Benjamin Wilson II

 Benjamin Wilson II and his children were part of the adaptive Compromise Generation. His parents were part of the nomadic, reactive Liberty Generation. His wife was part of the heroic, civic-minded Republican Generation.

[ The Wilson house in North Saugus ]
The Wilson house in North Saugus
[Click the picture to enlarge it.]

Year by year in the life of Benjamin Wilson II

The childhood of and early adult years of Benjamin Wilson II in their historical context
The prime adulthood years of Benjamin Wilson II in their historical context
The elderhood years of Benjamin Wilson II in their historical context

Descent chart

Birth of Benjamin Wilson II
Born: 1767 or 1768
Birthplace: Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts
Parents
Father: Benjamin Wilson I(1) Nathaniel Melvin Edmands III ("Nat"), our cousin through Artemas Seymour Edmands and his fourth son, Nelson Wilfred Edmands (1875-1950), has provided evidence to refute the notion that Benjamin Wilson II's father, Benjamin Wilson I, was born in 1734 and died in 1818 (and a number of other notions). Please see the sources note at the bottom of this page for more.
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Mother: Anne Burrel(2) Nathaniel Melvin Edmands III ("Nat"), our cousin through Artemas Seymour Edmands and his fourth son, Nelson Wilfred Edmands (1875-1950), has provided evidence to refute the notion that Benjamin Wilson II's mother was Lydia Bancroft (1738-1811). Please see the sources note at the bottom of this page for more.
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Siblings
No information on any siblings
Spouse and children
Wife: Margaret Mansfield, 1765-1812 (our ancestor)
from Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts
(daughter of Thomas Mansfield II and Mary Hawks Mansfield [our ancestors],
from Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts.
Married 9 October 1786
in (probably) Lynn
Son: Daniel Wilson, 1788->1865 (our ancestor)
Daughter: Sukey Wilson, b. 9 March 1790
Son: Benjamin Wilson, b. 25 December 1792
Daughter: Polly Wilson, b. 1 August 1799
Son: Moses Wilson, b. 10 August 1803
Other information
Occupation: Probably farmer
Religion: No information available
Death of Benjamin Wilson II
Died: 19 August 1843(3) This death date comes from cousin Nancy B. Edmands Allen (our cousin through Artemas Seymour Edmands and his second son, Edward Wesley Edmands). Cousin Patricia Mathews has challenged that date with the statement in correspondence with me: "For some reason I have that Benj. who died Saugus 8-19-1844 [1843?] is not ours?? . . . All I wrote was 'not ours' on the record, didn't write why." This needs further investigation. There are many good reasons to challenge Nancy's data.
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(age 75 years)
Deathplace: Saugus, Essex County, Massachusetts
Burial place: No information available
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Sources on Benjamin Wilson II:

  • Nancy B. Edmands Allen, b. 1925.
  • b. 1951, a cousin of ours (a great-granddaughter of Arthur Seymour Edmands), for considerable information. For information on Benjamin's mother, Lydia Bancroft (Bencroft) Wilson, and on his siblings, she has cited William Richard Cutter and William Frederick Adams, Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts, Volume 1 (which covers Boston and eastern Massachusetts), pp. 149-151.
  • Nathaniel Melvin Edmands III ("Nat"), our cousin through Artemas Seymour Edmands and his fourth son, Nelson Wilfred Edmands (1875-1950), sent me the following email on December 28, 2018:
    Cousin Ace,

    I hope this finds you well. Happy Holidays to you!

    After attending a concert last week by Brian Wilson of Beach Boys fame, and after (unsuccessfully) trying to determine a genealogical connection in New England, I stumbled upon a mystery and want to explore it with you.

    It concerns the grandfather of Margrate Wilson, wife of Artemas Seymour Edmands, our joint ancestor. Margrate was the daughter of Daniel, son of Benjamin. It is this Benjamin with whom I concern myself now. If we believe this Benjamin to be the son of Benjamin and Lydia (Bancroft) of Danvers, then we have ourselves a problem.

    For reference, here is your Milkcan Papers page on Benjamin, father of Daniel:

    Next, please reacquaint yourself with your comments on this geni page , "The death date here comes from cousin Nancy B. Edmands Allen (our cousin through Artemas Seymour Edmands and his second son, Edward Wesley Edmands). Cousin Patricia Mathews has challenged that date with the statement in correspondence with me: 'For some reason I have that Benj. who died Saugus 8-19-1844 [1843?] is not ours?? . . . All I wrote was "not ours" on the record, didn't write why.' This needs further investigation. There are many good reasons to challenge Nancy's data."

    Saugus VR shows the death of a Benjamin on August 19, 1843 at 75 years of age, putting his birth at 1767 or 1768. This information is reflected on your Milkcan Papers page. This Benjamin is written as being born in Lynn.

    Trouble is, Danvers VR deaths has Benjamin Jr, son of Benjamin and Lydia, dying on Nov 14, 1792.

    Confusing things further, Danvers VR births has "Benjamin, jr., s. Benjamin and Lydia, Feb. 28, 1767."

    So, Question 1 is this: Assuming Danvers VR is accurate that Benjamin Wilson Jr., son of Benjamin Wilson and Lydia Bancroft, born Feb 28, 1767, died at age 25 on Nov 14, 1792, is this Danvers-born Benjamin Jr. our ancestor?

    We should decidedly not believe this is the case. Lynn VR births show Benjamin Jr. and Margret having many children past the year 1792; starting with our Daniel (1788) up through Moses (1803). I believe our Benjamin Jr. is not the son of Benjamin and Lydia (Bancroft).

    Further, Lynn VR deaths show Marget Wilson w. Benjamin dying in 1812. Based on the abbreviations, were Benjamin to have died in 1792 the 1812 Lynn record would have read wid. (widow), not w. (wife) of Benjamin, indicating he was still alive and bolstering the Lynn VR birth records of their many children.

    So, our Benjamin is very likely indeed the one who died in Saugus in 1843 at the age of 75, but he is not the Benjamin Jr. from Danvers born to Benjamin and Lydia. Because the Danvers Benjamin Jr was born in February 1767, he would have been 76 at the time of our Benjamin's death in August 1843, not 75 (as the Saugus VR states). Again, Danvers-born Benjamin is not our guy, which means his parents Benjamin and Lydia (Bancroft) are not ours.

    Question 2 is now: Which Benjamin Wilson fathered our Benjamin Wilson Jr (1767-1843)? Unfortunately the Lynn birth of our Benjamin 1767 is not recorded in Lynn VR. Perhaps, however, we should (instead of Benjamin & Lydia) be looking at Benjamin Wilson who married Anne Burrel, Dec 9, 1766 (Lynn VR) as our ancestors.

    Thoughts?

    Nat

    My thoughts are to accept Nat's conclusions from his research. That is, our ancestor Benjamin Wilson II was born in Lynn rather than in Danvers (unlike the "other" Benjamin Wilson who was born in Danvers), that his birth year is 1767 or 1768, that his death date is August 1843, and that his parents were not Benjamin Wilson I, 1734-1818, and Lydia Bancroft, 1738-1811, but rather Benjamin Wilson I, who married Anne Burrel, Dec 9, 1766. Obviously, more research is needed.
  • Ethel Jean Edmands Weeks, 1909-2005.
  • Mary Caroline Findley Edmands

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