While I write this blog about Benoni and his family, I will take this opportunity to thank again, Mrs. Elda Elsch Dickinson, for painstakingly gathering all the information for her book, "Benoni Dickinson and His Descendants". My husband purchased her book c. 1985 and I have referred to it countless times to learn about my husband's maternal ancestry.
Benoni was born in Charleston, Washington, Rhode Island on the 22nd of November in 1793. He and his family moved to Warren, Washington, NY when he was quite young. His marriage date to Mercy Hill is unknown but in the 1820 census of Warrensburg, Warren, NY he is the head of a household and there is one female living with him. Here is a list of their known children, who were all born in New York, and their birthdates:
1824 Charles H.
1826 Ethan C.
1833 Hannah Jane
1836 Cyrus W. H., our ancestor
1838 Thomas R.
Benoni and his family are listed in the 1830 and 1840 censuses of Warren County, NY with the marks for his wife and children under their age categories. Here are what the marks said in 1840:
1840 Census=2 males under 5; 1 male between 10 and 15; 1 male between 15 and 20; and Benoni was between 40-50 years old. Females: 2 between 5 and 10; Mercy was between 40-50 years. This census, saying that there were two females between 5 and 10, tells us that a little girl born to this family may have died before the 1850 census. See below:
In the 1850 census we have some names, ages, and place of residence in a much clearer view:
"Benoni Dickinson of Horicon, Warren, NY; age 56; Mercy, 50; Jane, 17; Cyrus 14; Tom, 11 [Two of the Dickinson sons were already heads of households themselves in 1850. Perhaps the other mentioned female in the 1840 census was married with a new surname.]
In the 1855 State Census of Warren County, NY, Benoni and Mercy are living w/ Jane, their daughter, and her family at Horicon.
If you have been following our Shepard Blog, you may recall that most of the Dickinson family members moved to Montcalm, Michigan about 1858. On the 25th of April 1859, Benoni's house, situated near the NE corner of Bushnell town was burned to the ground and their daughter's two little girls were burned to death. I cannot even imagine the heartbreak and sadness that all the Dickinsons felt because of that terrible accident.
Two of the Dickinson sons, Thomas and Cyrus, signed up for duty as Union soldiers in the Civil War in 1861. Thomas was killed in battle in 1865, giving the Dickinsons another sad death to cope with. Benoni and Mercy continued to live in Montcalm until the ends of their lives. Mercy died first in 1872 and Benoni died in 1874. They are buried at the Maple Ridge Cemetery, Vickeryville, MI, Sessions Rd., Section 11, Bushnell Twp., Montcalm, MI
BENONI DICKINSON
BORN: 22 Nov 1793 in Charleston, Washington, RI
MARRIED: bef 1820 in Warrensburg, Warren, NY
DIED: 4 Aug 1874 in Bushnell Twp., Montcalm, MI
Buried: Maple Ridge Cemetery, Vickeryville, Montcalm, MI
MERCY HILL
BORN: 27 Jun 1800 in ,Warren, NY
DIED: 27 Mar 1872 in Bushnell Twp., Montcalm, MI
Buried: Maple Ridge Cemetery, Vickeryville, Montcalm, MI
SOURCES: Book: Elda Esch Dickinson, "Benoni Dickinson and His Descendants";US Federal Censuses 1800-1870; NY State Census of 1855; Land Office: Ionia, Doc #16747 Sec #2 Twp 9North; Range 6West;40 acres
