Person:Benjamin Wetmore (1)

We know very little about Thomas' youngest son, Benjamin. All James Carnahan Wetmore tells us is his birth and death dates, and the fact that his mother, Katherine Wetmore', left him a legacy. His will, from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, was published in 1864, three years after the publication of Wetmore's genealogy:

A Seaman in the Royal Navy?

"Dated on board his Majesty's ship Royall Katherine ([HMS Royal Katherine] was an 84-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched in 1664 at Woolwich Dockyard) at Sea, where printed or stamped papers were not to bee had, the five and twentieth day of June 1696. In the name of God, Amen. I, Benjamin Whitmore, in the coroney of Connellecot, in th towne of Massleloest als Medel Towne, in new England, being very sick and weake, but of good and perfect memory, doe make, order and ordaine this my last Will and Testament, in manner and force as followeth. Revoking and makeing void all other Wills or writings by me formerly made of Whatsoever fforce or vertue. In primis I comit my Soul and Spirit into the hands of Almighty God, as into the hanfs of a loeing and faithfull Creator, hopeing to have a full and free pardon of all my sinns throught the meritorious Death of my blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; my body I comit to the Earth to be interred at the discretion of lawfull executor hereafter meneoned. And as foor my worldly and Temporall estate and goods both reall and temporall, I dispose of as followeth. Item, I will and desire that my debts and funerakl charges be paid and discharged. And all the rest and residue of my whole estate in Lands, goods or wages, dues or demands &c, either reall or personall, I freely give and bequeath unto Charles Hill of the Cronery of Connellecot, in the towne of New London in New England, whom I institute my lawfull Executor. And I doe herey revoke and make void all other Wills and writings by mee made of what sort soever. In witness whereof I have hereunto interchangeably set my hand and seale, the yare and day above written.

                            BENJAMIN WHITMORE

Signed and sealed in the presence of us, Moses Tiller, Ebenzer Doncas, Charles Crowley, witnesses."

What happened in Hartford

We can but wonder whether or not his family in Middletown knew of this will, when his estate was probated in Hartford:

Israhiah Wetmore of Middletown presented to this Court ... an Agreement under the Hands of the Brethren & Sisters of th sd. Benjamin respecting the Disposal of the sd Estate, which the Court accepts. Also the Court grant him a Quietus Est:

"We whose names are here under written, the proper Children now living and representatves of such as are deceased, of Thomas Whetmore of senior of Middletown, decd, have unanimously Consented and agreed that the Estate of Benjamin Whetmore, decd, our Brother, both Personal and Real, shall be divided and distributed in a manner following, that is to say: that Abigail Whetmore, now wife of Samuel Bishop, and Hannah Whetmore, shall each of them have a double portion of the sd Estate, and the remainder shall be equally divided amongst the (proper) Children of sd. Thomas Whetmore and their Representatives. As Witness our Hands and Seals, 6 March 1699, 1700.

                             SAMUEL BISHOP, SAMUEL WETTMORE, HANNAH WHETMORE, THOMAS WETTMORE,. 
                             ELIZABETH WHETMORE, BERIAH WETTMORE, ELIZABETH ADKINS, NATHANIEL WETTMORE,
                             MARY STOW, JOSEPH WETTMORE, NATHANIEL STOW, JOSIAH WETTMORE."

1.   Middletown Vital Records, in Connecticut, United States. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records.

   WETMORE:
   Benjamin, son Thomas & Katherine, b Nov 27, 1674

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Chester, Joseph L., "Will of Benjamin Whitmore, 1696, in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society)
   18:86, Jan 186.

   Copied from the original in the Prerogative Office, London.

3. ↑ Whitemore, Thomas, sen., in Manwaring, Charles W. A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records. (Hartford, Conn.: R. S. Peck & Co., 1904-06)
   1:384.

   citing VII:10

4.   Wetmore, James Carnahan. The Wetmore Family of America, and its Collateral Branches: with Genealogical, Biographical, and Historical Notices. (Albany, N. Y.: Munsell & Rowland, 1861)
   36.
5.   Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.