Samuel Benedict

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Samuel BENEDICT, born about 1649; died 1719; was the first generation of Benedicts born in the New World. His parents came from England and he grew up on Long Island (now New York State). Samuel and Rebecca were among the earliest settlers of Danbury, raising his family in the area.

	Born		about 1649	Southold, Long Island, New Netherland
	Married	1st		unknown
^	^	2nd	7 July 1678	Rebecca Andrews at Norwalk, Connecticut
	Died		1719%CITE{1022}%	Danbury, Connecticut

Parents:

• Father: Thomas Benedict; 1617 - 1689
• Mother: Mary Bridgham

Children with (unknown):

1. Joanna Benedict; b. 22 Oct 1673
2. Samuel Benedict; b. 5 March 1674/75

Children with Rebecca Andrews:

1. Thomas Benedict; b. 27 March 1679
2. Nathaniel Benedict; b. 1680
3. Abraham Benedict; b. 21 June 1681
4. Rebecca Benedict; b. 1683
5. Esther Benedict; b. 1685

Samuel's Parents

Samuel was of the first generation of Benedicts born of Thomas and Mary in the new colony of the Americas. His parents emigrated from England together in the same ship some 11 years earlier. First settling in the Massachusetts colony, they removed themselves to an emerging establishment some 100 miles further south and west, on the Long Island, south of Connecticut.

Samuel's Early Years

Samuel was born and raised in the small Southhold settlement in New Netherland, along the northern shore of Long Island in the now state of New York. The town of Southold occupies the north division of the eastern end of Long Island, from the Riverhead boundary to Orient Point, a distance of twenty-three miles. At its widest part it measures only about four miles and it is said to contain almost 30 thousand acres. On its Long Island Sound side the coastline is rugged and precipitous, but the side that faces Peconic Bay is flat, with wide stretches of rich meadow land. The soil in the interior is very fertile and the climate, on the whole, may be ranked as healthy and bracing.

In 1665, the Benedict family relocated to Norwalk in Connecticut when Samuel was 15 yers of age.

The first marriage for Samuel was likely around 1670 to early 1673. His spouse is unidentified at this time but it is known that they had a daughter Joanna, and a son named after his father. His wife likely died between 1675 and 1678.

Samuel and Rebecca

Rebecca was a daughter to Thomas Andrews of Fairfield County. Samuel married her on July 7 of 1678, having bought four acres of home lot upon Dry Hill that year (Hall, page 28)%CITE{1001}%.

By 1684, Connecticut desired the opening up of new land to the north of Norwalk. In May, the General Court of Connecticut appointed his father and two others to plant a town to the north at Paquigue (or Pahquioque) and to receive inhabitants there.

In the fall of 1684 and the spring of 1685, Samuel, with his brother James, his brother-in-law James Beebe, Judah Gregory (brother-in-law of James Benedict), and four others, purchased land of the Indians and made the first settlement at Paquiogue (Danbury). Dr. Samuel Wood, who married Rebecca, daughter of Thomas Benedict, soon followed, and Daniel, youngest son of Thomas Benedict, also, settled there, soon after 1690. Thus it will be seen that the majority of the first settlers of Danbury were of the Benedict stock and connection.

They soon built a little church, only forty feet by thirty; when its frame was raised every person in the town was present and sat together on the sills. Samuel Benedict, a Deacon of the church, while a resident of Norwalk, was also first Deacon of this church. He conveyed his Norwalk property, Feb. 3, 1685. He is named as patentee in the patent of Danbury, granted by the General Assembly, May, 1702%CITE{1001}%.

The village was made a fortified post in 1708 by order of the General Assembly. Two houses were selected and fortified as shelter for the various families in case of an attack by the Indians, who were being incited to deeds of violence upon settlers at that time by the French Government. The Assembly further ordered that a good scout, consisting of two trusty men, be sent out every day to observe the movements of the enemy. One of these houses was that of Samuel, at the foot of Main Street; the other was the parsonage of Rev. Mr. Shove.%CITE{1022}%

The Final Years for Samuel

Rebecca passed away sometime after February 1723%CITE{1012}%. Samuel died likely in 1719%CITE{1022}% but other research mentions April 1727.%CITE{1012}%

His will, made at Danbury, April 15, 1719, was recorded March 20, 1719. His inventory, made April 17, 1719, shows a total of sterling 185 pounds 11s. 5d. The will mentions wife Rebecca, Samuel (eldest son), to whom is bequeathed "my great Bible;" Samuel Benedict, son of Thomas Benedict, "my second son, deceased" who received "my martir book;" two youngest sons, Nathaniel and Abraham; heirs of Thomas Benedict, "my second son, deceased," "as one child," [i. e., to take as one child,] and Benoni [to take] "half so much as one child." It, also, mentions daughters Rebecca and Esther.

Footnotes

References:

• Family reference: 3
• Family Tree: Benedict Generations
• Lineage: Samuel Benedict², (Thomas¹)
• Books:
  • GBA-I p. 241%CITE{1001}%

from: "History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield" (1930): %CITE{1009}%

BENEDICT, Samuel, son of Thomas;

Married (recorded at Norwalk) 7 July 1678, Rebecca Andrews, daughter of Francis, formerly of Fairfield.

He was an original founder of Danbury, 1685, and Deacon of the Church.

Will 12 April 1719, proved 1719: "wife Rebecca; eldest son Samuel; Samuel son of son Thomas deceased; two youngest sons Nathaniel and Abraham; daughters Rebecca, Esther; children of son Thomas; Benoni to have half as much as a child's portion".

Children, four recorded at Norwalk:

• Joanna, b. 22 Oct. 1673
• Samuel, b. 5 Mar 1674/5, d. at Danbury in 1735; will 4 Mar. 1734/5, proved 9 Apr. 1735; m. Abigail Pickett, dau. of Thomas, b. 30 July 1678.
• Nathaniel, b. [say 1677], d. at Danbury in 1767; will 19 Jan. 1767, proved 11 Dec. 1767; m. Sarah _.
• Thomas, b. 27 Mar. 1679, d. at Danbury in 1714; adm'n granted 6 Dec. 1714 to widow Elizabeth and Sergt. Francis Barnum; he m. Elizabeth Hickock, dau. of Samuel of Waterbury, b. abt. 1682, living at Danbury 1729; she m. (2) 21 June 1722, Samuel Smith of Ridgefield.
• Abraham, b. 21 June 1681, d. at Danbury in 1776; will 25 May 1774, proved 28 Feb. 1776; m. Sarah __.
• Rebecca, m. 18 June 1712, Samuel Platt. He died Dec 4, 1713.
• Esther.

Some of the children's birth dates are from Ancestry.com's One Family Tree.

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Family Outline

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-- JimBenedict - 17 Oct 2006
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