Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
This information on the English origins of Thomas & Mary (Bridgum) Benedict is by the eminent genealogist, John Insley Coddington. It is in “The American Genealogist” Vol 33, p 120-21.
The Boyd Marriage Index of Suffolk at the Society of Genealogists’ Library in London has an entry in 1629 for John Bridgham and Elizabeth Benedict at Woolpit in Suffolk. The entry in the original Parish Register of Woolpit reads: “1629. 8th September. John Bridgham & Elizabeth Benedict, widow (came both out of Norfolk)” (This is the only Bridgham or Benedict entry at Woolpit).
We have here, I think, a clue to the true parentage and county of birth of Thomas Benedict, who was born in England in 1617, came to New England about 1638, and settled successively at Southold, Huntington, and Jamaica, Long Island, and at Norwalk CT, where he died between 28 Feb 1689/90 (the date of his will) and 18 Mar following (the date of the inventory of his estate). Thomas Benedict, who was a prominent man in each of the towns in which he lived, married Mary “Bridgum”, and by her had 9 children: Thomas, John, James, Daniel, Elizabeth, Mary, Sarah, and Rebecca.
According to family tradition, set down in his old age by Deacon James Benedict of Ridgefield CT, a grandson of Thomas & Mary (Bridgum) Benedict, the Benedict family came from the county of Nottingham, and Thomas was the son, grandson, and great-grandson of men named William Benedict. Deacon James Benedict further averred that Thomas’ mother died and his father then married “the widow Bridgum,” who by a previous marriage had had a daughter Mary, who later became Thomas Benedict’s wife.
Now, Deacon James Benedict was a worthy but muddle-headed old gentleman. There is not the slightest trace of a Benedict family anywhere in any Nottinghamshire records, and we may be quite sure that no Benedict ever lived in that county. On the other hand, Deacon James Benedict’s mother was a Gregory, and his maternal ancestors, the Gregory family, did indeed come from Nottinghamshire. This is the explanation of one confusion in the deacon’s recollections.
It seems altogether likely that Deacon James Benedict was also mixed up regarding the step-relationship of his paternal grandparents, Thomas & Mary (Bridgum) Benedict. No evidence has been found that a man named Benedict married a widow Bridgham (or ‘Bridgum’ as the Deacon spelled it), but in the Parish Registers of Woolpit we have found the marriage of a John Bridgham to Elizabeth Benedict, widow, on 8 Sep 1629. It seems very likely indeed that we have here the record of marriage of the widowed father of Mary ‘Bridgum’ to the widowed mother of Thomas Benedict. The additional not in the marriage entry, “came both out of Norfolk,” is further confirmation to our identification, for Norfolk and London are the only two localities in England where the very rare name of Benedict (probably continental in origin) is to be found in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:
|
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/benedict/messages/1269.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|