Benajah Taylor Betts seems to have named his children "after" somebody that was close to him. He had nine children, but the middle names are not known for all of them. The names we do know are not that unusual and one might be forgiven if they didn't give them a second thought. One son is Ira Benedict Betts. The Benedict is easy because that was his grandmother's name - Hannah Benedict. Ira was his grandfather - Ira Betts.
Then I found Benajah's son, Henry Harrington Betts, living with William Hunt in Lewisboro, New York. Henry eventually became a merchant and William Hunt was a merchant. It made sense that Henry was clerking for William at age 17 and lived with him in New York. But then I realized that Henry's brother was William Hunt Betts. Could William have been a close friend of Benajah? They were about the same age. But how did they know each other. Benajah was a hatter. Did William sell hats? Is figuring out who these kids were named for going to help someone build their family tree? Maybe.
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Charles Betts
Matthew Betts
Henry Harrington Betts
John Borden Betts
William Hunt Betts
William Hunt Betts (1840-1919) was born 15 June 1840 and died 2 October 1919. He was named for William Allen Hunt (1805-1882). in 1850, his brother, Henry Harrington Betts (1833-1905), was living with the elder William and working as a clerk. Henry later became a merchant and was so successful that he was able to retire before age 37. According to census records, the elder William was born in either New York or Connecticut. I am leaning toward Connecticut so that he could be a friend of the boys' father, Benajah Taylor Betts (1804-1889). He lived in Ridgefield, Connecticut.