Benoni Jones

Birth: 1666 Death: May 13, 1704

Benoni Jones born in 1666 in Northampton, Mass. died on 13 May 1704 in Pascommuck, Ma

FATHER Griffith Jones.

Married 23 Jan 1689 Hester Ingersoll born on 9 Sep 1665 in Northampton, Mass. died on 27 Nov 1705 in Hotel Dieu, Montreal, Quebec, Canada buried in Churchyard, Hotel Dieu Her father John Ingersoll (2) Mother Abigail Bascom

Family Members Parents Griffith Jones 1614 – 1676

Sarah Morris 1623 – 1665

Spouse & Children Hester Ingersoll 1665 – 1732

Jonathan Jones 1695 –

Benjamin Jones 1696 – 1783

Ebenezer Jones 1698 – 13 May 1704 Burial First Burial Place, Easthampton, MA FAG

Jonathan Jones 1703 – 13 May 1704 Burial First Burial Place, Easthampton, MA

On May 13, 1704, the French and Indians made a descent upon Pascommuck and killed her husband, Benoni Jones, and their two youngest children. Hester was captured and was taken to Canada as a prisoner. She was obliged, by her captors, to make the whole journey on foot, and suffered many hardships and was treated with much cruelty.

She eventually died in Canada after enduring many tortures by the French priests in their vain endeavors to convert her from the Puritan faith to the Roman Catholic religion.

Benoni - lived at Pascommuck, north end of Mt. Tom, Northampton, after they were married.

The family lived in a cluster of houses known as Pascommuch lying at the foot of Mt. Tom, now within the ciy limits of Eastampton, Mass. The Benoni Jones house was the only house in the area that was fortified.

At the age of twelve, Benoni was indentured to William Clarke of Northampton, until he came of age. It was stipulated that Clarke should "learn him to read and write and give him five pounds at the end of his term with sufficient clothig such as servants usually have and at the end of his time two suits of apparel". He and four others resided in Pascommuck, now Easthampton, settled about 1699. His farm was about four miles from Northampton center and was the garrison house during Indian hostilities.

On May 13, 1704, the French and Indians made a descent upon Pascommuck and killed Benoni Jones and his two youngest children. His wife, Hester Ingersoll, was captured and was taken to Canada as a prisoner, where she died later in the year. The wife of Benjamin Janes, a neighbor and relative, was taken to the top of Pomeroy Mountain, scalped and left for dead, but she recovered. Benjamin moved to Coventry, Connecticut. Samuel Janes was slain during the same attack.

There is a monument in memory of this raid standing in Easthampton today:

"On May 14, 1704, the village of Pascommuck was attacked by a group of Native Americans allied with the Quebec colony of France. This boulder stands on the site of the home of Moses Hutchinson. Other settlers included the families of Benoni Janes (Jones), John Searle Jr., Samuel Janes, and Benjamin Janes. Of the 33 inhabitants of the villiage, 19 were killed and 8 escaped during the attack. Of the 6 taken captive, 3 escaped."

Here is another account of the massacre from History of the Janes-Peek Family By Dr. Reba Neighbors-Collins

In May of 1704, a band of Indians attacked the little five-family village of Puokhumuck or Pascomac, later part of Southampton. It was just before daylight when they set fire to the pickets surrounding the home of Benoni Jones. A young women named Patience Webb looked out the window to see what was happening and was shot in the head. The rest of the village surrendered.

Nineteen persons were killed-Samuel Janes, his wife and three children (He was the first born of William Janes and Hanna Broughton), Benoni Jones and his two children, Miss Webb, Moses Hutchinson and one child, and the four children of Benjamin Janes (grandchildren of William and Hanna). John Searl, husband of Ruth Janes, was also killed as were three of their children. Ruth was severely wounded, but was rescued and later recovered. The son Elisha, age 9, was taken to Canada where he remained a captive of the Indians for many years.

As the prisoners were being marched and dragged away from the burning village, Benjamin managed to drop back, then slip away from his captors. Darting down a creek, hidden by bushes, he found a skiff and headed for Northampton to alert the town.

Hastily aroused men of the town sped after the Indians. On the top of Pomeroy's mountain the found Benjamin's wife Hannah. She had been knocked on the head, scalped and left for dead. Amazingly, after many months, she recovered and lived to be 80 years old.

Family links:

Children:

 Ebenezer Jones (1698 - 1704)*

 Jonathan Jones (1703 - 1704)*

*Calculated relationship

Burial: First Burial Place East Hampton (Pascomac) Easthampton Hampshire County Massachusetts, USA

The family lived in a cluster of houses known as Pascommuch lying at the foot of Mt. Tom, now within the ciy limits of Eastampton, Mass. The Benoni Jones house was the only house in the area that was fortified. On May 13, 1704, Indians attacked the Jones house in which all of the area's inhabitants had assembled for cover. Of 33 persons in the house, 19 were killed, 3 escaped, 8 were rescued later and 3 were carried off. Benoni Jones and two of his sons, Ebenezer and Jonathan, were slain. Eight year old Benjamin Jones was scalped but later escaped. Ester was kidnapped and taken to Canada where she died after being tormented by priests trying to convert her.