Smedley William Benedict

Son of: Joshua of Connecticut^? Reference No.

b. 1799, 1800 or 1810; birthplace unknown.

m. date unknown to Catherine Dafoe/Defoe.

Moved date unknown to Bruce County ???

d. in ???? at ????

Children:

• Elizabeth; b. Chesley, Bruce County, Ontario, unknown date,
• Caleb^?; b. about 1831, unknown location,
• Smith John^?; b. 8 Dec 1832, Sheffield Twp, Lennox & Addington County, Ontario,
• William; b. about 1836, unknown location,
• Elias^?; b. about 1839, St. Vincent, Grey County, Ontario,
• Daniel; b. 6 Dec 1840, unknown location,
• David^?; b. about 1843, St. Vincent, Grey County, Ontario.

The Parents of Smedley

The father of Smedley was Joshua Benedict^?, a soldier (unknown rank) with regimental number S23116 in the Loyalist army fighting for the British cause in Connecticut. He died on the ninth of December, 1839 at Sheffield Twp., Lennox & Addington County in Ontario, then known as Upper Canada(1).

Smedley’s mother may have been Ruth Westcoat (or Westcott), the daughter of Nathaniel Westcoat/cott of Norwalk, Connecticut. She married a Joshua Benedict^? on April 13, 1774 in Danbury, Connecticut(2).

Smedley’s brother and sisters were(1):

• Anna, who married Elijah Davis and lived in St. Andrews in Lower Canada;
• Ard, who lived in Hungerford in Upper Canada;
• Electa, who married a Mr. Storings and lived in Richmond in Lennox & Addington County, Ontario;
• A possible other sister named “Lotty”.

Smedley’s Early Years

Smedley was likely born in Canada but possibly was born in the United States in either Connecticut or Vermont. McIntyre^?(3) mentioned that Smedley William Benedict was born 1799 in the United States, then came to Canada.

The Benedicts settled in either Hastings or Lennox & Addington County of Ontario, then known as Upper Canada, in the early 1800’s. It is noted that a James Benedict was assessed in Fredericksburg Twp of Lennox & Addington County in 1808 for: 470 uncleared acres, 30 cleared acres, three horses and seven cattle(8). The relationship to Smedley is unknown at this time. In the same assessment we find Daniel Dafoe, Smedley’s future father-in-law.

According to White(1), Smedley was a resident of Victoria District in 1845, at the age of 45. So his birth date would have been between 1799 and 1801. Hastings is the adjoining county to the west of Lennox & Addington County. In about 1828, Smedley Benedict was enrolled in the Second Regiment of the Lennox Militia under the command of a Captain Archibald McDonnell^?. At that time he was mentioned as 24 years old, which would place his birth date at about 1804. This is according to the Militia General order dated 7 Nov. 1828(4).

Smedley and Catherine

By about this time he would have married Catherine Dafoe. The wedding took place on March 10, 1834, according to the S&DAL(7). Catherine’s family is well recorded in the United Empire Loyalist’s records of Ontario. Her line goes back at least four generations to a Daniel Theyou from Switzerland, settling in Kingston, New York. Catherine’s parents were Daniel Dafoe and Elizabeth Wright of the Lennox & Addington County area. Catherine was born about 1805(5,6).

In later years, Smedley and Catherine resided in St. Vincent Twp. in Grey County of Ontario on a farm(6).

Catherine Dafoe (spouse) (9)

The Dafoe family were United Empire Loyalists who were raised in the southwestern corner of Vermont in the community of Pownal, close to (now) New York and Massachusetts states. Catherine’s grandfather chose the British side and the family suffered loss of property and exodus to the British colony to the north.

The origins of the Dafoe family goes back to the early 18th century, when vinedresser Daniel Thevou, his wife Marianne and two children Maria Anna and Abraham, emigrated from Switzerland, as part of the large Palatine Migration. The family left Rotterdam in 1709 sailing to the New World via London. Marianne did not survive the voyage so Daniel arrived at the Hudson River with two children to care for in a foreign land(5).

His son Abraham (1702-1753) married Anna Maria Catharina Reiffenberger and lived in nearby Rhinbeck in New York, raising at least five sons and three daughters.

Catherine’s grandfather, John Ernst Dafoe was born Johan Ernst Defuh, but anglicized his name in the 1760’s when Englishmen settled around him in the Hoosick Patent of New York Province. John married twenty-year-old Mary Keller on February 1, 1749. Both were German speaking as well as English. Together they raised seven sons and one daughter in Pownal in Vermont. John was elected deer reeve and pathmaster and built a grist mill near the town centre. He was among the many Loyalists who were rounded up and jailed in Connecticut in 1776, escaping in 1777, probably in the general breakout that occurred when the prisoners heard they were to be shot the next morning.

John entered into the war on the British side, fighting in the Battle at Bennington of August 16 1777, just north of Pownal, with sons George, Conrad and Abraham. George was shot in battle and died a few days later. Abraham, Catherine’s granduncle, was captured and paroled, but the father, John was captured and held. He escaped again and fled to Canada. It seems John continued in the war as a courier-spy on secret service. His wife Mary kept one of the “safe houses” along the couriers’ route, between Crown Point and New York City. They did lose their property at Pownal after the war, losing “30 acres in Pownal; a good house valued at 100 pounds Halifax currency; an orchard and a grist mill valued at 300 pounds. He also lost his horses, cows, hogs and wagons.” John passed away in the refugee camp at St. Jean’s Quebec in 1784, likely of malaria and undoubtedly aggravated by the rough life of a spy.

Daniel Dafoe, the youngest child of John and Mary and the father for our Catherine, was born in 1769, too young to fight in the Revolutionary War and he died prior to 1844. Daniel married Elizabeth Wright prior to 1790 and together they raised eleven children in the Lennox & Addington County of Ontario. Catherine was born about 1805(5,6). Catherine may had been buried elsewhere. The Ontario Cemetery Find Aid states that a BENEDICT; Catherine (Dafoe) is buried in the Woodstock Baptist Cemetery in the Woodstock Twp. Of Oxford County. There is no death date given. This is likely not our Catherine but will require further research.

The Children

Children per Elwyn Benedict(8) Children per McIntyre^?(3) Children per author Name Born Name Born Name Born Betty Betty Elizabeth 1826 John Smedley John Smedley Smith John 8 Dec 1832 Mary Mary Caleb 1857 Caleb 1831 William William 1836 William 1835 Elias Elias 1839 Daniel 6 Dec 1840 Daniel 1841 David 1843 Ard 11 Aug 1844 Ard 1844 Ard 11 Aug 1847 James 1853 James 1846 Catharine 1846 Catherine 1848

Elizabeth (Betty) Benedict(10) b. Chesley, Bruce County, Ontario. 1st m. Crisp, then 2nd m. William Pender on Sept. 9, 1881 in Chesley, Ontario at age of 55. So b. abt. 1826. Her birth would have been eight years before Smedley and Catherine got married, so needs investigation.

“Smith” John Benedict(11) b. December 8, 1832 (In the Canadian Census of 1901 for Wallaceburg) in Sheffield Twp of Lennox & Addington County, Ontario, and died July 28, 1909 in Wallaceburg, Kent County, Ontario at the age of 76 years, 7 months. His birth would have been two years before Smedley and Catherine got married, so needs investigation. Married Harriet A. Dustin on March 23, 1858, daughter of Caleb Dustin and Clarissa Colby. She was born December 29, 1839. The Chatham Twp in Kent County shows an 1861 census record of a: BENEDICT, H. [no occupation] female age=22 married BENEDICT, J. labourer male age=29 married BENEDICT, J. [no occupation] male age=2 [ ] Likely John and Harriet Benedict and little John Smedley Benedict, born about 1857. So they were in Chatham Twp by 1861.

Caleb Benedict(13) b. abt 1831. Farmer in Sullivan Twp. of Grey County, Ontario in 1871 at age 40. He married Luella Booker and died in 1937. His birth would have been three years before Smedley and Catherine got married, so needs investigation.

William Benedict(14) b. about 1835 (1834 per the 1851 Census; 1836 per the 1871 Census). Married Alice Cashore on September 12, 1879. She was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Cashore. They had six children, in the Own Sound, Ontario area.

Ard Benedict(18) b. August 11, 1847 (per 1901 Census). Married Christina Kelso. Died May 19, 1924. Children (per 1901 Census): Smedley, William, David, Hallie/or/Harriet (sic.), Gordon.

Census:

Person 1851 Richmond Twp 1871 Grey Co. 1871 Hastings Co. 1871 Kent Co. 1881 Grey Co. 1881 Kent Co. Per 1851 census Smedley 50 Catherine 47 Caleb 21 40 50? 40 ? Betsy 24 Mary 22 John 19 38 48 William 17 35 Elias 13 Daniel 11 Ard 9 28 James 7 25 Catharine 3 Per other census: David 28 Aron 39 George 42 Peter 66 Phebe 24 Smith 73 Archibald 43 Charles 40 Elias 6 Frederick 21 W. H. 54 Elisha J. 27

References: 1. Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files, Volume 1: A-E; abstracted by Virgil D. White; located at Houston Clayton Library; Ref: GEN 973.3 W588 USA

BENEDICT, Joshua, S23116 [his military number in the British Loyalists army], CT [Connecticut] line, sol[dier]'s son Smedley Benedict appl[ied] 16 Sept 1845 Oswego City NY aged 45 a res[ident] of Victoria Dist in Canada West & states that sol[dier] d[ied] 9 Dec 1839 at Sheffield in N. Canada leaving children; Anna Davis of St Andrews in Lower Canada, Ard Benedict of Hungerford in Upper Canada & Electa Storings of Richmond, Lenox & Addington in Upper Canada & Smedley Benedict of same place, sol's bros Timothy & William Benedict are mentioned, sol moved from CT to Grand Isle VT then to Upper Canada, a Derastus Center [name of a person in Vermont] states sol's daughter Ann m Elijah Davis & mentions another daughter of sol named Lotty.

2. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records; For Danbury CT page 25; located at Houston Clayton Library; Ref: GEN 974.6 W585 CONN

BENEDICT, Joshua, m. Ruth WESTCOAT [likely WESTCOTT], d. of Nathaniel of Norwalk, Apr 13, 1774 (from Vital Records Vol 1 p 465)

3. email from "Betty McIntyre^?" <bmcintyr@WarpLink.com Subject: Re: Smedley William Benedict http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/NewBrunswick/1998-10/0907863768 Note: Betty is not responding to her email and I have reason to believe she is deceased and no longer a potential source.

I am working on my family tree, but need to find out more information about my great, great grandfather Smedley William Benedict, born 1799 in United States came to Canada, married Catherine Dafoe, born 1805 in Fredericksburg. I believe they lived in Sheffield where some of their children were born probably between 1828 - 1850. I would like to know when Smedley came to Canada, when they were married and the birth dates of their children, Betty, John Smedley, Mary. I have the birth dates for Caleb - 1831, William - 1836, Elias - 1839, Daniel - 1841, David - 1843, Ard - 1844, James - 1846 and Catherine - 1848.

They moved to St. Vincent Township, Grey County, Ontario - don't know that date either - but I have managed to collect quite a bit of data on their life there.

4. Men of Upper Canada Militia Nominal Rolls, 1828-1829; Authors: Elliott, Walter, et al Publisher: Toronto Genealogical Society 1995 pp. 123-124; Location: Clayton Genealogical Library, Houston, TX; Ref: GEN 971.3 M534 ONTAR CANADA

2nd Regiment Lennox Militia men aged 19 ~ 39 Enrolled in the 2nd Regiment of Lennox Militia, returned according to the Militia General order dated 7 Nov 1828: under Captain Archibald McDonnell^?: age = 24 BENEDICT, Smedley [therefore born about 1828 - 24 = 1804]

5. Was Your Mother a Dafoe?; Authors: Eleanor Carleton Moult U.E. and Jean Dafoe Lake U.E.; Publisher: “The Beacon” magazine; Location: Alberta Family History Society Library, Calgary Alberta; Ref: See the image in Appendix A, exhibit 1.

6. Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, volume II, p. 246; Author: Elwyn E. Benedict See the image in Appendix A, exhibit 2.

7. The Ontario Register, 1780s-1870s, p. 81; Author: Sons and Daughters of American Loyalists See the image in Appendix A, exhibit 3. Because of the birthdates of the children Elizabeth, Caleb and John, this date is suspect.

8. webpage: Assessment Roll of Fredericksburgh Township Lennox & Addington County 1808; Transcribed from: The Ontario Register Volume III; Originally copied from: Dafoe family genealogy, compiled by: William Allen Dafoe, M.D. of Madoc, Ontario, 1917 Internet location (as of 2005): http://home.primus.ca/~jgkeller/Fred_1808_final.html Author: Sons and Daughters of American Loyalists See the image in Appendix A, exhibit 3.

9. The Story of Catharine Dafoe of Sheffield Twp., Ontario; 2005 Author: Jim Benedict Located at: www….com

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-- JasonBenedict - 07 Nov 2005
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