George H. Benham

Other Events:

• Census: 1860, Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as George Benham, in the household of Richard Benham
• Beneficiary: 24 Mar 1869; in the will of his father, Richard Benham
• Census: 1870, Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as George Benham, in the household of Abigal Benham
• Census: 1880, Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as George Benham, farmer, head of household
• History / Bio: 1880; The History of Miami County, Ohio (Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1880), p473
• Beneficiary: 9 Apr 1889; in the will of his mother, Abigail Benham
• Census: 1900, Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as George Benham, farmer, head of household
• Executor: 27 Apr 1901, Miami County, Ohio, United States; George Benham was named executor in will of his mother, Abigail S. Benham

Notes:

Birth:

Mentioned in the will of Abigail S. Benham as son George H. Benham, also as Executor.

History / Bio:

GEORGE H. BENHAM, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Conover; was born in Brown Township Feb. 12, 1855, and is a son of Richard Benham, who was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, March 15, 1791, and was one of the patriots of the war of 1812; he was at the surrender of Gen. Hull, where he took the life of an Indian chief; in 1813, he married Mary Nutt, who was a native of Centerville, Montgomery County, Ohio, and died about 1846; he afterward married Mrs. Abigail (Underwood) Baltzell, who was born in Shelby County, Ohio, in 1813; they had two children; the death of Richard Benham occurred March 1, 1870. George Benham was raised on the farm of which he now owns a portion, in Sec. 3, Brown Township; in early life he received a fair education. His marriage with Millie Pence was celebrated in 1874; their children were three in number, of whom only one is now living, viz., Len Etta; Mrs. Benham is a daughter of William F. and Emmeline Pence, natives of this State.

George married Millie Pence on 1 Feb 1874 in Champaign County, Ohio, United States. Millie was born on 19 Feb 1854 in Champaign County, Ohio, United States; died on 15 Nov 1940 in Miami County, Ohio, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Loretta Benham was born on 19 Jun 1874 in Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; and died.
2. William H. Benham was born on 11 Jun 1876 in Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; died on 5 Aug 1879 in Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States.
3. Della A. Benham was born on 15 Jul 1878 in Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; died on 31 Jul 1878 in Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States.
4. Arthur E. Benham was born on 20 Feb 1881 in Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; died in 1968; was buried in 1968 in Miami County, Ohio, United States.
5. Charlie L. Benham was born on 18 Apr 1889 in Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; and died.

Other Events:

• Physical Description: 1812; Height 5' 10", light complexion, blue eyes, light sandy hair
• Military: Between Apr 1812 and Aug 1812; served in the War of 1812 2nd Regiment, Ohio Militia
• Census: 1850, Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as Richard Bennum, farmer, head of household
• Census: 1860, Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as Richard Benham, farmer, head of household
• Will: 24 Mar 1869, Miami County, Ohio, United States
• Probate: 19 May 1870, Miami County, Ohio, United States

Richard married Abigail S. Underwood on 9 Aug 1849 in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. Abigail was born in May 1815 in Shelby County, Ohio, United States; died on 18 Apr 1901 in Miami County, Ohio, United States; was buried in Apr 1901 in Fletcher, Miami County, Ohio, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Census: 1850, Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as Abigail Bennum, in the household of Richard Bennum
• Census: 1860, Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as Abigail Benham, in the household of Richard Benham
• Beneficiary: 24 Mar 1869; in the will of her husband, Richard Benham
• Census: 1870, Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as Abigal Benham, head of household
• Appointed: 19 May 1870; administratrix of her husband's will
• Census: 1880, Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as Abigal S. Benham, mother, in the household of George Benham
• Military Pension: 26 Jul 1888; filed an application for a Widows' Pension
• Will: 9 Apr 1889, Miami County, Ohio, United States
• Census: 1900, Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as Abigail S. Benham, mother, widow, 1 child/1 living, in the household of George Benham
• Probate: 27 Apr 1901, Miami County, Ohio, United States

Notes:

Mentioned in the will of Richard Benham as wife (no name). She was appointed executrix but none was listed in the will.

Military Pension:

Claimant alleges her husband enlisted in the Ohio Militia War 1812, that he served until he was taken prisoner at Hulls surrender & exchanged obtained a bounty land warrant of 160 acres. Died March 23, 1870

3 Audidtor reports in bounty land case Richard Benham served in Captain Kyles Co., Ohio Militia from April 25 1812 to August 16 1812 when he was surrendered to the British at Detroit.

Other Events:

• Name: James Benham
• Name: Richard James Benham
• Religion: First Presbyterian Church
• Baptism: 31 May 1759, Monmouth County, New Jersey, British Colonial America; Address:
  Old Tennent Church
• Military: 14 May 1779; Revolutionary War - Private

Notes:

...Baptized on May 31, 1759, with his brothers and sisters, in the Scotch Covenanter Church, the Old Tennent Church of Freehold, New Jersey. His first or middle name may have been James. Probably in 3rd Virginia Regiment of the continental Line during the Revolutionary War. (Source: Information from John Hartsock)
...According to Benjamin Van Cleve, nephew of Richard Benham, in about 1784/5 "Captain Robert Benham, my mothers brother, paid us a visit. He strongly solicited my father to remove to that county (the land west of the Monongehelah in Pennsylvania), gave him a list of the different places on the road and every necessary advice relative to his preparations and journey. The object to be surmounted. He was, however, all summer getting ready and did not commence the journey until the second day of November. It seemed hard to leave the country of our nativity, our near relatives, and almost all that was dear to us. My father's mother was living and had lived with us for many years. My mother's grandmother who had brought her up from two years old, lived within a quarter of a mile; she had never lived further off. There was a numerous connection of both sides. We were now to separate from forever. But the prospects of being better enabled in a new country of providing for a growing family preponderated. We commenced our journey on the second of November, 1785, with two wagons of my father's one carrying a set of smith's tools and the other the household goods, in the company with Cornelius Shourd and family, whose wife is my mother's sister. They were in anot
her wagon. My father and uncle and each an apprentice and a young man by the name of Tunis Voorheis, and neighbor, came with us to see the country, and my Uncle had with him likewise my Uncle Richard Benham's wife and son. We made this day near thirty miles and put up at the ferry on the Delaware River about two miles below Trenton."
..."Skipping some entries, we continued: - Dec, 6 came to James Crawford's Ferry on the Monongehela. Here we were met by Uncles, Robert and Peter Benham, with fresh horses and before night we arrived at the end of our journey on the north fork of Ten Mile Creek in Washington County Pennsylvania."
..."We lived on the Plantation of my uncle, Robert Benham, nearly opposite Wises (afterwards Wallaces) Mills during the years 1786 - 87. My father cultivated a small field and worked at his trade. In 1788 my father rented a farm."
..."On the 25th of November 1789 we sailed from Crawford's Ferry, one boat carrying the families of my father, uncle Richard Benham and some passengers, one of who was Jacob Tappan of New Jersey." The family of Amey Benham and Cornelius Shroud (her husband) remained in western Pa. The journey was made safely and the company landed at Losantiville, opposite the Licking River, on January 3, 1790. The new arrival quickly made preparations for living quarters and the care of their families. John Van Cleave, a blacksmith by trade, who had brought his tools with him, all the way from his home in New Jersey, set up a shop.
...Richard Benham's brother, Robert, followed shortly after with his family while their brother, Peter, and his family came several years later. Richard and Robert Benham soon bought property in Hamilton county, property which now is of great value, being in downtown section of Cincinnati. Their names appear on the record of distribution and sale of lots in the town of Losantiville, 1789-90. Deeds in the Hamilton county Court House attest to early ownership of land by both of them.
...Richard Benham's land became his as a "volunteer settler" on property offreed by John Cleves Symmes. A "volunteer settler" was required to improve the land and represent his section whenever required for seven years before he was granted ownership. This was called the "Rule of Sale and Settlement of Miami Lands." Should the volunteer settler not live up to his part of the contract he lost the right to claim property and someone else was allowed to apply for it. Richard Benham, according to court house records, never seems to have left Hamilton County although he lived several places in it including the old settlement of Columbia, where from deeds we know he lived in 1802. It was at this time that he became tired of clearing lots Nos. 243 and 244, at the north west corner of fifth and Race Streets in Cincinnati, and paying taxes on them, so he decided to sell them deeming them valueless. On January 4, 1802, he sold the two lots for $40.00.
...Richard Benham did not leave a will but from other sources I learned that his wife was Lydia (Last name unknown). He died intestate but the names of his children and heirs appear in a series of deeds of land recorded in Hamilton County court House, in which deeds they sold the land left them by their father. This property was located in the north west corner of Symmes township. Lydia appears as the head of the family in Symmes township in the 1820 census records of Hamilton County, as do her widowed daughter, Betsy Luther, and her sons-in-law, Henry A. Balser, Robert Hughes, and Amos Harris. The last known record of Lydia is in a deed dated November 14, 1823 in Warren County, Oh. Richard Benham built the third cabin on the present site of Cincinnati. He had ten acres there at one time. He died near Todd's Forks and at the time of his death he owned 114 acres.

Researchers Note: Cincinnati was founded in 1788 and named "Losantiville" meaning "the city opposite the mouth of the Licking River".

Richard married Lydia Robbins about 1774. Lydia was born about 1759 in New Jersey, British Colonial America; died after 1850. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Census: 1850, Washington Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States; as Lydia Benham, in the household of John Benham

Notes:

Married:
prob. New Jersey

Other Events:

• Baptism: 1 Jan 1725, Monmouth County, New Jersey, British Colonial America; Address:
  Dutch Reformed Church
• Military: Between 1776 and 1778; American Revolutionary War - Sergeant/Ensign

Notes:

...The New Jersey Colonial Documents, marriage records, list the three marriages of this Peter Benham. He first married in 1747 to Anne (or Anna) James, daughter of Robert and Amey James. She died in 1758
...Peter married the second time on Apr 2, 1759 in New Jersey as Peter Benham of Middlesex to Hannah Clayton of Monmouth, New Jersey.
...Peter married the third time on Feb 24, 1761 as Peter Benham of Freehold, New Jersey to Catharine Wessel of Freehold, New Jersey. She outlived him and was granted letters of administration on his estate in Loudon County, Virginia. These letters were obtained Jun 12, 1780 and the bond posted was for 1000 pounds. From the amount of the bond, Peter left behind a small estate. He left no will and consequently Peter's eldest son, John, under the English law succeeded to the estate.
...Feb 12, 1781 James and his brother Nathaniel, orphans of Peter were bound to Samuel Cox by the Loudon County Court through the Wardens of Shelbourne Parish. I have spoken to the Rector of Shelbourne Parish and he advises that at the time this took place the Parish had almost as much jurisidiction over the welfare of the citizens of Virginia as the state courts. Shelbourne Parish is the Episcopal Church.
...Upon visiting the Daughters of American Revolution Headquarters in Washington, D.C. I found that numerous persons had established their ties with Peter Benham.
...These DAR records show that Peter served as a sergeant in Captain West's Company and also designated as Captain's Reuben Briscoe 3rd Virginia Regiment (1776 - 1778). Documentation for this is found in Colonel Thomas Marshal and Colonel William Heth's report of AGO Court records, Loudon County Virginia.
...I also found in the accounts of the United States for the Militia of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, Book A, page 282 where Peter furnished sundries for the Militia of the just mentioned states and was paid 30 pounds.
...Peter was a military sergeant of Carters Company, 10th Regiment which is recorded in the Colonial and State records of North Carolina Volume 1 - 16, page 1120 and Polio, North Carolina Revolutionary Army Accounts, Volume 2, page 8.
...While living in Loudon County Virginia Peter was appointed an Ensign on May 1778 in the Virginia militia. His appointment appears in "Legends of Loudon" by Harrison Williams, page 126 and also in the book "Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War" by McAllister, pages 210 and 213.
...Page 205 of the HISTORY OF THE OLD TENNENT CHURCH, by the Reverend Frank R. Symmes, 1904, under Early Baptismal Records, is the following: "Peter Benham had baptised: John, Robert, Peter, Richard, Amey, and Catharine, all baptized at once, presented by their father and their mother-in-law Hannah which had been (illegible) Clayton, May 31, 1759."
...It appears that Peter Benham after his marriage to Catharine Wessell in 1761 moved to Loudon County Virginia. His six older children were left behind in the care of their grandmother Catharine (Van Dyke) Benham. (Source: Compiled by James Lee Wignall, Following the Footprints on the Sands of Time, 1986)

Peter married Anne James on 2 Apr 1747 in Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey, British Colonial America. Anne (daughter of Robert James, Sr. and Amey _____) was born on 29 Jan 1727 in Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey, British Colonial America; died in 1758 in Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey, British Colonial America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]