Ebenezer Benson 1693-1767 and His Wife Joanna Andrews of Rochester and Middleborough, Mass.

Ebenezer Benson was born Rochester, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, on 16 March 1693, the son of John and Elizabeth (Briggs) Benson. [Rochester VR 1:34]

On 20 Jan 1717, Ebenezer was just 23, a laborer, when he purchased a parcel of land in Middleborough from his father “near the dividing line between the towns of Middleborough and Rochester.” [Plymouth County Deeds 19:28]

He married Joanna Andrews on 30 August 1718 at Rochester. [Rochester VR 2:34]

Richard Benson writes that she may have been the daughter of Stephen and Bethia (Stetson) Andrews who were early settlers in Rochester from Hingham and Taunton. Ebenezer and Joanna are my 7th great-grandparents on my grandfather Arthur Washburn Ellis Davis’ side of the family.

Joanna and Ebenezer Benson had eight children all recorded in Middleborough [Barbara Lambert Merrick and Alice Crane Williams, Middleborough Mass. Vital Records, 2 vols, 1:70]:

i. Susanna Benson born 26 June 1720

ii.Mercy Benson born 7 July 1724

iii.Manoah/Noah Benson born 7 September 1726

iv.Elisabeth Benson born 12 January 1728/29

v.Elisha Benson born 5 March 1730/31

vi.Joanna Benson born 25 June 1733

vii.Benjamin Benson born 16 June 1736

viii.Thankfull Benson born 7 August 1740

I descend from Elisha. 

Ebenezer was baptized when he joined the church at nearby Wareham on 17 April 1743. Joanne joined the church there 22 May 1743 and their four youngest children, Elisha, Joanna, Benjamin and Thankful were baptized there the same day. [Leonard H Smith, Records of the First Church of Wareham, 1974]

In December 1720, Job Cushman, Plymouth Innholder, sued Ebenezer Benson “late of Rochester, now Middleborough, husbandman,” for a debt of 6 pounds. [Plymouth Court Records, 5:119]  Samuel Bartlett, a shopkeeper in Plymouth, sued him in March 1736/7 for the payment of a debt of 20 pounds dated 6 March 1732/3. [Plymouth Court Records, 3:36]

It’s unclear to me exactly when Ebenezer and Joanna moved from Middleborough to Wareham or whether they maintained residences in both towns. He still owned the Middleborough property when he wrote his 1758 will, stating he was from Wareham (yet he is said to be from Middleborough when it was proved in 1767!) Ebenezer was on list of inhabitants of the East Precinct of Middleborough 28 March 1748. [Mass. Archives 115:311b] Ebenezer signed his mark as a witness to an agreement 11 Sept 1749 at Wareham. (Wareham Church Records, p. 24) He served as a witness to the will of John Bump of Wareham dated 11 Sept 1749. (PCPR 16:338) 

Ebenezer acquired a good amount of land. He purchased land in Plympton (now Carver) at the South Meadow River for 14 pounds on 13 July 1727 [Plymouth County Deeds 32:10]. He purchased 45 acres of land in the South Purchase of Middleborough for 35 pounds on 11 April 1738. [Plymouth County Deeds 32:11] He sold the Plympton land for 60 pounds on 21 Nov 1740. [Plymouth County Deeds 35:22] He sold 8 acres of his Middleborough land on 20 Nov 1743. [Plymouth County Deeds 37:182] He purchased land at Wareham on the easterly and northerly side of the Weweantic River from his younger brother Caleb on 8 July 1758. (Plymouth County Deeds 45:70)

Weweantic River

Ebenezer Benson of Wareham’s will is dated 11 September 1758. [PCPR 19:529] To his wife Joanna he leaves a “good & suitable maintenance out of my estate both in sickness & in health during her remaining my widow, to be paid her by my executor hereafter named.”

Other bequests:

• Son Noah 10 acres of land adjoining to his land.
• Son Elisha 10 acres of land adjoining to his land.
• Son Benjamin his dwelling house, barn, etc with all the land and fresh meadow in Middleborough, fresh meadow he owns in Wareham, all his personal estate, moveable indoors & without, with all his books debts and money, with him responsible for paying funeral charges and just debts, providing for his mother a suitable maintenance in sickness & in health during her remaining a widow, and paying out the legacies mentioned.
• Daughter Susannah Fogg one shilling beside what she was already given
• Daughter Mercy Burgs one shilling beside what she was already given
• Daughter Elizabeth six pounds, thirteen shillings and four pence a year after his death
• Daughter Joanna Sole one shilling beside what she was already given
• Daughter Thankful six pounds thirteens shillings and four pence two years after his death

Son Benjamin was appointed sole executor. Ebenr Benson signed by mark and seal. Witnesses: Ichabod Samson, Ichabod Samson Jr., Rowland Thatcher. Ebenezer was of Middleborough when his will was proved 8 September 1767.

It’s remarkable that all of Joanna and Elisha’s eight children lived to adulthood.

Ebenezer died at Wareham on 1 July 1767. He was 74 years old. [Wareham Church Records, p. 5]

John Cushing Esquire, Judge of Probate of will etc. in the county of Plymouth. On 8 September 1767 the will of Ebenezer Benson late of Middleborough was presented for probate by Benjamin Benson executor. Two of the witnesses of the signing of the will were present to attest they witnessed Ebenezer sign the will and that he was of sound and disposing mind—Mr. Rowland Thacher and Ichabod Samson. Benjamin to present the estate inventory within three months. [same page as will]

Joanna Benson and her son Benjamin sold land from Ebenezer’s estate in Middleborough to Ebenezer’s brother Caleb and his son Elisha in November 1767. [Plymouth County Deed 70:239] I do not Joanna and Ebenezer's burial location. 

Joanna Benson died 12 March 1769. (Wareham Church Records, p. 5)

Sources Not Mentioned Above:

Richard H. Benson, The Benson Family of Colonial Massachusetts, Newbury Street Press, 2003

Probate Records, 1686-1903; With Index and Docket, 1685-1967, Probate Court (Plymouth County), Probates, Vol 19-20, 1763-1771. Available on Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991 [database on-line] (Ebenezer’s will)