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DEACON JOHN BENNETT (c. 1642–1718)
DEBORAH GROVER (bp. 1648–1718), daughter Edmund Grover and Margaret Unknown
John Bennett was born about 1642. Deacon John Bennett died on 21 March 1717/8, age 76, in Middleborough. Plymouth County, Massachusetts. [1][2] He "is said to have married" Deborah Grover in 1671 in Beverly. [3]
Deborah Bennett, the daughter of Edmund and Margaret Grover, was baptized on 26 March 1648 in Salem. [3] Deborah (Grover) Bennett, the widow of Deacon John Bennett, died on 22 March 1717/8—one day after her husband—in Middleborough; she was 70. [1][2]
John and Deborah are buried together in the Cemetery at the Green in Middleborough. [4]
John was the "s. of Peter of Bristol Eng., arr in Va. 1665." [5] John and Deborah came to Middleborough in 1692. [5] John came to Middleborough from Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts. [6]
John and Deborah were two of the organizers of the First Church of Christ in Middleborough on 26 December 1664 o.s. [5] John was ordained deacon on 10 March of, probably, 1695. [6]
John was chosen town clerk of Middleborough on 28 March 1693 and served for 13 years. He was chosen selectman in 1692 and served two years. He was chosen again in 1695, 1697 and 1698. [6]
John Bennett died intestate. His heirs John Bennett—the eldest son, Peter Bennett, Joseph Bennett, Samuel Bennett, Ebenezer Bennet, Jabez Vaughan and his wife Deborah, and Jonathan Fuller and his wife Eleanor signed a distribution agreement in 1718. [7]
Children of John Bennett and Deborah Grover: Births and baptisms, except for Eleanor, recorded in Beverly as the children of John and Deborah. [8]
i. John Bennett was baptized on 19 (5) 1674. He died on 27 November 1761, age 89, in Middleborough. [1] He married Patience Cobb. Patience, the widow of John died on 2 May 1759, age 90 or 91 (gravestone) in Middleborough. [1]
John and Patience are buried in the Cemetery at the Green. [4]
ii. Captain Peter Bennett was baptized on 30 May 1675. He married Priscilla Howland.
iii. Ebenezer Bennett, the son of John and Deborah Bennett, was born on 19 May 167[8?] and was baptized on 26 May 1678. He died on 13 January 1751, age 72, in Middleborough. [1] Ebenezer is buried in the Old Cemetery at the Green in Middleborough. [4] He married first Ruth Coombs. He married second Sarah Unknown, possibly Stetson. She died in October 1748, age 67, in Middleborough. [1] She is buried in the Old Cemetery at the Green. [4]
iv. Joseph Bennett was born on 28 June [1680?] and was baptized on 15 August 1680. He died on 24 February 1737. [4] He may be the Joseph Bennett of Middleborough who married Joanna Perry of Sandwich on 18 December 1707 in Sandwich. [9] Joanna (Perry) Bennett was the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Williamson) Perry of Sandwich. [10] She was the granddaughter of Ezra Perry.
Joseph is buried in the Cemetery at the Green. [4]
v. Deborah Bennett was born on 3 April 1683. Deborah of Middleborough married Jabez Vaughan of Middleborough on 23 November 1711 in Middleborough. [2] Jabez, the son of Joseph Vaughan, was born on 30 April 1682 in Middleborough. [2] Jabez was the grandson of George Vaughan.
vi. Samuel Bennett was born on 23 April 1686. Samuel may be the Samuel Bennett of Middleborough who married Ruth Perry of Middleborough on 6 January 1708 in Bridgewater. [11]
vii. Eleanor Bennett, the daughter of John and Deborah, was baptized in 1690 in Plymouth. She married Jonathan Fuller. Jonathan, the son of Jabez and Mary (Hallett) Fuller, was born on 10 March 1692 in Barnstable. [12] He may be the Jonathan Fuller of Middleborough who married second Hannah Harlow of Middleborough on 17 December 1729. [12] Hannah was the daughter of Samuel Harlow. [12]
Jonathan Fuller was descended from Mayflower passengers Edward Fuller and John Howland. [12] He was the grandson of Joseph Hallet and Elizabeth Gorham, the great-grandson of Captain John Gorham and Desire Howland and the great-great-grandson of John Howland.
References:
1. Alfred Wood, "Record of Deaths, Middleborough, Massachusetts," Mayflower Descendant 47 (1997): 30–32. This is a transcript of Deacon Wood's transcript, which was in poor condition.
2. Barbara Lambert Merrick and Alicia Crane Williams, Middleborough, Massachusetts Vital Records, 2 vols. (Boston: Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1990, 1987), 1–2, 30.
3. "Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620–1630," database with images, AmericanAncestors (2010): 825.
4. Findagrave: "Deborah Grover Bennett," Findagrave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39786974/deborah-bennett); "Sarah Stetson Bennet" (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39805806/sarah-bennet), inscription: "In Memory of Mrs Sarah Bennet ye 2nd wife of Mr Ebenezer Bennet who Decd in Octobr 1748 aged about 67 years;" "John Bennett," Findagrave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39805303/john-bennett); "Patience Cobb Bennett," Findagrave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39805352/patience-bennett). "Joseph Bennett," Findagrave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39834323/joseph-bennett).
5. Thomas Weston, History of the Town of Middleborough, Massachusetts (New York: Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1906), 639–86.
6. Hurd D. Hamilton, History of Plymouth County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men (Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1884): 948.
7. "Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686–1881," database with images, AmericanAncestors (2015), case 1815.
8. Vital Records of Beverly, Massachusetts: To the End of the Year 1849, 2 vols. (Topsfield: Topsfield Historical Society, 1906, 1907), vol. 1: 42.
9. Caroline Lewis Cardell and Russell A. Lovell, Vital Records of Sandwich, Massachusetts: To the Year 1850, 2 vols. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1996): 72.
10. Lydia B. (Phinney) Brownson and Maclean W. McLean, "Elizabeth (? Williamson) Perry, Wife of John Perry of Sandwich, Massachusetts," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 126 (1972): 279–80.
11. Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts: To the Year 1850, 2 vols. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1916): vol. 2: 294.
12. Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700–1880," online database, AmericanAncestors, vol. 18, part 2: 22–23, citing Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620 (Plymouth, MA: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1975–2015).
Last revised: 26-Dec-2023