Person:Mary Benwell (1)

Mary Benwell was daughter of Henry Benwell of Caversham and sister of Richard Valpy’s pupil William Benwell. Mary, who was totally deaf, gave birth to six sons and four daughters. The second son was Abraham Valpy. Henry Benwell, formerly an eminent farmer, d. Jan/Feb1787 at Caversham, Oxfordshire (Times). Mary (chr 29jun1760) and William (chr 1765) were children of Henry Benwell and Mary; they were chr at Caversham (IGI). Mary Benwell (b. 1760) married Rev. Dr. Richard Valpy 30may1782 at Caversham (web, beta-familysearch, batch M03336-2, film no. 95223). Mary, wife of Dr. Valpy of Reading, sister of Rev. William Benwell (d. 1796) of Trinity Coll, Oxford, d. of fever, leaving husband and 11 children (obituary in Gentleman’s Magazine, jun1816, and Monthly Magazine, jul1816). Mrs. Valpy, wife of Rev. Dr. Valpy, d. 1816 at Reading (Weekly Entertainer). 3 sons of Henry Benwell of Caversham, Oxon, studied at Oxford; one was William Benwell (Trinity College, matric 1783 aged 18, d. 1796) (Oxford alumni site).

Alumni Cantabrigiensis: Abraham John Valpy (b. 1787), brother of Francis E.J. (1815), 2nd son of Rev. Richard (schoolmaster, Pembroke Coll, Oxford) by his 2nd wife Mary, daughter of Henry Benwell of Caversham, Oxon). (It is interesting that a daughter of John Pullen, father in law of Francis E.J., was married by Rev. Pullen, curate of Caversham). (Abraham John Valpy, son of Richard, of Reading, is also in Oxford Alumni (vol 4, p. 1463), with a reference to Gent’s Mag, 1855).

1. ↑ International Genealogical Index. ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1999-2008).