52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2018 WEEK 33: CALEB BENSON OF ROCHESTER MA. PT2

I found the probate file for my my 5x great grandfather Caleb Benson over on the AmericanAncestors.org website in the Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881. There's fifteen images in it, including those of the two page will. Here's my transcription:

Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881tion Case 1873Page 3

In the name of God Amen .....
I Caleb Benson of Middleborough in the County of
Plymouth and Common Wealth of Massachusetts in America
being weak of body but of sound mind and memory blessed be
God therefor and knowing it is appointed unto all men once to die
Do make and ordain this my last will and Testament .....

In the first place I commit my spirit into the hand
of the Lord god of truth, believing and hoping he hath
redeemed me; and that at my death my soulshall im-
mediatly pass into glory: and my body to the dust, to be buried
in a decent Christian manner hoping and believing that tho'
after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall
see god; and that I shall with them that rise firsst have a
resurrection to life my vile being changed and fashion-
ed like to the gloriousbody of Christ--

And as touching the portion of worldy estate which God
in his providence has been pleased to bless me with, I dispose
of in the following manner....

imprimus, I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife the one
third of my whole Estate both real and personal to be
improvedby her during her Natural life, and over and above
the one third two milch Cows, ten Sheep, and all my house-
hould furniture forever. ...

Item I give and bequeath unto my two daughters, Ruth Landers ,
and Hannah Tinkham three pounds Each, to be paid out of
my personal Estate, besides what I gave them at the time of their
begining to keep house.-

Item I give and bequeath unto my other three daughters viz.-
Priscilla Combs, Deborah Canady, and Content Barrows
all the rst of my personal Estate consisting of money at
Interest, Live stock on my farm etc.excepting whay is dis-
posed of above, to be equally divided between them as soon
as it can be collected by my Executor and paid to them.

Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881 case 1833 page4

Item I give and bequeath unto my two grand-children
Priscilla Washburn and ManasehWashburn six
shillings a peice to be paid by my beloved wife. ...

Item I give and bequeath unto my only son Caleb
Benson all the rest of my Interest consisting of
Lands and meadow Lying in Middleborough, Plymton
and Wareham being all real Estate. ...

Finely my will is that my well beloved wife and my son
Caleb Benson be the joint Executors of this my
Last Will and Testament, .....

and furhermore I do hereby revoke and
renounce all & Every other and former
Testaments by me any way made; and ratify and
Confirm this to be my Last Will and Testament.

Caleb Benson

Signed Sealed pronounced and
Declared this 27th day of November 1782
in Presence of

Asa Hunt
Elisha Benson
Stephen Washburn

The estate was valued at over 670 pounds, most of that in real estate.

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2018 WEEK 33: CALEB BENSON OF ROCHESTER MA.

My 5x great grandfather  Caleb Benson was born in Rochester, Ma. on 29 Jan 1704, the tenth child of John Benson the 3rd and Elizabeth Briggs. He was only 7 years old when his father died, so he probably grew up in the custody of a legal guardian. Caleb married Deborah Barrows on 11 Jan 1732 in Rochester and they had a family of six daughters and one son:

Ruth Benson b.25 Mar 1733 Plymouth
Hannah Benson b 20 May 1736 Middleborough
Mary Benson b 20 Feb 1738 Middleborugh
Deborah Benson b 1749 Middleborough
Priscilla B 1751 Plymouth
Caleb b 22 Nov 1755 Middleborough
Content  b 1761 Plymouth, Ma

I know he was a farmer and judging from the value of his estate a successful one. But he was also a Deacon of a Baptist church in Middleboro, Ma. and at some point was involved in some controversy within the congregation. I've found a reference to a letter that he and six others sent to church authorities but haven't found a copy of it as yet, so I don't jnow what it was about.

I've found some land transactionslisted on FamilySearch that I haven't explored yet, as well as a copy of his will and estate inventory, which I will discuss in the next post.

JOSEPH BENSON, ABIGAIL MUXOM AND "TALKING OF BALDERDASH STUFF" CONCLUSION

The scandal over Abigail Muxom's alleged affair with Joseph Benson now became even wider as Parson Everett invited outsiders to help judge her:

From the neighboring towns six ministers were then summoned to the inquest. They came and made a holiday; the six ministers on horseback, and the village idlers, to whom the spicy story was familiar, crowding around them and believing that justice must reign though the heavens fell.

Again there was a meeting of the church; Abigail Muxom stood in the sovereign presence of the six ministers, while the floor and galleries of the meeting-house were crowded by curious spectators attracted by what was to them "the greatest show on earth." The evidences were read aloud from the records: the accused woman again denied their truth; the six ministers were requested "to give their opinion what particular immodest conduct our sister is guilty of, and how this church ought to proceed with her." They, "having conversed with the Brethren of the church and heard what said Abigail had to say in her own defence," consulted together, and declared that her "immodest conduct in former years with one Doct. Joseph Benson was forbidden by the 7th commandment," and that it was her duty "to make a penitent and public confession of her sin ;" and "if she refuse or neglect to do it," the church "to proceed after other suitable forbearance to excommunication." The church then "Voted that Abigail Muxom is guilty of immodest conduct according to the opinion of the Revd Pastors," and it appointed three stern-visaged men to converse with her in the hope of obtaining a confession of the alleged sin. Their mission, as they reported, "appeared to have no good effect." Then, after another delay indicating a reluctance to pass such a terrible judgment upon "this unhappy sister," the church came together and the men "Voted that Abigail Muxom be rejected and excommunicated from the communion of this church, as being visibly a hardened and impenitent sinner out of the visible Kingdom of Christ, one who ought to be viewed and treated by all good people as a heathen and a publican in imminent danger of eternal perdition. Praying that this separation of hers from christian fellowship may not be eternal, but a means of her true and unfeigned repentance that her soul may be saved in the day of the Lord.-pp156-159

Colonial Times on Buzzard's Bay   Houghton, Mifflin, Cambridge, Ma 1888

Notice that in all this there is no mention of what Doctor Joseph Benson had to say for himself. Perhaps he had died earlier, or maybe, like other members of the family, he had moved north to Maine or New Hampshire.

I don't know if Abigail Muxom ever reconciled with her church.

And that's where the story ends.

JOSEPH BENSON, ABIGAIL MUXOM AND "TALKING OF BALDERDASH STUFF" PT2

One would think that after thirty years the scandalous behavior of Joseph Benson and Abigail Muxom would have faded from memory and been replaced by something else for the townspeople of Wareham to gossip about. But apparently Abigail flaunted her husband with it. And then a new minister came to town and really stirred things up. Again, this is from William Root Bliss' Colonial Times on Buzzard's Bay:  

The first action of Parson Everitt was to propose a season of fasting and self-examination. The members of the church, declaring themselves to be "sensible of our coldness and lukewarmness in religion," voted to renew "our covenant with God and with one another," and they appointed a committee "to converse with brethren and sisters who are or may be guilty of public offence according to the rule given Mat. 18." These cleansing explorers brought to light an old scandal which had been forgotten. Thirty years had elapsed since Abigail Muxom was disciplined. Now an old woman, she was again called up to listen to the reading of the complaint recorded against her in 1753, the evidences written in 1750, and to the statements of new witnesses as to her conduct "upwards of twenty years ago :" —

"John Benson of Middleborough testifieth that upwards of 20 years ago he was at the house of Edmund Muxom the husband of said Abigail, sometime in the afternoon before sunset, he saw said Abigail on bed with Joseph Benson, in the easterly part of the house. He also saith that at another time he was at work near Edmund Muxom's house and heard him repeatedly bid his son Lem. go and fetch the horse and on refusal corrected him. Abigail came to the door and said — What do you whip that child for? it is none of yours, upon which John Benson said I always thought so, at which she went into the house and said no more. April 11th, 1783."

"Hannah Besse testifieth that sometime about 20 years ago or upward she went to Edmund Muxom's house late in the evening and there saw Abigail his wife on bed by the fire with Joseph Benson. April 11th, 1783."

The accused woman, having listened to these statements, positively declared, in presence of the assembled church, that "the evidences of John Benson and Harriet Besse are false." There was no friend or attorney to represent her before this self-righteous tribunal; and, without cross-examining the unsworn witnesses, the church voted (men only were allowed to vote) that she "is guilty of the charge." Then there was a pause in the proceedings, and the people went home as if to think over the matter. After some weeks had elapsed, she was again summoned before the church, and was "admonished by the pastor" of the perilous position in which she stood. Some of the sinful brethren who had voted her to be guilty," labored" with her; and sympathizing women conversed with her. But she refused to confess that she was guilty of the alleged sin, and resolutely maintained that the witnesses were liars.-pp155-157

Colonial Times on Buzzard's Bay   Houghton, Mifflin, Cambridge, Ma 1888



Luckily for Abigail Muxom things had progressed a bit in Massachusetts from the century before. But things were about to get worse.

To be continued.

JOSEPH BENSON, ABIGAIL MUXOM AND "TALKING OF BALDERDASH STUFF" PT1

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.

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2018 WEEK 32: JOHN BENSON 3RD. OF ROCHESTER MA.

My 6x great grandfather John Benson 3rd seems to have lived a quiet life in Rochester, Ma. Here's what William Winfield Scott says about him in his History of Pasaic and Its Environs:

III) John (3) Benson, son of John (2) Benson, was known as “John, junior.” He lived at Rochester, Massachusetts. In 1708 and again in 1709 his father conveyed to him certain lands in Middleboro, Massachusetts. Some time before 1688 he married Elizabeth Briggs, daughter of Samuel Briggs. They were both living in 1725. Among his sons was William, of whom further.-p150

History of Passaic and Its Environs Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1922 - Clifton (N.J.)William was the ancestor of the New Jersey Bensons.

William Richard Cutter has a bit more information:

III) John (3), son of John (2) Benson, was born about 1660. He settled in Rochester,Massachusetts, and married Elizabeth . Children, born in Rochester: 1. 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; married, March 17, 1714-15, Elizabeth Bryant, of Plympton. 7. Bennet,September IO, 1698. 8. Martha, March 5, 1703- 9- Joshua, January 29, 1705. 10. Caleb, twin with Joshua. 11. Samuel, March 22, 1707-p1864

New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 4 Lewis historical publishing Company,  New York   1914

Interesting that there were two sets of twin sons among John's children. Caleb Benson is my 5x great grandfather. I need to see if I can find any of the land sale records in Middleborough mentioned in Scott's book.

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2018 WEEK 31: JOHN BENSON JR. OF HULL & ROCHESTER MA.

 My 7x great grandfather John Benson Jr.'s wife isn't mentioned in the following selections.Some sources give her name as Elizabeth Marsh but no record of the marriage has been found,

First, from William Richard Cutter's book:



(II) John (2), son of John (1) Benson, was born in England, about 1630. He settled at Hingham and Hull, Massachusetts. Children: 1. John, mentioned below. 2. Joseph, married _____ Prince; (second) Mary Curtis, of Scituate; (third) Alice Picketts, daughter of Nathan, of Scituate; John Benson, of Bridgewater, was doubtless his son.-p1864

New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 4 Lewis historical publishing Company,  New York   1914

William Winfield Scott has a bit more on John Jr. and his mother in his History of Pasaic and Its Environs:

(II) John (2) Benson, eldest son of John (1) and Mary Benson, was brought to this country with his parents, as evidence by t'he ship’s list. He became one of the executors of his mother’s estate and filed an inventory at her death in 1681 showing that among her “movables” she possessed one half dozen napkins with broad work; one half dozen napkins with narrow work; a silk grasse bed; seven pewter plates; four pewter porringers; five spoons; a gun and a sword to the value of £64. John (2) Benson resided first at Hull and later at Rochester, on the western shore of Buzzard’s Bay, and according to the town records, in which he is frequently mentioned, he took a prominent part in the affairs of the town. He died March 10, 1711, leaving no will, probably having divided his estate before ‘his death.--p.150

History of Passaic and Its Environs Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1922 - Clifton (N.J.)

 Actually, Rochester is one town inland from the shoreline. I haven't been able so far to find the details of John Jr.'s involvement in the town government or affairs.

I am descended from John Jr.'s son John. 

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2018 WEEK 30: JOHN BENSON SR. OF HINGHAM & HULL, MA.

My 4x great grandparents Asa Barrows and Content Benson were first cousins 1x removed. Content's mother was Patience Barrows.   She was also related ti the Briggs, Ellis, and Freeman families through her father Caleb Benson.

John Benson Sr. was my 8x great grandfather. William Richard Cutter has a short entry about him in Volume 4 of his New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: 

(I) John Benson, immigrant ancestor of the American family of Benson, was born in England, doubtless at Coversham, Oxfordshire, whence he came in 1638, in the ship "Confidence," to Boston. He gave his age at that time as thirty, indicating he was born in 1608. He settled in Hingham, Massachusetts, where he had his first grant of land in 1638,He married Mary . Children: John,mentioned below; Mary, came with her parents.-p1864

New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 4  Lewis historical publishing Company, New York   1914

But at some point one of his descendants moved to New Jersey because I found this short piece in William Winfield Scott's History of Passaic and Its Environs:

 (I) John (Binson) Benson was one of more than 20,000 Puritans, most of whom came from the eastern counties of England to New England between 1630 and 1640, their principal reason for leaving their native country being to escape the religious persecution then being carried on by King Charles I through the Earl of Strafford and Archbishop Laud of Canterbury.

John Benson settled with his little family in Hingham, Massachusetts, receiving a grant of land from the proprietors in the autumn of 1638. He continued to live there until 1657, when he sold his lands and moved his family to Hull, Massachusetts. In 1662 he was chosen one of the selectmen to manage the town's affairs. On April 16, 1678, "being weake and decaying in bodily strength," he made his will, and died soon thereafter. According to the ship's list, he was now about 70 years old. He signed his will with his mark, an old English "I" instead of a cross, evidence that before he fell ill and lost his strength he had been able to sign his name. The signature was witnessed by his pastor, Zachariah Whitman, who appeared in court March 26, 1679, and swore to the signature.-pp149-150

History of Passaic and Its Environs Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1922 - Clifton (N.J.)

I'm descended from John Benson Jr.

SEEKING CALEB BENSON 2

Before I go on one of cemetery tours I usually check Find A Grave to see if
there are any relatives listed as being buried in towns I planned to visit. I
don't care if someone has already taken pictures; I want to take my own,
and if there isn't a picture, then I plan to post the one I've taken.(although
I'm woefully behind that at the moment).  I usually just look at the list of
interments, print out the list of photo requests, and then  write the names of
relatives to look for at the bottom of the list. But I'd left the list at home when I'd
set out for Middleboro.

When I got back here to my apartment and sure enough, I'd written Caleb
Benson on the South Middleboro Cemetery.  I hadn't spotted it on my own so
now I cheated and looked at the Find A Grave photo. No wonder I hadn't
spotted it: it wasn't a headstone, but one of those small ground level markers.
The next day I went back, found the stone and took my own picture.

That night when I shared the picture with Ellingwood cousin Mary Ennis, she
commented on the title "Rev."  Neither one of us had known he was a clergyman,
nor was there any indication of it in cousin Florence O' Connor's book on the
Ellingwoods. A Google search turned up a reference in Michael J. Maddigan's
South Middleborough: A History to a dispute in the Third Baptist Church between
Deacon Caleb Benson and a new minister. I also discovered other facts about Caleb
One was that he had a twin brother named Joshua.

The second and more fascinating was that several of Caleb's children were Loyalists
and were among the New Englanders who fled to Canada during the American
Revolution. Meanwhile, his daughter Content Benson was married to my 4x great
grandfather Asa Barrows who was a Minuteman and supporter of the Revolution.
As to Caleb's own sentiments, I have no clue as yet.Since he stayed in Massachusetts
I would think he was not a Loyalist but I could be wrong.

It's another thing to add to my list Family history questions to be answered!

SEEKING CALEB BENSON

((I'm about to start on some posts about my Benson ancestors, so I am preceding those with these
two posts from 2011 about my search for the grave of my 5x great grandfather Caleb Benson.))

 
After my success finding relatives in the cemeteries along Rte 58 in
Carer and Plympton, Ma., I decided next to search in the nearby towns
of Middleboro and Rochester. I was especially hoping to find the grave
of my 5x great parents Caleb Benson and Deborah (Barrows) Benson.
The day I set out to search, though, I left my list of cemeteries in the towns
at home. When I realized it, I decided it was a nice day for a ride and I'd
just wing it.  I took the roundabout route, driving down Rte 58 and then
across to drive up Rte 105 in Middleboro and watching for cemeteries
along the way until I spotted the South Middleboro Cemetery  by the
South Middleboro United Methodist Church.

My third cousin 4x removed.

I'm not sure how I'm related to these folks yet.

Benson Burial Plot

The gate to the plot.

The moment I got out of the car and walked through the entrance
into the cemetery I spotted a number of Benson headstones. Since
the Benson branch of my family tree has a lot of blanks I didn't recognize
most of the family members buried there so I made sure I took pictures
of every Benson grave. 

Grave of Consider Benton, brother of my ancestor Caleb Benton

The church was founded in 1748, which was the same period that my
ancestor Caleb Benson had lived. Yet I hadn't found his headstone there.
So where was Caleb Benson's grave?

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS#22: REVEREND SAMUEL SKELTON PT2

Back in my early days of my genealogy research when I was working on my Benson line,
I found information online that my 7x great grandfather John Benson had married Elizabeth Marsh,  and that her parents were John Marsh and Susannah Skelton. That descent supposedly came down through the Bensons to the Barrows and then the Ellingwoods and then to the Wests when my great grandparents Philip J West and Clara Ellingwood were married.

So when I was working on the previous post abut Rev. Samuel Skelton I took another
look on what I had on the Benson descent and found I had no sources for the birth and marriage of Elizabeth Marsh. That set off my genea-sense. It's like Spiderman's
"Spidey sense" and it's something genealogists develop eventually after a few years if
they pay attention to things like records and sources.  John Benson had lived south of
Boston at Hull. Elizabeth Marsh had lived north of Boston at Salem. It was possible they
could have met somehow since there was traffic between the two seacoast towns by
water. But a check of two online databases of early Massachusetts vital records for both
Salem and Hull turned up no marriage records.   


Then I googled Elizabeth's parents John Marsh and Susannah Skelton, reasoning that a
list of their children might include information on their daughter's marriage. No luck
there, either. 

This is from one of Ellery Bicknell Crane's many regional genealogy books:
The children of John Marsh (I), all born in Salem, Massachusetts, were: Zachary, baptized April 30, 1637; John, baptized May 9, 1639, died 1669, married Sarah ;Ruth, baptized or born May 5, 1641; Elizabeth, born July 8, 1646; Ezekiel, born or baptized October 29, 1048; Bethiah, born or baptized September 1. 1650; Samuel, born or baptized October 2, 1652; Susanna, born or baptized May 7, 1654; Mary, born or baptized September 14, 1056; Jacob, born August 6, 1658; Jacob, baptized April 10, 1659; a daughter, born or baptized June 12, 1604; Benjamin, born about 1661.
  .p355

Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts: With a History of Worcester Society of Antiquity, Volume 3 (Google eBook)

Further searching online failed to produce any confirmation that the Elizabeth Marsh married by  John Benson was the granddaughter of Samuel Skelton. In fact, I found a reference on a Wikitree page that an entry in The Great Migration 1634-1635 mentions there's no record for such a marriage. I'll need to check the local library and see if
it has a copy of that volume.

Meanwhile I'm removing from my databases John Marsh and Susannah Skelton as the parents of the Elizabeth Marsh who married John Benson.

But I still have a Skelton connection through my Barker line!

SEEKING CALEB BENSON 2

Before I go on one of cemetery tours I usually check Find A Grave to see if
there are any relatives listed as being buried in towns I planned to visit. I
don't care if someone has already taken pictures; I want to take my own,
and if there isn't a picture, then I plan to post the one I've taken.(although
I'm woefully behind that at the moment).  I usually just look at the list of
interments, print out the list of photo requests, and then  write the names of
relatives to look for at the bottom of the list. But I'd left the list at home when I'd
set out for Middleboro.

When I got back here to my apartment and sure enough, I'd written Caleb
Benson on the South Middleboro Cemetery.  I hadn't spotted it on my own so
now I cheated and looked at the Find A Grave photo. No wonder I hadn't
spotted it: it wasn't a headstone, but one of those small ground level markers.
The next day I went back, found the stone and took my own picture.

That night when I shared the picture with Ellingwood cousin Mary Ennis, she
commented on the title "Rev."  Neither one of us had know he was a clergyman,
nor was there any indication of it in cousin Florence O' Connor's book on the
Ellingwoods. A Google search turned up a reference in Michael J. Maddigan's
South Middleborough: A History to a dispute in the Third Baptist Church between
Deacon Caleb Benson and a new minister. I also discovered other facts about Caleb
One was that he had a twin brother named Joshua.

The second and more fascinating was that several of Caleb's children were Loyalists
and were among the New Englanders who fled to Canada during the American
Revolution. Meanwhile, his daughter Content Benson was married to my 4x great
grandfather Asa Barrows who was a Minuteman and supporter of the Revolution.
As to Caleb's own sentiments, I have no clue as yet.Since he stayed in Massachusetts
I would think he was not a Loyalist but I could be wrong.

It's another thing to add to my list Family history questions to be answered! 

SEEKING CALEB BENSON

After my success finding relatives in the cemeteries along Rte 58 in
Carer and Plympton, Ma., I decided next to search in the nearby towns
of Middleboro and Rochester. I was especially hoping to find the grave
of my 5x great parents Caleb Benson and Deborah (Barrows) Benson.
The day I set out to search, though, I left my list of cemeteries in the towns
at home. When I realized it, I decided it was a nice day for a ride and I'd
just wing it.  I took the roundabout route, driving down Rte 58 and then
across to drive up Rte 105 in Middleboro and watching for cemeteries
along the way until I spotted the South Middleboro Cemetery by the
South Middleboro United Methodist Church.

My third cousin 4x removed.

I'm not sure how I'm related to these folks yet.

Benson Burial Plot

The gate to the plot.

The moment I got out of the car and walked through the entrance
into the cemetery I spotted a number of Benson headstones. Since
the Benson branch of my family tree has a lot of blanks I didn't recognize
most of the family members buried there so I made sure I took pictures
of every Benson grave. 

Grave of Consider Benton, brother of my ancestor Caleb Benton

The church was founded in 1748, which was the same period that my
ancestor Caleb Benson had lived. Yet I hadn't found his headstone there.
So where was Caleb Benson's grave?