Edmund Bennett

married 12/22/1685 in what is now Langhorne PA

A King Cousin gave me this story attached to story: Edmund Bennett seems to have been in Pennsylvania before the arrival of the Proprietor, and may have been here as early as 1681. He took up 300 acres of land in Bristol Township, Bucks County, 12 mo., 1, 1682. 159

Old Style calendar: 12th mo, 1, 1682 transcribes to February 1, 1682. ~~ The Ecclesiastical year began with March, which was called the First Month, making January and February the 11th and 12th months. September, October, November and December were called by their Latin names, 7th-septem, 8th-octo, 9th-novem and 10th-decem months, respectively. This fact should be borne in mind by any one in changing a date prior to 1752 from the numerical to the nominal style. :>)

More for Edmund Bennet(t): Marriage to widow Elizabeth (Basset) Potts...conversion of old style date: 10th mo 22, 1685 = Dec 22, 1685.: They were married per Quaker tradition which was a several step process: "In 1685 Elizabeth married Edmund Bennett of Bucks County having declared their intentions before the Philadelphia Monthly Meeting on 8 mo (October) 5, 1685. On 10 mo [December] 7, 1685 (December 7, 1685) they presented their intentions the required second time and were allowed to proceed with the marriage on 10 mo. [December] 22, 1685 at the house of John Otter, near Burlington (Bristol) PA." ~~ Edmund Bennet was a tobacco cutter and was considered a "first purchaser" of land in Pennsylvania. He owned 300 acres of land in Bucks Co., PA, before the arrival of William Penn per deed of 12 mo [February] 1, 1682. Then in May of 1692 Penn gave him 1,000 more acres. This land was divided into pieces of various sizes and sold to new arrivals, at a good profit inasmuch as Edmund had no expenses other than for surveys and a few fees. On 12 mo [February] 22, 1689-90 [1690] and subsequently on 2 mo [April] 12, 1690 he was granted a warrant "for taking up his Liberty land (liberty land = free of price for any first purchasers). Although he owned extensive land in Bristol Twp, Bucks Cnty, he lived in Northampton Twp, Bucks Cnty, PA. His wife Elizabeth became a widow for the second time in 1692, inheriting an estate valued in the inventory at a little over 123 pounds. [Inventory of his estate was filed 7 mo [Sept] 23, 1692]. She moved back to Philadelphia to be nearer her children, but continued to sell off Edmund's land. Elizabeth Pott Bennett died on 1st mo [March] 8, 1707, and was laid to rest in the old Philadelphia Burying Ground." ~~ Abstract of Will: BENNETT, EDMOND. of Philadelphia, Yeoman. Dated: September 5, 1692. Proven: September 24, 1692. B/P: A. 210. Estate to wife Elizabeth who is sole Executrix. Legacy of one shilling to nephew Jno. Bartlett "now in England". Overseers: John Kinsey, John Jones, John Otter. Witnesses: Thomas Roberts, Jane (Potts) Austin {Elizabeth's daughter}, Theodore Roberts. Witness Thomas Roberts {married to Eleanor Potts, dau of Elizabeth's brother, John Potts of Wales}. Witness John Otter {was a guardian together with Edmund Bennett of friend John Spencer's 2 orphaned sons}. There's more if you are interested, I have just stated the highlights. :>) Claudia

 Baset coa Wales

Bradford County? Burlington (founded in 1677) was then a suburb of Philadelphia, being direclty across the Delaware from Philadelphia.

claudiasuladded this on 19 Jan 2013

"Middletown" was the name of the religious sect that administered the area and for a time, they were held at the private homes of John Otter, Nicholas Waln and Robert Hall before a Meeting House was built. /~~/ Here's the explanation: Edmund Bennet and widow Elizabeth Potts were Quakers with he being under the auspices of Middletown Monthly Meeting (served Langhorne, Bristol (then called Buckingham), Burlington, etc) and she being under the auspices of Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (served Philadelphia and others), both meetings granting them authorization to marry with Middletown MM being the dominant as they would be living in Bristol. /~~/ John Otter, a friend and associate of Edmund Bennet, lived near Burlington, Jersey colony. It was, at that time a suburb of Philadelphia and in Bucks County, PA; [Bucks County was originally much larger than it is today]. /~~/ Bristol Twp was situated between the manor of Pennsbury and Neshaminy Creek on the west shore of the Delaware with Burlington, (then Pennsylvania now New Jersey) being directly across on the east shore with a ferry connecting the two. /~~/ There were only 3 counties at that time: Philadelphia, Bucks and Chester. Much of the area of Bristol (originally called Buckingham) was granted to the first settlers [Edmund Bennet being one] by Sir Edmond Andros, English Colonial administrator and governor about 1679. /~~/ Per property deed dated 1st of 12th mo [Feb] 1682; and re-surveyed 14th of 4th mo [June] 1684 to all the "Old Settlers" who took up land before the Proprietor's arrival at a "bushell of wheat per 100 acres rent": Edm'd Bennet, 321 acres in Bristol Twp". Edmund Bennet was a tobacco cutter and an extensive landowner (with more land purchased later) in Bristol Twp (in 1681 called Buckingham) and resided in Northampton, both then of Bucks County, PA. Hope this helps explain where Edmund & Elizabeth Bennet were married. :>) Claudia