Charlotte (Lottie) Benedict

Family reference: 352.24

	Born	18 Sept 1797	Grand Isle, Vermont
^	Baptized	8 Nov 1818	LaChute, Argenteuil County, Lower Canada (now Quebec)
	Married	30 May 1821	George Brooks at Fredericksburg, Lennox & Addington co., Upper Canada (now Ontario) Only Speculation
	Died	before 1841

Parents:

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

Children: Speculation

1. Willet Brooks; b. 1836;

The Parents of Charlotte Benedict

Joshua Benedict and Mary Wilcox were married in Winchester, Connecticut in 1784. They left Connecticut after 1786, and made their way to Massachuetts, where Joshua's brother William was living, and then on to Vermont by 1792. At some point after 1805 the Benedict family left Vermont, presumably heading for Lower Canada. Given Charlotte was born in 1797, according to her baptism, then she was born during her family's time in Grand Isle, Vermont.

Lottie’s Brothers and Sisters

• Anna Benedict; b. 13 March 1786;d.
• Electa Benedict; b. 1789; d.
• Ard Benedict;b. 1795; d.
• Smedley William Benedict; b. 27 March 1800; d.

Lottie’s Early Years

from Sue Robitaille by email:

Next I started to look for the Parish Registers on microfilm in the Resource Room and found the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church Records 1818-1850 on microfilm and so, I started to go through it. Knowing it would be a long, couple of days to go through it as I will have to read entry by entry (no index).

However…guess what entry I found not too far in and it was not to difficult to read either!

Charlotte Benedict, daughter of Joshua Benedict of Upper Canada and wife Mary born on the eighteenth day of September, one thousand, seven hundred and ninety seven was baptized at the Chute (meaning Lachute) on the eighth day of November one thousand eight hundred and eighteen. In the presence of these witnesses.

Arch’d Henderson minister

Theo Barrow/Barron; Elisha Barrow/Barron

From the above, it is clear that at least Charlotte was in St. Andrews, Argenteuil County, Lower Canada in 1818, likely she was with her eldest sister Anna and Anna's husband Elijah Davis who were residing there.

Quite possibly Charlotte's parents Joshua & Mary and the entire Benedict family came to that area of Lower Canada, after leaving Grand Isle, Vermont but so far, only mention of Anna and Charlotte can be found in the available records for St. Andrews and the surrounding area.

Lottie and George

Given Charlotte "Lottie" Benedict indicates, in her baptism, that her parents were residing in Upper Canada by 1818, and we know Ard Benedict, her brother, was in Upper Canada by 1812, it makes the marriage found, in Fredericksburg, Upper Canada, of a Charlotte Benedick to a George Brooks, in 1821, quite favourable. As it would be a logical assumption that Charlotte left her sister Anna's home in St. Andrews, Argenteuil County, Lower Canada and joined the rest of her family in Lennox & Addington County, Upper Canada.

The marriage of Charlotte Benedick to George Brooks was found in the Register of Rev. McDowall, he is the same Circuit Rider who performed Ard Benedict's marriage a few years earlier.

George Brooks was the son of George Brooks and Ann Garrison who had at least nine children. George's father,George Brooks Sr. was in the same Regiment, the Glengarry Light Infantry, as Charlotte's oldest brother, Ard Benedict.

George Brooks born 1797, Twp., Lennox & Addington County, Ontario,Canada. Died March 31, 1873 Prince Edward County, Ontario,Canada. Died of Inflamation of Kidneys, after 6 days, Dr. J. B. Morden

Given that, so far Charlotte Benedict-Brooks does not show up on the first available Canadian census, 1851, or any census after, and further, that she is not mentioned in the Pension Application filed by her brother, Smedley, in 1845, who was seeking Joshua's Revolutionary War Pension on behalf of himself and his surviving siblings, it is surmized at this point that Charlotte Benedict had died sometime before 1845.

Also, George Brooks marries a Ms. Street in Picton in 1841. If indeed this is the same George that first married Charlotte in 1821 than, Charlotte died before 1841.

It is believed that Charlotte and George had only one son. William/Willet born about 1836.

A William Brooks, age 17, can be found living with Charlotte's sister Electa Benedict-Storings on the 1851 Census in Richmond Township, Lennox & Addington County. In 1861, Willet Brooks, age 25, is living in the household above Electa and Lawrence Storings in Hungerford Township, Hastings County. He is sharing a home with Charles Benedict, presumably his 1st cousin, who was the son of Ard Benedict. In fact, Ard Benedict is a labourer in the household above Willet and Charles.

And finally, when Williet Brooks married in 1860 to Melissa Robertson, he lists his parents as "George & Letty Brooks".

The Final Years for Charlotte

Footnotes

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