Captain Benjamin Garfield, I

Capt Benjamin Garfield was born Nov.18, 1643 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts and died Nov. 28, 1717 in Waltham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. He is buried in Waltham Cemetery, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. He was also known as Benjamin Gearfield.

Parents: Edward Garfield (1583-1672). "the immigrant," and Rebecca Johnson d/o Edw (~1632-), his second wife.

Married:

1. on Jan 17, 1673 in Watertown, Massachusetts to Mehitabel Hawkins (1650-1675), the daughter of Timothy Hawkins and Anne Hammond Hawkins. Mehitabel died Jun 9, 1675 at childbed in Watertown, MA; 2 children.
2. on 17 January 1677/78 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, to Elizabeth Bridge (1659-aft. 1720), the daughter of Matthew Bridge and Anna Danforth of Lexington and Cambridge. She married Daniel Harrington 2nd (1657-1728). 7 children.

Children of Mehitabel Hawkins and Benjamin Garfield:

1. Benoni Gearfield (1675 - 1725)
2. Benjamin Garfield, Jr.

Children of Elizabeth Bridge and Benjamin Garfield include:

1. Anna Garfield Brown (1683 - 1737)
2. Mehitabel Garfield Jones (1687 - 1762)
3. Elizabeth Garfield
4. Thomas Garfield
5. Abigail Garfield
6. Samuel Garfield
7. Mary Garfield

burnings

• Benjamin's house and barn were burned the night of Mar 29, 1682, the blame being laid to his Negro servant Joshua. On Apr 24, 1682, Joshua was found with his throat cut and with a knife in his hand.
• In 1704, Garfield's fence was burned by Christopher Thompson, who was then ordered to be sold into a neighboring colony.

Events

• direct ancestor of President Garfield.
• given a commission of Captain in the Colonial Militia by the Governor of Massachusetts.
• He was also elected 9 times between 1689 and 1717 to the Colonial Legislature as a Rep. of Watertown and held numerous municipal appointments.
• On Apr 1, 1673 Benjamin Garfield received of Elliz BARRON(step-father of his 1st. wife) 20 pounds, his wife's share of the estate of her deceased father, T. Hawkins. Benjamin was admitted freeman Apr 18, 1690. (1)
• He served as constable and for many years as both selectman and town clerk and was chosen representative to the General Court several times as well as a special delegate to carry petitions from Watertown to Boston.

Links

• Garfields in America - Generation Two
• http://garfield5489.homestead.com/biography.html
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11011827
• http://www.pcez.com/~bigshoe/du/Dunc/danforth.html

Citations

1. Pope, Charles H. The Pioneers of Massachusetts: A Descriptive List, Drawn from Records of the Colonies, Towns, and Churches, and Other Contemporaneous Documents. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co, 1991. Print. p 36
2. Crane, Ellery B. Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts: With a History of Worcester Society of Antiquity. New York: Lewis Pub, 1907. Print. p 60

• Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees via son Benoni Garfield by SmartCopy: Nov 25 2015, 7:59:00 UTC

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GEDCOM Note

Benjamin GARFIELD (326), born 1643, died 28 Nov 1717, Water- town (Waltham), MA, aged 74y. He was very active in town affairs, beginning in 1673. He served as constable and, for many years, as both selectman and town clerk, and was chosen representative to the General Court several times, as well as a special delegate to carry petitions from Watertown to Boston. He received, 1673 Apr 1, from Elliz Barron (step- father of his wife) L20, his wife's share in her father's estate. This was probably near the date of their marriage. His house and barn were burned in the night of 1682 Mar 29, the blame being laid to his Negro servant Joshua. On Apr 24, Joshua was found with his throat cut and with a knife in his hand. In 1704, Garfield's fence was burned by Christo- pher Tompson, who was then ordered to be sold into a neigh- boring colony. His will was proved 1717, Middlesex Co, MA. His widow(?) sold to his son Benoni, 1719-20 Mar 2, a house and 12 acres, also three other lots. Married first, about 1673, Watertown, MA, Mehitabel HAWKINS (1099), born about 1650, died 9 Dec 1675, Watertown, MA, aged 25y, from child- birth, daughter of Timothy HAWKINS (2342) and Anna HAMMOND (1422). Married second, 17 Jan 1678, Watertown, MA, Eliza- beth BRIDGE (327), born 17 Aug 1659, Cambridge, MA, died af- ter 1720, daughter of Matthew BRIDGE (450) and Anna DANFORTH (451).

Sources of information: Watertown Records / Records of Births, Marriages, and Deaths; Vital records of Waltham, Massachusetts, to the year 1850; Watertown Records / Town Proceedings; Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown; Case records (for place noted); Gravestone; Vital records of Cambridge, Mas- sachusetts, to the year 1850.