THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY. DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 WITH BRANCHES INTO THE WARREN, SHOCKLEY AND OTHER FAMILIES By J. Bennett Hill 1970 Page 1 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 Table of Contents FOREWORD..........................................................................4 PRINCIPAL REFERENCES AND THEIR ABBREVIATIONS......................................6 FIRST GENERATION..................................................................7 SECOND GENERATION.................................................................9 THIRD GENERATION.................................................................12 FIFTH GENERATION.................................................................30 APPENDIX.........................................................................60 OTHER BENNETTS IN THE DELAWARE AREA...........................................60 FOOTNOTES........................................................................62 THE BENNETT FAMILY Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 73-105922 Page 2 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 Printed by the Milford Chronicle Publishing Company, Milford, Delaware Page 3 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 FOREWORD The subject of the present study is the Bennett family of Cedar Creek Hundred in the northern part of Sussex County, the southernmost of the three counties of Delaware. The progenitor of the family was a certain John Bennett who, coming with his family in 1700 from the Chesapeake Bay shore in Somerset County, Maryland, settled on Cedar Creek in Delaware. The compiler confesses that his main motivation for this study came from his frustration in trying with limited knowledge to untangle the strands of this. large and complicated family. The Cedar Creek area of Delaware has been a somewhat neglected one genealogically. The more important centers in early Colonial times were to the south around Lewes and to the north around New Castle and Wilmington. In the beginning of the eighteenth century there were no real towns to speak of in the Cedar Creek area and the land was taken up by sturdy settlers whose interest was in farming. Early in the century three Anglican churches had been established in Sussex County: St. Peter’s Church at Lewes, St. George’s Chapel in Indian River Hundred, and St. Matthew’s Church in Cedar Creek. Of these the first two have continued active up to the present day; their records are largely extant and their burying grounds well preserved. But St. Matthew’s Church had a more struggling existence and finally entirely discontinued as a church in 1858. The building was sold, dismantled, and carted off for other purposes and the graveyard was turned into pasture. The gravestones disappeared to serve other functions such as building blocks or doorsteps in neighboring farmhouses. No one knows what happened to the church records; all of them seem to be permanently lost. While there were active dissenting congregations (Presbyterian) farther south in Sussex County, there were none in the Cedar Creek area and it was not until 1810, when the Methodists established the Slaughter Neck M. E. Church that active church life (and church burial grounds) became again a factor. A few baptisms of Cedar Creek people are included in the records of Christ P. E. Church in Philadelphia, and maybe of other churches, but with those exceptions there are no church records of this area before the nineteenth century. The early sources of information for this study have therefore been the civil records, probates, land and court records and after 1800 the censuses and a few family Bibles. The study has included many of the female lines as well as the male lines. It has been carried down only through the fifth generation (about 1860) but outline information where available is included on the sixth generation. No claim is made for completeness, but hopefully what is set forth will be of aid to other researchers. The general arrangement is by generations and the lines which are followed down are designated by Arabic numerals. The superscript numbers on individuals are their generation numbers starting with the progenitor of the family as generation 1. Where the descent is through female lines, the generation number is still always that from the original John Bennett. The compiler is appreciative of the courtesies extended by Mr. Leon deValinger, Jr. and his staff of the Delaware State Archives at Dover and by the staffs of the various offices of the Georgetown Court House. Special acknowledgment is made to Mr. George R. Bennett of Milford, Delaware, whose collection of Bennett data in the more recent generations has generously been made available to the writer and who from his own intimate knowledge has frequently assisted in untangling difficult Page 4 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 relationships, in pointing the way to family Bibles, and in explaining items of geography. Mr. Bennett has more recently (1964) published his data. (see note 77). Lastly, acknowledgment is made to the compiler’s wife for her helpful interest in the research, her patient forbearance during the writing, and her assistance in reading the proof. Page 5 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 PRINCIPAL REFERENCES AND THEIR ABBREVIATIONS Archives Probate Books; Hall of Records, Public Archives Commission of the State of Delaware, Dover, Delaware; contain original wills and other probate records; cited as Probates. Archives Marriage Books; Hall of Records, Dover; original marriage bonds and licenses; cited as Marriages. Archives Inventories; Hall of Records, Dover, files of estate inventories; cited as Inventories. Archives Guardian Papers; Hall of Records, Dover; cited as Guardian Papers. Sussex County Will Books; Office of the Register of Wills, Sussex County Courthouse, Georgetown, Delaware; cited as Will Book. Sussex County Deed, Warrant, and Survey Books; Office of the Recorder of Deeds, Sussex County Courthouse, Georgetown; cited as Deed Book, Warrant Book, or Survey Book. Sussex County Orphans Court Books; Office of the Orphans Court, Sussex County Courthouse, Georgetown (except as noted); cited as Orphans Court. Sussex County Assessment Books; held by the Archives Commission at the Archives Sussex County Record Center, Lewes, Delaware; cited as Assessments. United States Census, Delaware, 1800 through 1860 (the 1790 Delaware Census is lost); microfilm copies at Hall of Records, Dover, and at The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (HSP); cited as, for example, 1820 Census. Delaware Archives (Wilmington Delaware, 1912), 5 Vols. J. Thomas Scharf, History of Delaware (Philadelphia, 1888) 2 Vols.; cited as Scharf. C. H. B. Turner, ed., Some Records of Sussex County, Delaware (Philadelphia, 1909); cited as Turner. Leon deValinger, Jr., ed., Calendar of Sussex County, Delaware, Probate Records 1680-1800 (Dover, 1964); cited as SCPR. Millard F. Hudson, ed., Cemetery Records of Sussex County Delaware (bound typed manuscript, 1926-1930) Hall of Records, Dover, Del.; cited as Hudson, Cemeteries. Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, located in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.; cited as Coll. GSP. Page 6 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 FIRST GENERATION 1. JOHN BENNETT, the founder of the Cedar Creek family in Sussex County, Delaware, was born probably about 1655-1660. His place of birth and his parentage are not known. His record appears first in the Manokin settlement of Somerset County, Maryland, in 1680. This settlement had been founded in the early 1660’s by a group of families from Accomack and Northampton Counties of Virginia at the southern end of the Delaware peninsula. They were dissenters from the established (Anglican) church in Virginia and resented the injustice of being taxed to support a church in which they had no part. They therefore migrated across the border into Maryland. Probably John Bennett came later to Manokin from the same area and for the same reason, but no real evidence has been found for any such connection. On 18 December 1680 John Bennett of Manokin was granted an ear-mark for his livestock.1 Some eight months later on 22 August 1681 he was patented a 125 acre tract of land called “Turkey Cock Hill,”2 situated on the south side of “Trading Branch” of Manokin River about three miles east of where the branch is now crossed by U.S. Route 13.3 He sold this tract to James Connour on 2 August 1682.4 On 6 February 16835 John Bennett was married by William Brereton, Justice of the Peace to SARAH FURNIS, daughter of William and Olive Furnis.6 William Furnis had settled in Manokin about 1662 and had been granted, or had otherwise acquired, several tracts of land totaling about 1,700 acres.7 Sarah was the second child and was born 20 December 1665. She must have been introduced early to farm life, for the records show that on 20 June 1670, when she was four and a half years old, her father had appeared before the court with his two daughters, Sarah and her older sister, Comfort, in order to have live-stock ear-marks granted to each of the two girls.8 William Furnis by deed of gift on 4 March 1684 transferred to John Bennett. a 100 acre portion, called “Will’s Lot” of his 900 acre tract, “Amittee.”9 This land was also on the south side of Trading Branch, but about five miles west of Turkey Cock Hill.”10 John and Sarah’s seven children were all born in Manokin, presumably on this property. Sarah’s father died about 1685 and her mother married a John Strawbridge. A movement had begun among some of the Manokin settlers toward a more promising area on the other side of the peninsula, in Delaware. One of the probable reasons for this movement was that Maryland too in 1692 had made the Anglican Church its established church, thus threatening a repetition of the injustices from which the colonists had fled Virginia. John Bennett joined in this movement and on 4 March 1700 purchased from William Fisher a 300 acre tract in Cedar Creek Hundred. of Sussex County, Delaware, in an area known as Slaughter Neck, the neck of land between Cedar Creek and Slaughter Creek.11 The plot seems to have been known as “Little Brittany” and was located along the south side of Cedar Creek slightly to the east of where present Delaware Route 14 crosses the creek.12 Shortly after moving their family to Delaware, John and Sarah sold their property in Somerset County to William Turpin by deed dated 20 November 1703.13 In 1715 John acquired by proprietary warrant and survey a 200 acre tract of land further south in Sussex County in what is now Baltimore Hundred. This tract was known as “Hogg Quarter.”14 The survey mentions William Bennett (presumably John’s eldest son) along with John, but his name does not appear in the other records and no further mention of him in Delaware has been found. Page 7 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 By deed of gift dated 28 May 1716 John transferred the upper (western) half of his Cedar Creek plantation to his second son, John.15 This must have been at about the time of John’s (Jr.) marriage and was probably occasioned by it. There is no mention of Sarah in this deed; she had probably died between 1703 and this date. Furthermore, John Sr. was no longer a young man and was undoubtedly anxious to retire in favor of his sons. Then on 29 October 1735, when John must have been close to eighty in age, he executed another deed of gift giving all of his residual property, both real and personal to his youngest son, Stephen.16 This included both the lower half of the Cedar Creek farm and Hogg Quarter. When Stephen sold his half of the farm 5 August 1741 to move to a new property, the deed in reciting the history of the land refers to “John Bennett who is now at this time alive with his son Stephen at his Plantation in ye Forrest of Cedar Creek Neck.”17 How long after this date John lived is not known, but probably not long. He was already in his middle eighties. He had left himself no property to will and no estate to be administered. Children of John Bennett and Sarah Furnis18 i. WILLIAM BENNETT, b. 25 November 1684. ii. ANN BENNETT, b. 16 April 1687. 2. iii. JOHN BENNETT, b. 24 June 1689. iv. SARAH BENNETT, b. 20 August 1691. v. THOMAS BENNETT, b. 5 May 1694. vi. HANNAH BENNETT, b. 20 October 1697. vii. STEPHEN BENNETT, b. 22 November 1699. Page 8 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 SECOND GENERATION 2. JOHN2 BENNETT (John1) was born in Manokin, Somerset County, Maryland 24 June 1689.19 He was eleven years old when his parents moved to their new farm on Cedar Creek in Delaware. About 1716 he was married to GRACE CARWITHEN, the eldest daughter of Caleb Carwithen.20 Caleb had come to Delaware from Elizabeth, New Jersey, and had married Elizabeth Piles, the daughter of William Piles.21 Grace was born about 1695. She was baptized in Christ Church, Philadelphia, on 20 June 1720 as “Grace Bennett, wife of John Bennett” and gave her age then as twenty-five.”22 As mentioned previously, John received from his father by a deed of gift, probably a wedding gift, on 28 May 1716 the upper half of his 300 acre plantation along the south side of Cedar Creek and it was here presumably that he and Grace lived and where their children were born. John didn’t have many years to enjoy his farm. On 4 January 1726 he made his will and died within a few weeks at the age of thirty-seven. The will was probated 27 January 1726.23 It provides as follows: “I, John Bennett Jun’r of the County of Sussex upon Delaware yeoman being very sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory. . .give and bequeath unto my Son John Bennett all and singular my real estate lands houses and tenements wheresoever and whatsoever. ..unto Grace Bennett my dearly beloved wife all and singular my movable effects...and i. do hereby constitute make and ordain my said loving wife my sole and only executrix of this my last will and testament. . .” Witnesses: Dormond Lofland, Margaret Henry, James White. Grace Bennett on 1 February 1726 was granted an ear-mark for her live-stock and apparently carried on with the farm. Sometime within the next eight years she married _____ Lonkam. She had died by 13 April 1734, when her brother, Caleb Carwithen, petitioned the Orphans Court and was granted the guardianship of the three children “John Bennet, Joshua Bennet and Thomas Bennet, sons of John Bennet dec’d and Grace Lonkam formerly wife of aforesaid John Bennet late dec’d. he being the nearest relative to said children.”24 Children of John Bennett and Grace Carwithen 4. i. JOHN BENNETT, b. ca. 1717. ii. JOSHUA BENNETT. iii. THOMAS BENNETT, b. January 1724. All that has been found about this iv. son is the following record of the Orphans Court, 2 September 1740.25 “Thomas Bennet a Minor Son of John Bennet decd aged fifteen years January 1739 Was This day Bound Out unto Caleb Carwithen & Rebeckah his Wife With them to dwell and serve till he Arrive To the age of Twenty One Years, the said Master & Mistress to find and provide sufficient Meat drink Washing Lodging and apparel Befitting such a Servant during the term afsd and to teach afsd servant to be taught ye yuse of Carpenters tules after the best way and manner. his sd Master at the Experation of his time to give s. Servant One New Sute of Apparel Top to Toe Besides What he generally wares.” Page 9 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 3. STEPHEN2 BENNETT (John1), the youngest son of 1. John Bennett and Sarah Furnis, was born in Somerset County, Maryland, 22 November 1699. He married, probably about 1723, Margaret , whose surname and parentage have not been established.26 On 29 October 1735, as already mentioned, Stephen received from his father all of his residual property, including both the lower half of the 300 acre Slaughter Neck farm and the 200 acre Hogg Quarter plot.27 All of his children seem to have been born on the Slaughter Neck farm. As he prospered, however, and apparently wanted a larger farm for his numerous family, he received a proprietary warrant on 5 August 1740 for a tract of 322 acres “in the Forrest of Cedar Creek Hundred lying on the head of Cedar Creek”’. Stephen named this tract “Bennett’s Pleasure’. It was surveyed to him 14 April 1742.28 It was about seven miles southwest of the Bennett farm. Over a hundred years later the then owners of this tract laid it out as the village of Ellendale29. Stephen sold his 150 acre half of the old farm on 5 August 1741 to John Lovine for £57.30 At that time he was living on his new plantation and, as has been mentioned, his aged father was living with him. The distance between Stephen’s new farm and the older one seems short, but it was enough to cause the contact between Stephen’s descendants in the new locality and 2. John’s descendants in the old one to lessen over the years and to cause the two branches of the family to grow apart. The first known intermarriage between the two branches is in the fifth generation. Stephen made his will on 23 August 1751 and died probably shortly before 19 January 1753, when the will was probated. He would therefore have been 53 years old when he died.31 The will of “Stephen Bennett of the County of Sussex in the province of Pennsylvania on Delaware being very sick and weak but of perfect mind and memory” gives to “Jemima Ponder my Dearly beloved Daughter the Sum of One Shilling . . - to Rhoday Warrin my Dearly beloved Daughter the Sum of One Shilling ... to John Bennett my Dearly beloved Son my Dwelling House Barn and plantation and half of my Land that is adjoining the Same and my Gun and One Cow ... to Jehu Bennett my Dearly beloved Son the other half of my Land and all the remainder part of my Estate Equally to be Divided between my Dearly beloved Son Jehu Bennett and my Two youngest Daughters Mary Bennett and Sarah Bennett after my debts is paid Equally to be Divided among them Three ... to Margaret my well beloved wife whom i. likewise Constitute make and Ordain my Sole Executrix of this my Last will and Testament the Third of my House and plantation During her Life Time and the Third of my Estate by her freely to be possessed and Enjoyed ...”. Witnesses: John Johnson, Benjamin Webb, Magdalane Webb. Stephen s wife Margaret, executrix of the estate, made her accounting on 11 July 1763.32 This record shows her as the wife of John Elliot. Stephen’s personal estate after debts added up to £77/9/9. The accounting shows legacies of £10 each to Jehu Bennett, Mary Bennett and Sarah Bennett. Margaret subsequently on 2 December 1768 submitted to the Court fur recording, receipts from Jehu, Mary and Sarah for their shares of the residual estate. Jehu’s reads, “Received of Margaret Elliot, my mother, Sept. 17, 1767, five pounds in full payment of my equal share of my father’s estate”’. Mary’s receipt is signed, “Absalom Warren, Mary Warren”; Sarah’s is signed, “Levi Warren, Sarah Warren”.33 During Stephen’s life time he had signed a conveyance bond for Hogg Quarter to John and James Stevenson but when he died he had still not executed the deed. This bond had been “‘put in the Till of a chest and was eaten with the rats or lost or Page 10 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 otherwise mislaid”. His executors, John Elliot and Margaret, his wife, acknowledged his obligation and on 7 November 1754 executed the deed conveying Hogg Quarter to the Stevensons.34 Margaret Elliot made her will 5 July 1784 and it was probated 26 October 1784. She bequeathed to sons William and Jehu and daughter Jemima, each “one Silver Dollar and no more”; other bequests to daughters Mary Warren, Sarah Warren and Rhoda Warren and to grandchildren Parker Warren, Robert Warren, Assa Warren, Sarah Warren and Margaret Warren. Her executors were to be her sons-in-law, Levi Warren and Absalom Warren. There is no mention of husband John Elliot.35 Children of Stephen Bennett and wife Margaret?36 i. JEMIMA BENNETT, married _____ PONDER before 1751; still living in 1784 when her mother made her will. ii. WILLIAM BENNETT, still living in 1784; probably the William Bennett of Kent County, Del. who with his wife Keziah deeded 4 March 1762 a piece of land in Cedar Creek Forrest which Keziah had received from her father William Daniley.37 5. iii. RHODA BENNETT, married Wrixam Warren. 6. iv. JOHN BENNETT, d. 1777. v. JEHU BENNETT, still living in 1784; inherited from his father one-half of the farm in Cedar Creek Forrest and sold it on 3 February 1768 for £60 to his brother-in-law, Absalom Warren.38 In the deed there is no mention of a wife and he was presumably unmarried at that time. After this transaction, no further record has been found of him in Delaware.39 7. vi. MARY BENNETT, married Absalom Warren. 8. vii. SARAH BENNETT, married Levi Warren. Page 11 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 THIRD GENERATION 4. JOHN3 BENNETT (John2, John1), the oldest son of 2. John Bennett and Grace Carwithen, was born presumably in Cedar Creek and probably about 1717. He was still a child when his father died in 1726 and still a minor when Grace, his mother, died about 1734. As already described, John, with his two younger brothers, came under the guardianship of Caleb Carwithen, his mother’s brother. Under his father’s will, John was named sole heir to all of his father’s lands and thereby came into possession of the !50 acre upper half of his grandfather’s farm. On 5 August 1760 John purchased at Sheriff sale the other half of the original farm, which his uncle, Stephen Bennett, had sold and which had subsequently passed through other hands.40 John married PATIENCE HICKMAN, who was one of the seven children of Joseph Hickman and his wife Mary. This Mary subsequently married Thomas Groves and in her will, as Mary Groves, dated 16 October 1757 bequeathed £20 to “my daughter Patience Bennett.”41 By deed dated 6 May 1745, “John Bennett carpenter and joiner and wife Patience” joined with two others, Robert Hodson blacksmith and wife Sarah and Mary Hickman single, ail heirs of their late father Joseph Hickman, in conveying their portions of the lands in Slaughter Neck to William Hickman (a brother).42 John died sometime before 5 March 1768; on that date Purnal Bennett, his eldest son, petitioned the Orphans Court “whereas his father John Bennett died intestate and at the time of his death was possessed of a vast estate in this county” that freeholders be appointed to lay out to the widow the one-third of the intestate’s land. At the same court session, an accounting of the movable estate was submitted by David Watson and Purnal Bennett administrators, showing a clear estate of £212 to be divided into five shares, the heirs named as Purnal, Joshua, Joseph, Nehemiah and Sarah.43 How long Patience survived John is not known. The. bare statement in the Orphans Court records of 3 February 1779, “John Bennett’s Estate Settled” probably indicates that she had died.44 Children of John Bennett and Patience Hickman 9. i. PURNAL BENNETT, b. ca. 1738. 10. ii. JOSHUA BENNETT, b. 1740. iii. JOSEPH a witness to Purnal’s will in 1782; on the Cedar Creek Hundred assessment list in 1785; nothing further known.45 iv. NEHEMIAH BENNETT, b. 15 April 1758. v. SARAH BENNETT, married THOMAS ROSS, whose family appears in the 1800 Census of Cedar Creek Hundred as one male 26 to 45, one female 26 to 45, two females 16 to 26, one male and two females under 10. Page 12 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 5. RHODA3 BENNETT (Stephen2, John1), the second daughter of 3. Stephen Bennett and his wife Margaret was born probably about 1728. She was already married in 1751 when her father made his will. Her husband was WRIXAM WARREN, the oldest of the four sons of Robert Warren of Sussex County whose will was probated 13 February 1776.46 Of these four sons, three, including Wrixam, married daughters of Stephen Bennett. As will appear, Wrixam’s brother Levi married Rhoda’s sister Sarah and his brother Absalom married her sister Mary. Hence a large part of the Warren family of Cedar Creek Hundred is also Bennett. Wrixam’s lands were close to or adjacent to “Bennett’s Pleasure” in Cedar Creek Forrest. He appears in the Cedar Creek assessment list of 1785, as do also his two sons Bennett and Alexander.47 He was a witness to the will of Rhoda’s brother, John Bennett, in 1777. Wrixam made his will 14 November 1795 and it was probated 9 February 1796. In it he left to his wife Rhoda Warren part of the home plantation “‘to begin at the end of a lane, next to Apslum [Absalom] Warren’s;”’ to grandson Silas Warren “land whereon my son Benit Warren lately died;” to son Alexander Warren tract of land he had settled on “next to the Widow Warren’s.”” The will also mentions the widow of his son Eli Warren, deceased, and two grandsons William Warren and Pumal Warren; also his three living children: Alexander, Jemiah and Margaret. His wife Rhoda and son Alexander are named executors. Rhoda Warren is listed in the 1800 U. S. Census for Cedar Creek Hundred with a household comprising one female over forty-five, one male sixteen to twenty-six, and one female ten to sixteen. Children of Rhoda Bennett and husband Wrixam Warren48 12. i. BENNETT WARREN, b. probably ca. 1748; d. 1795. 13. ii. ALEXANDER WARREN, d. 1809. iii. JEMIAH [JEMIMAH] WARREN. iv. MARGARET WARREN.49 v. ELI WARREN, d. before 1795; two sons: William Warren and Purnal Warren. Page 13 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 6. JOHN3 BENNETT (Stephen2, John1), second son of 3. Stephen Bennett and his wife Margaret, was born probably about 1730. He fell heir by his father’s will (1753) to the family dwelling and the eastern half of the plantation, “Bennett’s Pleasure.” No record of his marriage has been found nor of his wife’s name, but he probably married earlier than about 1758, for in 1777, when he died, he had a married daughter. In fact, the only information available on this man is his will made 25 March 1777 and probated 12 April 1777.50 That this will is that of John Bennett of Stephen and not of some other John is amply supported by the details of the executor’s report. For example, the will is witnessed by Ricksom Warren, brother- in-law of John of Stephen. The accounting shows payments of £3/18/4 to Margaret Elliot (his mother) for funeral expenses, £0/13/6 to Absalom Warren (his brother- in-law) for plank and nails for the coffin, and other items to Wrixam Warren and Levi Warren (brothers-in-law). John’s will describes himself as “John Bennett of Sussex County on Delaware yoeman being in a sick and lo state of health as to my Body, though of sound mind.” It mentions no wife and presumably she had died before him. It divides his piantation equally between his two sons Purnal and Lemuel, who are named executors, and his movable estate equally among his five sons and daughters: Purnal, Lemuel, Rosanna Crippen, Sally and Margaret Bennett. The accounting is by “Purnal Bennett, surviving executor;” it is undated but apparently Lemuel died shortly after his father. Children of John Bennett and wife51 i. PURNAL BENNETT, b. probably ca. 1752. On 12 February 1782 he executed a conveyance bond for £500 to Thomas Crouch on the 130 acre tract in Cedar Creek Hundred where his father John Bennett formerly lived.52 Purnal seems to have moved to Broadkill Hundred about that time and settled there, since he appears on the 1785 assessment list of that Hundred53 and in the 1800 Census of Broadkill Hundred which shows his family consisting of one male over 45, one female 26 to 45, one female 16 to 26, and one male under 10. On 18 January 1806 Purnal Bennett and Jemima his wife joined with Absalom Warren and Mary his wife in selling to Reuben Heavelo a jointly held tract of 77 acres in Cedar Creek Forrest.54 On 30 April 1822, by court order, Purnal Bennett’s lands in Broadkill Hundred comprising 130 acres were seized and sold by the Sheriff. In the deed Purnal is described as “late of Sussex County,” but no mention that he had died.55 ii. LEMUEL BENNETT, b. probably ca. 1755; co-executor with Purnal of his father's will but died before the accounting was made, probably before 1780. iii. ROSANNA BENNETT, married CRIPPEN before 1777. iv. SALLY BENNETT. v. MARGARET BENNETT. Page 14 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 7. MARY3 BENNETT (Stephen2, John1), the third daughter of 3. Stephen Bennett and his wife Margaret, was born probably about 1734. She was unmarried when her father made his will in 1751, but probably soon after was married to ABSALOM WARREN, brother of her sister Rhoda’s husband, Wrixam Warren. As already mentioned, Absalom in 1768 bought from Mary’s brother Jehu his half of their father Stephen’s plantation in Cedar Creek Forrest and-it seems to have been here that they lived and raised their family.56 Absalom Warren’s household in 1800, as listed in the U. S. Census for Cedar Creek Hundred, comprised one male and onc female over forty-five (presumably Absalom and Mary), one male sixteen to twenty-six (probably their youngest son Asa) and one female ten to sixteen.57 Absalom and wife Mary, with Parker Warren and wife Nelly, on 10 August 1805 sold to Reuben Heavelo a fifty-three acre piece of land in Cedar Creek Forrest. As already mentioned, Absalom and Mary, with Purnal Bennett and his wife, Jemima, sold another piece of jointly-owned property in the same area to Reuben Heavelo in 1806.58 No will or administration has been found for either Absalom or Mary. The latest known record of Absalom is his petition to the Orphans Court on 10 July 1811 for appointment of a guardian for the two minor sons of Robert Warren, deceased. The names of the five children of Absalom and Mary listed below come from the will of Mary’s mother Margaret Elliot in 1784, who, as already described, mentions five Warren grandchildren; these are definitely not the children of either of the other two Warren-Bennett marriages and therefore must be those of Absalom and Mary.59 Children of Mary Bennett and husband Absalom Warren60 i. PARKER WARREN, married NELLY —__; family in 1800 Census, Cedar Creek Hundred, comprised one male and one female 26 to 45, one female 10 to 16, one male and one female under 10. 14. ii. ROBERT WARREN, d. ca 1811. iii. ASA B. WARREN, b. probably ca. 1775; family in 1820 Census, Cedar Creek Hundred, comprised onc male and one female over 45, one male 26 to 45, two males and one female 10 to 16; in 1830, one male and one female 50 to 60, one female 80 to 90 (Mary?), one female 5 to 1061 was assigned in 1803 by Absalom Warren, Purnal Bennett’s conveyance bond on land where 6. John Bennett formerly lived.62 iv. SARAH WARREN. v. MARGARET WARREN. Page 15 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 8. SARAH3 BENNETT (Stephen2, John1), the fourth and youngest daughter of 3. Stephen Bennett and his wife Margaret, was born probably about 1736 in Cedar Creek Hundred on the lower half of 1. John Bennett’s Slaughter Neck farm, as all of her older brothers and sisters had been. Sarah might have been about five years old when the family moved to Stephen’s new farm in Cedar Creek Fortest. There is no record of Sarah’s marriage but it is clear from the probate records of her mother and father, as set forth previously, that she married LEVI WARREN, another of the four sons of Robert Warren. On his father’s death in 1776, Levi inherited through his will “my dwelling plantation whereon i. now dwell" together with furniture, cider mill, and other equipment.63 The exact location of this property has not been established, but it was certainly not far from Stephen’s “Bennett’s Pleasure.” Levi Warren and his brother Absalom Warren, both sons-in-law of Sarah’s mother, Margaret, were named by Margaret as executors in her will. Levi made his will on 10 April 1799 and it was probated 17 November 1801:64 “I Levi Warren of Sussex County in the State of Delaware being weak of body but of Disposing mind and memory ... Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved wife Sarrah Warren two feather Beds and furniture Two Cows and Calves and one Desk one flowered Chest one Walnut Table and Horse Bridle and Saddle and Ten pounds in Cash and also my Dwelling plantation Together with all the Improvements thereon in During her Widowhood and after her marriage one third part of the same in During her Natrel life .. . unto my Grandson Stephen Lofland to him and to his assigns forever all my Home plantation or Tract of Land together wth all the Improvements thereon Reserving my wife’s widowhood or Lifetime above said ... unto my Daughter Phebe wife of Joseph Griffeth Ten pounds in money ... unto my Datter Eltzabeth Shockley wife of William Shockley Ten pounds m Cash ... unto my Granson Noah Lofland Twenty five pounds in money a part of a Bond that i. have against the Estate of Gabnil Lofland Dec unto my Grandatter Sarah Lofland Twenty five pounds im Cash it being part of a Bond that 1 Have against the Estate of Gabril Lofland Deceased . . . unto my Granson Gabril Lofland fifty Pounds in money it being the Remainder part of the bond i. Have against the Estate of Gabril Lofland Decas’ ... unto my several Grandchildren both sons and Datters of my Datter Elizabeth shockley wife of Wiliam shockley one Hundred pounds it-being the full amount of a Bond i. Have against William shockley to be Equally Divided Between them ... unto my several Grandchildren Last mentioned sons and Datters of William Shockley alt that Tract or part of a Tract of Land that i. baut of William Hudson the same to be sold and the money to be equally Divided all the Remainder and Residue part of my Estate not before bequeathed shall be equally Divided among my several granchildren tha: now is borned or Ever Hereafter may Borned Lofly begotten on the body of Either of my two Datters or both of them within mentioned Namely phebe Griffeth and Elizabeth Shockley and the same to equally Divided Between them or their Heirs ... And i. do hereby Constitute and Appoint my beloved wife Sarah Warren and my son in Law William Shockley to be . and Sole Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament. . .” Witnesses: Benjamin Hudson, Joseph Truitt Junior, Henry Depity. Page 16 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 How long Sarah survived Levi is not known. Children of Sarah Bennett and husband Levi Warren 15. i. PHEBE WARREN, b. ca. 1760; married (1) Gabriel Lofland, (2) Joseph Griffeth. 16. ii. ELIZABETH WARREN, married William Shockley. Page 17 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 9. PURNAL4 BENNETT (John3, John2, John1) was the eldest son of 4. John Bennett and his wife Patience Hickman.65 He was born probably about 1735-1740. After his father’s death, as already recorded, Purnal in 1768 petitioned the Orphans Court to lay off the widow’s third from his father’s lands. After the final settlement of his father’s estate in 1779, and presumably after his mother’s death, Purnal by deed dated 5 August 1780 purchased from his brothers and sister “Joshua Bennett, Joseph Bennett, Nehemiah Bennett and Thomas Ross and Sarah his wife” for £40 each their right and title to the lands descended to them by the death of their father John Bennett. The lands included both the upper and the lower half of the original farm on the south side of Cedar Creek and thereby Purnal became the possessor of the whole tract.66 Purnal married, probably about 1765, MIRIAM LOFLAND, a daughter of Gabriel Lofland [Lofly] and his wife Elizabeth.67 One of the rare surviving baptismal records in Cedar Creek Hundred is that of “Betty, Daughter of Purnal & Marian Bennett, [born] Dec. 12, 1765,” Betty was probably their first child. She was one of a group of twenty infants baptized at St. Matthews Church in Cedar Creek on 17 June 1766 by the rector of Christ Church of Philadelphia during a period when the St. Matthews pulpit was unsupplied. These twenty baptisms were recorded by Christ Church and So were preserved when the St. Matthews records were lost.68 Purnal was active on the Patriot side during the Revolution. He and Thomas Evans in 1780 signed an accounting of “the Whole sum Paid to the Substitutes for Captain Luke Watson’s Company [Col. Henry Neill’s Regiment] by your Petitioners & Other Expenses in Precureing them.”69 In 1782 Purnal was made administrator of the estate of Sarah Hudson, his mother’s sister.70 Purnal made his will on 1 April 1782. The will was not probated until 6 January 1786 and it is probable that Purnal died shortly before that date. If so, he would have been in his late forties when he died. By his will, after provision for his wife Miriam, he left to his son John “my plantation whereon i. now live, 150 acres upland with some fresh marsh” (the upper half of the farm). To his son Purnal he left the lower half “being same that formerly belonged to Thomas Lay.” If either of these sons were to die his portion was to go to son Lofland. The movable estate was to be divided among his daughters Betty, Patience, Mary and Miriam, and son Lofland. His wife Miriam was left executrix and his brother Joshua guardian. No provision was made for son Joshua who was born after the will was made and only shortly before Purnal’s death.71 Miriam remarried, her husband being Sylvester Webb, with whom she settled Pumal’s estate 6 May 1789.7? In the subsequent years Sylvester Webb appears as guardian of Purnal’s children Miriam and Joshua, and possibly others.72 Miriam Webb was still living on 14 November 1798 when Sylvester as her husband petitioned the Orphans Court for division of the lands of Miriam’s mother Elizabeth Lofland who had died land intestate.73 Miriam apparently died before Sylvester, for in 1819 “Sarah Webb, Administrator of Sylvester Webb, dec’d” submitted a final accounting of Sylvester’s guardianship of “Joshua Bennett minor of Purnal Bennett,” showing that Joshua had been overpaid by $2.50.74 Page 18 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 Children of Purnal Bennett and Miriam Lofland76 i. BETTY BENNETT, b. 12 December 1765, bpt. 17 June 1766. ii. PATIENCE BENNETT. iii. MARY BENNETT. 17. iv. JOHN BENNETT. 18. v. PURNAL BENNETT. 19. vi. MIRIAM BENNETT, b. 20 Febmary 1779. v vii. LOFLAND BENNETT. 20.viii. JOSHUA BENNETT, b. 1785. Page 19 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 10. JOSHUA4 BENNETT (John3, John2, John1), son of 4. John Bennett and his wife Patience Hickman, was born in 1740.77 After his father’s death, Joshua on 30 July 1771 purchased from Ebenezer Spencer a fifty acre tract in Slaughter Neck adjoining the land of John Young and William Wilson.78 On 30 May 1776 he bought from Elias Townsend a twenty acre tract in Slaughter Neck apparently adjoining the original Bennett farm.79 Joshua married ELIZABETH CLENDANIEL, daughter of John Clendaniel and Prudence, his wife, probably about 1776.80 But it appears from a study of ail of the data that there was an earlier marriage of which his daughter Sarah was a child. The most significant piece of evidence to this is the administration of Joshua’s daughter Leah who died unmarried and intestate about 1836. Her administrator, Purnal Townsend, her brother-in-law, lists as the heirs “five brothers and sisters who survived her and the children of a sister who dec’d before the intestate, all of the whole blood [italics are the compiler’s] viz. George Bennett, John Bennett, Nancy Majors wife of Nicholas Majors, Polly Townsend wife of Purnal Townsend, Joshua Bennett, and the children of Betsy Conaway late the wife of Henry Conaway.” Sarah is not mentioned and the “whole blood” is specifically indicated.81 Joshua Bennett’s household is recorded in Cedar Creek Hundred in the 1800 Census as consisting of one male and one female over forty-five (presumably Joshua and Elizabeth) one male and two females sixteen to twenty-six (probably George, Leah and Betsy,) one male and one female ten to sixteen (probably John and Mary), and one male and one female under ten (presumably Joshua and Nancy).82 Joshua made his will 11 November 1801; it was probated 18 January 1802: “I Joshua Bennett of Cedar Creek hundred in Sussex County State of Delaware senceable of the uncertainty of human life in general and of my own in particular being in Bad health think it my duty while of sound and disposing mind & memory to dispose that portion of worldly Estate which the Divine Goodness bestowed on me in manner and form following, viz. First 1 give my soul to the Almighty God who gave it to me and my body to be decently buried By my Executors hereafter mentioned. Item, i. give and bequeath unto my son George Bennett all the Tract or plantation. whereon he now lives with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging. . .unto my son John Bennett the land and plantation whereon i. now live.. .together with all my marsh. . .unto my son Joshua Bennett One Hundred and Fifty Pounds in Cash to be paid to him out of my movable Estate when he arives to the years of maturity or is Twenty one... My wife Elizabeth Bennett shall have her Thirds in the plantation whereon i. now live and no Thirds nor dower in the plantation whereon my son George Bennett now Dwells and...quiet and peaceable possession of the plantation whereon [ now live Together with the whole use and profits of the same as well as the whole use of my moveable during her Widowhood and no longer, provided she Brings Charge for Raising of my Children and Schooling them. ..unto my wife Elizabeth Bennett and my four daughters namely, Sarah Collins, Nancy Bennett, Leah Bennett and Polly Bennett all my moveable Estate to be equally divided among them. ..the same to be paid to my Daughters when they arive to the years of Twenty one or is marricd. . .the Residuary part of my Estate shall be divided among my seven Children, share and share alike. And i. do hereby constitute and appoint my beloved wife Elizabeth Bennett in whose wisdom and discretion i. very much Confide to be my sole Executrix. . .NB Sarah Collins one of the within named Legatees is to have deducted from her Quota or dividend of the moveable Page 20 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 Estate fhe Account which i. now have against her husband on my Books. This before signing.”’ No daughter Betsy is mentioned in this will, though her existence is definitely established by Leah’s administration and by the family Bible. There is no good explanation of her omission.54 Joshua would have been. about fifty-one years old when he died. Elizabeth survived her husband for about ten years. She died intestate sometime before 17 June 1812, when her son George as her administrator submitted his first accounting of her estate.85 Child of Joshua Bennett, probably by an earlier wife i. SARAH BENNETT, b. probably ca. 1775, married SAMUEL COLLINS Children of Joshua Bennett and Elizabeth Clendaniel86 21. ii. GEORGE BENNETT, b. 1 Dec. 1777. iii. LEAH BENNETT, b. 17 Nov. 1781; d. ca. 1836; unmarried. iv. BETSY BENNETT, b. 1 June 1784: d. before 1836; married HENRY CONAWAY; at least two children. v. MARY BENNETT (or Polly}, b. 27 June 1788; d. 7 Feb. 1865; married PURNAL TOWNSEND, son of Elias Townsend. They seem to have had five children, all daughters, including Mary Townsend, who was age 25 and living with her parents, unmarried, in 1850. Purnal died at age 61 on 19 November 1850. Mary and Purnal are buried beside each other in the Slaughter Neck M. E. Cemetery.87 22. vi. JOHN BENNETT, b. 15 October 1790. 23. vii. JOSHUA BENNETT, b. 17 June 1794. viii. NANCY BENNETT, b. between 1790 and 1800; still living in 1836; married NICHOLAS MAJORS.88 Page 21 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 11. NEHEMIAH4 BENNETT (John3, John2, John1), the youngest son of 4. John Bennett and Patience Hickman, was born 15 April 1758.89 He was about ten years old when his father died. He was seventeen at the time of the battles of Lexington and Concord and family tradition is that he ran away from home, went to Philadelphia, lied about his age, and got into military service as a drummer boy and that he took part in the Battle of White Plains in October 1776. However this may be, it is established that in 1777 he was enlisted in the Philadelphia militia in the service of the United States. On 2 August of that year he is listed as a private in Captain Philip Pancake’s Company of the Third Class, Philadelphia Militia, commanded by Colonel Jonathan Bayard Smith. This Company “‘as specified in the above roll” was mustered at Wilmington 3 September 1777.90 The length of Nehemiah’s service is not known. After his military service Nehemiah returned to Sussex County and was married about 1779 or 1780 to HESTER OLIVER, daughter of Aaron Oliver and his wife Abigail Townsend.91 In 1780 he joined with his brothers and sister, as already described, in selling to their older brother, Purnal Bennett, their shares of their father’s land. On 2 October 1781 he purchased from Miriam Hodson, his mother’s sister’s daughter, a 100 acre tract on the south side of Cedar Creek which had descended to her from her father Robert Hodson. This tract bordered on the land of Hester’s father, Aaron Oliver. Nehemiah sold it again in 1782 to John Hickman.92 When Aaron Oliver died in 1795, Hester by his will came into possession of a one-fourth part of his lands on Cedar Creek, the other three one-fourth parts going to Aaron’s other three children Abigail, Elizabeth and Sarah.93 On 14 March 1805 Nehemiah Bennett, shoemaker, purchased from William Rickards and Abigail his wife and William Lofland, shoemaker, and Sarah his wife (two of the above Oliver daughters) their one-fourth shares of the Oliver property, giving Nehemiah 38 acres and 11 perches “on the South side of Cedar Creek and on the north side of Milner’s Branch.”94 The 1800 U. S. Census of Cedar Creek Hundred records Nehemiah’s household as one male and one female over forty-five (probably Nehemiah and Hester, although both were actually under forty-five), one female sixteen to twenty-six (probably Abigail), one male and one female ten to sixteen (probably John and Patience), and two females under ten (probably Hester and Elizabeth).95 Nehemiah Bennett was Tax Assessor for Cedar Creek Hundred in 1803. In that year his own assessment was on 50 acres of land, with a total assessment of $498. On 13 November 1811, when Nehemiah was fifty-three years old, he made his will; it was probated less than two months later on 7 January 1812. “I, Nehemiah Bennett of Cedar Creek Hundred in the County of Sussex in the State of Delaware, being sick and weak in body but of sound mind and memory and understanding. . i. give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Hester Bennett all my land on the South side of the short lane with all and singular the houses and other improvements thereon during her life or widowhood, after her death or marriage to go to my son John Bennett. ..unto my son John Bennett all the residue of my land on the North side of the short lane next to the creek. . unto my wife Hester Bennett and my two single daughters Hester Bennett and Elizabeth Bennett sixty dollars each to be paid out of my personal estate it being the amount [ gave to my two married daughters to wit: Abagal Griffeth and Patience Johnson, then the residue of my personal estate to be equally divided between my wife, Abagal Griffeth, Patience Johnson, Hester Page 22 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 Bennett and Elizabeth Bennett...my wife Hester Bennett and my son John Bennett my administrators...” Hester survived Nehemiah for thirty-three years; she died at the age of eighty- three on 11 February 1845. Her grave is in a small family burial plot of her daughter Elizabeth Shockley, south of Cedar Creek. Her gravestone, erected by her daughter Abigail Griffith, reads: “Sacred to the memory of HESTER BENNETT wife of Nehemiah Bennett Died February 11th 1845 aged 83 years 1 month and 11 days. Weep not for me my children dear i. am gone to rest you need not fear The world is folly you plainly see Therefore prepare to follow me.”97 Children of Nehemiah Bennett and Hester Oliver i. ABIGAIL BENNETT, b. 12 November 1780; d. 6 September 1854; married POTTER GRIFFITH, probably about 1805; he was b. ca. 1782 and d. 13 December 1866. The 1810 Census shows them in Cedar Creek Hundred with two males and one female 10 to 16 and two males under 10, the younger of which might be their children. The 1850 Census shows them in Mispillion Hundred, Kent Co., Del.; Potter Griffith, merchant, gave his age as 67, Abigail as 69; a Mary Bennett, age 25, lived with them. Potter Griffith was Justice of the Peace in Kent County 8 July 1834. Both Potter and Abigail are buried in the Church-yard of Christ P.E. Church, Milford, Del.98 ii. AARON BENNETT, b. 11 December 1782; d. before 1800. 24. iii. JOHN BENNETT, b. 10 September 1785. iv. PATIENCE BENNETT, b. 6 May 1788; married WILLIAM B. JOHNSON before 1810, when the Census shows them in Cedar Creek Hundred both between 16 and 26, and a male (obviously not their son) between 10 and 16. They had at feast one son, Samuel O. Johnson, b. 16 Nov. 1810, d. 23 Jan. 1833.9 v. HESTER BENNETT, b. 22 February 1790. 25. vi. ELIZABETH BENNETT, b. 6 July 1796; married 39. William Shockley (and is included in his record). Page 23 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 12. BENNETT4 WARREN (Rhoda3, Stephen2, John1), the son, probably the eldest, of 5. Rhoda Bennett and her husband, Wrixam Warren, was born in Cedar Creek Hundred probably about 1748. He married RACHEL LOFLAND, the daughter of William Lofland and his wife Grace.100 He lived on a portion of his father’s lands but acquired other lands in the same locality as well. Bennett made his will on 5 April 1795 and died in his forties before 21 April 1795 when the will was probated.101 The will left to Rachel to “have and hold one Half of all my lands During her Natural Life or widowhood and no longer;” to son Rickson [sic] 127 acres of land purchased from Denis Morris; to son Spicer land when twenty-one; to son Silas Home Tract plus fifty acres “bought of Denis Morris and adjoining Curtis Shockley;” to sons Benit and Asbury £100 each; to daughter Eunisia Laton a mare; to daughter Jemima Warren £50; to “cusen Pumal Warrin” £44 (this would be the son of his brother Eli); to wife Rachel “the rest of my goods and movable property, to be divided after her death equally between my five sons and my daughter Jemima.” As executors he named “my son Rickson and my brother Elick Warrin” (ic. Alexander Warren). Alexander Warren and Wrixam Warren submitted their accounting on 7 June 1796. Rachel is listed in Cedar Creek Hundred in the 1800 Census with a household compnsing: one female over forty-five (presumably Rachel), one male and one female sixteen to twenty-six (probably Spicer and Jemima), one male ten to sixteen (probably Silas), and two males under ten (probably Bennett and Asbury). How long she survived Bennett and whether she remarried is not known. She is not listed in Cedar Creek in the 1810 and 1820 Census. Children of Bennett Warren and Rachel Lofland i. WRIXAM WARREN, b. ca. 1774; d. intestate ca. 1806; married 18 April 1799 EUNICE (CARLISLE) CLIFTON daughter of Thomas Carlisle and widow of Major Clifton; listed in Broadkill Hundred, Sussex Co., in the 1800 Census.102 ii. EUNISIA WARREN (or Eunice); already masried to LATON when her father made his will in 1795. 26. iii. SPICER WARREN, b. ca. 1780. iv. JEMIMA WARREN. 27. v. SILAS WARREN. b. ca. 1786. 28. vi. BENNETT WARREN, b. ca. 1790. 29. vii. FRANCIS ASBURY WARREN, b. ca. 1792. Page 24 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 13. ALEXANDER4 WARREN (Rhoda3, Stephen2, John1), son of 5. Rhoda Bennett and her husband Wrixam Warren, was born in Cedar Creek Hundred probably about 1750. He married, probably about 1774, SINAH OWENS, whose parentage is unknown but who had a brother Robert Owens.103 Alexander made his home on a portion of his father’s farm which was later willed to him and became his when his father died in 1796. The 1800 Census in Cedar Creek Hundred records Alexander’s family as one male over forty-five and one female twenty-six to forty-five (presumably Alexander and Sinah), one male sixteen to twenty-six (probably son Boaz), one male ten to sixteen (probably son Stephen), and two females under ten (probably daughters Betsy and Mary). Two other children, Rachel and Samuel, mentioned in his will, were born apparently after 1800. As already mentioned, Alexander was an executor of his father’s will and of his brother Bennett’s will. He was also guardian of Bennett’s minor children.104 Alexander made his will 14 April 1809 and died before 25 April 1809, when the will was probated. In it he described himself as a yeoman of Sussex County. He left to his son Boze [sic] Warren $30; to son Stephen part of his land, adjoining Absalom Warren; to wife Sinah the rest of his land during her widowhood and then to his son Samuel; to daughters Rhody Kinder and Betty Riley $80 each; to daughters Mary Warren and Rachel Warren furniture and $100 each; chattels to wife Sinah and then to the four daughters. Sons Boze and Stephen were named executors and made their accounting 11 September 1809.105 Sinah did not remarry and survived her husband for eighteen years. Her will, made 21 May 1820 and probated 17 April 1827, left $10 each to her sons Boaz, Stephen, and Samuel, and wearing apparel to her four daughters, Rhoda Kinder, Betsy Riley, Mary Hudson, and Rachel Smith. She named as executors her sons-inlaw and daughters, Isaac Kinder and Rhoda his wife, Betsy Riley, Elijah Hudson and Mary his wife, and Job Smith and Rachel his wife.106 Betsy’s husband Gabriel Riley, mentioned in the accounting of Alexander’s estate, had apparently died. Children of Alexander Warren and Sinah Owens 30. i. BOAZ WARREN, b. ca. 1775. 31. ii. RHODA WARREN, b. ca. 1778; married Isaac Kinder. 32. iii. STEPHEN WARREN, b. ca. 1785. iv. BETSY WARREN, b. ca. 1792; married before 1809 GABRIEL RILEY, who died before 1820; on 20 Aug. 1831 Elizabeth Riley was deeded by her cousin Spicer Warren for $5 a two acre plot of his groand bordering on Boaz Warren107 the 1830 Census for Cedar Creek Hundred lists Elizabeth Riley living near Boaz Warren with a household of one female 40 to 50 and one female 10 to 15; 1850 Census shows her in the same area age 58, with Sarah Carpenter age 36; Sarah may have been 2 daughter but otherwise there is no record of children. v. MARY WARREN, b. probably ca. 1795; married ELIJAH HUDSON before 1820. His will, made 11 December 1840 and probated 19 February 1841, mentioned. wife Mary C. Hudson but made no mention of children.108 33. vi. RACHEL WARREN, b. after 1800; married Job Smith. vii SAMUEL WARREN, b. after 1800.109 Page 25 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 14. ROBERT4 WARREN (Mary3, Stephen2, John1) was the son of 7. Mary Bennett and her husband Absalom Warren. He was presumably born in Cedar Creek Hundred but nothing has been found even to indicate a birth-date. He was mentioned in the will of his grandfather Robert Warren in 1774 and may have been born about 1770.110 Under the will of his maternal grandmother, Margaret Elliot, in 1784 he received a £5 bequest.111 No record of his marriage nor of his wife’s name has been found. He died intestate about 1811; on 10 July of that year his father Absalom Warren petitioned the Orphans Court of Sussex County that a guardian be appointed for two minor sons of Robert Warren, late of Cedar Creek Hundred, viz. John R. Warren and Robert B. Warren, minors under fourteen.112 His estate was administered by James Ponder who filed his first account 21 May 1811; his accounts include no mention of heirs.113 Children of Robert Warren 34. i. ROBERT B. WARREN, b. ca. 1797-1808. 35. ii. JOHN R. WARREN, b. ca. 1810. Page 26 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 15. PHEBE4 WARREN (Sarah3, Stephen2, John1), daughter of 8. Sarah Bennett and her husband Levi Warren, was born probably about 1760 in Cedar Creek Hundred. She married GABRIEL LOFLAND, son of William Lofland and his wife Grace and brother of Rachel Lofland, the wife of 12. Bennett Warren.114 Phebe bore Gabriel four children, all of whom were mentioned in the will of her father, Levi Warren.115 Gabriel died before 24 November 1797; on that date Phebe petitioned the Orphans Court to appoint freeholders to lay out the widow’s dower from Gabriel’s lands. Their report of 17 November 1798 described two tracts of land in Cedar Creek Hundred, one of 199% acres and one of 310 acres.116 Phebe subsequently married JOSEPH GRIFFITH, as whose wife she is mentioned in her father’s will. The marriage apparently took place about 1798, for on 3 May 1798 Joseph Griffith as guardian of the four minor children of Gabriel Lofland, deceased, petitioned for evaluation of his lands.117 Phebe bore Joseph one child, a son Levi. She had apparently died before 4 February 1804 when Joseph was appointed Levi’s guardian. Joseph married Mary Jackson, the widow of Clement Jackson, and “died insolvent” about 1808.118 Children of Phebe Warren and husband Gabriel Lofland i. STEPHEN LOFLAND, b. probably ca. 1783; 1810 Census Cedar Creek Hundred shows his family comprising one male and one female 26 to 45, two females 16 to 26, and two males and one female under 10. ii. NOAH LOFLAND, b. probably ca. 1785; 1810 Cemsus Cedar Creek Hundred, records his family as one female 26 to 45, one male and two females 16 to 26, one male 10 to 16. iii. SALLY LOFLAND. iv. GABRIEL LOFLAND, b. probably ca. 1795; d. 19 June 1817; apparently unmarried; his nuncupative will, probated 23 June 1817 leaves estate to brother Stephen and sister Sally.119 Child of Phebe Warren and husband Joseph Griffith v. LEVI GRIFFITH, b. 4 Jan. 1800; both his father and mother died when he was a small boy and he was raised by John Carlisie of Kent Co., Del.; brought suit in March 1826 to be recognized as one of the legal heirs of Levi Warren, reciting Levi's will and claiming equal status as heir with Phebe’s Lofland children120 listed in Cedar Creek Hundred 1830 Census as one male and one female 20 to 30, one male 15 to 20, one male and one female under 5. Page 27 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 16. ELIZABETH4 WARREN (Sarah3, Stephen2, John1), daughter of 8. Sarah Bennett and her husband Levi Warren, was born probably about 1765 in Cedar Creek Hundred. She married, probably about 1785, WILLIAM SHOCKLEY son of a William Shockley who was born in England and settled in Delaware, where his son William was born reportedly in 1756. The younger William inherited from his father a tract of marsh in Slaughter Neck in Cedar Creek Hundred and apparently prospered and built up extensive land holdings. He is reported to have been politically a Tory, but no record has been found of his having loyalist leanings during the Revolution.121 On 19 August 1794 William purchased from William Shockley (Sr.), Eli Shockley and Nancy his wife, and John Lofland and Selah, his wife, a tract of 131 acres in Sussex County, being “part of a tract of land known by the name of ‘Grubby Plain’” and adjoining William’s land.122 In the 1800 Census in Cedar Creek Hundred William’s family comprised one male and one female twenty-six. to forty-five (presumably William and Elizabeth), one male and two females ten to sixteen, and two males and three females under ten.123 William and his sons seem to have been identified more with the Slaughter Neck community of Cedar Creek Hundred (the area of the original John Bennett farm) than with the Ellendale community, from which his wife Elizabeth came. In 1810 he was one of the founder members of the Slaughter Neck M. E. Church and was elected to its first board of trustees.124 William made his will 9 August 1823 and died probably shortly ‘before 29 June 1824 when the will was probated.125 In his will he left to wife Elizabeth “the Mantian House where I now live” and lands as per survey of Lawrence Riley 1 August £823; to daughter Sarah, wife of Leonard Atkins, a house and lot in Milford plus other property already given her; to son George lands in Slaughter Neck; to son Lemuel B. Shockley $1,000 plus one- half of forty-eight acres of marsh in Slaughter Neck; to daughter Eliza W. Shockiey lands as described; to daughter Keturah Shockley lands plus $200 “being the money which her grandfather Levi Warren left her”; to son William, “all my lands in Slaughter Neck and on the West side of ... a division line,” also a “parcel of woodland containing about seventeen acres which I bought of Nutter Lofland adjoining lands of the heirs of Purnel Bennett.” and “$200 being the money which was left him by his grandfather Levi Warren”; to wife Elizabeth and their children “all my house books;” also bequests to “granddaughter Eliza W. Lofland the daughter of my said daughter Amelia. . .to my grandson Alfred Lofland 2 son of my daughter Amelia” and to “my grandson Alexander Draper son of my daughter Lydda.” He named as executors wife Elizabeth and sons George and Lemuel, Witnesses: Lawrence Riley, Samuel Hurt, David Gray. On 11 April 1829 Elizabeth joined with the other “heirs of William Shockley esq. dec’d.” in selling a one acre plot in the Ellendale area to Samuel Warren of Cedar Creek Hundred. The deed describes the heirs as “the said Elizabeth Shockley, widow of sd. William Shockley dec’d. and Sarah Atkins Lemuel B. Shockley and Charity Shockley his wife William Shockley and Elizabeth Shockley his wife John C. Davis and Kittury Davis his wife Henry Davis and Jane his wife all of Cedar Creek Hundred . . . except the said Sarah Atkins and she recorded in Kent County ... said Henry Davis intermarried with Eliza W. Shockley daughter of the said William Shockley dec’d. the said Eliza ... having had that which survived her one only child and that since having died ...”126 Page 28 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 . Elizabeth survived her husband twenty-two years. She made her will in Cedar Creek 2 April 1840 and died probably shortly before 2 April 1846, when it was probated. She made bequests to daughter Sarah Atkins widow of Leonard Atkins, daughter Keturah Davis wife of John C. Davis, Elizabeth Riggs (relationship not stated) wife of James Riggs, son William Shockley. She provided for tombstones for herself, “my son Kendall now deceased,” and “my son Elias now deceased.” She named as executor som-indaw John C. Davis. A codicil dated 5 August 1845 stated that Sarah Atkins had died and that the same legacies should go to her children. John C. Davis had died and Sarah’s son John W. Atkins was named executor.127 Children of Elizabeth Warren and husband William Shockley128 i. SARAH SHOCKLEY, b. ca. 1787; d. Oct. 1844; married LEONARD ATKINS who was b. 1778 and d. 28 Apr. 1826; residence in Kent Co., Del., probably Milford; several children including a son John W. Atkins: both Sarah and Leonard buried in Old Methodist Cemetery, Milford, Del.129 36. ii. GEORGE SHOCKLEY, b. probably ca. 1788. iii. AMELIA SHOCKLEY, b. 10 March 1790; d. 18 March 1816; married 4 Jan. 1810 NEHEMIAH LOFLAND, son of Nutter and Mary Lofland; children: James Lofland b. 1810 William S. Lofland 1812, Eliza W. Lofland 1814, and Alfred Lofland 1815.130 37. iv. LEMUEL B. SHOCKLEY, b. 1794. v. LYDIA SHOCKLEY, b. probably ca. 1795; d. between 1816 and 1823; married WILLIAM DRAPER; at least one child. Alexander Draper.131 vi. KENDALL SHOCKLEY, b. probably ca. 1798; d. before 1823; apparently unmarried. vii. ELIZA W. SHOCKLEY, b. probably ca. 1800; d. ca. 1825; married HENRY DAVIS 5 May 1824; one child who died in infancy. Henry Davis m. Jane before 1829. viii. ELIAS SHOCKLEY, b. probably ca. 1802, d. before 1823; apparently unmarried. 38. ix. KETURAH SHOCKLEY, b. Sept. 1804; married John C. Davis. 39. x. WILLIAM SHOCKLEY, b. 17 Sept. 1806. Page 29 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 FIFTH GENERATION 17. JOHN5 BENNETT (Purnal4, John3, John2, John1) was born probably about 1774, the oldest son of 9. Purnal Bennett and Miriam Lofland. Under his father’s will, as already described, John was to have the upper 150 acre half of the Bennett farm.. He was married about 1794 to ELIZABETH SMITH (or Betsy), daughter of David Smith. Probably at the time of their marriage, David Smith made over to his daughter Elizabeth an eighty-nine acre tract of land with houses and other improvements, known as “Miers Neck,” and on 1 March 1796 John and Betsy Bennett executed a conveyance bond on this property to William Daniel, Jr. for £500.132 In 1803 John Bennett was assessed at $919 on the basis of 205 acres of land, 72 acres of marsh, two houses, five cattle and pigs.133 1805 he was a Trustee of St. Matthew’s Church in Cedar Creek.134 John’s family is reported in the 1810 Census for Cedar Creek Hundred as follows:- one male and one female twenty-six to forty-five (probably John and Betsy), one male sixteen to twenty-six (probably John’s youngest brother Joshua, of whom John had been guardian), and the following who are presumably children of John and Betsy: one female sixteen to twenty-six, one male ten to sixteen, two females under ten. The names and histories of John’s children are unknown. From an analysis of all of the Census records, it appears that there were six children, as set forth below.135 One would like to know more about what happened to John and his family. It would appear from the records that he over-extended himself and wound up in 1820 in serious financial trouble. On 18 February 1820 he and Betsy sold to John Wiltbank, attorney for Caleb North of Philadelphia, for $2,000 “all that Tract or parcel of Land whereon the said John Bennett Sen! now dwells situate lying and being in Cedar Creek Hundred, County and State aforesaid adjoining lands of Elias Townsend, Nehemiah Davis, Polly Bennett, Robert and John Campbell and the Waters of Cedar Creek, containing three hundred acres more or less being the Land which was willed to the said John Bennett by his Father Purnal Bennett, and lands taken by the said John Bennett in exchange of his Brother Purnal Bennett.” This appears to be all of John’s half of the Bennett farm plus an additional acreage of 150 acres which he had acquired and which included parts of his brother Purnal’s half. Another deed about six months later on 6 September 1820 records that to satisfy the debts of John Bennett his lands were seized and sold by Purnal Tindal, High Sheriff of Sussex County on 20 March 1820. The lands comprised the 300 acre tract of the previous deed and a second tract in Cedar Creek Hundred of “Fifty acres more or less and adjoining Lands of Eli Shockley and William Shockley.” The high bidder on the 350 acres was John Wiltbank and the price was $1,045. The deed conveys both tracts from the Sheriff to John Witbank. On 4 June 1821 a third deed conveys this 350 acres from John Wiltbank to Caleb North for $1,045. This deed states definitely that the first and second deeds are for the same property and says further that “said lands and premises after the execution of the aforesaid deed from John Bennett & wife to the said John Wiltbank attorney as aforesaid were sold by the said Purnal Tyndale High Sheriff as aforesaid for the payment of debts due and owing by the said John Bennett and entered of record previous to and unsatisfied at the date of said deed and the said John Wiltbank ... became the purchaser thereof.” 136 Page 30 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 The sheriffs sale deed of 26 September 1820, described above mentions “John Bennett late of Sussex County,” but there is no mention of his decease. On 5 March 1821, however, the inventory of John Bennett “late of Cedar Creek Hundred, dec’d.,” was reported. Betsy Bennett, as administratrix, submitted her accounting on 28 Apu 1823. We inventory came to $16.00 and the payments to $18.99.137 If the census records of Elizabeth Bennett in Cedar Creek Hundred in 1820 and 1830 are in fact the records of Betsy and her family, as they seem to be, Betsy remained in Cedar Creek Hundred and raised the family there. There is no information of her death or remarriage. Probable children of John Bennett and Betsy Smith, based on a reconstruction of the family from the Census data.138 i. A daughter b. ca. 1795. ii. A son b. 1802-1804. iii. A daughter b. 1805-1810. iv. A daughter b. 1805-1810. v. A son b. ca. 1810. vi. A daughter b. 1815-1820. Page 31 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 18. PURNAL5 BENNETT (Purnal4, John3, John2, John1) was born probably about 1776, the second son of 9. Purnal Bennett and Miriam Lofland. He was only about ten years old when his father died and after his mother’s remarriage, he came under the guardianship of his new step-father, Sylvester Webb.139 The relationship must have been a happy one, for Purnal named one of his own children Sylvester. Purnal married MARY WILSON (commonly called Polly), the daughter of John and Elizabeth Wilson.140 The marriage took place probably about 1797, for the first of their four children was born in 1798. Purnal’s household is recorded in Cedar Creek Hundred in the 1810 Census as consisting of two males twenty-six to forty-five (probably Purnal and one other, maybe his brother Lofland) one female twenty-six to forty-five (probably Mary), and two males and one female under ten (probably John, Sylvester, and Polly). The oldest daughter Abigail, who would have been twelve years old, was apparently living at the time with some other member of the family. Purnal inherited from his father the lower 150 acre half of the Bennett farm. He exchanged or otherwise disposed of certain’ portions of this land to his brother John, as has already been described. In 1803 he was assessed on the basis of 137 acres of land.141 Purnal died intestate early in 1812, in his middle thirties; the inventory of the personal estate of “Purnal Bennett dec’d.” is dated 2 April 1812. The inventory indicates that he must have been in rather comfortable circumstances; it includes among the other items “one carriage or chase, $100.00” a luxury which was not common in this area at this time.142 Six years after his death, on 21 July 1818, petition was made to the Orphans Court by Curtis Beckworth, husband of Purnal’s daughter Abigail, for the widow’s dower and division of the lands. The petition stated that Purnal Bennett, late of Sussex County died intestate on or about 1814 possessed of lands in Cedar Creek Hundred, about 270 acres adjoining lands of John Bennett and others with buildings and improvements, that he left a widow named Mary and four children: Abigail, wife of Curtis Beckworth, John, Sylvester, and Polly; Mary to have one-third part of the lands and tenements during her life and the residue to be divided into equal parts among the four children. The commission of freeholders appointed to make this division reported on 27 Feb. 1819 that after setting aside the widow’s dower the lands would divide equitably into only two parts, whereupon Beckworth made the offer, Abigail being now twenty-one, to take over both of these two parts and to pay the other three children their one-fourth part of the estimated value of $1,032. Beckworth and two friends, Robert Campbell and John Campbell, entered bond and he was granted the land.143 Mary was guardian of the children during their minorities.144 On 21 May 1830 she married Abram Ingram. Abram in 1836 was administrator for Polly Bennett, presumably Mary and Purnal’s daughter.145 When Mary died is unknown. Children of Purnal Bennett and Mary Wilson i. ABIGAIL BENNETT, b. 1798; d. before 1829; m. CURTIS BECKWORTH; Curtis on 9 Jan. 1829 executed a deed with a new wife Nellie, selling to 21. George Bennett a 15 acre piece of his property.146 ii. JOHN BENNETT, b. 1802-1804; still living in 1836 when he was administrator for his brother Sylvester. iii. SYLVESTER BENNETT, b. ca. 1806; d. 1834; m. MARY TRUITT 14 December 1832. iv. POLLY BENNETT, b. ca. 1808-1810; d. 1836; unmarried.147 Page 32 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 19. MYRIAM5 BENNETT (Purnal4, John3, John2, John1), the youngest daughter of 9. Purnal Bennett and Miriam Lofland, was born 20 February 1779.148 After her father’s death she came under the guardianship of her step-father, Sylvester Webb.149 On 27 September 1798 she was married to THOMAS R. NORMAN, who was born 22 October 1774. They settled in Cedar Creek Hundred and their family is reported in the 1800 Census.150 Miriam died 27 September 1857 and Thomas five years later on 27 Match 1863. Children of Miriam Bennett and husband Thomas Norman i. JOHN BENNETT NORMAN, b. 18 Nov. 1799; d. 24 Sept. 1853. ii. MILLS R. NORMAN, b. 4 Aug. 1801. iii. JOSHUA L. NORMAN, b. 10 Dec. 1803. iv. PATIENCE NORMAN, b. 20 Feb. 1806. v. ANNES NORMAN, b. 30 Sept. 1808. vi. ELIZA NORMAN, b. 22 Sept. 1810. vii. MARY NORMAN, b. 8 Apr. 1813; d. 13 Sept. 1814. viii. PURNAL NORMAN, b. 8 Jan. 1816. ix. MARY NORMAN, b. 29 Apr. 1818. x. THOMAS L. JUDGE NORMAN, b. 18 Mar. 1821; 4. 11 July 1823.. Page 33 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 20. JOSHUA5 BENNETT (Purnal4, John3, John2, John1), the youngest child of 9. Purnal Bennett and Miriam Lofland was born about 1785, several years after his father had made his will and apparently just a few months before his death. Sylvester Webb, his stepfather, became his guardian during his early years and was later replaced by Joshua’s older brother John. An account exhibited by Sylvester Webb on 9 December 1795 is headed “The account of Sylvester Webb, late guardian to the personal Estate of Joshua Bennett, a minor son of Purnell Bennett late of Sussex County dec’d.” The account contains a debit item dated 21 June 1793: “To raising said minor from the death of his father till he attained the age of 8 years -- [£] 15.19.4.” If this means what it seems to say, Joshua was born on 21 June 1785.151 Joshua, as already mentioned, seems to. have lived with his older brother John up to the time of his marriage about 1811. His wife was Mary Hail, widow of Moses Hall, whose will, probated 22 May 1810 was witnessed by both Joshua and John Bennett. Mary was born MARY DAVIS and was the daughter of Nehemiah Davis. She was probably about ten years older than Joshua. She had married first Isaac Carwithen to whom she bore a son, Caleb Carwithen. After Isaac’s death in 1793, she married Roderick Lewes and bore him a son, Nehemiah Lewes, and a daughter, Mary Lewes. After the death of Roderick Lewes, and sometime about 1800 she married Moses Hall, a widower with three sons. Mary already had three children of her own and she bore three more to Moses Hall, two sons Henry Hall and Smith Hall, and a daughter, Sarah Hall.152 Surely, young Joshua took on quite an assignment when he married this lady! Mary bore Joshua one child, a son, Joshua L. Bennett. Joshua died 19 June 1813, not long after the birth of his son, (as can be inferred from the accounts described below). Mary did not take on a fifth husband but, as Mary Bennett, carried out her responsibilities toward her various families until her death on or about 28 January 1820. The account of “Mary Bennett, Natural Guardian to ... Joshua Bennett, minor son of Joshua Bennett late of Sussex County, dec’d.” was exhibited by Nehemiah Davis (Mary's brother), “Admin. of said Mary who is also since dec’d.” The account lists Mary’s payments on 19 June of each year beginning 1814 for “one year raising of said minor.” These continue through June 1819 and then follows an item dated 29 January 1820, “7 1/3 months raising till death of Mary.”153 As administrator for Mary, Nehemiah Davis exhibited an account on 11 March 1839 which says in part. “Mary Bennett who died intestate left to survive her as heirs at law seven children to wit: Caleb Carwithing, Nehemiah Lewes, Mary Hawkins wife of William Hawkins, Henry Hall, Smith Hall, Sarah Herring wife of William Herring, and Joshua L. Bennett.”154 Child of Joshua Bennett and Mary Davis155 i. JOSHUA L. BENNETT, b. ca. 1812. Page 34 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 21. GEORGE5 BENNETT (Joshua4, John3, John2, John1), the eldest son of 10. Joshua Bennett and Elizabeth Clendaniel, was born in Cedar Creek Hundred, 1 December 1777. He was married about 1808 to ELIZABETH WILSON, who was born about 1790 and who was probably the daughter of Riley Wilson. He and she had six children. After her death he married on 23 September 1847 ABIGAIL (HAINES) DRAPER, the widow of Alexander Draper. George was sixty-nine at the time and Abigail was forty-two. There were no children of this marriage.156 George was a highly successful farmer. He had been willed by his father the plantation on which he was living at the time of his father’s death, and over the years he increased his lands materially. In 1840 he was assessed in Cedar Creek Hundred on the basis of 706 acres of land157 and in the 1850 Census his lands were evaluated at $5,000. It has already been mentioned that in 1832 he took,a lease on the farm on Cedar Creek which had been lost by 17. John Bennett to Caleb North of Philadelphia. George died (intestate) on 31 May 1859 at the age of 81. Children of George Bennett and Elizabeth Wilson158 i. JOSHUA BENNETT, b. ca. 1809; d. ca. Nov. 1844; unmarried. The administration of his estate by George Bennett states that he “died intestate and left to survive him three brothers and one sister to wit: Riley W. Bennett, George Bennett, David W. Bennett, and Mary Jane now the wife of Henry R. Draper.”159 ii. ELIZABETH R. BENNETT, b. 1811; d. 1831; married 4 December 1830 NATHANIEL Y. DAVIS, son of Mark Davis. According to family lore her union with Nathaniel was bitterly opposed by her mother but Elizabeth with the help of her tittle sister Mary Jane succeeded in eloping with Nathaniel.160 iii. RILEY WILSON BENNETT, b. 15 July 1817; d. 23 August 1888; married 23 January 1839 ELIZABETH SMITH WATSON, daughter of William Watson and Hannah Robinson, who was born 9 May 1818 and died 14 September 1893;161 Riley and Elizabeth are buried in the Slaughter Neck M. E. Cemetery; a successful farmer and extensive land owner; nine children, viz: Mary Wilson Bennett b. 1842, William Henry Bennett 1843, Catherine R. Bennett 1845, Elizabeth B. Bennett b. 1847 d. 1851, Sarah Jane Bennett 1849, John Riley Bennett 1851, Hannah Emma Bennett 1853, Dave Burton Bennett 1855, Elizabeth Caroline Bennett 1857.162 iv. GEORGE BENNETT b. ca 1820; d. ca. 1858; married 8 July 1844 SARAH WATSON, daughter of William Watson and Hannah Robinson, but appears to have had an earlier wife; children (by both marriages): Mary Bennett b. ca. 1842, Elizabeth Bennett ca. 1844, Hester Ann Bennett 15 June 1845, Sally Bennett ca. 1847, Joshua Bennett ca. 1848, George Wilson Bennett 1856.163 v. MARY JANE BENNETT b. 10 March 1822; d. 21 Aug. 1884; married ca. 1843 HENRY ROSS DRAPER of Cedar Creek Hundred who was born 10 Nov. 1817 and died 4 April 1870; both buried in the Slaughter Neck M. E. Cemetery; seven children, viz. Elizabeth Draper b. 1844, George Henry Draper 1846, Joseph Draper 1848, Mary E. Draper, Sarah Ratcliff Draper, Eugenia Maude Draper, and Thomas Reed Draper.164 Page 35 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 vi. DAVID WILSON BENNETT165, b. 20 February 1826; d. 21 July 1885; son married first CAROLINE ROBINSON ca. 1845 by whom he had four children: Lydia R. Bennert b. 1846, Edward Bennett 1849 (d. young), David Wilson Bennett 1852, Mary E. Bennett 1854. Married second EMMA HAINES DRAPER, daughter of his father’s second wife Abigail by her first husband; eight children by this marriage, viz: Anna Leura Bennett b. 1858, Nathan A. Bennett, Charles Bennett, Horace E. Bennett 1865, Abigail Bennett, Clarence W. Bennett 1870, S. Mae Bennett 1875, Henry D. Bennett 1879; David and Emma are both buried in the Slaughter Neck M. E, Cemetery; David was a farmer and an extensive land owner.166 Page 36 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 22. JOHN5 BENNETT (Joshua4, John3, John2, John1), the second of 10. Joshua Bennett and Elizabeth Clendaniel, was born in Cedar Creek Hundred 15 October 1790; thirteen years younger than his older brother George.167 He was married probably about 1813 to HESSY TOWNSEND, daughter of Elias Townsend168 She was born 1795 to 1800 and was a sister of Purnal Townsend, the husband of John’s sister Mary. They had seven known children and the Census records for 1820, 1830, and 1840 would indicate an eighth.169 Hessy died after 1840 and John took as his second wife sometime between 1850 and 1852, ELIZA (DAVIS) INGRAM, who was born 25 November 1808, the daughter of Henry Davis and his wife Edith Townsend (who was an older sister of Hessy). Eliza was the widow of John Lofland Ingram who had died 25 January 1850. Eliza died 31 August 1852. After her death John took a third wife, SALLY CLENDANIEL, who survived him. John was probably the John Bennett who was a first corporal in the Delaware Militia which was called out at the time when Lewes was threatened by the British in 1813.171 “John Bennett of Joshua” is on the assessor’s list for 1840 with 205 acres of land a total assessment of $788.172 For some probably very good but unknown reason John is known in family lore as “Bible John Bennett.” He is probably the John Bennett who with Thomas J. Davis constituted the building committee in 1855 to erect a new building for the Slaughter Neck M. E. Church.173 John died intestate 25 August 1858. In 1903 a grandson, Frederick A. Bennett, petitioned the Orphan’s Court for division of a piece of John’s property. This petition describes the land as “belonging to John Bennett of J. late of Sussex County dec’d, who died intestate on or about 25 August 1858 ... [he] left to survive him a widow named Sally Bennett now dec’d and five children and the issue of a deceased child, to wit: Elias T. Bennett, John H. Bennett, Hester wife of Josephus Messick, Eliza wife of _____ Lind, and Sally wife of _____ Lofland and the issue of one deceased child to wit: Purnell F. Bennett and David H. Bennett, the issue of Purnell T. Bennett a deceased son ... John H. Bennett died intestate leaving no widow but two children Alice Garretson and Lydia Standish and the issue of a deceased daughter Fannie Kirby.”174 Children of John Bennett and Hessy Townsend i. ELIAS TOWNSEND BENNETT b. 6 September 1814; died intestate 10 May 1869; married 6 Jan. 1838 ELIZABETH DEPUTY who was b. 30 April 1820 and d. 5 Dec. 1905; both buried in the Slaughter Neck M. E. Cemetery; eleven children, viz. John Wesley Bennett b. 1840, James D. Bennett 1842, Mary E. Bennett 1844, Hester Ann Bennett 1846, Celia Y. Bennett 1848, Sallie D. Bennett 1851, Anna Parker Bennett 1853, Elias Townsend Bennett 1855, Theodore A. Bennett and Frederick A. Bennett (twins) 1858, Mark L. Bennett 1864.175 ii. GEORGE BENNETT b. 1815-1820; d. 1846; unmarried.176 iii. PURNAL TOWNSEND BENNETT b. 1820, d. after 1850 and before his father’s death in 1858; married 30 December 1843 MARY ANN HOLLAND; two children, Purnal Franklin Bennett b. ca. 1844, David Hoiland Bennett b. ca. 1845,177 Page 37 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 iv. JOHN H. BENNETT, b. ca. 1824; d. intestate after 1865; married first SUSAN C. HOLLAND 12 June 1845, two daughters: Lydia Bennett b. ca. 1846 and Susan A. Bennett ca. 1848; in 1860 Census, Cedar Creek Hundred, was a carpenter, apparently a widower, living in South Milford with his two daughters; after 1860 married second SALLIE DRAPER by whom two more daughters, Alice Bennett and Fannie Bennett.178 v. ELIZA BENNETT, b. ca. 1825-1830; married Lind. vi. HESTER BENNETT, b. 11 March 1834; d. 23 April 1903; married JOSEPHUS MESSICK; both Hester and Josephus buried in the Slaughter Neck M. E. Cemetery. vii. SALLY BENNETT, b. after 1840; married _____ Loflana.179 Probable child of John Bennett and Hessy Townsend180 viii. A son, b. ca. 1825-1830; died without issue between 1840 and 1858 Page 38 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 23. JOSHUA5 BENNETT (Joshua4, John3, John2, John1), the third and youngest son of 10. Joshua Bennett and Elizabeth Clendaniel was born 17 June 1794.181 He was only seven when his father died and under his father’s will, he was bequeathed £150 when twenty-one, the lands being devised to his two older brothers. He acquired other lands in Cedar Creek Hundred and in 1840 was assessed on 269 acres.182 Probably about 1816 Joshua married MARY MALLOY, daughter of William Malloy. Their family was recorded in the 183U Census for Cedar Creek Hundred as consisting of one male and one female age thirty to forty (presumably Joshua and Mary), one female ten to fifteen (probably daughter Eliza), two males and one female five to ten (probably John, Joshua and Nancy), and one male and one female under five (probably Mary B. and Nehemiah).183 Joshua is probably the Joshua Bennitt who in 1813 was included in the payroll for eight days’ service as a private in Captain Lawrence Riley’s Second Company, Seventh Regiment, Delaware Militia.184 Joshua died intestate on 5 September 1846 at the age of fifty-two. His administration by his son John in Kent County names as his heirs his widow Mary Bennett and the seven children as below.185 Mary survived Joshua four years and died 17 March 1851. She and Joshua are buried beside each other in the Slaughter Neck M. E. Cemetery. Children of Joshua Bennett and Mary Malloy i. ELIZA F. BENNETT, b. 1817; married 27 Dec. 1842 ROBERT S. CAMPBELL, son of John Campbell and Mary his wife; Robert d. 16 Nov. 1855 leaving at least two children: Mary Campbell b. ca. 1846 and Robert Campbell b. ca. 1847186 ii. JOHN BENNETT b. 20 Sept. 1820; d. 22 Sept. 1862; married 29 June 1846 ANN HOUSTON, daughter of Clement Houston and his wife Nancy Shockley; sometime before 1850 he and his wife and his brother Joshua and his wife moved away from Cedar Creek and acquired land in Milford Neck, Mispillion Hundred, Kent County, Del., starting a settlement near what is now Bennett’s Pier; on 1 July 1851 sold to his brother Nehemiah his one-seventh interest in his father’s lands, met a tragic death in 1862 when he was shot and killed in Milford, his assailant being convicted of murder and hanged; buried in the Slaughter Neck M. E. Cemetery; three children; Joshua D. Bennett b. ca. 1848, Ann Bennett, John Wesley Bennett b. 1851.187 iii. JOSHUA BENNETT, b. 25 Aug. 1822; d. 10 April 1912; married 19 July 1847 RUTH JANE HOUSTON, another daughter of Clement Houston and his wife Nancy Shockley; settled in Milford Neck (as stated above); Ruth died 16 July 1893; both buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery, Milford, Del.; ten children: Mary Ann Bennett b. 1848 and d. 1852, Eliza Jane Bennett b. 1850, John Houston Bennett 1852, Joseph C. Bennett 1854, Joshua Bennett 1856, Anna M. Bennett 1858, Mary Lizzie Bennett 1860, Ruth Ida Bennett 1862, William H, Bennett 1864, George Washington Bennett 1866.188 iv. NANCY BENNETT, b. ca. 1824; unmarried in 1847.189 v. MARY B. BENNETT b. ca. 1828; married first JOHN TOWNSEND, second JAMES CAIN. Page 39 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 vi. NEHEMIAH BENNETT, b. 29 Nov. 1829; d. 26 October 1902; apparently unmarried; in 1850 Census living with his mother and younger sister, Leah Jane, in Cedar Creek Hundred and in 1860 Census living with his sister Mary and her husband James Cain in Cedar Creek; buried in Odd Fellows’ Cemetery, Milford, Del. vii. LEAH JANE BENNETT, b. ca. 1833. Page 40 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 24. JOHN5 BENNETT (Nehemiah4, John3, John2, John1), the only son of 11. Nehemiah Bennett and Hester Oliver to reach maturity, was born 10 September 1785 in Cedar Creek Hundred. John was twenty-six years old when his father died. Like most of the other able-bodied young men of the County, John enlisted in the Delaware Militia in 1813 to guard against the threatened British invasion of the coast. Also, like most of those recruits, his actual service was very brief; he appears on the payroll of the First Company, Light Infantry, Seventh Regiment for only two days.190 John married on 18 January 1815 ELIZABETH RICKARDS, daughter of George Rickards and his wife Patience. She bore him two children and died 23 November 1819. On 5 September 1821 John took a second wife, ARCADA SMITH ROBINSON, daughter of John Robinson, Esq. and his wife Sarah Bell.191 Arcada was born 30 November 1804. She was, therefore, nineteen years younger than John and not quite seventeen years old when she was married. She bore John eleven children, all but one of whom lived to maturity.192 As already described, John received by his father’s will a portion of his lands south of Cedar Creek, the remainder to come to him after the death of his mother. He had already purchased on April 19, 1811 from William B. Johnson, the husband of his sister Patience, a 160 acre tract known as the “Carlisle Tract” in Cedar Creek Hundred.193 He also acquired by gift or purchase various other lands. In 1818 he purchased from Elizabeth and Abigail Morris, two of the children of his mother’s sister Elizabeth, their shares of the property of their grandfather Aaron Oliver and in 1833 he purchased from his mother her share of that property. In 1833 Arcada’s father, John Robinson, conveyed to her by deed of gift his 130 acre “Brick Grannary Farm” and family tradition has it that it was at this farm that the family lived.194 John apparently farmed and also bought and sold, for on the assessment list for 1833, and in several other places thereafter, he is listed as “merchant.” His live stock in 1833 are listed as follows:195 1 Horse $50 7 Pr. Steers 161 5 Cows and Calves 40 13 Yearlings 20 6 Young Steers 30 2 Heifers 8 1 Sow 5 5 Shoats 15 None of John’s sons seem to have been interested in carrying on the farm and one by one they drifted off to other fields and other places. Finally about 1860, John disposed of his lands and he and Arcada went to Philadelphia to join several of their sons who had settled there. In the 1863 Philadelphia Directory he is listed at 705 Chestnut Street as boarding-house keeper, with three of his sons, Joseph, Alfred and Truston. He died there on 24 September 1867, but one of his last acts was to purchase a large burial lot in Woodlands Cemetery in Philadelphia so that he and his big family could be reunited in their graves. With the expertness of the old farmer he had some of the soil from the lot brought to his bedside so the he might see that it was good soil. He was buried in it not long after. Arcada continued to live in Philadelphia with one or another of her sons and died there 20 March 1880 and was buried in the Woodlands lot. Page 41 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 John’s wish that his and Arcada’s children might be buried with them came true. Of their ten children who came to adulthood, nine are buried in the family lot and all but two of their spouses are buried with them. Children of John Bennett and Elizabeth Rickards196 i. HARRIET OLIVER BENNETT, b. 16 March 1816, married ca. 1835 WINLOCK H. COLLINS; living in Cedar Creek Hundred in 1850; he was commissioned Justice of the Peace in Sussex Co. in 1859: at least three children: Sarah E. ,Collins, b. ca, 1836; John B. Collins ca. 1844; Harriet Collins ca. 1847.197 ii. NEHEMIAH BENNETT b. 31 Jan. 1819; d. 12 Aug. 1820. Children of John Bennett and Arcada Smith Robinson198 iii. JOSEPH SMITH BENNETT, b. in Cedar Creek Hundred 10 Oct. 1822; d. in Philadeiphia 25 Dec. 1892; married 28 Nov. 1848 VIRGINIA CAROLINE GREER daughter of George Greer and Maria Louisa Waples in Millsboro, Del.; became Milford’s (Del.) first druggist sometime before 1850; ca. the middle 1850’s was in the drug business in Wilmington, Del. and in 1858 moved to Philadelphia to join a drug firm which later became Joseph S. Bennett & Co. Virginia died 7 July 1901; both buried in Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia; six children: William Derickson Waples Bennett b. 1850, Henry Bassett Pepper Bennett b. 1851 d. 1854, John Burton Robinson Bennett b. 1853, Mark Greer Bennett 1858, Maria Louisa Bennett 1861, Joseph Smith Bennett 1863.199 iv. ELIZABETH RICKARDS BENNETT b. 1 Feb. 1824; d. 3 Jan. 1828. v. SARAH BELL BENNETT b. 6 Aug. 1825; d. 14 Aug. 1879; married 2 February 1846 MARK J. DAVIS, son of Mark Davis and Comfort Lofland; in 1850 he was a merchant in Milford, Del.; he was b. 30 April 1817 and d. 16 June 1896; both buried in Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia; four children: Annie Bell Davis b. 1846, Hester Frances Davis 1848, Arcada Robinson Davis 1851 Henry Winter Davis 1857.2 vi. HESTER OLIVER BENNETT, b. 4 April 1827; d. 15 March 1900; married 1 Feb. 1848 LEMUEL DRAPER of Cedar Creek Hundred; he was b. 1798 and vii. d. 1877, both buried in Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia, no children. JOHN ROBINSON BENNETT, b. 16 April 1829; d. in Philadelphia 28 Sept. 1875; in the wooden-ware business in Philadelphia, firm of Bennett and Pennewill; unmarried; buried in Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia.201 viii. ALFRED BURTON BENNETT, b. 14 May 1831; d. 11 Sept. 1872; married 26 July 1858 ELLEN VIRGINIA ALLEN, daughter of the Rev. James Allen and Ann Wesley; resided in Washington, D.C. and other places; both buried in Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia; two children: Helen Mary Bennett b. 1860, Howard Morse Bennett b. 1862.” ix. CATHERINE EMILY BENNETT, b. 18 Nov. 1833; d. 28 Aug. 1869; m. SAMUEL BROWN; she is buried in Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia; two children: Margeret Brown and Abbe Brown. x. CALEB PETER ROBINSON BENNETT, b. 17 May 1836; d. 5 Aug. 1870; unmarried; buried in Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia. xi. THOMAS AARON BENNETT, b. 12 Nov. 1837; d. 23 March 1909 in New York area; married EMELINE HOWE (probably of New York): buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York; five children: William C. Bennett, Thomas Archie Bennett, Effie Arcada Bennett, Kathryn Bennett, E. Howe Bennett.203 Page 42 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 xii. TRUSTON PITMAN McCOLLY BENNETT, b. 29 Aug. 1841; d. in Philadelphia 28 April 1918; married ca. 1890 JULIA A. MOORE of Philadelphia; in business in Philadelphia; both buried in Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia; no children. xiii. AMANDA ROBINSON BENNETT, b. 25 November 1843; d. in Delaware 18 March 1912; married ca. 1898 JOHN W. CASE; she is buried in Woodlands Cemetery; no children. Page 43 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 25. ELIZABETH5 BENNETT (Nehemiah4, John3, John2, John1), the youngest daughter of 11. Nehemiah Bennett and Hester Oliver, was born in Cedar Creek Hundred 6 July 1796. She married 39. WILLIAM SHOCKLEY, and the record of their family is set forth hereinafter. Page 44 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 26. SPICER5 WARREN (Bennett4, Rhoda3, Stephen2, John1), the second son of !2. Bennett Warren and his wife Rachel Lofland, was born in Cedar Creek Hundred about 1780. As already mentioned, he was willed by his father a portion of his lands. During his minority, after his father’s death in 1795, he was under the guardianship of his father’s brother, Alexander Warren. On 25 November 1800 he purchased from his brother Wrixam and wife Eunice for £250 a five acre parcel of land in Sussex County called “Mill Tract” including “messuage, tract of land, and one half part or moiety of the said mills,” both saw and grist; this property had belonged to Eunice.204 Spicer married SARAH _____ sometime before 11 October 1817, on which date “Spicer Warren and Sarah his wife” executed a deed.205 By 1831 Sarah had died and Spicer had a second wife ORPAH as is evidenced by two deeds in that year by “Spicer Warren and Orpah his wife.”206 According to the census records Orpah was born about 1792. There is no clear evidence as to when Sarah died and as to whether Sarah or Orpah was the mother of Spicer’s two children. From what indications there are, Sarah probably died early and childless and it was Orpah who was the mother. Spicer Warren is listed in the 1830 Census for Cedar Creek Hundred with a household consisting of one male forty to fifty (Spicer), one female thirty to forty (probably Orpah), one male fifteen to twenty (unidentified), one female (probably daughter Jane) and one male under five (probably son Isaac). Spicer made his will 21 November 1846 and it was probated 8 December 1846. He described himself as of Cedar Creek Hundred. He left to wife Orpah all his real and personal estate during her widowhood; to daughter Jane Wilson $75; to son Isaac F. Warren “all the lands of which I am possessed.” He named Orpah as executor.207 Spicer is buried alone in the New Market Methodist Church Cemetery in Ellendale, Cedar Creek Hundred. The date of death on the gravestone is “November 23, 1846, aged 66 y. and 3 mo.” Orpah survived her husband at least fifteen years. In the 1850 Census for Cedar Creek she and son Isaac were living with John Warren of 30. Boaz; she is recorded as “Arpy” Warren and her age as 58. In the 1860 Census she was “Arpa” Warren, age 68, living with son Isaac next door to John Warren. It appears that she remarried by 1864 for in that year the witnesses to the will of Rachel Warren of 30. Boaz were Isaac F. Warren, Jonathan Milman, Jr. and Orpah Milman.208 Children of Spicer Warren and probably his second wife Orpah i. JANE O39 NREN, b. ca. 1820-1825; married _____ WILSON before 1 ii. ISAAC F. WARREN, b. 1 June 1826; d. 26 Dec. 1890; listed in 1860 Census (Cedar Creck Hundred) as farmer with $5,000 land, age 34, apparently unmarried; Justice of the Peace, Sussex Co. 1875, 1885; buried with wife SARAH A. T. WARREN (1842-1923) in Odd Fellows’ Cemetery, Milford, Del.210 Page 45 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 27. SILAS5 WARREN (Bennett4, Rhoda3, Stephen2, John1), third son of 12. Bennett Warren and his wife Rachel Lofland, was born in Cedar Creek Hundred about 1786. He inherited from his father fifty-three acres of land in Cedar Creek Forrest and on 30 October 1812 deeded this to “this brother Bennett Warren, being all of the lands and premises that the said Bennett Warren deceased gave to his son Silas Warren.”211 Silas was unmarried at this time but soon thereafter married SARAH and moved to Ohio to a 160 acre tract of land in Walnut Township, Pickaway County, which he and Bennett together had purchased and had had patented to them On 9 August 1814 Bennett sold his half interest in this Ohio property to Silas, who in the deed is described as “of the County of Pickaway, State of Ohio.”212 Silas remained in Ohio and reared his family there. The 1830 Census for Walnut Township shows his household as one male and one female forty to fifty, one female fifteen to twenty, two males ten to fifteen, one male and one female, five to ten, and one male under five. The 1850 Census for the same township, lists Silas Warren, age sixty-four, farmer with $420 worth of land, Sarah age sixty, Nelson twenty- four, Lavina nineteen (probably Nelson’s wife), Lawrence twenty-one, Rachel eighteen, Bennett three months (probably son of Nelson and Lavina), Edward Wallington twelve; Silas and Sarah were born in Delaware, all the rest in Ohio. Probable children of Silas Warren and Sarah, his wife. i. A daughter b. ca. 1815. ii. A son b, 1815-1820. iii. A son b, 1815-1820. iv. A daughter b. 1820-1825. v. A son b. 1820-1825. vi. NELSON WARREN b. ca. 1826; probably married LAVINA _____ and had a son, Bennett Warren born in Ohio in 1850. vii. LAWRENCE WARREN, b. ca. 1830. viii. RACHEL WARREN, b. ca. 1832. Page 46 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 28. BENNETT5 WARREN (Bennett4, Rhoda3, Stephen2, John1)), the fourth son of 12. Bennett Warren and his wife Rachel Lofland, was born in Cedar Creek Hundred about 1790. He was left £100 in his father’s will, and, as already described, bought from his brother Silas the lands left to him in Cedar Creek Forrest and in turn deeded to Silas his half interest in the property in Ohio which he and Silas had purchased jointly. Bennett on 31 December 1816 was married to ELIZABETH MORRIS, whose parentage is not known.213 1831 he purchased from Pemberton Carlisle for $225 a tract of 158 acres in Cedar Creek Hundred “on the East prong of the head branch of Cedar Creek” bounding lands of other members of the Warren family.214 the 1830 Census for Cedar Creek Hundred his family consisted of one male and one female forty to fifty (presumably Bennett and Elizabeth), one male and one female ten to fifteen (probably daughter Martha and son Samuel), one male five to ten (probably son Bennett), and one male under five (probably Jonathan). Bennett made his will 7 March 1833 and it was probated 19 March 1833. Bennett was therefore in his early forties when he died. His will is most meticulously drawn as to details. By this will he left to his wife Elizabeth Warren "one of her Choice Bedd and furniture one half Dozen Rush botmond Chaires one table one Large Pine Cheast Shovels and tongues and one Pare of fire Irons one looking glace ...”; to daughter Martha H. Warren various items of furniture, grain and live stock, to “son Samuel Warren my work Bench and Cheast and all my carpenters tools and my guns ...”; a designated portion of his lands to wife Elizabeth and other portions, including both farm and a woodland to sons Samuel and Bennett; to son Jonathan, Elizabeth's portion of the lands on her death. Wife Elizabeth and Francis A. Warren (his brother) were named executors.215 Nothing further on Elizabeth has been found; she was probably the Elizabeth Warren who married John Tucker on 8 December 1835.216 Children of Bennett Warren and Elizabeth Morris. i. MARTHA H. WARREN, b. probably ca. 1817, married RICHARD TUCKER. ii. SAMUEL WARREN, b. probably ca. 1820. iii. BENNETT WARREN, b. 12 Oct. 1822; d. 24 Sept. 1899; married CATHARINE EMILY WARREN, daughter of 29. Francis Asbury Warren; they are buried together in the Slaughter Neck M. E. Cemetery. iv. JONATHAN WARREN, b. probably ca. 1825. Page 47 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 29. FRANCIS5 ASBURY WARREN (Bennett4, Rhoda3, Stephen2, John1)), the youngest son of 12. Bennett Warren and his wife Rachel Lofland, must have been born about 1792 to 1795. He is mentioned in his father’s will (1795) with a bequest of £100. Strangely, his family Bible, which is the source of the other vital data below, does not record his birthdate.217 He was named for the noted Methodist preacher, Bishop Francis Asbury; the Bible, as its own record shows, was a “Legacy of Bishop Asbury (1746-1816) to Francis A. Warren, February 1, 1820.” The late records refer to him as "Francis A. Warren,” but his father’s will and some other earlier records call him “Asbury.” He was married on 12 February _____ to NANCY ANN JEFFERSON who was born 17 September 1802 and whose parentage is unknown. The marriage date seems to be 1820, which would also agree with the date of the gift of the Bible. On 26 February 1831, Francis bought from his brother Spicer a fifty-four acre piece of land in the general area in Cedar Creek Hundred of the other Warrens. His household in the 1830 Census for that hundred comprised one male and one female thirty to forty, one male ten to fifteen, one male and one female five to ten, and one male and one female under five. He does not appear in the 1850 Census, but in 1860 he is recorded as age 60 (obviously an error), a farmer with lands valued at $7000 and personal property of $1500. With him are Nancy Warren, age 58 (which checks the Bible record), Elihu B. age 20, Emily age 18, two other younger Warren children (probably not his) and a laborer. Nancy died on 10 January 1866 and Francis ten years later on 6 September 1876. Children of Francis Asbury Warren and Nancy Ann Jefferson i. STEPHEN WARREN, b. 7 January (probably 1821) probably the Stephen Warren shown in the 1850 Census, age 28, with a wife Sina, age 23, and a daughter Rachel, age 2.218 ii. SPICER WARREN, b. Sept. (probably 1822); married SUSAN PRETTYMAN 21 Oct. 1845.219 iii. MARTHA M. WARREN, b. Sept. (probably 1824). iv. JAMES J. WARREN, b. 27 May 1826. v. RACHEL WARREN, b. 8 June 1829. vi. MARY E. WARREN, b. 23 July 1831. vii. FRANCIS A. WARREN, b. 8 Sept. 1833. viii. ANN JEMIMA WARREN, b. 21 Jan. 1836. ix. SILAS MITCHEL WARREN,D. 15 June 1838. x. ELIHU BENNETT WARREN, b. 6 May 1840. xi. CATHARINE EMILY WARREN, b. 16 Sept. 1842; d. 19 Jan. 1915; married BENNETT WARREN, son of 28. Bennett Warren.220 Page 48 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 30. BOAZ5 WARREN (Alexander4, Rhoda3, Stephen2, John1), the eldest son of 13. Alexander Warren and Sinah Owens, his wife, was born in Cedar Creek Hundred probably about 1775. Sometime soon after 1799 he married GRACE LOFLAND, a daughter of Littleton Lofland.221 It is a little difficult to fix Grace’s true birth date from the census records. She was like many women of the time who trifled with the truth about her age when the census taker came around. In the 1820 Census she was over forty-five; in 1830 she was fifty to sixty, in 1850 she was sixty-five and in 1860 she was seventy-nine; she was probably born about 1780.222 Boaz received no lands under his father’s will, but he may have been given some earlier. He bought other lands in the Cedar Creek Forrest area, and raised a family of eleven children who lived to grow up. His household in the 1830 Census of Cedar Creek Hundred accounts for only seven of his children and it is probable that the other four were living with other households. By 1837 his health had apparently begun to fail and he divided most of his land among three of his sons, William, Stephen and John.223 On 13 April 1839 he made his will and on 5 June 1839 executed a power of attorney to his wife Grace Warren as being “too weak in body to handle business.”224 He apparently lived for another ten years, probably as an invalid. His will was probated 14 August 1849. It left to his wife Grace Warren land not already deeded to sons William, Stephen and John, and then to son Boaz; to daughters Rachel, Sinah and Nancy Warren $20 each; to son Reuben H. Warren, son Mytchel Warren, daughter Mary Harrington, daughter Elizabeth Fowler one dollar each. Wife Grace was named executrix.225 The 1850 Census shows Grace as living in the household of her son Boaz with her three unmarried daughters, Rachel, Sinah and Nancy. The 1860 Census, after the death of Boaz (Jr.), shows Grace as head of the household and as a farmer with $2,000 of land and with the same three unmarried daughters. Grace made her will 15 April 1851 and died nine years later, for the will was probated 26 April 1860. The will left to sons “Reubin Warren, William Warren, Mitchell Warren, Stephen Warren, John Warren each and every one twenty-five cents only” and the same to daughters Elizabeth Fowler and Mary Clark; to two grandsons David Warren and George Warren, both under twenty-one $10 each; to daughters Rachel Warren, Nancy Warren and Siney Warren, balance of her property to be divided. She named James Wilkins as executor.226 Children of Boaz Warren and Grace Lofland.227 i. REUBEN H. WARREN b. probably about 1800; probably the Reuben H. Warren of Duck Creek Hundred, Kent Co., Del., who married ELIZABETH COLLINS 7 Jan. 1830.228 ii. WILLIAM WARREN, b. probably 6 June 1806; d. probably 1 March 1879; with wife Mary sold to his brother John in 1839 land deeded to him by Boaz Warren; probably the William Warren who married MARY HOUSTON 18 Dec. 1830; whose will made 15 Feb. 1878 and probated 11 March 1879, mentioned wife Mary, daughter Sarah Ann Shockley, son William Warren and daughter Mary E. Abbot, and son James H. Warren; and who is buried with Mary his wife in the New Market M. E. Cemetery (Ellendale) with date of death 1 March 1879 and age 72 yrs., 8 mo., 25 days.229 Page 49 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 iii. MARY WARREN, b. probably ca. 1804; married (1) WILLIAM HARRINGTON 7 May 1833 by whom she had a daughter Henrietta Harrington;230 married (2) _____ CLARK between 1840 and 1851. iv. MITCHELL WARREN, b. about 1808; d. 1872, apparently unmarried; 1850 Census shows him age 42, living alone in South Milford. His will, made 19 April 1872 and probated 11 June 1872, left his five acre plot in Slaughter Neck and everything else to his brother William; it was witnessed by his cousin Isaac F. Warren.231 v. STEPHEN WARREN b. probably ca. 1810; married SARAH HOUSTON 20 February 1834.232 vi. JOHN WARREN b. ca. 1812, married Eliza , probably ELIZA BRITTINGHAM 8 February 1837;233 1850 Census Cedar Creek Hundred, shows John Warren of B. (i.e. Boaz) age 38, Eliza 35, Eliza A. 12, Arpa (probably Orpah) 58, Isaac F. 23. vii. ELIZABETH WARREN, b. probably ca. 1814; married LAWRENCE FOWLER 26 April 1836;234 still living in 1851 when her mother made her will. viii. RACHEL WARREN b. ca. 1815; d. 1864; unmarried; her will made 10 August 1864 and probated 29 Sept. 1864, left everything to sister Nancy Palmer and named Solomon Palmer (probably Nancy’s husband) executor.235 ix. SINAH WARREN, b. ca. 1820; unmarried in the 1860 Census; probably died before Rachel made her will in 1864. x. NANCY WARREN, b. ca. 1822; married _____ Palmer, probably SOLOMON PALMER, sometime between the 1860 Census when she was unmarried, and Rachel’s will in 1864. xi. BOAZ WARREN, b. ca. 1824; d. Nov. 1850; unmarried; the 1850 Census, Cedar Creek Hundred, shows him as farmer, age 26, and head of the household including his mother Grace and his three sisters, Rachel, Sinah and Nancy; his will made 7 Nov. 1850 and probated 22 Nov. 1850, left all of his estate, real and personal, to his mother Grace Warren, and after her death to sisters Rachel, Sinah and Nancy; he named his mother Grace executrix.236 Page 50 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 31. RHODA5 WARREN (Alexander4, Rhoda3, Stephen2, John1)), eldest.daughter of 13. Alexander Warren and his wife Sinah Owens, was born in Cedar Creek Hundred about 1778. She was married 19 October 1797 to ISAAC KINDER.237 Isaac was the son of Jacob Kinder and his wife Katie Clay, who, according to family tradition, had come to America from Rotterdam on their honeymoon and had decided to stay and to settle in Sussex County.238 Isaac and Rhoda apparently made their home in North West Fork Hundred of Sussex County, for the 1800 Census for that Hundred records their family, consisting of one female over forty-five, one male twenty-six to forty-five, one female sixteen to twenty-six, and one male and one female under ten. Children of Isaac Kinder and Rhoda Warren.239 i. NANCY KINDER, b. probably ca. 1798; d. age nine. ii. WARREN KINDER, b. 4 Dec. 1800; d. 7 Oct. 1883; married 1825 ANN M. DAVIS, daughter of Caleb and Nancy Cannon Davis; Levy Court Commissioner, Sussex Co. 1835 and 1859; Trustee of the Poor, Sussex Co. 1853.240 iii. JOHN KINDER, b. 8 Jan. 1803; d. 17 July 1883; married CASTELIA DAVIS, daughter of Tilghman and Mary Wilson Davis; Levy Court Commissioner, Sussex Co. 1847.241 iv. STEPHEN KINDER, b. probably ca. 1805, d. age 22; married MARY WRIGHT, daughter of Jacob and Milly Cannon Wright. v. JACOB KINDER, b. 16 Dec. 1808; d. 18 Aug. 1885; married 21 Dec. 1832 MARY CANNON, daughter of Wingate and Sally Wilson Cannon. vi. SINA KINDER, b. 14 March 1811; d. 27 May 1895; married LEWIS N. WRIGHT); their children: Isaac Kinder Wright b. 1829, Jacob Warren Wright 1832, Rhoda Ann Wright 1836, Elizabeth Warren Wright 1839, Mary Selena Wright 1849. vii. ELIZABETH RILEY KINDER, b. probably ca. 1813; d. age fourteen. viii. DANIEL B. KINDER, b. 3 Oct. 1816; married (1) MARY E. DUKES, (2) MARY EMILY DAVIS. ix. MARY HUDSON KINDER, b. probably ca. 1818; d. age sixteen. Page 51 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 32. STEPHEN5 WARREN (Alexander4, Rhoda3, Stephen2, John1), son of 13. Alexander Warren and his wife Sinah Owens, was born in Cedar Creek Hundred about 1785. He married NANCY, the widow of Robert Owens who was the brother of Stephen’s mother Sinah. Nancy’s maiden name is unknown. The marriage took place sometime between 1804 and 1812, and probably about 1807. In 1804 Robert Owens died and left to his “wife Nancy Owens one half of all my land together with my new house, so long as she liveth only”’,,his will makes no mention of children and apparently there were none.242 On 11 February 1812 Stephen Warren and Nancy his wife sold to Jacob Kinder Nancy’s dower rights as the former wife of Robert Owens deceased.”243 Nancy was probably at least ten years older than Stephen. She bore him five children, the youngest about 1822. The 1830 Census of Cedar Creek Hundred records their family as consisting of one male age forty to fifty and one female fifty to sixty (presumably Stephen and Nancy), one female twenty to thirty, one male fifteen to twenty, one female ten to fifteen, and one male and one female five to ten. The family apparently lived on the land in Cedar Creek Forrest which Stephen had inherited from his father. Stephen was commissioned a Trustee of the Poor for Sussex County in 1830, 1833, and 1836.244 Stephen made his will 2 September 1846 and died before 7 October 1846, when the will was probated. He left to his son Stephen the major portion of his lands; to wife Nancy the “mansion farm that I now reside on"; to each of his three daughters, Mary O. Warren, Rhody H. Sharp, and Catharine R. Shockley, a parcel of land; son Stephen to pay certain sums to two grandchildren Samuel L. Warren and David Warren; son Stephen was named executor.245 Nancy survived Stephen at least until 1850. The 1850 Census shows her living alone next to her son Stephen with $1000 lands. It gives her age as eighty-six, but this must be an error; it not only conflicts with the 1830 Census but also, if true, would make her fifty-eight years old when her youngest son was born. Children of Stephen Warren and Nancy i. MARY O. WARREN, b. probably ca. 1808; unmarried in 1846 when her father made his will ii. A son, name unknown, b. 1810 to 1815; d. apparently before 1846 leaving two sons, Samuel L. Warren and David Warren. iii. RHODA H. WARREN, b. probably ca. 1815; married BENIAH SHARP 11 Dec, 1837.246 iv. CATHARINE R. WARREN, b. 2 Feb. 1819; d. 18 Feb. 1888; married WILLIAM V. SHOCKLEY; children: Rhoda A. Shockley, b. 1843, Mary E. Shockley 1846, Stephen W. Shockley 1848, Daniel B. Shockley 1852, Catharine Shockley 1858; William and Catharine are buried side by side in New Market M. E. Cemetery, Ellendale, Del.247 v. STEPHEN WARREN, b. ca. 1822; d, 1887; married (1) ELIZABETH WEBB 1 Nov. 1841, (2) SARAH E. _____ between 1850 and 1860; children: Isaac K. Warren b. 1844, James H:. Warren, 1846, David O. Warren 1848 Eliza A. W. Warren 1850, William B. Warren 1853, Suther M. Warren 1855, Mary C. Warren 1857, and Stephen E. H. Warren 1863; Stephen E. H. was apparently Sarah’s child and all the rest seem to be Elizabeth’s.248 Page 52 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 33. RACHEL5 WARREN (Alexander4, Rhoda3, Stephen2, John1), daughter of 13. Alexander Warren and his wife Sinah Owens, was born probably shortly after 1800. She had married JOB SMITH before May 1820, when her mother made her will naming among her executors son-in-law Job Smith and Rachel his wife.249 Job Smith was the son of David Smith of Cedar Creek Hundred and his wife Alsey (or Alice).250 He inherited from his father property in Cedar Creek Hundred but at some time he and Rachel and their children must have moved away from the old neighborhood, for when Job made his will on 2 January 1833 he describes himself as of Nanticoke Hundred in Sussex County. He died before 3 June 1833, when his will was probated. He left his inherited farm in Cedar Creek to his son William who was to provide for Rachel; his “home farm” was to be divided between his sons Elijah and David; his three daughters were mentioned.251 How long Rachel survived her husband is ‘not known. Children of Job Smith and Rachel Warren.252 i. WILLIAM SMITH. ii. ELIJAH SMITH. iii. DAVID SMITH. v. AILCY SMITH. iv. MARY SMITH. vi. SINAH SMITH.253 Page 53 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 34. ROBERT B.5 WARREN (Robert4, Mary3, Stephen2, John1), son of 14. Robert Warren of Absalom, was under fourteen when petition was filed by Absalom Warren in 1811 for appointment of a guardian.254 He was therefore born not earlier than 1797. He was probably the Robert Warren whose history is set forth below. This identification has not been satisfactorily proven but the probability seems high enough to justify the inclusion of this history. Robert Warren in 1850 gave his age to the Cedar Creek Hundred census taker as fifty; he was therefore born about 1800. On 4 October 1818 he married MIRIAM COVERDALE, daughter of Richard Coverdale, who bore him three (or four) daughters.255 The 1830 Census for Cedar Creek Hundred shows Robert’s family as comprising one male and one female age twenty to thirty (presumably Robert and Miriam), two females five to ten, and two females under five.256 By 1834 Miriam had died and on 24 Dec. 1834, Robert with a new wife Sarah joined with David Coverdale, Miriam’s brother, in selling an eighty-one acre tract of land in Cedar Creek Hundred which had descended to them from their father Richard Coverdale.257 Sarah was probably SARAH WILLIAMS, the bond for whose marriage to Robert Warren was dated 4 April 1832.25* There is no record of any children of this marriage. On 2 March 1836 Robert took a third wife, SARAH ANN SATTERFIELD.259 She bore Robert seven children, whose names and birth dates are recorded in the Robert Warren Bible, as are also those of Miriam’s three daughters. Strangely, whereas Robert’s first marriage to Miriam is recorded, his second and third marriages to the two Sarahs are not. The record makes it plain, however, that the seven are Sarah Ann’s children.260 The 1850 Census in Cedar Creek Hundred gives Sarah Ann Warren’s age as thirty-five and her birth place as Sussex County. It shows only four of her first five children shown in the Bible, omitting Eliza Jane. It does not show Miriam’s three daughters, who by that time were probably married. The family was living in South Milford and Robert was a ship carpenter. Sarah Ann died 19 May 1855 and Robert on 18 July 1858 took a fourth wife, MARGARET ARGO.261 There is a gravestone for Robert Warren in the Old Methodist Cemetery in Milford on the Milford-Rehoboth Road, which reads that he died 26 June 1875, age 79.262 The birth date from the age does not quite check that from the Census data, but the grave nonetheless is probably that of the same man. Children of Robert Warren and Miriam Coverdale. i. MARY WARREN, b. Sept. 1819. ii. ELIZABETH B. WARREN, b. 26 Oct. 1821. iii. EMELINE WARREN, b. 4 July 1829. Children of Robert Warren and Sarah Ann Satterfield iv. JULIA ANN WARREN, b. 12 March 1837. v. ELIZA JANE WARREN, b, 10 March 1840; d. probably before 1850. vi. ANN CATHARINE WARREN, b. 1 Dec. 1844. vii. ROBERT WARREN, b. 7 March 1847. viii. RUTH WARREN, b..17 Sept. 1849. ix. SALLY J. WARREN, b. 30 Aug, 1851. x. WILLIAM THOMAS WARREN, b. 23 Sept. 1854. Page 54 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 35. JOHN R.5 WARREN (Robert4, Mary3, Stephen2, John1), son of 14. Robert Warren of Absalom, was, like his brother Robert B. Warren, under fourteen when his father died. The 1850 Census record shows him to have been born about 1810. He married SINAH RILEY 23 July 1828.263 The marriage bond states that they were both of Broadkill Hundred (just south of Cedar Creek Hundred) and it was there that they apparently lived and raised their family. The 1850 Census of that Hundred shows both John R. and Sinah as age forty; John was a farmer with land valued at $300; there were seven children ranging in age from twenty to three, as listed below. Children of John R. Warren and Sinah Riley i. ROBERT WARREN, b. ca, 1830. ii. ALEXANDER WARREN, b. ca. 1831. iii. GABRIEL WARREN, b. ca 1832. iv. ELIZABETH A. WARREN, b. ca. 1837. v. SAMUEL H. WARREN, b. ca. 1843. vi. JOHN P. WARREN, Db. ca. 1844. vii. WILLIAM W. WARREN, b. ca. 1847. Page 55 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 36. GEORGE5 SHOCKLEY (Elizabeth4, Sarah3, Stephen2, John1), eldest son of 16. Elizabeth Warren and her husband William Shockley, was born probably about 1788 in Cedar Creek Hundred. He inherited lands in Slaughter Neck from his father. He married, probably about 1814, BERSHEABA SHOCKLEY, daughter of Curtis Shockley. The relationship between Curtis and George’s father William has not been ascertained; they were not brothers but might have been first cousins. As will appear, Curtis’ family were very closely connected with William’s.264 George died intestate 7 August 1827 leaving a widow and four children; this is stated in a petition of his brother Lemuel B. Shockley on 13 March 1839, for division of George’s 300 acres in Cedar Creek Hundred, adjoining lands of Joshua Bennett and others.265 Bersheaba apparently died before 14 April 1831, when her father made his will and included a bequest to “the heirs of my daughter Bersheaba and George Shockley.”266 On 6 March 1832 Lemuel W. Shockley, minor son of George Shockley, age seventeen, petitioned the Orphans Court for appointment of a guardian. On the same date, Beniah Watson (husband of Bersheaba’s sister Elizabeth) petitioned for appointment of a guardian for the three children under fourteen, Susan, William, and Elizabeth. Beniah Watson was appointed guardian for all four children. The bond in each petition was $3000 and Lemuel B. Shockley (George’s brother) and Elias Shockley (Bersheaba’s brother) were surety.267 Children of George Shockley and Bersheaba Shockley i. LEMUEL W. SHOCKLEY, b. ca. 1815; sold his interest in his inherited land to his uncle Lemuel B. Shockley ca. 1839; 1850 Census shows him as ship carpenter in South Milford, age 35, with Susan 32, Frances Ann 10, Elizabeth 5, and Bersheaba 1.268 ii. SUSAN C, SHOCKLEY, b. after 1818. iii. WILLIAM SHOCKLEY, b. after 1818.269 iv. ELIZABETH SHOCKLEY, b. after 1818: Page 56 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 37. LEMUEL B.5 SHOCKLEY (Elizabeth4, Sarah3, Stephen2, John1), son of 16. Elizabeth Warren and her husband William Shockley, was born in Cedar Creek Hundred 27 February 1794.270 He married, 22 October 1818, CHARITY SHOCKLEY daughter of Curtis Shockley and sister of his brother George’s wife Bersheaba.”271 Charity was born probably about 1804. Lemuel is listed in the 1830 Census for Cedar Creek Hundred as: one male thirty to forty, one female twenty to thirty, two males ten to fifteen, one male and one female under five. He was appointed a Trustee of the Poor for Sussex County in 1845.272 He died intestate, reportedly on 15 December 1857.273 Charity survived her husband and in the 1860 Census for Cedar Creek Hundred is reported as age fifty-six with lands valued at $1000, with her son Kendle age twenty-one and George Milman age twenty, both listed as laborers. Children of Lemuel B. Shockley and Charity Shockley.274 GEORGE A. SHOCKLEY, b. ca. 1832; m, HESTER _____; a miller; children Elizabeth b. ca. 1858, William ca. 1859, (and probably others).275 LEMUEL SHOCKLEY, b. ca. 1838. KENDLE B. SHOCKLEY, b. ca. 1838 (apparently a twin of Lemuel). Page 57 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 38. KETURAH5 SHOCKLEY (Elizabeth4, Sarah3, Stephen2, John1)), daughter of 16. Elizabeth Warren and her husband William Shockley, was born in Cedar Creek Hundred in September 1804. After the death of her father, she petitioned the Orphans Court on 19 July 1824 for appointment of a guardian and stated her age as nineteen years and ten months; her brother George Shockley was appointed guardian.276 On 5 January 1825 she married JOHN CAMPBELL DAVIS, son of Robert Davis and Mary (or Polly) Campbell. She appears as his wife in the deed of her mother and the other heirs of William Shockley on 11 April 1829.277 John C. Davis was elected Levy Court Commissioner from Sussex County in 1843.278 He died 6 March 1843. Keturah Davis is recorded in the 1850 Census in Cedar Creek Hundred, near her brother Lemuel; she was a farmer, age forty-six, with lands valued at $800 and with the eight children as set forth below, all born in Sussex County. She died 24 February 1856. Children of Keturah Shockley and her husband John C. Davis279 i. ROBERT WILLIAM SHOCKLEY DAVIS, b. 5 Nov. 1826; d. 14 July 1903; married ELIZA JANE JEFFERSON. ii. GEORGE SHOCKLEY DAVIS, b. 4 June 1828; d. 21 Sept. 1866; married (1) SALLIE E. MORRIS, (2) LIZZIE TRUITT. iii. ELIZA ANN DAVIS, b. 8 March 1830; ¢. 4 Feb. 1866; married JOSEPH CALHOUN. iv. JOHN WESLEY ADKINS DAVIS, b. 17 March 1832; d. 8 July 1852. v. MARK HENRY DAVIS, b. 17 May 1835; married MARY ELIZA CAIN. vi. MARY CAMPBELL DAVIS, b. 17 March 1837; d. 22 Oct. 1866; married _____ LOFLAND. vii. CATHERINE SHOCKLEY DAVIS, b. 14 July 1841; d. 21 Feb. 1883; married JAMES HOAK. viii. THOMAS CAMPBELL DAVIS, b. 16 June 1843; married RACHEL CASSIN. Page 58 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 39. WILLIAM5 SHOCKLEY (Elizabeth4, Sarah3, Stephen2, John1), youngest son of 16. Elizabeth Warren and her husband William Shockley, was born 17 September 1806, as recorded in the family Bible.280 He was born at the mansion farm in Cedar Creek Hundred. On 19 July 1824, the same day on which his sister Keturah made her petition for appointment of a guardian, William made his petition also. He gave his age as seventeen years and ten months. His father’s brother George Shockley was appointed guardian with a bond of $2000 of which Samuel Warren of Cedar Creek was surety.281 As already described William inherited from his father lands in Slaughter Neck. On 11 October 1826 he married 25. ELIZABETH5 BENNETT, youngest daughter of 11. Nehemiah Bennett and Hester Oliver. William was twenty years old and Elizabeth ten years older, having been born 6 July 1796. They had only two children and one of those died quite young. The record of their family in the 1830 Census for Cedar Creek Hundred shows one male twenty to thirty, one female thirty to forty (presumably William and Elizabeth) one female sixty to seventy (probably Elizabeth’s mother, Hester), and one male and one female under five. William died “‘at 10 min. after 2 o'clock P.M. on Wednesday Dec. the 30th in the year of our Lord 1863 aged 57 yrs. 3 months and 13 days”’. He is buried in the family plot on the farm, in which the first grave had been that of Elizabeth’s mother, Hester Bennett. Insofar as they are still legible, the dates on his gravestone are the same as those in the Bible.282 Elizabeth followed him about five years later; she died 19 May 1869. The grave in the family plot beside William, with a head-stone similar to his but broken off and with a foot-stone inscribed E.S. is almost certainly hers. Children of William Shockley and Elizabeth Bennett i. WILLIAM SHOCKLEY, b. 10 Sept. 1827; 4. after 1899; m SIMMONS of Jersey City, N.J.; a merchant in Milford, Del.; two children: Rachel Van Wert Shockley and William Penn Shockley.283 ii. ELIZABETH SHOCKLEY, b. 24 May 1829; d. 30 Dec. 1833; buried with her parents in the family plot. Page 59 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 APPENDIX OTHER BENNETTS IN THE DELAWARE AREA The name Bennett was a very common one in colonial days and a great many immigrants bearing the name came to America. Connection between John Bennett, the founder of the Cedar Creek family, and the other Bennetts in the general area has been assiduously sought, but not found. Various other Bennett families have been somewhat superficially studied for such a connection with the Cedar Creek family, to no avail. A number of these families should be mentioned, however, since they can readily be confused with the Cedar Creek family. I. An EDWARD BENNETT also settled in Somerset County, Maryland about the same time as John Bennett did. He appears first on the records with the birth of his son Edward in 1676.284 In 1680 he purchased a tract of land near Quantico in Somerset County,285 about seventeen miles north of the Manokin area and near the southwest corner of the present state of Delaware, and he and his descendants continued to live in this area. It is tempting to speculate that Edward might be an older brother of John, but his. family has been followed down through several generations from the Somerset County records and there is no indication that the Edward family and the John family were even acquainted with each other. II. About 1790, after the Delaware-Maryland boundary had been finally settled in 1775, grants of land were made to several Bennetts in the southwest corner of the revised state of Delaware, in what now became Little Creek Hundred of Sussex Co. but had formerly been considered Maryland territory. This family appears frequently from then on in the Sussex County records. No relation to the Cedar Creek family has been found, but on the other hand connection with the Edward Bennett family is rather well indicated. The area of these Bennett grants is only about ten miles from Quantico, and just across the border from Sharptown, Md., the only town in that vicinity and the community center for this new settlement. Many Bennetts are buried in the Sharptown church-yards and the records of the Edward Bennett family in the early 1800’s contain a number of references to Sharptown. III. A JEHU BENNETT, born in Virginia about 1767, settled in Baltimore Hundred of Sussex County, south of Indian River, about 1794 and his descendants have been and are still prominent in Delaware affairs. As has been speculated earlier, it is quite possible that this Jehu was a descendant of the Cedar Creek family, but as of this date any such connection is purely hypothetical.7*° Jehu died 22 November 1853. IV. ANGELO BENNETT appears in Murderkill Hundred of Kent County (Del.) about 1770. The family were Quakers and there is no evidence of any connection with the Cedar Creek Bennetts. The births of Angelo’s eleven children are listed in the records of Murderkill Monthly Meeting between 1774 and 1799. Angelo died 29 June 1824.287 V. Toward the end of the eighteenth century some of the Bennetts of Chester County, Pennsylvania, moved down into New Castle County, Delaware. One of these was CALEB BENNETT who served as an officer with the Delaware troops through the Revolution and went on to become Governor of Delaware 1832-1836. These Chester County Bennetts were Quakers; there appears to be no connection between them and the Cedar Creek Bennetts. Page 60 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 VI. There are many other Maryland Bennetts, with none of whom, however, has any connection been found. RICHARD BENNETT, Governor of Maryland 1652-1655, apparently left no male descendants beyond his grandson, Richard, to carry on the name. JOHN BENNETT of Anne Arundel County, prominent in the early history of Annapolis, was a contemporary of John of Somerset and apparently no relation.288 THOMAS BENNETT, the innkeeper and ferry-keeper at Oxford in Talbot County, according to his will probated in 1704, left sons Thomas and John, but they were both under twenty-one when the will was made in 1701 and this John is therefore too young to be the John of Cedar Creek.289 Page 61 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 FOOTNOTES 1 Maryland Archives, Vol. 54, 776. 2 Land Office, Annapolis, Md, Lib. CB #2, p. 342. 3 Harry L. Benson, compiler, Somerset County Maryland Maps, Land Surveys, etc. (Maryland Historical Society). 4 Somerset County Deed Book MA 3, 564 (Hail of Records, Annapolis, Md. 5 It must be kept in mind that our present Gregorian calendar was not adopted by Britain and her colonies until September, 1752. Before that time the new year began on March 25; January and February, and part of March belonged to the old year. Therefore, February 1683 would, by our present calendar, be 1684. In many of the old records these months are double dated, e.g. 6 February 1683/4. 6 Somerset County Land Records [KL 1714-1715, 80 (Hall of Records, Annapolis). 7 Benson, op. cit. 8 Maryland Archives, Vol. 54, 756. 9 Somerset County Deed Book MA 3, 738. Probably John’s sale of Turkey Cock Hill was in anticipation of this gift. 10 Benson, op. cit. 11 Deed Book C, 22. 12 With some interruptions, this plot has remained in the Bennett family until fairly recently. [t has been pointed out to the writer by Mr. George R. Bennett, who was born on the property and knows its geography thoroughly. Its early history is recited in Deed Book G7, 349. 13 Somerset County (Md.) Deed Book GI 13, 14 (Hall of Records, Annapolis, Md). 14 Warrant Book C, 25; Shankland’s Surveys and Warrants, 1713-1728, p. 27 (Recorder of Deeds Office, Georgetown, Del.). 15 Deed Book F, 142. 16 Deed Book G7, 144. 17 Deed Book G7, 349. Page 62 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 18 Somerset County Land Records IKL, 1714-15 (Hall of Records, Annapolis, Md.) William and Thomas might be the William and Thomas Bennett in Somerset Deed Book CD 14, 909; on 4 August 1719 Thomas Bennett of Somerset County, Cordwainer, and Catherine, his wife, sold to Thomas Laramur a piece of property on the south side of Nanticoke River, which had been bequeathed to him by his brother William. No record of any kind has been found for John’s three daughters. If they had married nto other Cedar Creek families, as they presumably would have, it might be expected that there would be at least one son, born in the early 1700’s, with a given name, Bennett, but no such person has been found. 19 Somerset County Land Records IKL, 1714-15 (Hall of Records, Annapolis, Md.). 20 The early spellings of this name in Delaware are mostly Carwithen, Carwithin, or Carwithy, and in at least one case each Kirwithy and Curwithen. Apparently the name was pronounced with a hard c. The present descendants in Sussex County use the spelling Cirwithin and pronounce the name with a soft c. 21 William Piles’ will, Will Book A1, 28. 22 Christ Church (P.E.) Philadelphia, Records, transcript in Coll. GSP. Grace’s sister, Elizabeth Carwithen, age 23, was baptized at the same time, and her three sisters, Abigail, Margaret and Phebe Carwithen a year later. 23 Will Book Al, 208. 24 Sussex County Orphans Court, 13 April 1734 (Hall uf Records, Dover, Del.) 25 Sussex County Orphans Court 1728-1743, p. 129 (Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.) 26 Margaret was probably Margaret Ponder, daughter of John Ponder, whose will was probated in 1719. (Will Book Al, 107-109). 27 Deed Book G7, 144. 28 survey Book A (1776), 59. 29 Scharf, 1254. 30 Deed Book G7, 349. 31 Will Book B2, 43. 32 Sussex Orphans Court Records, 1761-1772, p. 75 (Hall of Records, Dover,Del.) 33 Ibid., p. 76. 34 Deed Book 1 9, 60. 35 Will Book, D4, 6S. 36 The order of the children is that of mention in Stephen’s will and is probably the correct order of birth. 37 Deed I 9, 377: William Daniley’s will, Will Book A1, 327. Page 63 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 38 Deed Book K 10, 311. 39 There is a fairly good chance that this man is the Jehu Bennett who later turns up in Revolutionary military records of Southwestern Pennsylvania. In the “Muster Roll of Captain James Wright’s Company of Youghegenia Militia in actual service for the month September 1778 commanded by Col. John Stevenson", Jehew Bennett is listed among the privates. (Penna. Archives, 6th Series, Vol. III, p. 23, Westmoreland County) Jehu Bennett further appears in the list of “Return of Ist Class Capt'n Jam's Munn’s Company in the 2nd Batt. Washington County Militia ordered to Rendevouze 28 Jan’y 1782” and in "Return of Capt'n Jams Munn’s Company 2nd Battalion W. County Militia ordered to Rendevouze June 22nd 1782.” (Penna. Archives, 6th Series, Vol. II, pp. 30 and 60). Nothing further has been found on this man in Western Pennsylvania nor over the state border in Virginia (now West Virginia), but it is an interesting speculation that he might be the father of the Jehu Bennett who later (1794) took up land in Baltimore Hundred, Sussex Co., Del. and who, as the 1850 Census records show, was born in Virginia. This tater Jehu Bennett is the ancestor of the Bennetts of Baltimore Hundred and of many prominent Delawareans today (see Appendix). 40 Deed Book I 9, 255, Joseph Shankland, Sheriff, to John Bennett; H8, 59 (1743), John Lovine to Thomas Lay; G7, 349 (1741), Stephen Bennett to John Lovine; G7, 144 (1735), John Bennett to Stephen Bennett. 41 Mary Groves’ will, will Book B2, 135. See also Thomas Groves’ accounting of the Joseph Hickman estate, Sussex County Orphans Court 1728-1744, p. 127 (Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia). 42 Deed Book H8, 84. 43 Sussex County Orphans Court 1761-1772, pp. 191-192 (Hall of Records, Dover, Del.) 44 Ibid, 1773-1784, p. 71, 45 Scharf, 1234, records that Joseph Bennett was appointed by the Conference in 1815 as Methodist minister in Lewes. This could.be the same man. 46 Probates, A 105, 123 (Robert Warren). The name Wrixam appears in some records as “Ricksom” or some other variations. Warren is frequently “Warrin” or "Warring". 47 Scharf, p. 1251. Bennett is listed as “Bernard”. 48 Order is uncertain. 49 This is possibly the Margaret who married Anthony Heavelo and had a son, Bennett Warren Heavelo. (Anthony Heavelo will, 1818, Probates, A 75, 209). Margaret’s. will, 1825, (Ibid A 76, 7) mentions the son as Bennett Heavelo Warren. 50 Probates A59, 82. 51 Order is uncertain. 52 Deed Book 35, 380. This bond was assigned 17 April 1783 by Crouch to Absalom Warren and by him on 11 October 1803 to Asa B. Warren (his son). It was recorded 17 September 1822. Page 64 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 53 Scharf, 1258. 54 Deed Book 25, 312. 55 Deed Book 35, 322. 56 Deed Book K10, 311, Jehu Bennett to Absalom Warring, 3 February 1768. 57 The 1810 Census for Cedar Creek Hundred lists an Abner Warren living near Absalom’s son, Asa. This could be an error for Absalom. The household comprised one male and one female over 45, one male 16 to 26, one female under 10. 58 Deed Book 25, 152. Absalom Warren and Parker Warren et ux. to Reuben Heavelo; ibid. 25, 312, Absalom Warren and Purnal Bennett et ux. to Reuben Heavelo, 18 Jan. 1806. 59 Will Book D4, 65. 60 Order is uncertain. 61 Also listed in 1810 Census but not in 1800. 62 See note 52. 63 Will Book C 3, 26 (Robert Warren, 1774/1776). 64 Will Book E 5, 293. The date of Levi’s death is not known. Presumably it would have been shortly before the probate date m November 1801, but he is not listed in the 1800 Census and a Sarah Warren is listed, with a houschold comprising one female over 45 and one male 10 to 16. 65 The name in the earlier Delaware records is usually spelled Purnai but sometimes Purnel In more recent times the common spelling is Purnell; in some localities the accent on the first syllable is retained and in some it is put on the second syllable. The name is a surname but became a common given name in Sussex County. 66 Need Book G7, 144. 67 Gabriel’s will (Will Book B2, 201) made in 1760 refers to his daughter Meriam Lofly. Elizabeth’s will (Will Book E5, 60) refers to daughter Meriam Webb. 68 Records of Christ P.E. Church, Philadelphia, Pa. Transcript in the Collections GSP, pp. 596-598. Photostat from the original of these particular entries in the Hall of Records, Dover, Del. 69 Delaware Archives, Vol. II, 665 70 SCPR, 141. 71. Will Book D4, 94. 72 SCPR, 171. 73 Guardian Papers. Page 65 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 74 Orphans Court G, 63 75 Guardian Papers. 76 The order of the children is not necessarily accurate but is based on the compiler’s best reconstruction of the family from the data available. 77 The date is taken from a typed and photo-copied booklet issued in 1964 by Mr. George R. Bennett, entitled, The Bennetts. A copy of this booklet is filed in the Hall of Records, Dover, Delaware. Mr. Bennett is a descendant of Joshua Bennett and has been an avid collector of family data in the various Joshua Bennett lines. He has done an admirable service in putting these data together in this booklet, which carries the Joshua lines down to the present, ie. the Ninth or Tenth Generation. 78 Deed Book L11, 164. 79 Deed Book M12, 538. 80 The “George Bennett Bible,” photostatic copies in the Hall of Records, Dover, Del. and in Collections GSP. This Bible was printed in 1819. The early records, which were written long after the events, are the births to Joshua and Elizabeth of George, Leah, Betsy, Mary, John, and Joshua. On the same page is the birth on 7 July 1749 and the parentage of Elizabeth Clendaniel. Her marriage to Joshua is not recorded, nor are any others early marriages. The births of George's children are not recorded and the other records are of later generations. 81 Probates A59, 101. Sarah is not recorded among the births of the children of Joshua and Elizabeth in the Bible (and neither is Nancy). She is mentioned in Joshua's will along with his other daughters (see below). 82 Samuel Collins, presumably the husband of Sarah Bennett, is recorded separately in Cedar Creek Hundred with one male 26 to 45, one female 16 to 26, and one male under 10. 83 Will Book F6, 74; also Probates A59, 94, in which Sarah’s husband is named as Samuel Collins. 84 The idea that Betsy may have already received her share seems to be precluded by the wording of the will “my seven children”. An explanation that she wasn’t born yet is open to too many objections, as is also the idea that she had died. She seems rather to have been purposely omitted. 85 Probates A59, 76. 86 Birth dates from the “George Bennett Bible” (see note 80), except as indicated. 87 1830 Census of Cedar Creek Hundred shows one male and one female 40 to 50, one female 15 to 20, one female 10 to 15, two females 5 to 10, one female under 5. 1850 Census shows only the parents and Mary Townsend age 25. Death dates from gravestones. 88 Nancy has been here assigned the position of the youngest daughter shown in the 1830 Census (op. cit.). Some of the listings of the children would suggest that Nancy was an older daughter, and the data are confusing. Page 66 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 89 Bennett-Shockley Bible, as published in Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography Vol. 33. (1909), 377-379. 90 William H. Engle, Ed., Pennsylvania in the War of the Revolution, Associated Battalions and Militia, 1775-1783, (Harrisburg, 1890), Vol. I, 659-663. Nehemiah Bennett is listed in DAR Patriot Index (1967), 54. 91 Abigail was the daughter of Stephen Townsend and his wife Elizabeth Wattson. Aaron’s parentage is unknown. 92 Deed Book M12, 418, Miriam Hodson to Nehemiah Bennett. Ibid. M12; 463, Nehemiah Bennett et ux. to John Hickman. 93 Will Book ES, 23, Aaron Oliver. 94 Deed Book Al (Reverse), 34. Abigail, here the wife of William Rickards, is named Abigail Hayes in Aaron Oliver’s will (1795), and was then the wife of Thomas Hayes. As will appear later, Nehemiah’s son, 24. John Bennett, subsequently acquired two- fifths of the remaining fourth part of the Oliver property. 95 The 1810 Census for Cedar Creek lists for Nehemiah Bennett: one male and one female over 45, one male and one female 16 to 26, one male and one female 10 to 16. 96 Will Book F6, 479. 97 This burial plot is described by George R. Bennett (see note 77) as beir.2 on the Jackson farm at Tar River. It is north and west of the junction of present Delaware Route #14 and the road to Slaughter Beach. When the compiler first located it in 1954 it was in deep woods, which have since been cleared. Nehemiah was in all probability buried on his own farm, and his grave, like most of those on farms, has disappeared. 98 Her birth date and those of Nehemiah and Hester’s other children are from the Bennett-Shockley Bible (op. cit.). The death dates are from the gravestones. Potter’s birth date calculated from his gravestone is 26 Sept. 1782. 99 John Bennett Bible, photostat in the Collections GSP. 100 William Lofland’s will, made 15 Dec. 1785, mentioned as his heirs wife Grace Lofland; sons William, Littleton, Gabriel, George and Dorman Lofland; daughters Nancy, Rachel and Marga[re]t Lofland (SCPR, 180). There is also a deed, 13 October 1789, involving a transfer of certain land rights by the brothers and sisters of Dorman Lofland deceased, named as “William Lofland, George Lofland, Gabriel Lofland, John Ryly with Anna Ryly his wife, and Bennit Warring with Rachel Warring his wife, all of the County of Sussex” to another brother Littleton Lofland; their father William and their mother Grace are mentioned (Deed Book O14, 149 and 254). Rachel’s mother, Grace, appears to have been the daughter of Art Vankirk, whose will, made 20 November 1742, mentioned his daughter Grace Loffly (SCPR, 49). 101 Probates, A105, 98, 102 Administration of Major Clifton to Eunice Clifton 16 January 1798 (SCPR, 288); will of Thomas Carlisle 16 November 1799 (ibid., 308); administration of Wrixam Warren to Eunice Warren 7 January 1807 (Probates, A105, 139); marriage bond (Marriages, 15, 397). Page 67 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 103 Robert Owens’ will, made 23 March 1802 and probated 21 Nov. 1804, refers to his sister “Sina Warren the wife of Alexander Warren”. (Will Book F6, 169). 104 Orphans Court F, 128; the accounting of Alexander’s estate (see note 105) also. mentions his guardianship of Bennett’s younger children. 105 Probates, A105, 96. 106 Probates, A105, 132. 107 Deed Book 42, 28. 108 Will Book 39, 253. 109 there are several other Samuel Warrens in another family in Sussex Co. and the writer has no positive evidence to identify this man among them. This is probably the one who married Nancy Smith, daughter of David Smith and sister of 33. Rachel Warren’s husband, Job Smith (David Smith’s will, Probates, A99, 125), and who died before September 1843, when Nancy rendered her account as administratrix. (Probates, A105, 128). 110 Probates, A105, 123. 111 Will Book D, 65. 112 Orphans Court L, 22. 113 Probates, A105, 124. 114 see note 100. Gabriel’s wife did not sign this deed (1789) and at that date Gabriel was apparently unmarried, 115 Will Book E5, 293. 116 Orphans Court F, 308 and G, 66. 117 Ibid. G, 42 and G, 78. 118 Sussex County Chancery Case G #20, Hall of Records, Dover, Del. 119 Will Book G7, 98. 120 see note 118. 121 J. M. Runk & Co., ed, Biographical and Genealogical History of Delaware (Chambersburg, Pa. 1899) p. 793. For date of son William’s birth, Charles W. Pettit, “Captain Luke Watson and his Descendants”, a manuscript in Collections of GSP, p. 30. (This manuscript is frequently inaccurate and must be used: with caution.) The will of the elder William (1801), Probates A 98, 147; son William was sole executor. 122 Deed Book P15, 327. Page 68 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 123 The 1810 Census in Cedar Creek shows 1 male and 2 females over 45, 1 male 16 to 26, 2 males and 2 females 10 to 16, 2 males and 3 females under 10.. 124 Scharf, 1252. 125 Probates, A98, 148; (also Deed Book G7, 335):. 126 Deed Book 38, 410. In February 1829 the Delaware Assembly passed an “Act to enable Elizabeth Shockley, Sarah Atkins, Lemuel B. Shockley, John C. Davis and William Shockley, heirs at law and devisees of William Shockley, deceased, and Levi Warren, deceased, to sell and convey certain lands therein mentioned” (Laws of the State of Delaware, Vol. 7, p. 310, Chapter CLIV). 127 Probates, A98, 13%. 128 The order is conjectural; it is based on analysis of the Census data and the known facts and dates. 129 The dates on the gravestone are no longer clear and the figures given are taken from Hudson, Cemeteries. The name in the records appears as both Adkins and Atkins: the gravestones are Adkins. 130 Amelia, Eliza and Alfred are mentioned in William Shockley’s will (op. cit.); other data from Jewell Lofland Crew, The Lofland Family 1667-1955 (Dallas, 1956). Amelia was Nehemiah Lofland’s second of three wives. 131 William Shockley’s will (op. cit.); Sussex Deed Book 32, 375 (1816), a deed from William Shockley and Betsy his wife, covering the sale of a 148 acre tract, to William Drapex and Lyda his wife all of Sussex Co. 132 Deed Book 50, 431. This document cites “Elizabeth Smith daughter of the said David Smith which is now marzied to the aforesaid John Bennett.” The bond was sealed in court on 16 April 1838 and the conveyance was recorded 9 September 1842. This David Smith is apparently not the David Smith, son of Job, whose family appears elsewhere in this history, but is another man. 133 Assessments, Cedar Creek Hundred, 1803. 134 Scharf, History of Delaware, p. 1251. While there is no positive identification of these data with John of Purnal, there was no other John Bennett in Cedar Creek Hundred at this time to whom this item might apply, the other living John Bennetts being too young. : 135 The 1800 Census for John Bennett of Cedar Creek Hundred shows 1 male (m.) 16 to 26, 2 females (f.) 16 to 26, 1 m. 10 to 16, 1 f. under 10. The 1820 Census for Elizabeth Bennett of Cedar Creek Hundred shows 1 f. over 45, 1 f. 16 to 26, 1 m and 2 £ 10 to 16, 1 £ under 10. The 1830 Census for Elizabeth Bennett shows 1 f. 5@ to 60, 3 m. 20 to 30, 1£ 10 to 15. Page 69 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 136 Deg Book AL34, 632, John Wiltbank Attorney for Caleb North from John Bennett and wife; ibid. AL34, 632-633, John Wiltbank from Purnal Tindal, Sheriff; ibid. AL35, 151-152, Caleb North, Esq. from John Wiltbank & wife. On 10 October 1832, 21. George Bennett obtained a one-year lease for 1833 on this property from Lowder Layton, agent for Caleb North. There is no information as to how long this lease was renewed, but on 15 March 1847 George’s son, Riley Wilson Bennett, after North’s death, bought the property back from North’s executor, Alexander Benson and the North heirs for $1,200. Both of these original documents, the lease and the deed, as well also as the three original deeds of 1820-21, are in the possession of Mr. George R. Bennett of Milford, Del., to whom the writer is indebted for this information. The recording of the 1847 deed in Georgetown has not been found. 137 Inventories; Probates A59, 88. 138 See note 135. 139 Guardian Papers. 140 John Wilson’s will made 1794, (Probates A108, 82) mentions wife Elizabeth, sons David and Riley, daughters Polly and Elizabeth, and provides for an unborn child. Elizabeth Wilson's administration by Thomas Wilson, 1806, mentions the same four children and a son John, but this time Polly is Polly Bennett (Probates A108, 74). Furthermore the lands of 17. John Bennett, sold by the Sheriff in 1820 (loc. cit.) bound on those of Polly Bennett. 141 Assessments, Cedar Creek Hundred, 1803. 142 Inventories. The first accounting of his estate by Mary as his administratrix was submitted 29 March 1814. 143 Orphans Court L, 476, and L, 545. The freeholders’ report includes a map from which it is evident that the largest piece (126 acres) of the land divided was a portion of the old farm. 144 Guardian Papers. 145 Marriages 56, 102; Probates 59, 110. 146 Original deed, Curtis Beckworth and wife to George Beniett in possession of George R. Bennett; recorded deed not found. 147 The two boys are included in the 1820 Census for Cedar Creek Hundred for Mary Bennett’s household as age resp. 16 to 18 and 10 to 16. Mary petitioned the Orphans Court 21 July 1819 for appointment of guardian for Purnal’s two children Sylvester and Polly, both under age 14 (Orphans Court L, 534); Sylvester’s Marriage Bond, Marriages 56, 170; Inventory of Sylvester Bennett dec’d., Inventories, 5 March 1834; Polly Bennett, Inventories, 19 April 1836; Admin. of Sylvester by John, Probates A59, 117. 148 Bible record as published in Turner, 340. All of the vital statistics of the Norman family as given are from this record. 149 Guardian Papers. Page 70 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 150 This census record shows: 1 male and 1 female 16 to 26, 1 male under 10. Thomas was probably the Thomas Norman who is mentioned as a grandson in the will of William Rickards (Will Book D, 405; 1793). 151 Guardian Papers. 152 win and administration of Nehemiah Davis, 1794/1798 (SCPR, 299); admin. of Isaac Cirwithin (SCPR, 247); will of Moses Hall, 1809/1810 (Will Book F6, 404); deed in Deed Book X, 114-115 (1801), as abstracted in C.H.B. Turner, Sussex: County Wills, Coil. GSP. Miss Gertrude Bennett Draper has contributed to the untangling of this family, with her genealogical data on the Davis family. 153 Guardian Papers. 154 Probates A59, 103. 155 an account of Mary Bennett, admin. of Joshua Bennett, submitted by Nehemiah Davis on 21 June 1820, shortly after Mary’s death, refers to “Joshua the only child” probates A59, 96). 156 The “George Bennett Bible” (see note 80). 157 Assessments, Cedar Creek Hundred, 1840. 158 the information on the children of 10. Joshua Bennett and their families is taken, unless otherwise noted, from George R. Bennett’s publication The Bennetts (see note 77). The reader is also referred to this booklet for information on the descendants beyond the sixth generation. 159 Probates A59, 99. Joshua’s birth-date is unknown, but an analysis of the Census records of George’s family in Cedar Creek Hundred for the years 1810, 1820 and 1830 show a son of about this age whose data do not fit any of the other three. 160 This information courtesy of George R. Bennett. 161 Hannah Robinson was the daughter of John Robinson and his wife, Sarah Bell, and a sister of Arcada Robinson who married 24. John Bennett (of Nehemiah). John Robinson was a prominent land owner in Cedar Creek Hundred and was Sheriff of Sussex County 1814-1817. 162 The “George Bennett Bible” (see note 80). 163 Marriages, 37, 64, 1850 Census, Cedar Creek Hundred gives George’s age as 30, Sarah’s as 25 and lists the first five children with ages as shown; George R. Bennett records the sixth child, b. after 1850; Hester Ann Bennett is buried in Slaughter Neck M. E. Cemetery. 164 The birth dates of the first three children are taken from their listing in the entry for Henry R. Draper in the 1850 Census for Cedar Creek Hundred Henry is listed as farmer, age 33. 165 He signed his brother George’s marriage bond (op. cit.) as John David W. Bennett; elsewhere the “John” does not appear. Page 71 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 166 David's first two children Lydia and Edward are listed with him and Caroline in the 1850 Census for Cedar Creek. The first five (except Edward) are reported with David and Emma in the 1860 Census, which gives Emma’s age as 20. 167 The “George Bennett Bible” (see note 80). 168 The will of Elias Townsend (1821) mentions daughter “Hessy, wife of John Bennett” (Will Book G7, 196). 169 The 1820 Census record of John Bennett in Cedar Creek Hundred shows 1 M 26 to 45, 1 F 16 to 26, 2 M under 10, 1 F 10 to 16. The 1830 record is 1 M 30 to 40, 1 F 30 to 40, 2 M 10 to 15, 2 F 5 to 10, 1 M under 5. The 1840 record is 1 M 50 to 60, 1 F 40 to 50, 1 M 20 to 30, 1 F 10 to 15, 2 M 15 to 20, 1 F 5 to 10, 1 M 10 to 15. (the oldest son Elias is listed separately as head of his own household). 170 The information on Eliza is by the courtesy of Gertrude Bennett Draper and is from her as yet unpublished studies of the Davis family. 171 Delaware Archives, Military Vol. IV, pp. 460 and 497. John was in 1 st Company, 8th Regiment. They served for two short periods in- March and May 1813. 172 Assessments, Cedar Creek Hundred, 1840. 173 Scharf, 1252. 174 Sussex Orphans Court Plots F#B16, Hall of Records, Dover, Del. This record also enumerates the children of John’s eldest son Elias T. Bennett as set forth below. 175 Tombstones; Orphans Court Plots, op. cit., also F#B13; 1850 and 1860 U.S. Census, Cedar Creek Hundred 176 The birth date is figured from an analysis of the 1820, 1830 and 1840 US. Censuses from Cedar Creek Hundred and the fact that he is included in the 1840 Assessment List. For death date: Inventories (30 Nov. 1846), and Probates A59, 78, showing the administration of his estate by his brother Purnal T. Bennett. 177 Marriages 46, 110, The 1850 U.S. Census for Cedar Creek reports Purnal Bennett, farmer, age 30, Mary A. Bennett 26, Purnel F. Bennett 7, David H. Bennett 5. 178 See page _; Marriages 23,200 (Susan); Sallie Draper marriage on authority of George R. Bennett. 179 ibis possible that Sally was a child of the third marriage to Sally Ctendaniel. 180 Indicated by analysis of the Census records for Cedar Creek Hundred in 1820, 1830, 1840. Page 72 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 181 “George Bennett Bible” (see note 80). 182 Assessments, Cedar Creek Hundred, 1840. 183 The 1840 Census for Cedar Creek shows the same family plus another female who was then 5 to 10. 184 Delaware Archives, Military, Vol. IV, p. 489. Most of the other names in this Company are Cedar Creek names. 185 Probates, A3, 221-222. 186 Marriages 46, 88; 1850 Census, Cedar Creek Hundred, Robert Campbell; tombstone; Robert Campbell, Slaughter Neck M. E. Cemetery. 187 Tombstone, Slaughter Neck Cem.; Marriages 45, 232; 1850 Census, Mispillion Hundred, Deed Book 58, 239, John Bennett to Nehemiah Bennett; his death: George B. Hynson, Historical Etchings of Milford, Delaware and Vicinity (Milford 1899) p 35. 188 Tombstones; Joshua and Ruth Bennett Bible (photostat copies in Hall of Records, Dovet, Del. and in Collections GSP.) : 189 Probably the Nancy Bennett who married Elias Russell-25 June 1849 (Marriages, 45, 279). 190 Delaware Archives Military, Vol. 1V, 472. 191 For John Robinson see note 161. 192 The Bennett-Shockley Bible (see note 89) gives the birth dates of John and of his two wives, his marriage dates, the birth dates of Elizabeth’s two children and of Arcada’s first three, and the deaths of Elizabeth and one of her children. The data on the John Arcada family are recorded in the John Bennett Bible, photostatic copy of which is in Collections GSP. 193 Deed Book 33, 526; William B. Johnson et ux to John Bennett of Nehemiah. 194 Deed Book 33, 524, Eli Morris, Att’y. to John Bennett, 1818; ibid 43. 446. Hester Bennett to John Bennett, 1833; ibid 43, 136, John Robinson to Arcada Bennett, 1833. 195 Assessments, Cedar Creek Hundred 1833. John’s business place or “store” a frame building across the road from the Grannary, was still standing in 1952 when it we pointed out to the writer. Since then it has been demolished. 196 For his descendants through the ninth generation see booklet of J. Bennett Hill, The Descendants of John Bennett of Nehemiah of Sussex County, Delaware, (1965), copies at Hall of Records, Dover; Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; and other libraries. 197 The administration of her mother’s mother, Patience Morris, in 1839 mentions the issue of her daughter Elizabeth Bennett iate wife of John Bennett, to wit, Harriet now the wife of Winlock Collins. (Archives Probates A90, 127.) The 1850 Census in Cedar Creek shows the three children. Page 73 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 198 Bennett family Bibles (see note 192); tombstones. 199 Scharf, 1191; Hynson, 86 (see note 187); 1850 Census Cedar Creek Hundred; obituary The Times (Phila) 30 Dec. 1892; Wilmington (Del.) Directory 1857; Philadelphia Directories 1861 to 1890; Joseph Bennett Bible, photostat in Coll. GSP. 200 Mark Davis Bible (copy in Hall of Records, Dover); 1850 Census Milford- Mispillion Hundred, Kent Co., Del. 201 Philadelphia Directories 1855 to 1875; obituary (source unknown) in possession of compiler. 202 Much of this information is from the family records of his granddaughter, Lola (Robinson) Young, believed to be accurate. 203 Information gleaned from various members of the family; D.A.R. membership application of Effie Arcada Bennett, 15 Nov. 1935. 204 Deed Book W21,767. 205 hid. 33, 25 8, Spicer Warren et ux to William Baker. 206 Ibid. 41,394, Spicer Warren et ux to Francis A. Warren; 42, 28, Spicer Warren et ux. to Elizabeth Riley. 207 Probates A105, 134. 208 Will Book 12, 239. 209 Probably the Mary Jane Warren who married Thomas Wilson 6 March .1842; the co- bondsman was Jonathan Milman, Jr. (Marriages 46, 99). 210 Scharf 1213; Hudson, Cemeteries, 494. 211 Deed Book 30, 375. 212 Ibid. 31, 323. 213 Marriages, 20, 350. 214 Deed Book 41, 395. 215 Probates A105, 99. 216 Marriages 43, 200. 217 photostatic copies of this Bible record are on file at the Hall of Records, Dover, Del. and in Collections GSP. The Bible was printed in New York, 1818. The edge of the page with the oldest records isso badly worn that the endings of some of the. dates are illegible; when this is the case it has been so indicated. 218 Stephen Warren and Sina Smith were married 28 Nov. 1845 (Marriages 23, 269). Sina was probably the daughter of Job Smith and 33. Rachel Warren. Page 74 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 219 Marriages 23, 247. 220 Dates from her gravestone in Slaughter Neck M.E. Cemetery; the birth dates on the. stone and in the Bible check. 221 Littleton Lofland’s will, 11 March 1799/22 March 1799, mentions a daughter Grace Lofland and his estate settlement mentions Boaz and Grace Warren (SPCR, 301). 222 of Grace’s three unmarried daughters, Rachel was 30 in 1850 and 45 in 1860, Sinah was 25 in 1850 and 40 in 1860, Nancy was 20 in 1850 and 38 in 1860! 223 Deed Book 47, 433 and 460, 224 Ibid. 48, 352. 225 Probates A105, 100. 226 Will Book 12, 23. 227 The order of the first five sons is that of Grace’s will, where they are similarly dealt with and where the order is therefore probably age. The position of the daughters is the writer’s best judgment based on census data, marriage dates, etc. 228 Marriages 28, 34. 229 Deed Book 48, 377 (William Warren et ux. to John Warren); Marriages 42, 89; Will Book 14, 115. The 1850 Census in Cedar Creek Hundred lists William Warren and Mary with the same children as the will and two younger Warrens: Henry C. age 8 and Maria age 6; this census gives William’s age as 49 which does not check with the age on the tombstone but the 1860 Census gives his age as 52, which checks better. 230 Marriages 56, 164. The will of Elijah Hudson (1840) mentions William Harrington and wife formerly Mary Warren and their daughter Henrietta (Will Book J9, 253). 231 Will Book 13, 205. 232 Marriages 56, 239; Stephen’s brother Mitchell was co-bondsman. 233 Ibid. 37, 14. 234 Ibid. 43, 220. 235 Will Book 12, 239. 236 Ibid. 10, 497; also Probates A105, 101. 237 Daughter Rhody Kinder is mentioned in the will of her father Alexander Warren (1809), and son-in-law Isaac Kinder and Rhoda his wife are named in her mother’s will (1820) among her executors. 238 Kinder Family Bible, Archives Bible Records 87A, 179.19, photostat copy (Hal! of Records, Dover, Del.); Bible printed 1858, so these early records were made many years after the events; this Bible is the source of all of the vital data on this family, except as noted. Page 75 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 239 The order position of four of the children is uncertain; the Bible (op. cit.) does not record the birth dates of these four, all of whom died young, but states only their age at death. They have here been fitted in among those of known birth dates in the most probable positions. 240 Scharf 1209 and 1214. 241 Ibid. 1214. 242 Will Book F6, 169; see note 103. 243 Deed Book 30, 105. 244 Scharf, 1209. 245 Probates A105, 136. 246 Marriages 6, 343. 247 1850 and 1860 Censuses, Cedar Creek Hundred; gravestones; William V. Shockley’s. gravestone dates are “Died Aug. 25, 1881/aged 65 yrs. 6 mos./& 8 days.” 248 Marriage bond to Elizabeth Webb, Stephen’s father was co-bondsman (Marriages 46, 89); Stephen’s will (Will Book 15, 292); 1850 Census, Cedar Creek Hundred, in which the wife is Elizabeth, age 26 and children, Isaac K., James H., and David O. are included, also another, Samuel Warren, age 14, probably the son of Stephen's deceased brother; 1860 Census; Cedar Creek Hundred, in which the wife is Sarah, age 26, and all the children, except Stephen E. H. are included; gravestones: Sarah E. Warren, buried in the New Market M. E. Cemetery, Ellendale; Isaac K. (or N.) and James H. in the Red Men’s Cemetery, Ellendale; David O. and Stephen E. H. in the Odd Fellows Cemetery, Milford, Del. (Hudson, Cemeteries). 249 Probates A105, 132 (Sinah Warren 1820/1827). 250 Ibid. A99, 125 (David Smith 1831/1831). 251 Will Book H8, 202. 252 Order uncertain. 253 Sinah probably married Stephen Warren of 29. Asbury; see note 218. 254 Orphans Court L, 22. 255 Marriages 19, 191; Family Bible (transcript), Archives Bible Records 87A,#409, Hall of Records, Dover, Del. 256 Four daughters are indicated but the Bible.(op. cit.) records only the three as listed below. 257 Deed Book 47, 441. 258 Marriages 56, 178. Page 76 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 259 Ibid. 14, 353. This bond records her as Sarah Ann Satterfield. Both the Bible and the 1850 Census refer to Robert’s wife as Sarah Anm Warren. 260 Bible, op. cit. 261 Bible, op. cit. 262 Hudson, Cemeteries, 508: 263 Marriages 56, 23. Sinah was probably the daughter of John Riley and his wife Anna Lofland. Anna Lofland was a sister of Rachel Lofland the wife of 12. Bennett Warren, and of Gabriel Lofland the husband of 15. Phebe Warren. 264 In addition to the connections with William’s family, Curtis’ daughter, Nancy, who married Clement Houston, was the mother of the two Houston sisters who married 22. John Bennett and 23. Joshua Bennett. 265 Orphans Court S, 139. 266 will of Curtis Shockley, 1831 (Will Book H8, 129). 267 Orphans Court P, 393 and 394. 268 Susan was presumably Lemuel W.’s wife; however she could have been his sister Susan, his wife having died. 269 This might be the William H. Shockley who is buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery, Milford, Del. with dates 12 Dec. 1824—21.Sept. 1895 and with a wife Catharine T. (Hudson, Cemeteries, 488). 270 According to Pettit, see note 121. The year agrees with his age 56 in the 1850 Census: 271 Marriages 19, 180; will of Curtis Shockley, note 266. 272 Scharf, 1209, in which he is incorrectly listed as Samuel B. Shockley. 273 According to Pettit, op. cit. 274 The 1850 Census, Cedar Creek Hundred, lists Lemuel Shockley, age 56, Charity Shockley 51 (this age does not agree with the other censuses), Elias Shockley 56 (probably Charity’s brother), George 18, Lemuel 12, Kendle 12. There were probably other older children not living in Lemuel’s household in 1850. 275 1860 U. S. Census; Cedar Creek Hundred, Sussex Co., Del. 276 Orphans Court N, 179. 277 See note 126. 278 Scharf, 1214. 279 The full names and vital data on these children, as well as some of the dates on Ketursah and John, are by courtesy of Gertrude Bennett Draper. Insofar as the census data go they are in agreement. Page 77 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 280 The Bennett Shockley Bible (see note 89); this is also the source of the other vital data on William and Elizabeth, and the births of their children. 281 Orphans Court N, 179. 282 See note 97. 283 Runk, see note 121. The genealogical biography published is that of William Penn Shockley. 284 Somerset County Land Records IKL 1714-1715, p..17 (Hail of Records, Annapolis, 285 Somerset Deeds MA3, p. 337 (Hall of Records, Annapolis, Md.) 286 See note 39. 287 “Records of Duck Creek, Murderkiln, and Camden, Delaware, Monthly Meetings 1687-1896”, p. 250 (Coll. GSP). 288 His will probated 21 March 1699, makes a cousin in London his sole heir. (Anne Arundel Co., Md., Wills 6, 206, Hall of Records, Annapolis). 289 Talbot Co., Md., Wills 3, 655 (Hall of Records, Annapolis). Page 78 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK ** THE BENNETT FAMILY OF SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE 1680 - 1860 ###### # # ##### ####### # # ##### ####### # # # # ## ## # # # ## # # # # # ## ## # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ###### # # # # #### ##### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ## ### # # # # # # ###### # # ##### ####### # # ### ##### ####### # # Transcribed from original documents by Brent R. Brian & Martha M. Brian. This document and others can be found on our website: BMGEN We claim COPYLEFT on the documents that we publish that are our original work. COPYLEFT “rules” can be reviewed on the web site: GNU Free Documentation License In short, use what you like. But if you use our stuff, mention us as the source. Brent R. Brian Martha M. Brian BrianMitchellGenealogy@gmail.com Page 79 of 79 ** PAGE BREAK **