Prou Benson (1720 - 1792)

My sixth great-grandfather.

Born:  1720 or 1725 in Stafford, Virginia, Colonial America
Died:  9 February 1792 in Greenville Co., South Carolina

Father:  Robert Benson
Mother:  Frances Prou

Siblings:
   Charles Benson, 1723
   Catherine Benson, c.1727
   Enoch Benson, c.1729
   John Benson, c.1731
   James Benson, c.1733 (Apparently, James lived to be 105 years old.)
   Zachary Benson, c.1735

Married: Elizabeth Berry Thomason (or Thompson)

Children:
   Thomasina Benson, c.1750
   Benjamin Benson, c.1752
   Sarah Benson, c.1754
   Enoch Benson, c.1756
   Francis Benson, c.1758
   William Benson, c.1759
   Robert Benson, 1762
   Zachariah Benson, 1764
   Joshua Benson, 1766
   George Benson, c.1767
   Mary Benson, c.1768
   Clarissa Benson, c.1772
   Elizabeth Benson, c.1777

According to the Daughters of the American Revolution, Prue furnished supplies during the war.
 

Elizabeth Berry Thomason (1729 - 1813)

Born:  c. 1729 in Grayson, Virginia, Colonial America
Died:  17 June 1813 in Greenville, Greenville Co., South Carolina

Father:  Enoch Bradley Berry, Sr.
Mother:  Dulcebella "Dully" Drucilla Bunbury

Siblings:
   Winifred Berry, 1727
   William Berry, 1728
   Thomas Berry, 1729
   Elizabeth Berry, 1729
   James Berry, 1731
   Dulcibella Berry, 1732

I have some questions about this family.  Ancestry.com has completely different parents for Prou. According to them, Prou's parents were Thomas Benson, born in 1690, and Sarah?, and their children were Charles, Prou, John, and Enoch. I can't be sure, but I think my information is better and others on Geni.com agree with me. If I ever find out otherwise, I'll update this.
 

Peter Emmons, Jr. (c.1669 - 1759)

My sixth great-grandfather.

Born:  c. 1669 in Gloucester, Essex County, Massachusetts, Colonial America or
          c. 1672 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Died:  1759 in Gloucester, Essex County

Father:  Peter Emmons, Sr. (Born: c.1649  Died: c.1694)
Mother:  Martha Cooley

I don't have any more information about Peter's parents or siblings.

Married:  #1 Martha Kilham  (Born:  1670  Died: before 1698 - possibly at Daniel's birth?)

Children:
   Richard Emmons, 1693
   Cooly Emmons, 1693
   Daniel Emmons, 1697

Married:  #2  Martha Eaton after 19 November 1698

Children:
   Mercy Emmons, 1700
   Mary Emmons, 1700
   Joseph Emmons, 1708   *** This is the child that counts for us, so I'll be following Martha Eaton.


Martha Eaton  (1673 - 1727/8)

Born:  16 October 1673 in Gloucester, Essex county, Massachusetts, Colonial America
Died:  4 February 1727 or 1728 in Ipswich, Essex County, MA

Father:  Daniel Eaton
Mother:  Mary Ingalls

Siblings:
   William Eaton, 1665
   John Eaton, 1667
   Ann Eaton, 1670
   Mary Eaton, 1672
   Priscilla Eaton, 1676
   Daniel Eaton, 1678
   Mehitabel Eaton, 1679
   Thomas Eaton, 1683
   

David Goodale (1689 - 1717)

Born:  1 March 1689 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, Colonial America
Died:  17 February 1717 in Salem Village, Essex County, MA

Father:  Zachariah Goodale
Mother:  Elizabeth Beauchamp

Siblings:
   Zachariah Goodale, Jr., 1667
   Samuel Goodale, 1669
   Joseph Goodale, 1672
   Mary Goodale, 1674
   Thomas Goodale, 1676
   John Goodale, 1679
   Abraham Goodale, c. 1681
   Elizabeth Goodale, 1683
   Sarah Goodale, 1685
   Benjamin Goodale, 1687

Married:  7 January 1712 or 1713 to Abigail Elliott

Children:
   Abigail Goodale, 1714
   David Goodale, 1716


Abigail Elliott  (1705 - 1798???)

Born:  27 May 1705 in Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts, Colonial America
Died:  20 June 1798 in Marlborough, Middlesex County, MA

Father:  Francis Elliott
Mother:  Abigail Nichols

I have no more information about the Elliott family.

   *** There is a conflict here. My records said she was born in 1682, which would have made her 30 when she got married. But then I found another site that said she was born in 1705, which would make her 9 years old when her first child, our ancestor, was born. Unlikely! But then this second source claimed she lived to 1798, which would make her 93 if born in 1705. Again, possible, but unlikely.  And the conflict deepens... David died in 1717, soon after their son David was born. Abigail remarried - to Joseph Hutchinson of Salem Village - and went on to have eight more children. Definitely not likely if she was born in 1682. My guess is that both the birth and the death dates are wrong.
 

Daniel Wilkins (1692 - 1739)

My sixth great-grandfather.

Born: 12 May 1692 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, Colonial America
       (probably Salem Village)
Died: 23 February 1739

Father: John Wilkins
Mother: Elizabeth "Betty" Southwick

Siblings:
   John Wilkins, 1688
   Esther Wilkins, 1690
   Betty Wilkins, 1695
   Jonathan Wilkins, 1697
   Lydia Wilkins, 1699
   Mercy Wilkins, 1701
   David Wilkins, 1703
   Soloman Wilkins, 1706
   Stephen Wilkins, 1712
   Joseph Wilkins, 1719

Married: 13 October 1714 to Mary Bailey

Children:
   Jonathan Wilkins, 1715
   Mary Wilkins, 1718
   Elizabeth Wilkins, 1721
   Mary or Mercy Wilkins, 1732


Mary Bailey (1695 - ?)

Born: c. 1695 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, Colonial America

I can't find anything else about Daniel or Mary.

Edward Field (1735 - 1809)

My fifth great-grandfather.

Born:  6 March 1735 in Tanworth on Arden, Warwickshire, England
Died:  2 January 1809 in Warwickshire

Father:  Poole Field
Mother:  Elizabeth Clark

Siblings:
   Anne Field, 1723
   Mary Field, 1726
   Poole field, 1730
   Richard Field, 1732
   William Field, 1733
   George Field, 1741
   Samuel Field, 1744
   Thomas Field, 1746

Married:  Eleanor Ashbury on 9 January 1759

Children:
   Ann Field, 1760
   Mary Field, 1761
   Elizabeth Field, 1762
   Pool Field, 1765
   Edward Field, 1767
   Sarah Field, 1769
   Eleanor Field, 1771


Eleanor Ashbury (aka Ashberry)  (1741 - 1822)

Born:  28 October 1741 in Tanworth on Arden, Warwickshire, England
Died:  22 October 1822 in Tanworth on Arden
   Buried in Tanworth

Father:  Joseph Ashbury
Mother:  Ann ???  (Born in 1718 in Tanworth)

Siblings:
   Richard Ashbury, 1737
   Mary Ashbury, 1739
   Elizabeth Ashbury, 1744
   Richard Ashbury, 1747


No interesting tidbits this time, just the facts. I wish I knew more.
 

Enoch Benson (1756 - 1840)

My fifth great-grandfather.

Born: December 1756 in Culpepper County (or possibly Prince William County), Virginia

Died:  4 September 1840 in Gwinnett County, Georgia

Father: Prou Benson
Mother:  Elizabeth Berry Thomson (Born: c, 1729)

Siblings:
   Thomasina Benson, c. 1750
   Benjamin Benson, c. 1752
   Sarah Benaon, c. 1754
   Francis Benson, c. 1756
   William Benson, c. 1760
   Robert Benson, 1762
   Zacariah Benson, 1764
   Joshua Benson, 1766
   George Benson, c. 1768
   Mary Benson, c. 1770
   Clary Benson, c. 1772
   Elizabeth Benson, c. 1774
   Henry Benson, c, 1776

Married: Jemima (maybe Berry?)

Children:
   Elizabeth Benson, c. 1780
   Mary Polly Benson, 1781
   Frances "Franky" Benson, 1784
   Rueben Benson, 1786
   Clarissa "Clary" Benson, 1791
   John "Jackie" Benson, 1795
   Jim Benson, 1797
   Willis Benson, 1799
      There were also three daughters born and died before 1797 and another in 1801.

 

As I was doing my research, I found this Facebook post above and was surprised to see Enoch called a Revolutionary War hero. I sent them a request for more information. I'll have to wait and see if I get a response. Sugar Hill is in Gwinnet County, Georgia.

In the meantime, I was able to gather bits and pieces of information. Although the first US census was taken in 1790, Enoch's name is included in the "Virginia volume, Heads of Families at the First Census of the United States taken in the year 1790: Records of State Enumerations, 1782-1785: Virginia." It shows him living in Stafford, Virginia, during that time. 

In 1785, he moved to Greenville District in South Carolina. He preached there at the Noonday Baptist Church in 1786. He was included on the 1890 US Census in South Carolina. On 11 May 1812, he shows up as the administrator of his mother's will.

Enoch moved his family to Gwinnet County, Georgia in 1818. They were members of the Head of Enoree Baptist Church in Greenville. (The church wasn't officially incorporated until 1840.) It was located near the Traveler's Rest.

Enoch and Jemima, along with George and James Tippens, purchased land in Cherokee County on 15 October 1829, but in 1832 they were still in Gwinnet. The 1830 Owners of Slaves list includes JB Benson (his brother Joshua) with 3 slaves, Enoch with 9 slaves, and brother Benjamin with one slave. Enoch was not on the 1840 list. They had moved to Cherokee County, Georgia, by 1840.

In 1832, Enoch applied for a Revolutionary War pension. The application is here. It is much easier to direct you to it than to write it out. Enoch explains his enlistments, but I don't see anything that makes him sound like a hero - unless it was just because he served. But so did almost everyone else who was in the right age bracket.

Joseph Emmons (1708 - 1739)

My fifth great-grandfather.

Born:  23 July 1708 in Gloucester, Essex County, Massachusetts, Colonial America
Died:  7 April 1739 in Ipswich, Essex County, MA

Father:  Peter Emmons, Jr.
Mother:  Martha Eaton

Siblings:
   Richard Emmons, c.1693
   Cooly Emmons,  c. 1693
   Daniel Emmons, c. 1697
   Mercy Emmons, c. 1700
   Mary Emmons, c. 1700

Married:  Sarah Holmes on 29 October 1730

Children:
   Sarah Emmons, 1734
   Joseph Emmons, 1736


Sarah Holmes   (1708 - 1796)

Born:  4 September 1708 in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, Colonial America
Died:  11 September 1796 Ipswich, Essex, MA (one source listed 1776, but I think this is right)

Father:  Robert Holmes - Born: 1676  Died: 28 March 1739
Mother:  Sarah Wastcutt - Born: 1680  Died: ?
  They posted their intent to marry in Ipswich on 4 January 1701.

This is all the information I could find about Sarah and her parents.