Amanuensis Monday: The Bible Record of Hannah Ford Benjamin-Part 1

Sorry I have been MIA, but there has actually been a lot of action around here! Family things, of course, but I have also been working on an article to be published this month. I will share more once it is in print, and am really excited since it has to do with my great-great grandfather, Edward B. Payne, that I have been so obsessed with researching.

I thought I could get back to the blog once the article was submitted and image permissions secured, but then remembered- on Friday- that Fri-Sun was the Southern California Genealogical Society’s famous “Jamboree.” Thankfully they are on Pacific time, so I had not missed any of the sessions as I quickly registered. “Jamboree” is a fabulous conference, but even MORE fabulous is that they offer free live-streaming (partially underwritten by Ancestry.com) of one session for each block of time during the three days. (This year they also offered a for-pay streaming event of their DNA Day on Thursday. Recordings may also be available to SCGS members, which is worth it for the access to databases and archived webinars for members. Webinars are free at the time of broadcast.) I try to work in as many sessions as I can, and today, while listening to D. Josh Taylor talking about the excellent resources at the DAR Library, my mind circuits were hoppin’. He mentioned that the resources of the library were behind database walls, so Google and other search engines cannot pick them up. The light bulb went on- among other items posted, the above image of the bible page of Hannah Ford Benjamin, already posted in Sentimental Sunday:Jonathan Felix Benjamin, will probably only have her name picked up, because it is in the caption.

I already type out full names, and if there are initials or nicknames, try to make sure my post includes that name alongside the surname, so Google can find all those variations. (I know it seems redundant, but it is important to be smarter than the search engines.) The above transcription, being typed, may not be picked up, at least until image recognition is  improved. So I thought I would list all the information as search engine bait, and add a few details about the people listed, so that other researchers in the future can find their ancestors. It will need to be broken up into multiple posts since I am adding information. I am also including marriages and deaths with the names as listed, for clarity. All my notes are in brackets: [  ].

An ‘Amanuensis’ is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Please note that this page has been transcribed, so error may have occurred in transcription, plus the bible was printed in 1837 so some of these records were recorded long after the fact.

This is just one page from a typewritten copy given to me by family back in the 1960s entitled:

“Notes on

the Life and Family of

JONATHAN BENJAMIN, 1738-1841,

Frontiersman and Revolutionary War Veteran,

________

Compiled from Local Histories

and Family Records,

with a List of Some

of His Descendants.”

 

This information was collected and edited by Robert Benjamin Kilduff, with the mimeographing sponsored by Bert R. Benjamin. It was printed in Chicago, Illinois in 1943, and passed on to my McMurray family in Iowa.

 

BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, and DEATHS as RECORDED in the BIBLE of HANNAH FORD BENJAMIN

(Bible printed by H. & E. Phinney, Cooperstown, (N.Y.), in 1837, and now [1943] owned by Orletta Hatch Foreman.)

Births:

Arestine P. Benjamin [born] 4-13-1843 [Daughter of Jonathan N. Benjamin and Hannah E. Ford. She married James Polk Hatch, and their daughter, Orletta, had the bible in her possession when the history was written in 1943. Arestine died 12-3-1914 in Newton, Jasper, Iowa.]

Cordelia A. Benjamin [born] 9-12-1830 [Daughter of Jonathan N. Benjamin and Hannah E. Ford, married William Dixon and died in Oregon City, Clackamas, Oregon on 18 June 1905.]

Dorinza E. Benjamin [born] 12-18-1823 [Daughter of Jonathan N. Benjamin and Hannah E. Ford, name also spelled Derinza; middle name was Emaline. Born in Licking Co., Ohio. She married __Ryan, child Mabelle b. 1862. Dorinza died in Peoria County, Illinois, on 17 Feb 1903.]

Edson V. Benjamin [born] 1-29-1863. [Son of Jonathan Felix Benjamin  and Hannah E. Marple, b. in Ohio. Married Martha Jennie Munger, and died on 23 Mar 1901 in Washington state.]

Emma A. Benjamin [born] 8-5-1872 [in Iowa to Jonathan Felix Benjamin  and Hannah E. Marple. Married Herman B. Lufkin and had a son, Percy Lufkin, about 1895 in Iowa. She died 18 May 1953 and is buried in Newton, Iowa.]

Jonathan Benjamin [born] 10-14-1739 [per bible, but 14 Oct 1738 in Goshen, Orange, New York per other research. Revolutionary War soldier, married Margaret Brown. Maternal grandfather of Hannah E. Ford, bible owner. Died 26 Aug 1841 in Licking Co., Ohio.]

Jonathan Benjamin [born] 10-11-1797 [per bible, but 10-12-1799 per other research. Middle initial probably N. Son of David Benjamin and Elizabeth__ -maiden name unknown. Married Hannah E. Ford, who owned this bible and recorded some of this information.]

J(onathan) F(elix) Benjamin [born] 10-3-1838. [Son of Jonathan N. Benjamin and Hannah E. Ford; born in Licking Co., Ohio. Married Hannah E. Marple, six children: Edson, Roland E., William -2 of them?- Emma, and Orlin Dell Benjamin. Died Mar 1913 in Jasper Co., Iowa.]

Mary Benjamin [born] 3-22-1777 [Lycoming Co., Pennsylvania, to Jonathan Benjamin (1738-1841) and Margaret Brown. Married Phineas Rowlandson Ford and was the mother of Hannah E. Ford, the owner of the bible.]

Roland E. Benjamin [born] 10-16-1868 [in Iowa to Jonathan Felix Benjamin and Hannah E. Marple. Married Sarah __ and had three children: Evert Benjamin, Viola Benjamin, and Don Benjamin. Lived also in Minnesota and Wisconsin.]

S(ylvanus)R(ufus) Benjamin [born] 2-20-1819 [other research states birth year as 1821, in Licking Co., Ohio to Jonathan N. Benjamin and Hannah E. Ford. Married Sarah Ann Palmer and had four children: Cynthia Adeline Benjamin, Frances “Fannie” Drucilla Benjamin, Jonathan Elliott Benjamin, and Hannah Melissa Benjamin. Died 30 July 1892 in Newton, Jasper, Iowa.]

Syntha A Benjamin [born] 3-2-1828 [Daughter of Jonathan N. Benjamin and Hannah E. Ford. Has old headstone with name as Syntha, newer stone with Cynthia. She was only 16 months old when she died.]

William R. Benjamin [born] 10-4-1866 [son of Jonathan Felix Benjamin and Hannah E. Marple. Probably married Elizabeth __ and lived in Newton, Jasper, Iowa, at 1900 US Federal census.]

 

More to follow next Monday!

 

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) “Notes on the Life and Family of JONATHAN BENJAMIN, 1738-1841,

Frontiersman and Revolutionary War Veteran” edited by Robert Benjamin Kilduff, typewritten copy owned by author.

2) Edited slightly for clarity 6/13/14.

 

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 

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