Re: wrong Thomas in Berks PA
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In reply to:
Re: wrong Thomas in Berks PA
Dave Benfield 4/17/05
Dave;
I'm the friend that purposed the change in the ancestry. Because I've been researching several PA families extensively, Marcus asked me to review his data and offer suggestions for further reseach. Immediately several things raised "red flags" so to speak with the ancestry as it was presented.
1) From the will and codicil of Thomas Benfield (the brother), we know his son John was born between 1743 & 1752, most probably 1746-1748, while John of NC is born approx. 1755.
2) John (son of Thomas the brother) & wife Catherine are sponsers for baptisms at Oley Hills Lutheran Church in Berks Co., PA in 1787-1789, indicating they were respected members of the church.At the nearly the same time John of NC is found in the court records of 1786 suing for money owed him by his neighbor, indicating that he had most likely been there for at least a year or more. These do not rule each other out but are highly incompatible given the time period and its conventions.
3) While most of the eaerly Benfield material quoted by Montgomery in "The History of Berks Co." can be ignored. Harry benfield's statements, that John son of Thomas (the brother) moved with his brother to Lehigh Co. in 1791-2 and the to Penn Twp (now in Schulykill Co.,) in the early 1800's where he died without issue and that John (the brother) is the progenitor of the NC Benfields, should be looked at for at least a hint of truth due to the closeness in generations between the events & the speaker.
We know he was incorrect in saying that John (the brother) went with Squire Boone to NC 1in 1760.John (the brother) died in the spring of 1748 and Squire Boone came to NC in 1753. But John (the brother) had one heir, a son Thomas born prior to 1730 (wording of the will indicates that he was over 18 when it was written). Thomas marries Ruth Mandlin (sister to John's servant Mary?) on 5/26/1750 at Christ Church in Philadelphia. Seeing the 'grain of truth' in the family story, it is John's son Thomas who, apparently, accompanies or follows Squire Boone to NC, as he "proves" Squire Boone's signature in Rowan Co. court on 10/12/1758 on land deed between Squire Boone and his sons Squire Jr and Daniel. Shortly after this transaction in 1759-60 Squire Boone Sr. is said to return to PA, Squire Jr stays in NC and Daniel leads an expedition to Fort Loudon VA (now KY not Loudon Co.,Va as listed on several internet sites). I have not seen the 1762 PA deed, which some have cited, that has Thomas Benfield and wife Ruth, but it is possible that they return to PA at the same time as Squire Boone Sr.
While there are no birth or baptismal records for the early settlement on Bear Creek in Rowan (now Davie) Co. near Mocksville, it takes little imagination to assume that Thomas & Ruth had a son named for Thomas' father John born in 1755.It ios than a good possibility that this John is the John Benfield found in the tax list and whose land is cited in a deed in 1778 in Rowan Co., Capt, Bergers District at the headwaters of Dutch Buffalo Creek (approx. 3 miles east of Landis. By saying he is the John found in Lincoln (Catawba) Co., he fits the NC Benfields' family tradition of John son of Thomas of PA, as well as, the PA Benfields' family tradition that the NC Benfield are descendants of John (the brother). It solves the discrepency of birth dates and the logisitics of being in Lincoln Co., NC in 1785-7, Oley, Berks Co., PA 1787-89 and back in Lincoln Co., by the 1790 Census.
This raises a question of other children of Thomas & Ruth and leaves unanswered the question of the judgement in York Co., SC courts in 1789 referencing the estate of John Benfield, however, even though definitive proof of either ancestral lineage may never be forthcoming, this fits all of the known facts much closer that the previous ancestral assumptions.
Paul R Newlin
More Replies:
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Re: wrong Thomas in Berks PA
Dave Benfield 5/02/05
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Bonnie 5/03/05
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Re: wrong Thomas in Berks PA
Dave Benfield 3/24/07
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Re: wrong Thomas in Berks PA
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Re: wrong Thomas in Berks PA
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Agnes BENFIELD b.bef. 1764, m. Alexr. Suit 1774 Greene Co TN/ was formerly NC
Bonnie Treon 7/03/11
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Re: wrong Thomas in Berks PA