 Repository: #R-1099179740 Title: Millennium File Author: Heritage Consulting Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc APID: 1,7249::0
• Source: S-642614771 Repository: #R-1099179740 Title: American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) Author: Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc APID: 1,3599::0
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• Source: S-642629721 Repository: #R-1099179740 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Page: Ancestry Family Tree Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=60510113&pid=742

Acknowledgements

• Thank you to Edward Askins for creating WikiTree profile Benham-446 through the import of Askins Family (1).ged on Oct 17, 2013.
• WikiTree profile Benham-251 created through the import of WORCESTER_2012-07-31.ged on Jul 31, 2012 by Bob Worcester. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Bob and others.
• WikiTree profile Benham-177 created through the import of Liles - Craig Family Tree_2012-03-21_01.ged on Mar 21, 2012 by Paul Liles. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Paul and others.

• This person was created through the import of Liles - Craig Family Tree.ged on 08 March 2011.