Archibald (Ar'd) Benedict

Family reference: 352.23

	Born	about 1795	Grand Isle, Vermont
	Married	16 Jan 1816	Hannah Pringle at Fredericksburg, Lennox & Addington co., Ontario
	Died	about 1870	Hungerford twp., Hastings co., Ontario

- Family album of photos and documents.

Parents of Ard:

• Father: Joshua Benedict; 1751 - 1839
• Mother: Mary Wilcox

Children:

1. William Case Benedict; b. 22 May 1818; d.15 Jun 1887
2. Elias Benedict; b. abt. 1820; d.1896
3. Susan Benedict; b.14 Oct 1824; d.19 Aug 1871
4. Phoebe Benedict; b. 30 Sep 1826; d.30 Jul 1901
5. Mary Benedict; b. abt. 1827;
6. Charles Benedict; b. 16 Oct 1829; d.10 Apr 1897
7. Amanda Benedict; b. 01 Feb 1832; d. 18 Oct 1905
8. Almira Jane Benedict; b. 14 Mar 1835; d. 21 Aug 1917
9. James Albert Benedict; b. 1846; d. 21 May 1859
10. Almon F. Benedict; b.18 Oct 1848; d. 21 Apr 1905

The Parents of Ard Benedict

Joshua Benedict and Mary Wilcox were married in Winchester, Connecticut in 1784. Joshua had moved to Winchester from Danbury, Connecticut with his parents and siblings about 1771. Joshua was given land, in Winchester, by his father Timothy Benedict, but conveyed the land when he, his wife Mary and their young daughter Anna decided to leave Connecticut after 1786 heading first to Massachusetts, then Vermont before finally reaching Upper Canada some twenty plus years later.

Ard’s Early Years

Ard Benedict was likely born in Grand Isle, Vermont between about 1792-1795. Very early Vermont Censuses, and a marriage for one of Ard's sisters, Anna, indicate Joshua Benedict, Ard's father, and family were in Chittenden County, Vermont from 1792 to approximately 1805.

Prior to that, the 1790 Massachusetts Census indicates Joshua, his wife, and two daughters were in Berkshire County. Given no sons show up with Joshua on the 1790 USA Federal census and two sons are present by the 1800 USA Federal census and using the 1861 Canadian census, on which Ard appears, age 66, his birth year would be 1795. Further, a number of Ard's children, per various censuses, indicate their father was born in Vermont.

After 1805 there is a gap and it is not yet clear where exactly Ard and his parents and siblings went. It is suggested, in some documents, and is quite probable, that they migrated into Lower Canada, the Montreal area being very close to Grand Isle Vermont.

The War of 1812

However by 1812, Ard was in Upper Canada, and on 27 Apr 1812 he enlisted in the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles in Kingston, Ontario. His loyalties obviously lay with the British.

His grandson John W. McCallum wrote that Ard was an aide-de-camp to General Isaac Brock, and was standing nearby when the general was killed at Queenstown Heights, Upper Canada on October 13, 1812.

Either at this battle or that of Lundy's Lane occurred an incident, when an American outpost sniper, sheltered behind a tree, through the crotch of which he was firing, was picking off entirely too many of Ard Benedict's fellow soldiers. So, immediately after a shot and before the sniper had time to reload, Ard dashed across to the tree, cracked the offender on the head and then, noticing that the latter's boots were better than his own, exchanged footwear in relative safety of being shot at by either side, since each had a man in that vulnerable spot. Anyhow he lived to get away with the boots and to tell about it.

Ard was discharged March 24 1815 with the rank of Sergeant. He married, the following year, Hannah Pringle.

Hannah Pringle

Hannah was the daughter of Joseph Pringle and Phoebe Benedict and was born on June 16, 1798 in Fredericksburg, Lennox & Addington Co., Ontario.

Hannah had a brother Anson Pringle, about whom Uncle Allen [Allen James McCallum] heard someone say that he was the finest scholar in two counties. I believe he was a teacher. She also had a sister, Mary "Polly" Pringle, who married John "Hugh" Benn, and is buried in the plot of William and Amanda McCallum at Tweed, and near the graves of her son John Anson Benn and his wife Maggie Mills (Granddaughter of Ard and Hannah). If Anson Pringle had a sharp mind, the chances are that his sisters did too. My mother, who was born in 1872, remembered her grandmother as a little old lady who didn't see very well because of cataracts in her eyes. Upon one occasion she covered a piece of bread for her granddaughter with unseasoned pumpkin instead of the expected apple sauce. Susan had to be obedient and eat it but she never liked pumpkin pie as long as she lived!

Uncle Allen remembered that his grandmother was an expert knitter. When she wished to do something for one of her grandchildren, she could begin in the morning to make the knitting needles fly, and finish a pair of stockings by evening. Uncle Ed remembered that once as small children he and my mother took their grandmother's pillows when she was making up her feather bed. She toddled around and around the house after them; finally they hid under her bed covers and she couldn't find them anywhere!

Hannah Pringle Benedict died at the home of her daughter Amanda McCallum, on 27 February 1879 in Madoc Township, and is said to be buried at Bancroft. If Hannah is buried in Bancroft she has no marker and no Registry.(Checked by Donald Elliott in Bancroft and The Napanee Museum and Archives.)

Ard and Hannah

Ard and Hannah Prindle (Pringle) were married on the 16th of January in 1816 by the Reverend Robert McDowall of the Presbyterian (Dutch Reformed) Church. Both were residents of the village of Fredericksburgh. The marriage register1 says that the groom's name was Archibald, but everyone knew him as Ar'd.

Ard Benedict had received a Land Grant for his Military service in the War of 1812. He was given Lot 14 in the 4th Concession of Richmond Township, Lennox & Addington County, Ontario. From the Petition papers dated 1825, Ard had been living on the property from 1817, had improved the property and completed all required settlement duties to have the patent.

Info from The Napanee Museum and Archives. Ard finally received his land grant from The Crown, August 09, 1825. On February 15, 1828 Ard Sold the rear half to Thomas Hughs for 131 pounds 5 shillings. On January 20, 1844, Ard Sold the South half to Jno Cassidy for 100 pounds On March 15, 1853, Hannah Benedict sold the North half 100 acres to Thomas Hughs On March 11, 1853, Hannah Benedict a Quit Claim?

Ard Benedict sold his property in Richmond Township in two pieces, the first half in 1828 and then the rest in 1841 and he, Hannah and their children moved next door to Hungerford Township, Hastings County.

Supposedly Ard Benedict was a Cooper by trade, making barrels and buckets.

It has been determined, through a number of sources, that Ard and Hannah had ten children. However it was from excerpts of two letters, one written by Elias Benedict and one written by Charles Benedict, to their mother's brother, their Uncle William Anson Pringle, in which both men discuss their siblings, that really helped to build the framework of this family.(found in the files of Jennie Pringle)

The Final Years for Ard

Ard Benedict was by trade a cooper, that is, he made barrels, buckets, etc. He lost a leg In a bear trap. In his later years he lived with his son Elias, about 35 miles north of Belleville. Mrs. Mary Spafford wrote that her grandfather died of a stroke while sitting in his chair, around 1870 at the home of his son Elias, in Hungerford Township, Hastings County. He is buried in Parks Burying Ground at Stoco, near Tweed.

Footnotes

The following is from The Kingston Cronicle; Info from The Napanee Museum and Archives. ( This is the way people in those days received their mail. They would read this in the newspaper, and then pickup their mail. ) Benedict Ard; letter at Belleville Post Office; 1819 ( not much time, I missed copying full date and Page and col. ) Benedict Ard; letter at Hallowell Post Office; 1831 ( not much time, I missed copying full date and Page and col. ) Benedict Ard; letter at Napanee Post Office; Jan. 13, 1835, page 1, Col. 4 Benedict Ard; letter at Napanee Post Office; May 11, 1835, page 3, Col. 5 Benedict Ard; letter at Napanee Post Office; Jan. 13, 1840, page 3, Col. 5 Benedict Ard; letter at Napanee Post Office; Jan. 20, 1840, page 3, Col. 3 Benedict Ard; letter at Napanee Post Office; Jan. 27, 1840, page 3, Col. 3

Some more information on Ard Benedict and his family is in the Ard biography document, originally prepared by Frances Becker in 1948.

---

Susan: you can find this ref. at: Mecklenburg District Marriage Register for 1800 to 1836 and go halfway down the page. I wonder if the original could be viewed and scanned.

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from Susan Robitaille email of 17 Sept 2005; to be incorporated later...

"My Ard and his wife Hannah and their children moved from Richmond Twp in Lennox & Addington County to right next door in Hungerford Twp in Hastings County about 1840 range. Ard and his wife both died in the Tweed area but so far we have not found their stones or graves. Ard and Hannah had, I believe, the following children: William Case (who is my line), Elias, Charles, Phoebe, Amanda, Susan, Almira Jane, Mary and Albert who died young."

Sources

1. The Ontario Vital Statistics Project; for births, deaths, marriages, census and more. Website: www.rootsweb.com/~onvsr

-- JimBenedict - 06 Jan 2006 -- DonaldElliott - 28 Jul 2008
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