FIRST GENERATION

1. John BENSON I was born in 1608. He emigrated in 1638 from Hingham, Plymouth Co, MA.
Our Puritan ancestor, John Benson, was given a grant of land at Hingham in the Massachusetts Bay Colony upon his arrival in America in 1638, where he lived till about 1657, when he became one of the earliest proprietors of Hull, Massachusetts, as shown by the records of lots owned by him there which are given in the Hull long book, page 11, as follows: 4 home lots on Broad Bay, 2 lots on Straight River, 2 lots on Alderton Hill, 4 acres on Peddicks Island, 1-1/2 lots on Straight River, meadow on Spring Cove, 2 lots on Strawberry Hill, 2 lots on Sycamore Hill, 2 lots on Wight Hill, 2 lot on Hogge Island.

There is little reason to suppose he came to America because he shared the religious zeal of the stern separatists who formed so large and important a part of the early population of Massachusetts, but rather that he was among those whocame in the spirit of adventure, to better their condition. Even these settlers were non-conformists, and like nearly all of the people of the times, deeply religious.

- The Benson Family Records, Fred H. Benson, Introduction

"A list of ye names of ye passengers intended for New England in ye good shipp Confidence, of London, of CC tonnes, John Jobsron, Mr and this by virtue of ye Lord Treasrs warrt of ye XIth of Aprill, 1638." These were 100 passengers "greate and little," among them being John Binson and his family.

John Binson of Consham, in Ox, husbandsman; 30
Mary Binson, his wife
John Binson - their children
Mary Binson - under 4 years

- The Benson Family Records, Fred H.Benson, No. 1

CONFIDENCE, of London, two hundred tons, John Gibson, Master. She sailed from Southampton the last of April <1638>, 'by vertue of the Lord Treasurers warrant of the 11th of April, 1638.' [Footnote: Colonial Papers, America and West Indies, v, 375.
He resided at between 1638 and 1657 in Hingham, Plymouth Co, MA. He died on 13 Jan 1678 in Hull, Plymouth Co, MA. He signed a will on 6 Apr 1867 in Hull, Plymouth Co, MA.
Being "weak and decaying in body health," he bequeathed "to my sons John and Joseph, all my lands and commons and orchard, and barns also, to be equally divided between them. The home lot I bought, with the dwelling house on it to son Joseph and the other lot to son John. My house plot I have verbally given already to son Hall: he is not to sell it without first offering it to my son Joseph. My meadows to be divided equally. After the decease of my wife my son John is to have a double portion of all movables, and my son Joseph to have a single portion. Sons John and Joseph are to pay legacies equally to my daughters or to the children, that is 5 pounds to daughter Combs, 5 pounds tpo daughter Hall, and 5 pounds to the children of daughter Shore, deceased. The use of all real estate and personal to wife Marah for life, she to be sole executrix."
Witnessed by the pastor, Zachariah Whitman,and Abraham Jones.

Administration was later transferred to sons John and Joseph, their mother, Mary, having died 14 Dec 1681. The will is on file at Boston, MA.
"John Benson of Hingham and Hull ...," by Fred H. Benson, 1926. FHC FIlm #0002990, p. 1. He owned.
On arrival in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Benson settled in Hingham, receiving a grant of lands from the proprietors of the town in the fall of 1638 (N. E. Gen. Register 122:251). Here he lived until 1657 and here his younger children were born. ... About 1637 he sold his lands at Hingham, and removed to Hull. He was one of the first proprietors of Hull as the earliest record book of the town commended in 1657 gives a list of his lands among the first recorded. Unfortunately the first volume of the proprietors' record disappeared many years ago, as is shown by an entry on the fly leaf of the volume begun in 1714, in which the clerk stated that the first volume had been lost sight of. The fist missing volume would have given much taht we would like to know. Freom the lack of early vital statistics on the town records now extant it is very possible it contained such data. His portion of the lands in Hull, received as a proprietor, is given in the Hull Long Book, p. 11. (This Hull "Long Book" is so called to distinguish it from the other "Square" volume begun later.) In 1662 he was chosen one of the selectmen to manage to town affairs. He made his wilal April 16. 1678, being "weake and decaying in bodily strength." According ot the ship list he was now about 70 years old. He bequesthed to son John and son Joseph, and daughers Hall, Combs, and the children of daughter Shore, deceased, and provided for his wife Marah, she to be sole executrix. He signed with his mark, an old English I, instead of a simple cross, good evidence that before he was weak and ill he was competent to sign his own name. The signature was iwtnessed by the pastor, Zachariah Whitman, and Abrham Jones, and the former appeared in Court March 26, 1679, and swore to the signature. Joseph Benson presented the inventory of the estate of his father, John Benson, who deceased January 13, 1678. He affirmed that his "mother weas lame and unable to come abroad." Administration was transferred to sons John and Joseph, December 29, 1681, their mother, Marah Benson, sole executrix of the will of John Benson, having died December 14, 1681. An inventory of her movable was taken January 3, 1682, and presented to the Court January 12, 1682, by the son Joseph Benson. This included 1/2 dozen napkins with broad work, 1/2 dozen napkins with narrow work, a silk grasse bed, 7 pewter platteers, 4 pewter porringers, 5 spoons, gun and swoed, etc., amounting to £64.. There should be a division of the lands between John and Joseph, but none such is recorded in the County Deeds. Undoubtedly the missing proprietors' records had the whole stoey, and as John Benson does not appear in any way interested in Hull lands at a later date he must have sold out his interest in his father's estate to his brother Joseph. The "daughter Shore deceased" mentioned in the will was probably the wife of Sampson Shore, Jr.. His land boardered on that of John Benson, Sr., in 1670. He married 2nd Mary Payton. The adminsitrators' bond olf John and Joseph reads "John Benson of Oxford in the Colony of New Plymouth, Joseph Benson of Hull and Joseph Prince of Hull" give bnd since Marah Benson, relict and sole executrix of the will of John Benson Senior, late of Hull, is departed this life and the above said John and Joseph Benson are appoint4ed administrators of their father. (Undated but evidently January 1681.) (Suffolk Probate, New Series.) Oxford may have been an early name for Rochester.

"The Benson Family Records in which is given some of the descendants of John Benson of Oxfordshire, England, who came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the year 1638, together with some of the families allied by marriage to his descendants." Compiled by Fred H. Benson of Syracuse, NY. The Craftsman Press: Syracuse, NY, 1920. FHC Film #0000459. Page 14-16.

Published resources:

"The Benson Family Records in which is given some of the descendants of John Benson of Oxfordshire, England, who came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the year 1638, together with some of the families allied by marriage to his descendants." Compiled by Fred H. Benson of Syracuse, NY. The Craftsman Press: Syracuse, NY, 1920. FHC Film #0000459.

"John Benson of Hingham and Hull Mass. and some of the early generations of his descendants," Fred H. Benson, 110 Beard Place, Syracuse, NY, 1926. FHC Film #0002990.

The Benson Family: Descendants of Isaac Benson and Mary Bumpas, Compiled by Grace Hildy Croft, 1235 Aspen Ave, Provo UT 84601; 2nd ed, 1973; FHC #1454563

FamilyTreeDNA <<http://www.familytreedna.com>> Y-Chromosome DNA test which confirmed that 24/25 DNA markers of Ned H. Benson matched the Y-Chromosome DNA of Richard Benson, proven 8th great-grandson of John Benson, born @1608.

The first documentary reference to John and Mary Benson is their marriage on 14 Oct 1633, recorded in the Caversham Parish Register, Oxfordshire, which definitely establishes Mary's surname as Williams. The second reference to them is the Caversham Parish entry for the birth of their daughter, Mary, in 1637. Because of the faded writing in the Register, her complete date of birth is illegible. John Benson, the emigrant, apparently was born elsewhere than Caversham for his birth record has not been found. The surname of Williams and the given name of Mary are common in Caversham Parish, but there is insufficient, legible information to identify the parents of the Mary Williams who married John Benson.

The third reference to John and Mary Benson is the ship list giving the names and ages of passengers who emigrated to America on 11 Apr 1638 in the ship "Confidence." The list reads:
John Binson of Covvsham, in Oxfordshire, husbandsman, 30.
Mary Binson, his wife
John Binson)
Mary Binson) their children, under 4 years

The "Confidence" was a sailing vessel built in 1629 in Plymouth, England. It was a letter of marque ship, armed primarily to protect the cargo of 50 tons of dried and pickled fish, transported from Maine to England.

The reasons for the Bensons' leaving the Old World were obvious and varied. England at the time was a set of great religious persecution; many fled to Holland and other places of refuge. Under the tyrannical rule of Charles I, the populace was denied certain "civic" rights, as well. Caversham, where the Bensons lived, was an overly populated region where gainful employment was lacking and living conditions were uncertain. On the other hand, the New World offered land and possessions, freedom from oppression, and the adventure for which youth and ambition yearned.

===========================

A glance at the history of England at this period will show ample cause of the emigration to America. The rule of Charles I had become almost unbearable, and it is not surprising that the people looked to the American wilderness as the only asylum of escape from the civil and religious persecutions. Charles, under the guidance of the Earl of Stratford and the Archbishop of Canterbury, was exemplifying the "divine rright of Kings" with a vengeance. No parliament had met in nine years. The courts sat without juries, and were mere creatures of the King, only a few years later followed the civil wars that brought Oliver Cromwell into power."

"The Benson Family Records in which is given some of the descendants of John Benson of Oxfordshire, England, who came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the year 1638, together with some of the families allied by marriage to his descendants." Compiled by Fred H. Benson of Syracuse, NY. The Craftsman Press: Syracuse, NY, 1920. FHC Film #0000459. Page 13.

He was married to Marah (Mary) WILLIAMS (daughter of Robert WILLIAMS and Agnes ATKINS) on 14 Oct 1633 in Caversham, Oxfordshire (Berkshire), England. Marah (Mary) WILLIAMS was born on 12 Oct 1606 in Caversham, Oxfordshire (Berkshire), England. She died on 14 Dec 1681 in Hull, Plymouth Co, MA. John BENSON I and Marah (Mary) WILLIAMS had the following children:

+2 i. John BENSON II.
+3 ii. Mary BENSON.
+4 iii. Joseph BENSON I.
+5 iv. Combs BENSON.
+6 v. Shore BENSON.
+7 vi. Martha BENSON.
8 vii. Abigail BENSON II was born in 1646 in Hingham, Plymouth Co, MA. or about 1617, Devonshire, England She died on 16 Apr 1678 in Hingham, Plymouth Co, MA.