While researching my Benson line, I came acrossa bit of scandal involving some Benson cousins and a case of hanky -panky. It took place in Wareham, Massachusetts and the couple involved was Joseph Benson abd Mrs. Abigail Muxom. This account is from William Root Bliss' book Colonial Times on Buzzard's Bay:
A troublesome case of discipline was that of Abigail Muxom, who in 1750 became the subject of a town scandal which was probably relished by the gossips as thoroughly as similar scandals are relished now. Three years later the church took notice of it on the complaint of four members, the gist of which was that "this our sister has been guilty of immodest conduct." It met to consider the evidences on which the complaint rested. These were three old and unsworn statements, running as follows :—
"Elisha Benson Saith That he was at Edmund Muxoms house some time since & saw sd Muxoms wife very familiar with Joseph Benson by talking of balderdash stuff & kissing & hugging one another in the absence of her husband. At another time I saw them coming out of the house together & discovered none but they two. Middleborough, Octr. 1750."
"Caleb Cushman & his wife do Testify & say That we some time since have seen Joseph Benson & Abigail Muxom at our house & their behaviour was uncommon for married people; she fawning about him & sometimes in his lap or upon his knee & he haleing of her, running his face up to hers, & as we suppose kissing of her or aiming to do so & talking & joacking like young people.—Plymton, Octr. 1750."
"Jedidah Swift wife to Ebenr Swift Junr Saith that she was at the house of Edmund Muxom four times the summer past & his wife Abigail Muxotn did several times call her child to her & ask the child who its father was, & the child would answer Doctor Jo's at which she would laugh & make sport of. — Wareham, Decern'. 3. I7SO-"
The records, written by Parson Thacher, state that the complaint and "the above evidences were read to the church in the presence of this our sister. She denyed the two first evidences as having no truth in them, but the last she owned to be true." She was then, by a vote, "suspended from the communion table till she give a christian satisfaction ;" and soon the matter was forgotten.-pp142-144
Colonial Times on Buzzard's Bay Houghton, Mifflin, Cambridge, Ma 1888
But it didn't stay forgotten. The matter would resurface to cause controversy twenty years later.
To be continued.
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