Benjamin Mansfield
Benjamin Mansfield, his wife, his oldest child, and all his siblings except for the eldest were part of the heroic, civic-minded Republican Generation. His older brother was part of the nomadic, reactive Liberty Generation. His parents were part of the idealistic Awakening Generation. All his children except the eldest were part of the adaptive Compromise Generation.We can assume that Benjamin spent most of his childhood in the Mansfield house in Saugus (then part of Lynn), which was one of the oldest homes in America. The home was a popular stopping place for travelers, who accepted the Mansfield hospitality.
![[ The Mansfield house in Saugus ]](images/mansfieldhousex.jpg)
The Mansfield house in Saugus
[Click the picture to enlarge it.]
When Benjamin was 7 years old, his mother died at the age of 32, probably as a result of giving birth to Benjamin's younger brother. Benjamin's father took a new wife the folowing year.
When Benjamin was nearly 15, his grandfather fell from his horse, receiving a wound from which he died. Just 8 months later, Benjamin's father fell from his horse and also died as a result. Dr. Nathaniel Henchman (husband of Benjamin's younger sister Margaret--that is, an uncle by marriage), was named guardian for young Benjamin. Benjamin's younger siblings were raised by his widowed stepmother, who the following year married the local deacon.
When he was 22, Benjamin married 17-year-old Elizabeth Stocker, who would become the mother of his many children. They resided throughout their marriage in Lynn (or perhaps Saugus, which was then part of Lynn), Essex County, MA.
Benjamin, with his brothers Thomas and Samuel, served as a Private in Captain David Parker's company, which confronted the British expedition at Concord, MA, on 19 April 1775 (the "shot heard round the world"). Benjamin was 32 at the time, already the father of five children.
Year by year in the life of Benjamin Mansfield
The early childhood of Benjamin Mansfield in its historical context
The later childhood and prime adult years of Benjamin Mansfield in its historical context
The later years of Benjamin Mansfield in their historical context
| Birth of Benjamin Mansfield | |
| Born: | 1743 |
| Birthplace: | Probably Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts |
| Parents | |
| Father: | Thomas Mansfield I, 1717-1758 (our ancestor), from Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts |
| Mother: | Bethiah Poole, 1718-1750 (our ancestor), from Reading, Middlesex County, Massachusetts |
| Stepmother: | Ann Roby, from
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Stepmother from 15 August 1751. As widow, she remarried 22 November 1759, in Lynn, to Deacon Abijah Cheever ---- (b. 11 December 1718, ---- son of Thomas Cheever) |
| Siblings | |
| Brother: | Thomas Mansfield II, 1736-1790 (our ancestor) |
| Sister: | Elizabeth Mansfield |
| Sister: | Ann Mansfield |
| Brother: | Samuel Mansfield
Born 1750 Married 10 December 1775 ----- in Lynn, Essex Co., MA ----- to Rachel Roby ----- (related to stepmother?) Died March 1809 |
| Spouse and children | |
| Wife: | Elizabeth Stocker, b. 1747(1)
a great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Benjamin, who has done extensive genealogical research into our common ancestors, questions Geneva A. Daland and James S. Mansfield, Mansfield Genealogy: Descendants of Robert and Elizabeth Mansfield and Sons Andrew and Joseph who came to Lynn, 1639-1640 (1980), which had identified Elizabeth Stocker as "Mrs. Elizabeth Stocker," clearly implying that she was a widow of someone whose surname was Stocker and that Elizabeth's maiden surname was unknown. I have decided to go along with Pat on this. She writes: "Elizabeth Stocker's marriage record is confusing. It appears to say she was a 'Mrs.' (yet 'Mrs.' was not the usual way to designate a married woman back then). I have heard from other sources that 'Mrs.' was used for unmarried girls, and I wonder if it stood for 'Mistress.' We have looked for an Elizabeth who married a Stocker and was widowed soon after, but we have not found her. Whoever Elizabeth was, she had to have been young when she married Benjamin, for she had children for 24 years after her marriage to him. If she was 20 at her marriage, she would have been 44 at the birth of her last child [by subtraction of her birthdate from her marriage date, we can discern that she was 17 years 6 months 20 days at her marriage to Benjamin--an extremely young 'widow']. We have found the Elizabeth born to Ephraim Stocker in the Lynn vital records, who is the Elizabeth listed here. A book written after 1984 [Marcia W. Lindberg, Stocker Family of Massachusetts] also says this Elizabeth is the correct one; it tells of a will, which may be a proof. Our Elizabeth named a child Ephraim and [another] one Lydia--which are the names of Elizabeth Stocker's parents. The two families lived very close to each other in Lynn. We believe at this time that we have the correct Elizabeth Stocker, but [we] must consider this a provisional ancestry until we can clear up the marriage record." To close this footnote, click the number again or click (Close) (our ancestor) (daughter of Ephraim Stocker and Lydia Newhall Stocker [our ancestors] from Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts.) Married 14 May 1765(2) Patricia Brown Mathews gives May 14; our other sources had May 4. To close this footnote, click the number again or click (Close) |
| Son: | Samuel Mansfield
Born 2 July 1766 ----- in Lynn, Essex Co., MA Married Elizabeth Dempsey |
| Son: | Nathaniel Mansfield
Born 25 August 1767 Married 12 August 1791 ----- to Elizabeth Howard ----- from Malden |
| Son: | Benjamin Mansfield
(the first one) Born 10 December 1769 Died 24 June 1770 |
| Daughter: | Content Mansfield
Born 17 May 1771 Married 9 October 1792 ----- to James Newhall |
| Daughter: | Bethia Mansfield
Born 25 August 1773 ----- in Lynn, Essex Co., MA |
| Daughter: | Lydia Mansfield
Born 18 February 1776 ----- in Lynn, Essex Co., MA |
| Son: | Benjamin Mansfield
(the second one) Born 25 August 1778 Died 31 August 1778 |
| Son: | Benjamin Mansfield(3)
Patricia Brown Mathews provided the information on this Benjamin Mansfield; she says that he was possibly the one listed in the 1860 census of Saugus who had a wife Esther born in 1791, and that he is probably the one who died 28 June 1864 in Saugus, listed in the Saugus Town Hall records as born in Lynn the son of Benjamin Mansfield. She says that the source for all these wives is unknown. To close this footnote, click the number again or click (Close) (the third one) Born 22 August 1779 ----- in Lynn, Essex Co., MA Married (first) 1804 ----- to Elizabeth Cox Married (second) 1813 ----- to Lucy Smith Married (third) 1822 ----- to Mrs. Esther Twist (widow?) ----- b. 1791 Died 28 June 1864 ---- in Saugus, Essex Co., MA |
| Son: | Amos Mansfield
Born 4 November 1781 Married 15 October 1807 ----- to Mary ("Polly") Mansfield ----- b. 1788(4) Patricia Brown Mathews provided this date; our other sources had "ca. 1786." To close this footnote, click the number again or click (Close) ----- d. 1862
Warren Mansfield, b. 1819 Samuel Mansfield, b. 1824 (No information on possible other children) |
| Daughter: | Sally Mansfield
Born 18 February 1784 ----- in Lynn, Essex Co., MA |
| Daughter: | Betsy Mansfield
Born 21 April 1786 ----- in Lynn, Essex Co., MA |
| Son: | Ephraim Mansfield, 1790-1841 (our ancestor) |
| Other information | |
| Occupation: | Probably farmer |
| Military: | Revolutionary War: Private in Captain David Parker's company, confronting the British expedition at Concord, MA, 19 April 1775. |
| Religion: | No information available |
| Death of Benjamin Mansfield | |
| Died: | 24 March
1816 (age 73 years) |
| Deathplace: | Saugus, Essex County, Massachusetts |
| Burial place: | Old Burial Ground, Saugus Center, Essex County, Massachusetts |
| Back to the top | |
Sources on Benjamin Mansfield:
Ted cited the 1855 census figures, for Amos Mansfield and his family.