Deborah (Clark) Benjamin (abt. 1702 - abt. 1766)

Born about 1702 in Preston, New London, Connecticut Colony

Ancestors

Wife of Joseph Benjamin III — married 3 Apr 1722 in Preston, New London, Connecticut Colony

Descendants

Died about 1766 at about age 64 in Plainfield, Windham, Connecticut Colony [uncertain]

Biography

Deborah Clark was born about 1702 in Preston, New London, Connecticut Colony. Her parents were John and Deborah (Parke) Clark. Her birth year is estimated based on her marriage year of 1722, and on her parent's estimated marriage year of 1701.^[1]

On 2 April 1710 Deborah's mother renewed her covenant to the Preston church. On 23 April 1710 Deborah and her sister were baptized there, and their brother John was baptized on 8 May 1710.^[2]

Deborah married Joseph Benjamin on 3 April 1722, in Preston.^[3][4]

Deborah and Joseph Benjamin took full communion on July 12, 1724 at the church in Griswold, New London, Connecticut Colony (cr I-36).^[5]

They had children:^[3][5]

1. Joseph (1723-1761),^[6] married Anne Penniman^[7], moved early to Massachusetts
2. Elijah (1725-ca 1768),^[8] married Hannah Taft^[7]
3. James (1727-1772),^[9] married Priscilla Burton^[10], moved to Massachusetts
4. Barzillai (1730/1-aft. 1800),^[11], married Anne _______
5. Deborah (1732/3-1830),^[12] married John Cady^[13]
6. Josiah (1734/5-1805),^[14], moved early to New York; military service; married
7. Nathan (1737-1785),^[15], married Abigail Dibble, then Hannah Wells; moved early to Massachusetts
8. Mary (1739-1819),^[16], married Andrew Durkee^[17]
9. Isaac (1742),^[18], military service; bought land in Plainfield from father Joseph in 1766; moved away

No death records have been found for Deborah or for her husband Joseph. However, Joseph Benjamin of Preston purchased land in Plainfield, Windham, Connecticut Colony in 1763; he sold that land in 1766 to his son Isaac; and he died in Plainfield in 1770, when his inventory was taken. See Joseph's profile for more details. The 1763 move may have been occasioned by Deborah's and Joseph's last child Mary getting married in 1762. Assuming that Deborah made the move to Plainfield, it is likely that she died there about 1766, and that her death there was what prompted Joseph to convey the land to his son Isaac, probably in exchange for allowing Joseph to remain on the land until he died.

Research Notes

The "Benjamin Family" book has Deborah and Joseph moving to Egremont, Berkshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony, with Joseph dying there in 1803 at age 103. But also per the "Benjamin Family" book, the Joseph who died in Egremont in 1803 was in fact the son of Nathan Benjamin and thus the grandson of Joseph. Further, Nathan, the son of Joseph born in 1700, died in 1785, and Nathan, the son of Joseph who died in 1803, was still a child in that year, therefore the Joseph who died in 1803 did not die in his son Nathan's house. So, where and when were the deaths of Deborah and Joseph?

Two of Deborah and Joseph's children were in the area of Egremont early.

Their son Joseph purchased land and buildings in Tauconntuck, Hampshire county, Massachusetts Bay Colony (now Mount Washington, Berkshire County) in 1759, and he died there in 1761. He and his family had been living in Windsor, Connecticut Colony prior to the move. His wife Hannah may have died shortly after Joseph's death, because in one of his probate documents she describes herself as very weak.

On 29 March 1757 land in Tauconntuck was purchased from the Stockbridge Indians. 40 proprietors were involved. They seem to be have been led by John Dibble, as he received the most shares. No Benjamin surname appears on the list. However, Nathan Benjamin married Abigail Dibble, John's daughter, in Tauconntuck in 1761. Nathan Benjamin bought land in Egremont in 1773 and his (second) wife was admitted to the church there in October 1774.^[5] Nathan appears on 1774 and 1776 petitions to the State to procure an act of incorporation. The town was finally incorporated in 1779 and renamed Mount Washington.^[19]

The following Benjamin surnames are listed as original proprietors of Mt. Washington:^[20] Joseph, Judah, Mary, Capt. Nathan, and Peleg. Joseph was a son of Nathan, and Judah, Mary, and Peleg were children of his deceased brother Joseph. Nathan's son Joseph and Francis Hear sold land in Egremont on 11 August 1790 to Michael Loomis. Joseph and Francis identify themselves as collectors of taxes for the years 1786-1789.^[21] (This rules out this Joseph as Nathan's father, as he would be unlikely to be out collecting taxes in his late eighties).

There are no records that either Deborah or Joseph were ever in Tauconntuck or Egremont. They would have been in their early sixties at the youngest for a move there, which also seems unlikely.

Regarding their other children, only their son Elijah settled in Preston. Joseph deeded land in Preston to him in January 1756. The last child to leave their house was probably daughter Mary, who married in Windham, Connecticut in 1762. Their youngest son Isaac bought land in Plainfield from his father Joseph in 1766.

Sources

1. ↑ New England Marriages to 1700. Torrey v.1 p.324 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. NEHGS member site
   • Text: "CLARK, John (1673-1708+) & Deborah [PARKE] (1680-); by 1701?; ?Preston, CT {Park (,4) 35; Warner-Harrington 126}"
2. ↑ Preston, CT: First Congregational Church Records, 1698-1898. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.) Originally published as: First Congregational Church of Preston, Connecticut, 1698-1898 : together with statistics of the church taken from church records. Preston, Conn.: The Society, 1900. pp. 135, 140 NEHGS member site
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630-1870 Preston, pp.17-20 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.) From original typescripts, Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection, 1928. [1]; NEHGS member site]
4. ↑ "Connecticut Marriages, 1630-1997", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7PB-YH3 : 11 January 2020), Deborah Clark in entry for Joseph Benjamin, 1723.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Biche, Gloria Wall, The Benjamin family in America, 1977, p.52 InternetArchive
6. ↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74X-GQH : 7 January 2020), Joseph Benjamin, 1723.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G979-7X9S?cc=2061550&wc=Q4D4-W3B%3A353349801%2C353651801%2C353651802 : 30 October 2019), Worcester > Mendon > Births, marriages, deaths, property records 1677-1826 > image 12 of 328; citing Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston.
8. ↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74X-LJW : 7 January 2020), Elijah Benjamin, 1725.
9. ↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74X-G94 : 7 January 2020), James Benjamin, 1727.
10. ↑ "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG15-WXY2 : 15 April 2022), James Benjamin in entry for Priscilla Burton, ; citing Marriage, Preston, New London, Connecticut, United States, Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008272224.
11. ↑ "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPMZ-1HP2 : 15 April 2022), Barzillai Benjamin, ; citing Birth, Preston, New London, Connecticut, United States, Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008272220.
12. ↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7WH-KL5 : 7 January 2020), Deborah Benjamin, 1732.
13. ↑ "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPMC-MB9J : 15 April 2022), Deborah Benjamin in entry for John Cady, ; citing Marriage, Preston, New London, Connecticut, United States, Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008272225.
14. ↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74X-LYC : 7 January 2020), Josiah Benjamin, 1734.
15. ↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74X-GVS : 7 January 2020), Nathan Benjamin, 1737.
16. ↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7WH-VBC : 7 January 2020), Mary Benjamin, 1739.
17. ↑ "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPQ7-CG57 : 15 April 2022), Mary Benjamin, ; citing Marriage, Windham, Connecticut, United States, Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008272220.
18. ↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74X-LV6 : 7 January 2020), Isaac Benjamin, 1742.
19. ↑ Collections of the Berkshire Historical and Scientific Society, 1886, v.3, pp.569-615 InternetArchive
20. ↑ Stockwell, Blanche C., compiler, Original proprietors or grantees of towns in Berkshire County, Massachusetts [1733-1779], p. 21 FamilySearch
21. ↑ Land records - Berkshire County, Massachusetts, southern district, 1790-1865 FamilySearch