Mary Benham

Other Events:

• Birth: 1630, Plymouth, Devon, England

Notes:

...His youthful shenanigans having been duly brought to public attention and publicily punished, Joseph Benham apparently settled down to being a solid citizen, first, of New Haven, and later, of Wallingford, Connecticut.
...At a session of the New Haven Court of 5 February, 1655, it was noted: "John Benhan, Senior, passeth over to his sonn Joseph Benham all the accommodations which belonged to that lott which was at first given him by the Towne." We know that he had been made Freeman the year before that....Probably Joseph spent the next two years farming and getting a home built for his intended bride, for on 15 January, 1657, in Boston, Joseph Benham married Winifred King of that town. We's not been able to find the names of Winifred's parents. There were many King families in all of the settlements.
...Joseph and Winifred had fourteen children during their marriage. Only six of them lived beyond infancy or early childhood.
...In 1660, just a year before John Benham's death, New Haven, which had been a independent colony, became part of the State of Connecticut. After that, the General Court was held at Hartford, though there were still regular town meetings in the town of New Haven.
...Church and state were closely allied. People must attend church on Sunday. As the population grew, town and church leaders worried about the souls of people who lived too far away from the meeting house to get to church without spending the night in town. They began thinking in terms of starting a new colony "above ye great Plaine.
...Two years went into planing the new village, building a meeting house, and hiring a minister. Planters to settle the new town were selected by a committee as being "fit and offering themselves, so far as it can consist with the good of the place and capacity thereof."
...A Covenant for the new town of Wallingford was drawn up and signed by the heads of families chosen. Among them were Joseph Benham, Nathaniel Merriman, and Eliasaph Preston.
...Little is known of the wives of most early colonists. Winifred Benham was an exception, though not for a reason she would have wished. Other than the death of so many children at an early age (and that was apparently a common problem, considering the state of sanitation and medicine in those early times), things seemed to be going well for the Benham family. The children who did grow up married and started families.
...In November of 1692, though, Winifred Benham and her thirteen-year-old youngest daughter, also named Winifred, were accused of witchcraft trials in Salem and other ciites in Massachusetts. News traveled fast, probably by traders, and it would seem that some adolescent girls must have wondered, if their counterparts in other towns were getting so much attention by accusing people of witchcraft, why shouldn't they? Witchcraft was taken seriously, and had been for many centuries in Europe. People who were perfectly innocent were pointed out as the cause of all kind of misfortunes,m and all the accuser had to assert was the "witch's" shape had appeared to them before the misfortune occurred.
...At any rate, the Benham women, Winifreds Sr. and Jr., were accused, and the trials continued at frequent intervals over the next five years. Twice, during those years, Joseph had to pay large bonds, once 20 pounds and later, 40 pounds, to assure their appearance in Court. Even after acquittal, in August, 1697, the same young people accused them again. At that point, Joseph and both Winifreds fled to New York State, where two married daughters already lived. Young Winifred, like her two older sisters, married in New York. Joseph died there in 1703.
...Two sons, Joseph, Jr., and James, remained in Wallingford, and it was there that the Benham real estate was divided among the heirs in 1727-1728. (Source: written and edited by Lela (Shepherd) Wilkins, with added research and writing by Gladys (Benham) Hall, June (Benham) Stricklin and Loretta (Lee) Chapman, The American Ancestors of William R. Benham (1823-1907) and his Wife, Helen Maria Bingham (1827-1900)(: Cousins Etc., 1994) Chapter 2, pg. 9-11.)

Joseph was the son of John Benham and first wife, probably named Mary. (Note: both sons named their first daughters Mary)

Joseph Benham took the oath of fidelity in 1654. " EARLY FAMILIES OF WALLINGFORD, Connecticut", pg.47 says Joseph Benham came from New Haven to Wallingford in 1670 with the first settlers in the village, and some of his children were born after his removal there.

"A MEETING OF YE COURT EXTRAORDINARY, MARCH 23, 1652"
"Upon a complaint made to ye govenor of sundrie in ye Towne that had committed much wickedness in a filthy corrupting way with another, they were called before the Govenor & Magistrats, visd: Benjamin Bunill, Joshua Bradley, Joseph Benham, William Trobridg, Thomas Tutill and Thomas Kimberly: they were examined in a private way, and their examination taken in wrighting, wch were of such a filthy nature as is not fitt to be made known in a publique way: after wch the Court weere called together, and ye youthes before them; their examinations were read and vpon their severall confessions the Court, being mett at the meeting house vpon the day aboue written, sentenced the youthes aboue named to bee whipt publiquly."

Joseph Benham, Jun 25
In the year 1677, there was a grant of land "at the head of the plains," which is another phrase which by which Hanover was then designated. A very natural phrase; for at that point, the stretch of level land which extends comes from New Haven, through North Haven and Wallingford terminates. In 1680 a grant was made "to Sam'l Hough, to settle on the head of the plain near to Nehemiah Royces". In 1689 this "head of the plain," or "falls plain," was considered so beautiful a spot, that it was reqularly laid out for a village. The main street was to be eighty rods long, and on each side of it were staked out bilding lots; the western lots extending to the hill, and the eastern ones to the river. These lots were assigned by raffle, each planter in the town of Wallingford being allowed to draw one lot. "Att a lawful towne meetin 19 Febrary, 1689-90, the towne voted Yt falles plaine shall be cast lots for and laid out according to above written ....and mape. The Lotts being cast each mans Lott is as followeth Joseph Benham, sen 63.

Joseph married Winifred King on 15 Jan 1657 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America. Winifred (daughter of John King and Mary Williams) was born in 1635 in England; died in in Staten Island, Richmond, New York, British Colonial America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Misc: 25 Jul 1692, Connecticut, British Colonial America; was accused of witchcraft and acquited
• Misc: 31 Aug 1697, Connecticut, British Colonial America; accused of witchcraft and indicted
• Misc: 7 Oct 1697, Hartford, Connecticut, British Colonial America; tried for witchcraft: The grand jury returned the verdict "Ignoramus," (not proven) and they were free to go home

Notes:

Winifred, the Witch of Wallingford
Winifred King was married to Joseph Benham of New Haven on January 15, 1657, in Boston. The couple had fourteen children. The youngest child Winifred, at age thirteen, was accused with her mother of witchcraft and was tried in New haven and Harttford, and finally acquitted. Winifred King's mother is probably Mary Hale of Boston, wife of John. Mary Hale was a widow who ran a boarding house/nursing home in Boston, accused in 1680 of poisoning a young man, a former boarder, who had rejected her granddaughter and was about to marry another. The granddaughter's name was Johanna Benham, and she was "aged 19 or thereabouts" when she testified at the trial, just the age of Winifred's daughter Johanna, who is said to have died young. At the trial, Johanna called Mary Hale her grandmother, and Mary was said to have called Johanna, "my granddaughter, a hump-backed jade!" Mary was acquitted. There are records of Mary Hale in Boston from 1663 when she was paid 5 pounds for taking care of an indigent but nothing has yet been found about her before or after that. No further record has been found of Johanna.
Joseph and Winifred Benham lived in New Haven until they moved to Wallingford in 1670 as one of the the thirty-seven founding families. Winifred was the only "foreign" wife, the only one among these families who had not been locally brought up and that, of course, made her particularly vulnerable to local malice. In Wallingford Joseph was allotted a six acre home lot on the main street, then called the 'Long Highway'. This was situated in the very center of the village, directly across from the site set aside for the ministry. In 1950 the First Congregational Church celebrated its 175th anniversary. For more than ten years, Joseph and Winifred Benham lived quietly. Sometime before 1680, their oldest daughter, Johanna, must have gone to Boston to live with her grandmother, and perhaps pick up some knowledge of nursing, as her mother had probably done. In 1682, their child, Joseph, was married to a widow, Hannah Merriman Ives, who was eight years older than he. Socially, this was a step up for Joseph because of the three classes in Wallingford, the Merrimans were in class 1 (paying the highest taxes and holding the most prominent positions), the Ives in class 2 (the great middle class of taxpayers and office holders), while the Benhams were in the lowest class 3 (with little money and no important jobs).
Since no more is ever heard of the second Mary and her brother Samuel, we assume they died by 1680. This left Joseph and Winifred with only four of their many children left at home; two girls, Anna age 13, Sara age 6; and two boys, John age 11, and James age 3. They were, no doubt, very surprised to have Winifred in 1684, a year after their first grandchild was born.
Rumors calling Winifred a witch must have been circulating for some years before Joseph finally lost his temper. Hannah Parker, wife of John Parker had even come to his house and suggested to Winifred that she was associated with the devil. Maybe she taunted her with having a child so late in life, (the baby Winifred had been born when she was 45, after a lapse of four years - unusual then) and suggested she had conjured up the baby! Or maybe she had asked about her "witch" mother, Mary Hale. Joseph pulled out his gun and threatened to shoot Hannah if the woman did not stop harassing his wife.
Joseph's threat so infuriated the righteous Parkers that they separately and publicly accused both Benhams before the county court at New Haven on July 25, 1692, he of threatening to shoot Hannah and she of witchcraft. Joseph Benham was cited in court and fined. Winifred had to appear again in November when she was cleared but warned "solemnly reflect upon ye case and grounds of suspicion given in and alleged against her." And told if further grounds or evidence should appear against her she might "justly feare and exspect to be brought to her tryall for it." Joseph was required to post 20 pounds to ensure her further appearance.
The fact that it took five years to find people to testify against Winifred, speaks very well for her character, and also shows that she must have had many friends in Wallingford. Outstanding among the friends are two very different families; the Dutch Johnson (or Jansens), originally from what is now Brooklyn, and the Eliasaph Prestons, the other deacon of the church. Not only was Preston a deacon but he was also one of the best educated men in Wallingford; he was the schoolteacher, and came from a line of educated men. Just as important was the fact that his wife, Elizabeth Beach, had a brother who had married the daughter of a very famous "witch" Mary Staples, of Fairfield. In 1653 Mary's husband had sued her accuser (the deputy governor of New Haven) for slander, and won. Among Mary's stated crimes was the fact that she had told a friend she did not believe in witches! In 1692 she was again accused (with a daughter and granddaughter) and again acquitted. Deacon Preston would have stood behind Winifred. Also his daughter Esther married Winifred's son James in 1703.
About 1667 a Dutchman named Jan Wouters moved to Branford, Connecticut with his wife and three sons. Lambert, born 1660 married Anna Benham, and Wouter (or Walter), born 1666 married Joanna Royce. Jan Wouter's first wife died and he married again, having nine more children. Jacob, born 1672, married Sarah Benham. Walter moved to Wallingford and settled there; even after the death of Joanna in 1688, he brought his second wife to live there. It was probably while visiting that their brother that Lambert and Jacob fell in love with the Benham girls. There is no record of when or where they were married, but it might have been Brooklyn (Flatbush), and since the first child recorded of either couple was baptized on Staten Island in 1696, it is possible they had a double wedding about 1694. This child was named Winifred, which must have brought great comfort and pleasure to her grandmother.
The Dutch did not believe in witch nonsense and were probably anxious to get their women out of the range of malicious gossip as soon as possible. It is likely that John, who would have been 23 in 1694, left home about this time to seek his fortune; the Wallingford land records show no mention of John until 1726. So Joseph, Winifred, their son James and daughter Winifred might well have been alone.
But the hounding wouldn't stop! Winifred was teased, inspected, questioned, watched all the time. Young Winifred was so like her mother, she was suspected, too. Can you hear Hannah Parker saying... "she was an unnatural child to begin with...the devil's spawn." The Benhams liked their home...they had worked hard to make it a good place to lay down roots and didn't want to tear them up. They probably spent more and more time on their farm at Cheshire, hoping against hope that the persecutions would stop
Finally came the break that Hannah Parker was waiting for. Her second daughter, Hannah, who had married Josiah Royce in 1693, was left a widow and married a second time to Ebenzer Clark on December 22, 1696. Ebenezer had a fifteen year old daughter Sarah by his first wife Sarah Peck who had died in May of that year. We can surmise it would not take long for Elizabeth to convince her disconsolate and impressionable step-daughter that most of her troubles and those of her friends were due to the wicked witch Winifred Benham.
Sarah had an orphan friend, Elizabeth, who had lost both her father and mother in the last nine years; Elizabeth Lathrop's father John died in 1688 and her mother Ruth Royce had married again to Abraham Doolittle who already had children. Then about 1694 her mother Ruth had died, her stepfather had married for a third time, and was now starting a new family. She must have felt unwanted and unloved and so was readily convinced she was bewitched. It is quite possible that by then she was living with her aunt, Martha Lathrop Moss, whose son John Moss, age 15, was the third accuser. These three were the witnesses that the Parkers and Deacon Hall had been looking for; they came from very good families and the Parkers would not appear to be involved.
The trial was held at a 'Special County Court by order of Governor, held at New Haven August 31, 1697.' The accused were: Winnifred King Benham, age 58, Wallingford and Winnifred Benham Jr, age 13, Wallingford. They were accused by: Wallingford Children; John Moss 3rd, son of John Moss Jr. and Sarah Lathrop Moss; Elizabeth Lathrop, age 19; and Sarah Clark, age 16. The three teenagers testified that "they were frequently and sorely afflicted in their bodies by the said Benhams, mother and daughter or theire Apparicon and as they strongly suspect by their means or procurance by the Devil in their shapes." The court said that the death of a young child should be inquired into "with what appeared as spots on said child and the like spots on the said Benham quickly vanishing," and this time the court found "clear and sufficient ground of suspicion against them" and bound them over for trial at the next Court of Assistants in October.
Joseph had to post a 40 pound bond to keep his wife and daughter out of jail, and guarantee their appearance. Where he found the money, goodness knows. In June of 1697, he sold 4 acres of land to Thomas Beach for 8 pounds 10 shillings. Maybe he mortgaged the rest of his land for the bond. Under no conditions would he let his family spend any time in prison.
When the two Winifreds appeared before court at Hartford in October 7, 1697, they tried the experiment of casting her into water; "the Superior Court of Connecticut has searched her several times for Tets (witch marks). The grand jury returned the verdict "Ignoramus," (not proven) and they were free to go home. After this she was excommunicated from church by the minister of Wallingford. They could not know that this was the last recorded witchcraft trial in New England. Continued suspicion drove mother and daughter to seed refuge elsewhere; they fled for the less hostile environment of Staten Island in the Colony of New York.
The two Johnson (or Wouters) girls (Anna and Sarah Benham) ended up on Staten Island and raised children. Either or both of them occupied a fine house overlooking the "Narrows" towards Brooklyn. it is now a tourist attraction, one of the oldest on the Island. Eventually both Johnsons moved to New Jersey.
Young Winifred is in the 1706 census of Staten Island, married to Evert Van Namen, who moved there from Brooklyn about that time. Until her marriage she and her parents, while they lived, had probably been with the Johnsons in Brooklyn. Joseph Jr. died in 1702, leaving three children. John turns up just once, in 1726, as a signer of a power of attorney to his brother James and nephew Joseph for the sale of Joseph Sr.'s land, and the division of profits among his heirs. He was at the time living in Kings County, New York, which is Brooklyn. James who stayed in Wallingford, either with his brother Joseph until he died in 1702, or with his friend the Deacon Eliasaph Preston, married Esther Preston in 1704, and had a large family of his own. We do not know when or where Joseph or Winifred died...Joseph had died at least by 1714, when the new land division allotted shares to "the hairs of Joseph Benham, Senor."

The last witchcraft trial in Connecticut happened in 1697, where the charges against Wallingford residents Winnifred Benham and her teenage daughter were dismissed. The last recorded accusation of witchcraft in the state is against Colchester resident Sarah Spencer, who was determined by magistrates to be innocent and awarded damages. The trial of Connecticut Colony laws were updated in 1715, at which time witchcraft continued to be listed as a capital crime. The crime of witchcraft disappeared from the list of capital crimes when the laws were next printed in 1750.

Notes:

Married:
[15da 11mo 1656]

Notes:

Notes
AT A GENERALL COURT FOR NEWHAVEN THE 4TH OF AUGUST 1651
John Benham Informed the Court that when this plantation first began, he was by the Authority then setled here, sent forth to looke for Claye to make brickes, wherein he spent as much time as was worth twenty shillings, wch he thinkes the towne should allow him: diuers that were then here present, said he was so sent forth, and thereupon the towne were now willing hee should have Allowance, and therefore wished him to bring his Account to the Gouernour, who is to order the Treasurer to paye him what he findes just. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917). pg. 79]

AT A COURT HELD AT NEWHAVEN THE 7TH OF SEPTEMR, 1652
John Benham was complained of for a defective gunn; he said he could not gett it mended, though it had bine long at the gunsmithes for a new touchhole, but was told if he would haue worked for the gunsmith, hee would haue mended it, but the next Court by Corporall Nash hee poued that he then had two gunns in good order, beside that defective one, wch two was for him and his sonn; so it past wthout a fine. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917). pg. 137]

AT A COURT HELD AT NEWHAVEN THE FIRST OF FEBRUARY, 1652
John Benham was complained of for absence at Trayning one day; he said hee had a kill of brickes to burne, and by the wettnes of the weather he was put of; that he was forced to burne them that weeke, and if he had not begun it vpon ye second day, he could not finish beforeye Saboth, vpon wch ground the Court past it without a fine. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917). pg. 160

AT A GENERALL COURT FOR NEWHAVEN, JUNE 14TH, 1654
Concerning horses, according to ye Generall Courts Order, it was now agreed that what horses are in ye Towne, fitt for service, shall be looked vp speedily: and Edward Camp, James Bishopp, John Benham, and John Thomas, are appointed to that service: and ye Townsmen are appointed to consider of a place for a pasture for them: a place neere Peter Mallaries was named, and also some part of Mr Hawkins his out lott, and a place neere William Dauis his house: and those that haue sadles were desired to see yt they are in readines for publique service. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917. pg. 216]

AT A GENRALL COURT FOR NEWHAUEN, 12TH OF MARCH, 1654/55
It is refferred to the Military officers to chuse and agree wth a new drummer for the Towne, in ye roome of John Benham, who desires to released. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917. pg. 234]

AT A COURT HELD AT NEW HAUEN YE 5TH OF FEBRUARY, 1655
John Benham, Senior, passeth ouer to his sonn Joseph Benham all the accommodations wch belonged to that lott wch was at first giuen him by the Towne, next ye lot of Thomas Nash wch he lately sold to Robert Talmage. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917). pg. 267]

AT A GEN. COURT HELD FOR NEWHAUEN 18TH OF MAY 1656
...John Benham, Senior, and Henry Bristown are chosen packers for flesh, and tooke oath to attend righteousnes therin, according to ye order in ye case, so farr as they haue light.
...John Benham is appointed to beate ye drumm for all publique meetings vpon Lords days and other occasions till ye next Towne meeting, either vpon ye topp of the meeting-house on ye Saboth, or to obserue ye winde & beat so that ye whole Towne may heare. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917). pg. 277

AT A GEN. COURT FOR NEWHAUEN THE 29TH OF JULY 1656
John Benham, Senior, being lame in his arme and hauing lost one of his thumbs, was vpon his desire freed from trayning. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917). pg. 282]

AT A COURT HELD AT NEWHAUEN, 5TH, 3D MO, 1657
The Marshall had order to speake wth Jhn Benham, as from ye Court, tat a woman he brought into the Towne from west Chester (as it said, wife to on Knap in Vergenia) who hath given offenc here, that she be caried away by him againe, else he will be lyable to answer what damage doth come thereby. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917 pg. 312]

AT A COURT HELD AT NEWHAUEN, YE 7TH 5TH MO 1657
John Benham appeared and desired of ye Court that they would release him from ye bargaine he tooke of ym in cattell, wch is ye estate of ye children of John Walker deceased: for he is weake & lame and vnable to provide for them. The Court told him they would take time to consider of it, and fiue him an anwser. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917 pg. 317]

AT A COURT HELD AT NEWHAUEN YE 4TH, 6TH MO, 1657
What was last Court propounded by John Benham, concerning the cattell he hath taken of the chilldren of John Walker, was againe spoken to, and Jno Benham was told that in respect of his bodily weakeness the Court inclines to fauour him, and shall release him for his part of the bargaine, but for the other halfe wch his sonn Joseph hath, he must still keepe them, and both must still stand securitie till the bargaine be fully performed, or they by the Court released; he was further told that an equall deuission cannot be made of the cattell vnless they bee seene, and therfore he is speedily to get them together (wch he said he hoped to doe in a weekes time, and then some appointed by the Court shall view them, and so it may be agreed, wch Joseph shall keepe still, and wch shall be otherwise disposed of. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917) pg. 319, 320]

AT A MEETING OF THE COURT PRIUATELY AT THE GOUERNORS, 22TH, 6TH MO, 57
It was agreen (Jno Benham, Senior, Joseph Benham, and Edwa. Watson being present) that Edward Watson should haue all the Cattell wch are now to be deliuered, that was put to Jno Benham and his sonn, and they should be free in October next when the time comes vp, payeing in proportion for alowanc according to their ingagemt, and that they be helpfull to Edwa. Watson in provideing fodder for them this next winter, wch they promised they would; and Edward Watson was now asked [222] what securitie he can put in, wth himselfe, if he have the cattell: he named Richard Hulol, and had libertie to speake wth him; he was further told he may haue them this winter if some whom the Court appoints shall see that hee hath sufficiently provided for them, and that he dispose of none of them wthout the Courts consent, and that at the Spring there shall be a new consideration, and what the Court sees fitt to haue killed now this next slauter time shall be killed and disposed of as the Court shall see cause, for the chilldren advantage as well as may be. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917) pg. 321. 322]

AT A COURT HELD AT NEWHAUEN YE 6TH 2D MO 1658
John Benham, Senior, and Joseph Benham his sonn, who had a stocke of cattell in their hand three yeare, of ye estate of ye children of John Walker deceased, wch they parted wth last October, vpon wch accot, things being reckoned in a due proportion, ther appeares due to ye said chilldren from ye said Jno & Joseph Benham for profit ariseing out of ye said cattell, beside what was deliuered in ye stock, 4, 18th, 6d, and twenty fiue shillings in part of a steere of ye said stocke sould them, wch is in all six pounds, three shillings, six pence, wch the said John and Joseph Benham ingage themselues to paye in October newxt, in such paye as shall be to ye Courts satisfaction, things beeing duely considered wth refferrence to them and the chilldren also. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917) pg. 348]

AT A GENERALL COURT HELD AT NEWHAVEN, YE 1. OF JULY, 1658
Mr Tuttle made complaint of vnruly doggs, wch hunt cattell in ye night, wch was occasioned by biches going to ye dogg. John Benhams bich was nominated, & he warned to take care of her. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917 pg. 358]

AT A GENERAL COURT HELD AT NEWHAVEN, FEBR. 20, 1659
John Benham Senior was chosen Cryer. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917) pg. 439]

AT A COURT HELD AT NEWHAVEN JANUARY 7TH 1661
An Inventory of the estate of John Benham late of New Haven deceased was by the widdow of the deceased prsented & by her vpon oath Attested to be a full Inventory of ye estate to the best of her knowledg, (an old bason afterwards found excepted). Tho. Munson & john Hariman vpon oath attested to the vallew yt it was just according to their best light, but it being found that part of a house & land was not entered, it was returned to be perfected. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917) pg. 502]

AT A COURT HELD AT NEWHAVEN THE 4TH OF FEBR. 1661
Francis Browne Guardian to Hannnah Walker Informed that ye estate of John Benham deceased or Joseph Benham his sonne was debtor to the estate of John Walker, concerning which he desired the help of the Court, wherevpon the Records of Febr. 4th, 1659, were read, & thereby it appeared that John Benham & Joseph his sonne had engaged ioyntly & seuerally for the paymt of 6£, 3s, 6d, to the sd estate at or before October then next ensuing. Joseph was told that his father being dead he must answere the debt, to wch he replied that part of it was for an Ox bought by his Father, wch is Inventoried as part of that extate. Joseph Benham prsented an account of 3£, 15s, 6d, paid vpon that account, but his booke being sent for & brought, thereby it appeared in ye same page, that 26s was then received back, wch being taken out of 3£, 15s, 6d, there remaind to be deducted out of the debt of 6£, 3s, 6d, but 2£, 09s, 6d, so that the estate of John Walker is Creditour 3£, 14s, 0d, wch Joseph Benham was Ordered to pay to Francis Browne, guardian to Hannah Walker; What joseph Benham hath to say why the estate of his deceased Father should be liable to answere any part of this debt was left to further consideration & heareing. In behalf of Joseph Benham, Francis Browne testified that in March last he demanded this debt of John Benham, who denyed it not, but promised paymt as soone as he could. [Source: Edited by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, New Haven Colony Historical Society, Ancient Town Records Volume I (New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1917) pg. 508]

...In the troubled reign of Charles I (the king who would later by beheaded), a little company of Puritans from the West Counties of England, in 1629-30, sailed for New England on the "Mary and John." The rest of the Winthrop Fleet that would be the main party of the Massachusetts Bay Colony followed two months later.
...John Benham, brickmaker, is generally credited as being on that ship. Quite possibly his wife and two sons, John, Jr. and Joseph, were with him, though we don't know that for sure....What we know about the journey and about the first weeks of getting settled comes from the account of one Captain Roger Clapp, later collected and printed in "Annals of the Town of Dorchester".

"In the year of our Lord 1629, Divers Godly Persons in Devonshire,
Somersetshire, Dorsetshire, & other places, Proposed a Remove to
New England...These good People met together at Plymouth, a
Sea-port Town in ye Sd County of Devon..."

Later in his narrative, Captain Clapp tells about the journey itself and what happened when they first arrived in the New World:

"The people being too many in Number to come in one vessel, they hired one
Captain Squeb to bring them in a large ship of 444 Tons; they set Sail from
Plymoouth ye 20th of March, 1629-30 and arrived at Nantasket...ye 30th of May,
1629-30, having a Comfortable tho long passage, and having Preachint or
Expounding of the Scripture every day of their Passage, performed by their Ministers."

"They had agreed with Capt. Squeb to bring them into Charles River, but he was
false to his bargain & would not come any further than Nantasket, where he
turned them and their Goods ashore on ye point, leaving them in a forlorn
Wilderness distitute of any habitation & most other comforts of life. But it pleased
God, they got a Boat of some that had staied in ye Country...for trade with ye
Natives before these adventurers came over... and put their goods in ye Boat,
and... went up ye River until it grew narrow and Shallow, & then put ashore &
Built a hut to shelter their Goods."

...They were met by about 300 Indians, accompanied by a planter, who had stayed in the country and could speak something of the Natives' language. They exchanged biscuits for fish and shellfish.
...The first months were not easy for the settlers. Even in this temporary camp, they would have had to build crude shelters. Again, we turn to Captain Clapp for an account of their early hardships:

'Oh ye Hunger that many suffered, and saw no hope in an eye of Reason
to be supplyed, only by Clams, & Muscles, and Fish, and Bread was so very
Scarce, that sometimes ye very Crusts of my Fathers Table would have been
very sweet unto me: And when I could have Meal & Water & Salt, boiled together,
it was so good, who could wish better. And it would have been a strange thing
to see a piece of Roast Beef, Mutton, or Veal; tho it was not long before there was Roast Goat.

"...ye Indians were very friendly to them, which our people ascribed to God's
watchful Providence over them in their weak beginnings;... about Ten men
[went up the river] to seek out ye way for ye Rest. They were now landed upon ye Main Continent in a wild and unknown Wilderness, and they had brought Cattle with them which if they put them ashore they would likely wander & be lost & themselves likewise in seeking them."

Dorchester Plantation
...The new settlement, which was named Dorchester Plantation, began about the beginning of June. The colonists were settled here a month or two before Governor Winthrop and the ships that came with him arrived at Charlestown.
...Freedom to pursue their Puritan beliefs without persecution was the principal colonists to endure a long arduous journey an unknown land. [Source: written and edited by Lela (Shepherd) Wilkins, with added research and writing by Gladys (Benham) Hall, June (Benham) Stricklin and Loretta (Lee) Chapman, The American Ancestors of William R. Benham (1823-1907) and his Wife, Helen Maria Bingham (1827-1900)(: Cousins Etc., 1994)].

John Benham came to New England with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630. We do not know the name of his ship, but it was one of the eleven. His origin in England is unknown. (WINTHROP FLEET, Banks, rep. ed., 1976: pg. 60) He was made freeman 18 May 1631 at Boston (LIST OF FREEMAN OF MASS., Paige, rep. 1978; p. 11) Savage places him at Dorchester before his removal to New Haven in 1639.

On the 4th day of the 4th month of 1639 at the Founding of New Haven, John Benham is there with William Preston, Henry Peck, Nath: Merriman, Thomas Munson and "Old" Benjamin Wilmot. In 1643, in a tabulated account of the Planters of New Haven, John Benham has "5 persons in his family"; received 70 acres in the land divisions in various parcels and was taxed 5s 11d. We can count four persons: John, two sons and his wife. Either there was another child by 1643 about whom we know nothing, or he had someone living with him. We have found no census as yet that might help clear this one point. He was one of the early members of First Church: joining about 1639-40 as No. 14. His wife, whose name has not been found anywhere, joined the church in 1646 as No. 126 and according to that record, died before 1654. He was made freeman on 5 Aug 1644 with Roger Betts, William Bradley and others. His two sons of record: john and Joseph took the oath of freeman on 4 Apr 1654. In the 10 Mar 1646 seating list at Meeting House, Bro. Benham sits in the seventh row in the mens middle seats and Mrs. Benham is a seat-neighbor of Sister Preston and Sister Mansfield in the cross seats at the end, 4th row.
...John, too, we find among those with a defective gun and was fined 2s. If we made a survey of the early records, we would probably find that most of the men in these early plantations had been fined for defective weapons. On 16 Jun 1645, we have an entry in the early record that describes John Benham's trade: he was a brickmaker. He had to cross Mr. Eaton's land to get to the clay, and Mr. Eaton apparently objected to this. In that day, too, man had his "easement" problems. And the court had to admonish him for being absent on "trayning" days, for which he paid fines of 2s:6d.
...To describe John Benham's feelings about contemporary affairs, the following entry is somewhat edited: "22 Mar 1653 - John Benham. . . now testifys he spake contemptuously of the commisioners saying they satt long, but what did they, he could have three or four plow-men. . doe as much in three or foure dayes; and when the magistrates were informed . . that the generality of Stamford . . desire(d) they might have liberty in bots, but they would be confined to chuse within the church, but if that would not bee granted they should rest satisfyed in ye course setled."
...John Benham died in 1661; the inventory of his estate returned 25 May 1663. the amount has been lost from the record. why it would take from 3 Jan 1661 to present the inventory on 6 May 1662 and have it returned in 1663 we don't know, except there must have been some involvement not recorded. the Inventory was taken by Thomas Munson and John Merriman. [Source: Marjorie Barnes Thompson, Barnes and allied Families of Long Island and Connecticut(Self published, 1978)., pg. 100.]

John Benham died in 1661; the inventory of his estate returned 25 May 1663. The amount has been lost from the record. Why it would take from 3 Jan 1661 to present the inventory on 6 May 1662 and have it returned in 1663 we don't know, except there must have been some involvement not recorded. The Inventory was taken by Thomas Munson and John Merriman. [Source: Marjorie Barnes Thompson, Barnes and allied Families of Long Island and Connecticut(Self published, 1978)., pg. 107.]

John married _____ _____ about 1618 in New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America. _____ was born about 1600 in England; died before 1660 in New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Benahm

John married Mary Williams. Mary was born in of Boston; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Mary Hale was a widow, age seventy-four in 1680 who ran a rooming house/ infirmary, taking in many destitute people, for whose care she was paid by the city. Her granddaughter Joanna Benham, age nineteen, acted as her assistant. Mary was accused of poisoning a young man who had once courted Joanna and now was paying attention to another young girl. She was judged not guilty (Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County and Records of the Court of Assistants).