James Milton Benedict

	Born	05 Mar 1814	New York
	Married	21 Oct 1840	Mary Augusta Weed	at Location
	Died	25 Nov 1867	Tarrytown, Winchester co., NY

Parents:

• Father:Brig Gen James Benedict; 1784-1841
• Mother:Deborah Coles 1792-

Children:

1. James Benedict; 1842-
2. Virginia Benedict 1844-1849
3. Blanche Benedict 1846-1848
4. Theodore Hudson Benedict; 1849-
5. Harvey Weed Benedict; 1852-

Mary Augusta Weed and Family

Mary was b 23Oct1820. She was the only daughter of Harvey Weed, a merchant in New York.

Census Records

1850 US Federal Census: New York Ward 3, New York, New York; Roll: M432_535; Page: 376; Image: 281. 3Sep1850

• Benedict, James M, age 36, male, merchant, b NY
• Benedict, Mary A, age 30, female, b NY
• Benedict, Theodore, age 1, male, b NY
• 3 female servants

1860 US Federal Census: New York Ward 15 District 3, New York, New York; Roll: M653_805; Page: 474; Image: 455. 23Jul1860

• Benedict, Jas, age 40, male, merchant, value of real estate: 80,000, personal: 75,000, b NY
• Benedict, Mary, age 35, female, b NY
• Benedict, James, age 12, male, b NY
• Benedict, Theodore, age 10, male, b NY
• Benedict, Harvey, age 7, male, b NY
• Harris, Henry, age 60, male, b MA
• Harris, Martilda, age 60, female, b MA
• 1 ea: cook, chambermaid, laundress, errand boy

Sources

Benedicts to America, Vol I, Pg 386
30. JAMES6 (Jonah,5 Matthew,4 Daniel,3 Daniel,2 Thomas1)
b. Sept. 30, 1784; m. May, 1812, Deborah, youngest dau. James Coles of New York, a dry goods merchant. Mr. Coles was a lineal descendant of one of the original settlers, three brothers Coles, of Long Island. (See Thompson's Hist. L. I., vol. II, Appendix.) She was b. Sept. 8, 1792, and resides at Tarrytown. "James, at an early age, entered his father's hat factory, and later he was, also, apprenticed to his uncle Zadock, and worked in his factory until he became well acquainted with the business. Energetic and ambitious, he thought Danbury, Ct., and South Salem poor fields for enterprise, and, therefore, in 1804, he went to New York and entered the employ of Tweedy & Hoyt, manufacturers and dealers in hats and furs, 37 Maiden Lane. He soon gained the confidence and esteem of his employers, and upon the death of Mr. Hoyt, became a partner. About 1810, they rebuilt their store on the old site, and continued there for many years doing a large and successful business. Mr. Tweedy remained at Danbury, Ct., and superintended the large manufactory they had erected there, while Mr. Benedict managed the store in New York, their southern branches, and the business generally. Upon the breaking out of the war of 1812, Mr. Benedict promptly offered his services to the Governor of the state, and was commissioned, June 19, 1812, 1st Lieut., 11th Regt., 1st Brig., Art'y. He served with his regiment during the war, being promoted Captain. He was stationed during the greater part of the war at the forts in New York harbor. After the peace, he continued in the state military service, and rapidly rose to Col., and Brig.-Gen. of Art'y (commission as Brig.-Gen. dated June 27, 1823), until, in March 23, 1826, he was made Maj.-Gen., and placed in command of 2d Div. N. Y. State Art'y. Gen. Benedict took a deep interest in politics; being an intimate friend of De Witt Clinton, he was his staunch supporter and an earnest advocate of the Erie Canal. He was sent to the legislature in 1824. It was during this session that a strong opposition to the measures of De Witt Clinton sprang up, culminating in the passage by large majorities in both houses of the resolution, removing him from his office as canal commissioner. Although the legislature was almost unanimous in this matter, Gen. Benedict stood up almost alone and manfully defended him. Upon the final vote, Gen. B. and one other member recorded their votes against Clinton's removal. A revolution in public sentiment made De Witt Clinton Governor of the state, and Gen. B. was the only member of the legislature of 1824 who was returned by his constituents in 1825. Thurlow Weed, in his Reminiscences, published in the New York Times, in winter of 1866, spoke of Gen. B. 'as a worthy and excellent man.' After his second term in the legislature, he retired from public life, and, March 4, 1829, resigned his commission as Maj.-Gen. The firm of Tweedy & Benedict was dissolved, 1826-7, Samuel Tweedy retiring.(*) Gen. B. continued business until 1830, under the name of James Benedict & Co., when he removed to an estate he had purchased at Tarrytown, where he resided until his death, July 23, 1841. He was, through his maternal grandmother, a lineal descendant of Hendrik Hudson." Ch.
1) (48.) JAMES MILTON, b. March 5, 1814.
2) - ANN AUGUSTA, b. June 2, 1819; m. April 4, 1848, Capt. Edward Brown Cobb; res. Tarrytown. Their son, Edward Benedict Cobb, is a student at Yale College, class 1872.
3) (49.) THEODORE HUDSON, b. March 13, 1821.
4) - MARY MATILDA, b. June 17, 1824; d. July 7, 1849.

(*) Samuel Tweedy, Esq., died in Danbury, Ct., July 1, 1868, at the age of 92 years. He had been president of the Danbury Bank for nearly forty years.

Benedicts to America, Vol I, Pg 398
48. JAMES MILTON7 (James,6 Jonah,5 Matthew,4 Daniel,3 Daniel,2 Thomas1)
b. March 5, 1814; m. Oct. 21, 1840, Mary Augusta, only dau. Harvey Weed, merchant, New York, b. Oct. 23, 1820. He was educated at Capt. Partridge's Military School, at Middletown, Ct. He entered the firm of Williams, Murphy & Benedict in 1846, which firm was succeeded by Murphy, Benedict & Co., and afterwards by Murphy & Benedict. He retired from active business in 1858. He was Vice President of the Ocean Bank of New York City, and was, also, director in several corporations. He died Nov. 25, 1867. His widow res. in New York. Ch.
1) (50.) JAMES, b. May 16, 1842.
2) VIRGINIA, b. March 1, 1844; d. July 24, 1849, at Newburgh.
3) BLANCHE, b. Nov. 22, 1846; d. May 25, 1848.
4) THEODORE HUDSON, b. June 15, 1849; res. New York City.
5) HARVEY WEED, b. May 7, 1852. He is pursuing his studies under the care of Rev. David H. Pierson, at Elizabeth, N. J.

Footnotes

-- SandeeToo - 15 Feb 2009
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