Benjamin Oney (abt. 1720 - abt. 1801)

Born about 1720 in England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died about 1801 at about age 81 in Tazewell County, Virginia, USA

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Biography

He was born about 1720 in England.

About 07 Oct 1742, Benjamin Oney "of New Hanover, Burlington County", New Jersey, was one of two executors for the last Will of Jno. Parker. ^[1]

Benjamin Oney married about 1743, possibly to Jemima Soper (unconfirmed), daughter of John Soper and Mary Hauser.

In 1746 Benjamin owned 100 acres near present-day Allentown, New Jersey, USA. The only neighbor named in the survey was Samuel Emleys. The survey index included someone named Clevenger (among a number of Burlington Co NJ families who migrated to Frederick Co VA). A transcription of the survey follows ...

"By Virtue of a Warrant from the Council of Proprietors to me [illegible] bearing date the sixth day of August, one thousand [seven?] hundred. and forty five? requiring me to survey to Samuel Nevill, the full quantity of five? thousand acres of land in the western Division of the province of New Jersey, below the Falls of Delaware.

And by an assignment from the said Samuel Nevill to John Beaumont out for the said five? thousand acres

and by an assignment from the said John Beaumont to William French for four hundred acres of the said land

and by an assignment from the said William French to Benjamin Oney for one hundred acres of the said land thearfor? Hand caused the said one hundred acres of be conveyed to the said Benjamine Oney by my? lawful deputy William Heulings, scituated between the two lines of East and West Jersey in the County of Monmouth, and is bounded as followeth ...

Beginning at a water oake standing. in a small fen of water being cornered the land of Samuel Emleys land and runs by vacant land south fifty degrees East twenty eight chains by a pine then North forty degrees, East thirty five chains to a pine. Thence across a small fen of water north twenty eight degrees west fifteen chains to a pin then North seventy degrees West, fifteen chains to a pine, then part by vacant land and part by the land of Samuel Emleys, south forty degrees West thirty five chains to the corner water oake first mentioned, containing one hundred acres with allowance for Highwayes.

Witness my hand the fifteenth day of September 1746.

James Alexander ... " ^[2]

On 17 Aug 1750 Benjamin cosigned a 500 pound marriage bond concerning the marriage of William Clevenger and Mercy Assan. ^[3]

About 01 Aug 1769 there was an order charging Benjamin Oney and Edward Corder with investigating the feasibility of a road in Frederick County, Virginia, between "Matthew Smith's Plantation to McCoys Chappell". (This could be referring to Edward Corder, Jr., husband of Susannah Oney since Edward Corder, Sr. would have been in his mid-sixties by 1769 and less likely to be scouting roads). This date is between the time when Benjamin's son Joseph was born in 1754, and 1775, when Benjamin definitely occupied land in present-day Tazewell County, Virginia. Frederick County was then located in the northern part of Virginia and was distinct from the area that would eventually become Tazewell County in the southwest part of the state.

Benjamin Oney married secondly to a Mary (unknown).

Benjamin Oney passed away about 1801 and his will was probated on 13 Aug 1801 in Tazewell County, Virginia. ^{[4] [5]} It devised his property to his sons Richard, Joseph, William and Edward, and mentioned sons-in-law, William Stapleton, Obediah Pain and Edward Corder. The latter's surname was nearly illegible and has been mistranscribed as everything from "Castle" to "Carter". ^[6]

Children

1. Mary Elizabeth Oney, b: ca 1745; d: 1816; m: William Webb, b: 02 Jan 1738; d: 19 Mar 1818
2. Joseph Oney, b: ca 1754; d: 1840
3. Richard Oney, b: ca 1755; d: 28 Dec 1805; m: Sarah Highland
4. Susannah Oney, m: Edward Corder, Jr.
5. William Oney, b: ca 1756; d: c1804
6. Jemima Oney, b: 1760; d: 1820 m: Obediah Payne
7. Sarah Oney, b: ca 1760; m: William Stapleton.

Research Notes

Please note that there is significant confusion online mixing the family of ...

- Olneys (from Rhode Island)

- Oneys of southeastern Virginia (possibly an offshoot of the Rhode Island lineage)

- Benjamin Oney who lived in the Virginia counties of Frederick, Montgomery and Tazewell.

The DNA from descendants of Benjamin Oney m: Jemima does not match the DNA from descendants of Hiram Oney or Hezekiah Oney.

DNA testing does not indicate a connection between the latter Benjamin Oney of Virginia with the Olney=Oney family of Rhode Island or southeast Virginia.

Genealogists have identified this ancestor's birthplace as Oxford England, Rhode Island Colony, and New Jersey Colony. See Rootsweb.com VATAZEWE-L Archives, 01 Jun 1998.

update: A possible redirect for this dead link might be ...

https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/vatazewe.rootsweb.com/1998/6/ for page 1 & 2

Could his parents be Benjamin Oney and Ann Wilson ?

The Benjamin Oney who moved to Frederick County, Virginia, married probably around 1745 (likely in Maryland) to Jemima (possibly Soper, daughter of John Soper and wife#2, Mary Houser, of Prince George's County, Maryland).

It is uncertain if that Benjamin Oney is connected to the records of a Benjamin Oney in Burlington County, New Jersey ... but many Quakers (and some non-Quakers) from Burlington County, New Jersey did migrate to Frederick County, Virginia, so that possibility cannot be ruled out.

This profile should not be confused with Benjamin Oney who married Barbara Wellons.

Sources

1. ↑ Archives of the State of New Jersey, series#1 Calendar of Wills 1730-1750 at 369; for Will of Jno. Parker, 1742
2. ↑ West Jersey surveys Book-BB, folio#124
3. ↑ Burlington County, New Jersey Marriages, book-C, part#1 p118
4. ↑ Tazewell County, Virginia Will book#1 p5
5. ↑ "Archives of the Pioneers of Tazwell, County, Virginia" p10 citing Order book#1 on 13 Aug 1801 for Will of Benjamin Oney which mentioned his second wife "my beloved wife Mary"
6. ↑ "Annals of Tazewell County, Virginia from 1800-1922" by John Newton Harman & W. C. Hill Printing Company of Richmond, VA in 1922 v1 chapter#15 Tazewell County, Virginia Will Books p271 citing Will book#1 p5; Text: Benjamin Oney Will probated 13 August 1801, devised his property to his sons Richard, Joseph, William, and two sons-in-law, Stapleton and Obediah Pain.

• 1790 USA Census of Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island for Benjamin Olney @16+ & wife & 2M@<16

• U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications 1889-1970 SAR Membership #88003; application: 16 Mar 1967; for ancestor Benjamin Oney, b: 1740 England; d: Jul 1801 Tazewell County, Virginia; spouse: Mary Oney

• North America, Family Histories 1500-2000 on ancestry.com with image; citing "Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas Olney: An Original Proprietor of Providence, Rhode Island" p233 for Benjamin Olney m: Jemima (Norris?)