USA > Maine > Genealogical and family history of the state of Maine, Volume IV > Part 56
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(IX) Charles Henry, eldest son and second child of Bela and Elizabeth ( Wilcox) Pierce, born in Monmouth, Maine, July 8, 1824, died in Springvale, Maine, January 19, 1908. He received his education in Monmouth and was graduated from the Monmouth Academy, after which he taught school for several years. His first school duties took him to Webster, and he received the magnificent salary of ten dol- lars per month. He resided on the home farm until he was about thirty-five years of age. He abandoned teaching for photogra- phy in 1861, establishing himself in Bruns- wick, Maine, and later removing to Bath, where he continued in the business until 1876, when the chemicals necessary for his work had so poisoned his system that he abandoned this calling also. He engaged in the drug business at North Berwick, Maine, and in 1881 removed to Springvale, where he opened a new drug store and conducted it up to the time of his death. For many years he was president and superintendent of the Spring- vale Water Company, the success of which undertaking was largely due to his individual efforts ; he was manager of the Western Union Telegraph office for more than twenty-five years; and surveyor of wood and lumber for twenty-five years. He was a deacon of the Baptist church in Bath, and a trustee of the Cemetery Association for two years. In De- cember, 1859, he was made a Master Mason of Temple Lodge, Winthrop, Maine. He married, November 12, 1863, Sarah M. Sprague, born at Topsham, Maine, March 9,
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1839. died at Springvale, October 24, 1903. She was the daughter of Willis ( born at Tops- ham, 1800, died 1867) and Mary (Foy) Sprague, who were married in 1821. The di- rect line of descent is as follows: Willis, Jo- seph, James Jr., James, Samuel, William, Ed- ward. Edward was a resident of Upaway, Dorset county, England, and died in 1614. William, the immigrant ancestor, was one of three brothers who came from England in the ship "Abigail" with Mr. Endicott in 1628. Everett says they were the founders of the settlement of Charlestown, and were men of character, substance and enterprise. William is mentioned as of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1629. Charles H. and Sarah M. (Sprague) Pierce had children: I. Mary Elizabeth, born September 24, 1865. 2. Clara S., born March 8, 1867. 3. Charles S., see forward. 4. Ruth, born July 17, 1882, died February 24, 1890.
(X) Charles Sprague, third child and only son of Charles Henry and Sarah M. (Sprague) Pierce, was born in North Berwick, Maine, July 7, 1880. His preparatory education was acquired in the schools at Springvale, and he entered Hebron Academy at the fall session of 1896, and was graduated in 1898. He then took a three years' course in the Massachu- setts College of Pharmacy, at Boston, Massa- chusetts, after which he went into the drug business with his father, taking charge of the business in 1905, and remaining associated with his father until the death of the latter, since which he has carried on the business alone; succeeded his father as manager of the Western Union Telegraph Company. He has always given stanch support to the principles of the Republican party, and has served as a member of the board of health, is trustee of the Public Library and Riverside Cemetery Association, and is superintendent of the Water Works. He is a member of the Bap- tist church, and non-commissioned officer of Company F of the National Guard of the State of Maine, First Regiment. He is con- nected with the following organizations : Member of St. Amand Commandery, No. 20, Knights Templar, of Kennebunk, Maine; Kora Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Lewiston, Maine; Maine Society Sons of the American Revolution ; New York Society Order of Patriots and Founders; Maine Pharmaceutical Association ; several local clubs; and is a thirty-second de- gree Mason. Mr. Pierce married at Stone- ham, Massachusetts, December 21, 1903, Lena Rose, born at Stoneham, October 30, 1881, daughter of Oliver Parker and Caroline Au-
gusta (Chase) Webber. She is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, her descent being from William Wooster, who served in the Continental army. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Pierce are : I. Aubrey Roger, born December 9, 1904. 2. Geraldine, Septem- ber II, 1906.
This surname is of English BENSON origin, and has been used as long as any surname. It was derived obviously from the name Benjamin, in the same manner as Jackson, Robinson, Watson and Dickson. So far as can be dis- covered from registers, the Benson family were tenants of Fountains Abbey (one of the largest and best preserved monastic edifices in the West Riding of Yorkshire, three miles southwest of Ripon. Founded in 1132 and completed in the sixteenth century, it pre- sents examples of every variety of style, from the Norman to perpendicular) and were for- esters.
John Benson (I) held a toft from the ab- bey at Swenton, by Masham, as long ago as 1348. His descendant, Sir John Benson (2), was chaplain to Lady Scrape, of Marsham, 1480. Thomas Benson (5) was forester at Bangor House, a forest lodge which still exists as a farm in the township of Dacre. The property then descended to John's eldest son. John Benson (10) married Ellen Ridd, in 1622, and died in 1649, leaving Bangor House to his eldest son. John (II) married Mary Yates in 1649, and died in 1706. The line comes down to Edward White Benson, who attained the supreme honor of the Eng- lish Church, being made Archbishop of Can- terbury in 1883.
"We must conclude that the Bensons were a large and ancient family of no great pre- tensions, living in Masham from about 1300, and at first within the liberty, and in the service of the Abbey of Fountains. The Ben- sons are a stock perhaps best described in the words of Michael Angelo, 'Simple persons who wore no gold on their garments.'" (From Genealogy of Benson Family of Ban- gor House by Arthur Christopher Benson, M. A., son of Edward White Benson.)
(I) John Benson, immigrant ancestor of the American family of Benson, was born in England, doubtless at Coversham, Oxford- shire, whence he came in 1638 in the ship "Confidence," to Boston. He gave his age at that time as thirty, indicating that he was born in 1608. He settled in Hingham, Mas- sachusetts, where he had his first grant of
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land in 1638. He married Mary
Children: I. John, mentioned below. 2. Mary, came with her parents.
(II) John (2), son of John (I) Benson, was born in England, about 1630. He settled at Hingham and Hull, Massachusetts. Chil- dren: I. John, mentioned below. 2. Joseph, married Prince; (second) Mary Cur- tis, of Scituate; (third) Alice Pickets, daugh- ter of Nathan, of Scituate; John Benson, of Bridgewater, was doubtless his son.
(III) John (3), son of John (2) Benson, was born about 1660. He settled in Roches- ter, Massachusetts, and married Elizabeth Children, born in Rochester : I. Mary, March 10, 1689. 2. Sarah, July 15, 1690. 3. Ebenezer, March 16, 1693. 4. John, July 10, 1696, settled perhaps at Newport, Rhode Island. 5. Joseph, March 16, 1697. 6. Benjamin (twin), March 16, 1697, mar- ried, March 17, 1714-15, Elizabeth Bryant, of Plympton. 7. Bennett, September 10, 1698. 8. Martha, March 5, 1703. 9. Joshua, Jan- uary 29, 1705, mentioned below. 10. Caleb (twin), born January 29, 1705. II. Samuel, March 22, 1707, removed to Wareham, thence to Middleborough; married, November 21, 1728, at Plympton, Keziah Barrows; (second) in 1769, Agnes Tinkham, born 1721, who married (first) Joseph Tinkham and (third) Mackfun, or Maxwell; was a member of the Middleborough church early. Several of this family settled in Wareham and Middle- borough. Ebenezer joined the Wareham church, April 17, 1743, and children of Eben- ezer and his wife Joanna Benson were bap- tized at Wareham, May 22, 1743, viz. : Elisha, Joanna, Benjamin, Thankful. The wife Jo- anna died March 12, 1769. Ebenezer died July 16, 1767. Samuel and Keziah were at Wareham ; Samuel was baptized May 30, 1742, Keziah, January 24, 1841-42; their children, baptized at Wareham: Consider, John, Pa- tience, Lydia, Jemima, Keziah, baptized March 31, 1745, Faith, Hope. His widow Keziah married Adonijah Muxom, and was admitted to the Sharon church, November 11, 1744. Joseph Benson and Joseph Jr. lived also at Wareham.
(IV) Joshua, son of John (3) Benson, was born at Rochester, January 29, 1705. He re- moved to Wareham and Middleborough. His son Joshua is called Jr. some years after his marriage. Children: I. Ichabod, mentioned below. 2. Joshua Jr., born August 7, 1746, married Sarah Ellis; was lieutenant in the revolution from Middleborough. 3. Eliza- beth, July 4, 1749. 4. Consider, was lieutenant
in revolution from Middleborough; resided near the Methodist church, South Middle- borough, and was one of the donors of the cemetery there in 1768. 5. Isaac, in revolu- tion from Middleborough, Colonel Theophilus Cotton's regiment, 1775.
(V) Ichabod, son of Joshua Benson, was born in Middleborough about 1740. He mar- ried (intention June 29, 1776) Mrs. Abigail Griffith, of Middleborough. He was a soldier in the revolution, in Captain William Shaw's company (first Middleborough), April 19, 1775, and marched to Marshfield; also in Cap- tain Philip Amidon's company, Colonel Dean's regiment, 1781, at Rhode Island; he is also credited with service from Mendon, Massa- chusetts, in Captain Reuben Davis' company, Colonel Luke Drury's regiment, 1781. He died at Livermore, Maine, in 1833, and is buried there. Other soldiers of the family in the revolution were Joshua Jr., John, Roland, Isaac, Asa, and Aquila, of Middleborough. Although a record of the birth of Ichabod Benson cannot be found, it appears to be cer- tain that he was the son of Joshua, for we find three gravestones standing in a field now owned by a Mr. Cushing, in Wareham, Mas- sachusetts. One marks the grave of a boy named Morrison, and one bears the inscrip- tion of "Polly" six years old, daughter of Ichabod and Abigail Benson. The other stone bears the following inscription: "In memory of Joshua Benson who died October, ye 9, 1781 in the 78 year of his age."
"Death is a debt to Nature due, Which I have paid and so must you."
The age given at death is not correct, if the date of birth given above is correct, but an error of one or two years would not be im- possible in those early days of imperfect rec- ords.
After the revolution, Ichabod removed to Bakerstown, Maine, of which he was one of the pioneer settlers. When the town of Poland was incorporated he was elected moderator of the first town meeting, August 21, 1799. This town was later divided into Minot and Poland, and September 21, 1801, he was elected repre- sentative of the town to negotiate with the of the town into Minot and Poland. He was general court of Massachusetts for the division a farmer and prominent citizen. July 5, 1805, he was chosen a member of the committee which built the first Minot Centre Meeting House. His children: I. Sarah E. 2. Betsey. 3. Ichabod Jr. 4. Stephen, mentioned below. 5. Clarissa, married William Swett, of Otis- field, Maine, later lived at Portland, Maine.
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6. Wealthy, married, August 5, 1805, Dr. Ben- jamin Chandler. 7. Joshua, lived in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Although twice married, he left no children. He acquired a large prop- erty and at his death owned a large amount of real estate in Roxbury. His will, dated September 14, 1874, after making numerous bequests and providing annuities for his widow and sister, Sarah E. Holmes, of Lewiston (widow of Ezekiel Holmes, M. D.), during their lifetime, gave all the real estate and residue of his estate to Bates College, Lewis- ton, Maine, section eight of the will being as follows: "All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate however described or wherever situated I give, devise and bequeath to the Bates College of Lewiston in the State of Maine subject to the conditions that the said College shall provide the means of a college education in the said Bates College to all such male lineal descendants of my late father Ichabod Benson as are of suitable age, and are in suitable mental condition to receive and profit by the same, who are known to said College, or who may apply for the benefit of this provision of my will for the term of sev- enty-five years, and it is my will and I do hereby direct that the surplus which may be paid to said College by my executors under the provision of this will be appropriated by said College for the education of the said male descendants of said Ichabod Benson in the same manner and for the same time as hereintofore provided with respect to the residuary estate." The property which by the article of the will above quoted is located in the Roxbury district of the city of Boston, and since the death of the testator, which oc- curred a few years after the date of the will, has become enhanced in value. Before the termination of the seventy-five years of the trust, it is probable that the estate, together with the surplus that is annually paid to the College and the accumulations thereof, will reach a very large sum, a very small amount having been used to pay the expenses of edu- cating beneficiaries up to the present time (January, 1909).
Dr. Peleg Benson, born at Middleboro, 1766, removed to Winthrop, Maine; married Polly Page, died at Winthrop, 1848. His son, Samuel P. Benson, born at Winthrop, 1825, graduated from Bowdoin College, studied law, and practiced at Winthrop; member of state legislature 1834 and 1836; secretary of state of Maine, 1838-41; elected to thirty-third congress as a Whig; re-elected to thirty- fourth congress as a Republican. After his
retirement from congress he resumed the prac- tice of law, and was appointed one of the overseers of Bowdoin College; died at Yar- mouth, Maine, August 12, 1876.
(VI) Stephen, son of Ichabod and Abigail Benson, was born at Middleboro, Massachu- setts, June 8, 1777, where he lived until after the close of the revolutionary war. Ichabod Benson and family, including Stephen, moved from Middleboro, Massachusetts, to Bakers- town, Maine, soon after peace was established. Rev. Jonathan Scott (records December 2, 1800, at Poland) married Stephen Benson and Rebekah Cummings, both of Poland. Soon after his marriage he moved to the town of Otisfield, and from there to Livermore; later to Buckfield; from Buckfield he moved to Waterville, in 1834, and located in the west part of the town, where for many years he kept a public house called "Benson's Tavern," which was the station for the Bangor and Portland stages. At that time all hotels kept a bar or tap-room where liquors were sold, but for many years no liquors were dispersed at the Benson House. Mr. Benson also owned a large farm which he managed successfully. He was deeply interested in the Baptist church and all public affairs of the towns. His death occurred at the hotel, August 29, 1852, and Rebekah, his wife, died at the same place, De- cember 14, 1854. Both are buried in the cemetery at Oakland, Maine. Children of Stephen and Rebekah Benson :
I. Seth Ellis, born November 30, 1801, see forward.
2. Rebecca, born at Poland, Maine, Octo- ber 29, 1803, died at Turner, Maine, October 6, 1874. Married Isaac Teague, of Turner ; children : i. Benjamin Franklin, born at Tur- ner, married Louisa Holmes, of Turner, and died at Auburn, Maine; children : Arthur A., born October 4, 1853; Ada, born June 14, 1862; Edith. ii. Isaac Newton, born in Turner, June 2, 1835, married, January 1, 1856, Han- nah B. Jones, of Turner; died at Lewiston, Maine, August 4, 1867 ; children : William H., born October 6, 1857, married, July 1I, 1876, Carrie F. Wormwood; Ella May, born Lewis- ton, January 28, 1862, married, November 14, 1882, George H. Hale and they have a son, John T., born Lewiston, June 14, 1890.
3. Sewall, born at Poland, November 19, 1806, died at San Francisco, October 7, 1874; married - -; child, Ellen, married William B. Story, and their children were: William B .; Frank; Grace, married Frank Nash; Al- bert, married Zillie Hayford, January 1, 1887. 4. Benjamin Chandler, born at Poland, Feb-
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ruary 17, 1809, died at Oakland, October 8, 1894 ; when a boy he lived with his uncle, Dr. Benjamin Chandler, in Hebron, where he was educated. Later he lived at Oakland, where he was engaged in the manufacture of car- riages and sleighs for many years. He was selectman, representative to the legislature, active in church work, and president of Oak- land National Bank. He married, in 1837, Lucy D. Hitchings, of Waterville, born June 9, 1802, died March 23, 1879. Children: i. Eliza, born November 2, 1839, died June 5, 1906; married Marcus M. Bartlett; ; child, Alice May, born June, 1864, died 1896. ii. Elizabeth Cummings, born March 15, 1842, married, June 9, 1857, Albert A. Parker ; chil- dren: Carrie Eva, died February 4, 1909; married, October 25, 1882, Walter H. Davis and they have a son, Myron M., born at Au- gusta, July 12, 1886; Fred Chandler, born October 25, 1862, married, September 6, 1891, Clara Hilton, and they have a son, Alton A., born June 16, 1893; Myron A., born Septem- ber 12, 1865. iii. Annie M., born Oakland, August 4, 1846, married, June 28, 1871, Emu- lus N. Small, and they have a son, Dean Ben- son, born April 8, 1879, married, June 27, 1907, Alice B. Bassett. iv. Mary Kimball, born Oakland, January 13, 1850, died June 3, 1902; married, June 10, 1871, William R. Pinkham, who died February 7, 1902. v. Alice Hitchings, born June II, 1854, married, October 16, 1878, Chester E. A. Winslow, and they have one son, Arthur Eugene, born No- vember 13, 1884, graduated from Dartmouth College, 1906, married, February 3, 1909, Elizabeth Tyrrell Stobie.
5. Russell Cummings, born at Poland, De- cember 2, 1811, died at Oakland, August 10, 1887; lived at Oakland, Maine, and was a very devout Christian, and deacon of the Bap- tist church. He was an expert temperer of axes, also carried on a farm. Married, De- cember 1, 1836, Abigail S. Dunbar, of Sharon, Massachusetts, born January 31, 1815. Chil- dren : i. Adelaide, born at Sharon, Massachu- setts, November 20, 1839, married, December 15, 1858, Ephraim Sawyer ; children : Edmund J., born January 18, 1860, died September 7, 1867, and Elizabeth Agnes, born June 23, 1869, married, September 20, 1899, George E. Martin, of Somerville, Massachusetts, and they have one son, Russell Sawyer, born in Boston, April 26, 1904. ii. George Tyler, born April 17, 1841, educated in public schools at Oak- land; learned trade of carriage ironer; en- listed April 30. 1861, in Company G, Third
Maine Infantry, Captain F. S. Hazeltine, and Colonel Oliver O. Howard (later General Howard), assigned to Army of Potomac, was at battle of First Bull Run, Williamsburg, Seven days fight near Richmond, Malvern Hill, Second Bull Run, Chantilly, besides various minor engagements ; honorably discharged De- cember 7, 1862, on account of physical dis- ability, and was unable to do any work for four years. He was made postmaster at Oak- land by President Garfield, and served effi- ciently for six years. Married, December 16, 1869, Susan E. Pollard, of Waterville; chil- dren : Louise May, born at Waterville, No- vember 20, 1872; Ellen Shaw, born at Oak- land, October 15, 1874, married, September 4, 1895, Herbert L. Wilbur, son of L. K. Wil- bur, of Easton, Massachusetts ; children : Her- bert Hudson, born Oakland, January 22, 1901, John Benson, Oakland, July 25, 1904, Eliza- beth, Geneva, New York, March 4, 1906. iii. Herbert Alonzo, born August 14, 1843, died January 22, 1909; married, December 14, 1867, Sabra P. Townsend, of Oakland; chil- dren : Oral T., born October 24, 1868, mar- ried, April 7, 1896, Nellie Gallagher, and Ruel Allan, born April 7, 1877. iv. Martha W., born Oakland, married, June 3, 1873, Frank Sawtelle; children: Fred W., born June 4, 1877, married, September 24, 1900, Greta Bigelow, of Winthrop, Maine, and their chil- dren are: Ralfe B., born July 22, 1902, Ben- son S., October 2, 1905, Charles K., May 8, 1907; Ina C., born March 14, 1880, married, December 25, 1900, James W. Eastman, of Fryeburg, Maine; children: Clifford, born February 25, 1902, Harold T., January 23, 1904, Robert D., December 21, 1905. v. Sarah, born 1852. vi. Edward Curtis, born 1854, died March 21, 1888; married, November 25, 1875, Carrie E. Blake; children: John Will- iam, born January 10, 1877, married, Septem- ber 27, 1905, Maude Isabelle Foss, of Wayne ; Alice A., born September 17, 1878, married, September 17, 1896, George H. Blaisdell, and their children were: Edward Russell, born October 3, 1898, Helen Cora, November 15, 1899, Arthur Herbert, December 30, 1901 ; Leon C., born April II, 1881. He married (second) July 15, 1900, Hattie McClure Brown. vii. Cora Louise, born at Oakland, married, August 17, 1875, Charles H. Benja- min ; children : Marion, born October 9, 1881, Barbara, April 17, 1890, Harold, March 18, 1892, died October 21, 1896.
6. Albert, born at Livermore, October 30, 1817, died at Boston, Massachusetts, October
Chus Binson
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13, 1847, leaving a widow, Anna L. (White) Benson. He was the first ticket agent at Bos- ton of the Boston & Maine railroad.
7. George Burder, born at Buckfield, May 26, 1824, died at Oakland, June 16, 1900. He lived at Buckfield until ten years of age, then moved to Waterville and practically spent all his life there. He lived in the western part of the town which was later set off and called West Waterville, and subsequently changed.to Oakland. He married, August 14, 1849, El- vira M. Conforth, daughter of Colonel Robin- son and Rosetta (Young) Conforth, and granddaughter of Robert Conforth, who came from England and settled first at Readfield in 1797, where he built a woolen mill which he operated for several years; he also built for himself a brick house, the first to be built in the town; the house is now standing and oc- cupied ; he later moved to Rhode Island, where he died. Colonel Robinson Conforth owned a carding mill at Oakland, which he operated, but later sold it and moved to the town of Springfield, Penobscot county, where he cleared a farm and lived on it until his death in 1871. George B. and Elvira M. Benson celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their mar- riage, August 14, 1899, at Oakland, and all their five children and many grandchildren were present. Children: i. Albert White, born June 23, 1850, educated in public schools :at Oakland, went to Bangor and was em- ployed at Maine Central railroad station as telegraph operator ; was appointed ticket agent in 1870 and has held the position since that time. Married, January 1, 1875, Sarah Gil- man Smith, daughter of Gilman P. Smith, of Bangor. Children: Kate Lillian, born No- vember 20, 1875, married, September 4, 1899, Frank Holbrook Davis, of Bangor, and their children are: Helen Maud, born May 10, 1900, and Albert Benson, September 25, 1903 ; Frank Smith, born November 17, 1878, mar- ried, November 19, 1908, Edith F. Libby, of Auburn; Hazel Marguerite, born December 23, 1885. ii. Charles Cummings, born at Wayne, Maine, March I, 1852, educated in public schools at Oakland; in 1869 he was employed as messenger at the Western Union Telegraph office in Lewiston, where he learned to be a telegraph operator, and was manager of the Lewiston office 1870 to 1872, when he went to Bangor for a few months as Asso- ciated Press operator. In 1873 went to Bur- lington, Iowa, where he was manager of the Atlantic & Pacific Telegraph Company's office. On account of illness, he returned to Maine in 1874 and was appointed agent of the Maine
Central railroad at Lewiston in 1876, where he remained until 1898, when he was elected city treasurer of Lewiston, receiving the un- usual compliment of the unanimous vote of the city council. He served for several years as a member of the Republican city committee of Lewiston, was chairman of the committee in 1890-91-92; member of the Republican state committee of Maine representing Andro- scoggin county for four years; member of Lewiston city council in 1889, alderman, 1890- 91, and water commissioner, 1893-99. Since retiring from the office of city treasurer, Mr. Benson has been engaged in the banking busi- ness in Lewiston. iii. Rosetta C., born at Oakland, June 27, 1865, educated in public schools of the town and at Waterville Classi- cal Institute. She married, August 26, 1874, Frederick H. White, of Boston, son of Alfred and Eunice (Allen) White, of Topsham, Maine. After residing in Boston one year, removed to Lewiston, Maine. Children : Al- fred Benson, born at Lewiston, February 25, 1876, attended the public schools, entered Bowdoin College, graduating in the class of 1898, and from Harvard Law School in 1901, and has since been engaged in his chosen profession in Boston and New York; Saint John, born June 24, 1879, who in early youth displayed marked evidence of the rare gifts which he possessed, having a spiritual, artistic and poetic temperament that found primary expression in music, of which he was pas- sionately fond and to which he devoted un- tiring energy. Before reaching his teens grave shadows of disease appeared, but so insidious was its development that before it was fairly recognized by attending physicians it was be- yond control. After a most valiant and heroic struggle for health, the life that was so sweet, promising and happy was peacefully and cheerfully surrendered on March 3, 1899. Mrs. Rosetta C. White is well and favorably known from her active and prominent work with women's clubs. Deeply interested in educa- tional, social and civic movements, she was a pioneer in the service. She has served the local, district, state and national federa- tions with credit and success. In 1907 she was elected state president of the Maine Fed- eration of Women's Clubs, filling the office for two consecutive years. Under her adminis- tration the scope of the organization was broadened and intensified. Although promi- nent, she is retiring and womanly. To her the home is of first importance, and she ad- vocates club work as a help and inspiration to the home life. While not professional, she
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