Jacob Benedict

	Born	about 1783	in Germany(?)
	Married	25 May 1810	Mary Shanks
	Died	23 May 1861	Windsor Forks, Hants Co., Nova ScotiaA
	Buried	24 May 1861	at The Forks, old Parish WindsorB

- Family album of photos and documents.

Parents:

• Father: unknown
• Mother: unknown

Children with Mary:

(note: children per personal notes of Donna Parker, Janice Frolic-Brown and Elwyn Benedict1)

1. Mary Benedict; b. 1811 at Windsor, Hants Co., Nova Scotia d. 1822 buried in Old St James Cemetery, Age 11, Brooklyn, Nova Scotia
2. William Jacob Benedict; b. 1813; d. 1899
3. James Henry Benedict; b. 1815; d. 1904
4. John Benedict^?; b. before 1822
5. Catherine "Kitty" Benedict; b. 1823; d. August 19, 1870 aged 47 buried in Old Parrish Burying Ground, Windsor, NS
6. Susannah Benedict; b. 1826; d. 13 Jan 1881 buried in Old Parrish Burying Ground, Windsor, Age 55
7. Jacob Benedict; b. abt.1827 (see footnote)

Jacob's Early Years

The parentage of Jacob Benedict has not been verified as of yet. One alternate version is that Jacob was originally Jacob Bauchmann from Strausburg, Germany, who upon arrival in Nova Scotia, changed his surname to Benedict. This is according to Margaret [Benedict] Redden, the daughter of Jacob Alexander Benedict1 and from Karen Oliver.

Jacob's birthdate was estimated from the age given in his burial record: 78 years. See footnote 2.

Jacob and Mary

Mary Shanks was born in 1786 and died May 5, 1880 and was buried next to Jacob.

The Final Years for Jacob

Little is known of the final years for Jacob and Mary. Jacob's headstone reads: Dearest Father thou hast left us, Here thy loss we deeply feel. But tis God that hath bereft us. He can all our sorrows heal.

1821 Land Petition

The following is a transcript of the original land petition made on Jacob Benedict's behalf:

The Petition of Jacob Benedict, Recommended to His Excellent, the Lieut. Governor, by the Board. T.C. Haliburton, Appended - if the land applied for is in the disposal of the board.

Ungranted, Benedict, Jacob, 1821

To His Excellency Lieutenant General [illegible] Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of the Province of Nova Scotia and its Dependent cities etc. etc. etc.

The Petition of Jacob Benedict

Humbly therewith,

That your petitioner is a native of Germany and left that country when a not very young man, and came to this Province in which he has resided every since, a period of almost eighteen years. That he has a wife and four children, three boys and a girl, and purposes by the cultivation of land to support himself and his family. He therefore humbly prays that your Excellency will be pleased to grant him two hundred acres of land situated between Windsor and Falmouth adjoining lands of Mrs. Palmer, on the Chester Road.

Your Petitioner further states that this land is not [illegible] or claimed by any person whatever as he believes. That this Grant is not sought for the purpose of traffic but for actual settlement, that he has never received a grant of land from Government, and that should he obtain the [illegible] he will forever settle upon the same.

Jacob Bennedict X his mark Witness B. Dewolf

Personally appeared before me Jacob Benedict and being duly sworn, [illegible] put forth in the above petition are true.

Benjamin Dewolf Just. Peace

References:

• Family reference: B.G.
• Lineage: Jacob Benedict¹
• Books:
  • GBA-II p. 4621

Footnotes

Note A: Death date from headstone (see family album )

Note B: Burial record from Christ Church Anglican, Windsor, N.S. burials, 1814-1900.

1. Most of the rough information was obtained from handwritten notes by Donna Parker of New Minas, Nova Scotia. Obtained by J.B. on a personal visit the summer of 2004. No supporting sources available, although her research was carried out at the Kentville, Kings County Museum and on field gravesite visits.

2. See the Jacob Family document submitted by Janice Fralic-Brown of Nova Scotia for alternate research and sources on his family.

3. An e-note from Karen Oliver, a granddaughter of the late Effie and Clarence Dimock, regarding Jacob Benedict:
"My mother (who is 93) has stated that it was always told to her when she was a little girl that her grandfather (or great?).. had arrived from Germany and that his name was originally Bauchman."
"Bauchman/Benedict left Germany during a war because of religious persecution at that time as was told by my great grandfather to my mother about his ancestors."

4. from Janice Fralic-Brown of NS via Tracy Rounds email:

• Benedicts from the Christ Church Anglican, Windsor NS, PANS mfilm#12002-x
• Death records of Jacob Benedict and Mary (Shanks) Benedict:
• Jacob Benedict; The Forks; buried May 24 1867; age 78
• Mary Benedict; The Forks; buried May 7 1880; age 94

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Notes on the Children 1

• John; married Margaret Winslow of Digby, Nova Scotia and went to Massachusetts U.S.A. Children:
  • Eleanor Winslow Benedict; M. Henry Trevitt of Wilton, N.H.
  • Charlotte Benedict; d. Infancy
  • Carita Benedict; married to Seldon Rand
  • Percival John Benedict
  • Lillian M Benedict; married Grant Shattuck of Groton, Mass
  • Ann Catherine Benedict; married to Mr. Gage

• Jacob; married to Ellen Winslow of Digby, Nova Scotia. They went to California (see census note below)

Information on John's children added by SteveMetcalf

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Census for Nova Scotia for 1861

census record for Jacob Benedict; son William Benedict and family:

Head of Families	No. Males	No. Females
BENEDICT Jacob	1	3
BENEDICT William	3	2

-Nova Scotia census for 1861; Hants county, Roll: M-880.

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Census for California of 1880

census record for son Jacob Benedict:

		Marital						Father's	Mother's
Name	Relation	Status	Gender	Race	Age	Birthplace	Occupation	Birthplace	Birthplace
BENEDICT Jacob	Self	M	Male	W	49	Nova Scotia	Carpenter	Germany	Nova Scotia
Ellen	Wife	M	Female	W	45	Nova Scotia	Keeping House	Ireland	Ireland

-1880 United States Census for San Francisco, San Francisco Co., California; LDS Family History Library film #1254077, NA film # T9-0077, page 312C; original image available at Family Search.

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Sources

1. "Genealogy of the Benedicts in America", Vol. II by Elwyn E. Benedict; 1st pub. 1969; orig. avail. at Daughters of the American Revolution in Washington, DC.

• FALMOUTH2.pdf: Mr. Benedict of Annapolis in Falmouth

-- JimBenedict - 05 Dec 2005

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