Person:Winthrop Bennett (1)

Questionable Secondary Sources

It is interesting to compare the two cited secondary sources, Burrage and Cutter. Cutter published in 1908, so apparently Burrage (1909) copied from him, in the process getting the death date wrong, and removing the wife of son John. The first change appears to simply be a typo (Mar instead of May?), but the second probably recognizes that a John Bennett marrying in 1781 (see here) to a Lydia Gilman could not be a son of a man born about 1760, more likely his brother.

Be that as it may, this presentation of Winthrop Bennett is hard to reconcile with the limited records that can be found, and appears to conflate at least two people into one. As usual when trying to sort out questionable secondary sources, the first step is to list the actual facts proven by record.

Marriages

New Hampshire Marriage Records 1637-1947 shows several marriages for Winthrop Bennett:

• [2]: 24 Nov 1777 to Martha Sewall in Portsmouth
• [3]: 7 Mar 1793 to Betsy Procter in Belmont
• [4]: 7 Mar 1820 to Mary Chadbourne in Moultonboro

Vermont, Vital Records

• [5]: Wintrop Bennet m. Tunbridge 13 Aug 1821 Mary Weeks
• [6]: Winthrop Bennett, d. 25 May 1840, age 78 [b. abt. 1762], buried Tunbridge, VT
• [7]: Mary Bennett, spouse of Winthrop Bennett, d. 12 Nov 1853, age 83 [b. abt. 1770], buried Tunbridge, VT

Census

1790

1790 census Portsmouth for Winthrop Male 16+:1 Males under 16:5 Females:3

1800

1800 Moultonborough for Winthrop Males  : 0-9:3 10-15:2 16-25:3 25-44:0 44+:1 Females: 0-9:0 10-15:1 16-25:0 25-44:1 44+:1

1810

1810 Moultonborough for Winthrop Males  : 0-9:0 10-15:1 16-25:2 25-44:0 44+:1 Females: 0-9:0 10-15:0 16-25:2 25-44:0 44+:1

1820

1820 Moultonborough

Winthrop [Note: his age shows this is not the same Winthrop as 1810, born bet. 1775 and 1795]

• Males  : 0-9:1 10-15:0 16-18:0 16-25:0 25-44:1 44+:0
• Females: 0-9:0 10-15:0 16-25:2 25-44:0 44+:2
• Engaged in Manufacturing: 1

Winthrop Jr. [Note: too old to be son of above, not married]

• Males  : 0-9:0 10-15:0 16-18:0 16-25:0 25-44:1 44+:0
• Females: 0-9:0 10-15:0 16-25:0 25-44:0 44+:0
• Engaged in Agriculture: 1

James S Bennett [recently married]

• Males  : 0-9:0 10-15:0 16-18:0 16-25:0 25-44:1 44+:0
• Females: 0-9:1 10-15:0 16-25:1 25-44:0 44+:0
• Engaged in Agriculture: 1

Joseph Bennett [from next page, not married]

• Males  : 0-9:0 10-15:0 16-18:0 16-25:1 25-44:0 44+:0
• Females: 0-9:0 10-15:0 16-25:0 25-44:0 44+:0
• Engaged in Agriculture: 1

1830

1830 Moultonborough

Wentworth [Probably Winthrop]

• Males  : 0-5:0 5-10:0 10-15:1 15-20:0 20-30:0 30-40:1 40-50:0 50-60:0 60-70:0 70-80:0 80-90:0 90-100:0 100+:0
• Females: 0-5:0 5-10:0 10-15:0 15-20:0 20-30:1 30-40:1 40-50:0 50-60:0 60-70:1 70-80:0 80-90:0 90-100:0 100+:0

Jas. S. Bennett

• Males  : 0-5:3 5-10:1 10-15:0 15-20:0 20-30:0 30-40:1 40-50:0 50-60:0 60-70:0 70-80:0 80-90:0 90-100:0 100+:0
• Females: 0-5:0 5-10:0 10-15:1 15-20:0 20-30:0 30-40:1 40-50:0 50-60:0 60-70:0 70-80:0 80-90:0 90-100:0 100+:0

1830 Tunbridge, VT

Winthrop Bennett

• Males  : 0-5:1 5-10:0 10-15:0 15-20:0 20-30:0 30-40:1 40-50:0 50-60:0 60-70:1 70-80:0 80-90:0 90-100:0 100+:0
• Females: 0-5:2 5-10:0 10-15:0 15-20:2 20-30:0 30-40:1 40-50:0 50-60:1 60-70:0 70-80:0 80-90:0 90-100:0 100+:0

1840

1840 Moultonborough

Winthrop

• Males  : 0-5:0 5-10:0 10-15:0 15-20:0 20-30:0 30-40:0 40-50:1 50-60:0 60-70:0 70-80:0 80-90:0 90-100:0 100+:0
• Females: 0-5:0 5-10:2 10-15:0 15-20:0 20-30:0 30-40:1 40-50:0 50-60:0 60-70:0 70-80:1 80-90:0 90-100:0 100+:0

James S Bennett

• Males  : 0-5:1 5-10:0 10-15:2 15-20:1 20-30:0 30-40:0 40-50:1 50-60:0 60-70:0 70-80:0 80-90:0 90-100:0 100+:0
• Females: 0-5:1 5-10:1 10-15:0 15-20:0 20-30:0 30-40:0 40-50:1 50-60:0 60-70:0 70-80:0 80-90:0 90-100:0 100+:0

1850

1850 Moultonboro for Winthrop

• Winthrop Bennett M 57 New Hampshire [birth about 1793]
• Hannah Bennett F 41 New Hampshire
• Abigail L M Bennett F 19 New Hampshire
• Jane M Bennett F 16 New Hampshire
• James M Bennett M 4 New Hampshire
• Almira M Bennett F 1 New Hampshire
• Sarah Mc Millan F 52 New Hampshire
• Mary Bennett F 85 New Hampshire

1850 Moultonboro for James

• James Bennett M 55 New Hampshire
• Lydia Bennett F 54 New Hampshire
• James M Bennett M 26 New Hampshire
• John Bennett M 24 New Hampshire
• Winthrop Bennett M 19 New Hampshire
• Lydia Bennett F 17 New Hampshire
• Julia Bennett F 14 New Hampshire
• Charles W Bennett M 12 New Hampshire

1860

1860 Moultonborough for Winthrop

• Winthrop Bennett, age 67, Farmer
• Hannah Bennett, age 49
• Mary Bennett, age 95
• Abba S M, age 27
• James M, age 14
• John S, age 7 [continuing on next page]
• Usok McMellen[?], age 67

1860 Moultonborough for James

• James S Bennett, age 67, Day Laborer
• Lydia Bennett, age 66
• Winthrop Bennett, age 29, Day Laborer [same dwelling, new family]
• Olive Bennett, age 26
• Ellen Bennett, age 6
• Olive F Bennett, age 5
• Fred Bennett, age 3
• Frank Bennet, age 1

1870

1870 Moultonborough for Winthrop

• Winthrop Bennett M 78 New Hampshire
• Hannah S Bennett F 60 New Hampshire
• Abba S M Bennett F 35 New Hampshire
• James M M Bennett M 23 New Hampshire
• John S Bennett M 17 New Hampshire

Death Records

[8]: Winthrop Bennett d. Moultonborough 31 Mar 1875, age 82 [born about 1793, married, no parents or wife named]

[9]: James's son Winthrop d. in Moultonborough, 12 Dec 1876, age 48 [parents listed as James and Lydia Bennett, father's birthplace Portsmouth]

[10]: James S. Bennett's death record, potter in Moultonborough, in 1869, age 75, so born 1794, names parents Winthrop and Martha Bennett.

Miscellaneous Records

[11]: 25 Dec 1817 marriage of James S. Bennett to Lydia Berry.

[12]: Death of Jane M. Smith, widow of Daniel B. Smith, b. 1835, d. 1910, parents Winthrop Bennett and Hannah McMillan.

[13]: Death of Abby M Bennett, single woman, 1834-1916, parents Winthrop Bennett and Hannah S. McMillan. Father's birthplace listed as Portsmouth.

[14]: Martha Bennett and husband Winthrop of Moultonborough heirs of William Sewall of Georgetown in 1815.

[15]: Mary Chadbourne, d/o Thomas Chadbourne and Hannah Lang, b. 28 Jul 1765, bp. same date Portsmouth, living Moultonborough with stepson Winthrop Bennett in 1860. Repeated at [16]: MARY [Chadbourne], b 28 July 1765; bpt Portsmouth 28 July 1765 (NHGR 5:183); d 1853 (Chase Charts); m WINTHROP BENNETT. She was a "single woman" at writing of father's will in 1810.

[17]: North Church Records, Portsmouth

• p. 79: 17 May 1778 Winthrop Bennet John Child of Ditto
• p. 80: 14 Nov 1779 Joseph Son of Winthrop Bennet & wife

[18]: From New Hampshire Gazette: 16 Jan 1788 A child of Winthrop Bennett died in Portsmouth

American Ancestors: Portsmouth, NH: Abstracts from Newspapers

In New Hampshire Spy: Winthrop Bennet, who is located at the house of Thomas Chardbourn, Deer Street, Portsmouth, proposes to open a singing school. Published more than five times between 19 December 1786 and 9 January 1787. (New-Hampshire Spy. 1786 December 19, p. 66, col. 3)

In New Hampshire Spy: Winthrop Bennet, who is located at his house in Vaughon Street, near the Rope Walks, proposes to open a singing school. Published more than five times between 30 October 1787 and 30 November 1787. (New-Hampshire Spy. 1787 October 30, p. 7, col. 1)

In Oracle of the Day: Winthrop Bennet can provide particulars regarding the sale of three-quarters of a dwelling house, the land adjoining, and a good well, located in the north part of town, near the rope walk, in Vaughan Street. Published more than five times between 8 September 1795 and 26 September 1795. (Oracle of the Day. 1795 September 8, p. 3, col. 4)

Conclusions

These conclusions should be considered speculative due to the lack of extensive records.

The death record in Tunbridge, Vermont, in 1840 appears to belong to a man born about 1762. This man would be too young to marry Martha Sewall, so there were at least two Winthrop Bennetts in existence in the late 1700's. The man b. 1762 probably married Betsy Procktor in 1793 (see secondary sources), and then when she died in 1819 (hoping the secondary sources are right about this detail), he appears to have married in Tunbridge 1821 to Mary Weeks, and then died there in 1840. Mary Weeks died 1753. Due to his marriage in 1793 he would not be the Winthrop Bennett living in Portsmouth in 1790 with what appears to be 7 children, and due to his birth in 1762, he would not be the man who is 45 or older in 1800 in Moultonborough. By continuity, we would assume he is probably also not the man in Moultonborough in 1810, either, though by now he is old enough to be over 45. Neither Winthrop shown in Moultonborough in 1820 is older than 45, so neither appears to be him, since if born in 1762, by 1820, he would be 58. We must conclude that he never lived in Moultonborough, though where he lived prior to moving to Tunbridge is unknown (Gilmanton where his father lived?).

The man in Portsmouth, and in Moultonborough in 1800 and 1810 is probably the Winthrop Bennett who married Martha Sewall. Both he and her are mentioned as heirs in 1815, so presumably living then, but he is probably the man who married Mary Chadbourne in early 1820 (suggesting Martha died say 1718 or 1719). He must have died very soon after marrying since he appears to not be listed in the 1820 census. Given that there is no apparent candidate for the Winthrop Sr. of Moultonborough in 1820, it seems likely his age is recorded in the wrong column, and he was alive in 1820, but died by 1830 when his widow is living with his son Winthrop. Note that his widow Mary lived with the son Winthrop until at least 1860 (age 95!).

The Winthrop Jr. and James S Bennett found in Moultonborough both appear to be children of Winthrop and Martha (Sewall) Bennett). James' parents are explicitly stated on his death record, while Winthrop's daughter's death record says her father was born in Portsmouth, and given their life-long co-location, and the keeping of the widow Mary, all this strongly suggests Winthrop was also from this family. This Winthrop is the Winthrop mentioned in the secondary sources as dying in 1875, age 82. The death records of his children give their mother's name as Hannah McMillan.

James S Bennett, apparent brother of the above Winthrop, m. Lydia Berry, d. 1869. James had a son Winthrop (he married Olive Brown in 1850), and this is the person mentioned by the secondary sources as dying in 1876, age 48.

The information about the pottery would appear to apply to the Winthrop Bennett who lived in Portsmouth, i.e., the one who married Martha Sewall. It appears he was also a singing teacher. His son, James, has occupation of Potter on his death record.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Burrage, Henry Sweetser; Albert Roscoe Stubbs; and George Thomas Little. Genealogical and family history of the state of Maine. (New York, New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, c1909)
   3:1575.

   "(V) Winthrop, son of John (2) Bennett, was born about 1760, died March 25, 1840. He was living in Portsmouth in 1790 and married Elizabeth _____, who died March 12, 1819. He was a member of the Congregational church. He was a soldier in the revolution, a private in the field artillery under Captain George Turner and in the same company later under Captain Hall Jackson, of Portsmouth, in 1776. He probably moved to Gilmanton later. Children: 1. Andrew (William J. Bennett, son of Andrew, died at Londonderry, New Hampshire, December 8, 1893, aged sixty-seven years, seven months; mother was Mary (Hall) Bennett). 2. John. 3. Joseph. 4. William, mentioned below. 5. Jeremiah. 6. Deborah. 7 Nancy. 8. Mary. 9. Richard. 10. Gilman. 11. Polly. (Winthrop Bennett, related to this family, died March 31, 1875, at Moultonborough, New Hampshire, aged eighty-two and another Winthrop died there December 12, 1876, aged forty-eight, probably his son.)"

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Starbuck, David R. Historical Archeology in New Hampshire.

   "Pendery also began digging in 1980 at the Bennett-Dodge Pottery site (1789-1864) in the North End of Portsmouth. Winthrop Bennett had begun a redware pottery shop there in 1789, and then Joseph Dodge purchased the shop in 1796."

3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Vermont, United States. Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954: Database with images. (FamilySearch. Citing Secretary of State. State Capitol Building, Montpelier.)
   [1].

   Name: Bennett, Winthrop
   Age: 78 y. [Birth about 1762]
   Date of Death: May 25, 1840.
   Name of Cemetery: Mt. Pleasant
   Attest: Town Clerk of Tunbridge

4. ↑ Cutter, William Richard. Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts. (New York: Lewis Publishing Co., 1908)
   Vol. 1, p. 416.

   Winthrop Bennett, son of John Bennett, born about 1760, died May 25, 1840. He was living in Portsmouth in 1790; married Elizabeth ---, who died March 12, 1819. He was a member of the Congregational church. He was a soldier in the revolution, a private in the field artillery, under Captain George Turner, and in the same computer later under Captain Hall Jackson, of Portsmouth, in 1776. He probably moved to Gilmanton later. Children: 1. Andrew, married --- Fullsom. (William J. Bennett, son of Andrew, died at Londonderry, N.H., December 8. 1893, aged sixty-seven years, seven months; mother was Mary (Hall) Bennett). 2. John, married Lydia Gillman. 3. Joseph. 4 . William, married --- Flint. 5. Jeremiah. 6. Deborah, married Israel French. 7. Nancy, married John Marsh. 8 Mary, married Matthias Weeks. 9. Richard P., mentioned below. 10. Gilman. 11. Polly, married Shubael Clay. (Winthrop Bennett, related to this family, died March 31, 1875, at Moultonborough, New Hampshire, aged eighty-two, and another Winthrop died there December 12, 1876, aged forty-eight, probably his son).