Eliza Coffin West and Capt. Benjamin Kelly Studley Eliza Coffin West was born on 5 May 1815 in Tisbury, Dukes Co., MA, the daughter of Dr. Silas West and Betsy Cleveland. She married Capt. Benjamin Kelly Studley on 01 Jun 1837 in Tisbury. She died sometime after 1883, perhaps in Rock Island Co., IL. She appeared on the Tisbury census of 1820 with her father, and on the Tisbury census of 1830 with her widowed mother. On 28 Aug 1830 Eliza West, her grandmother, and twelve other heirs of Jeruel West sold his Frog Alley homestead to James West for $400. On 12 Aug 1834, at age 19, she petitioned Judge Athearn to give her mother guardianship of her. She appeared on the New Bedford, MA census of 1840 with her husband. On 18 Mar 1842 she, her mother, and her siblings made a four-year, $400 mortgage of land and buildings on the south side of Union Street, Tisbury with Charles Smith of Tisbury. She appeared on the census of August 1850 in New Bedford, aged 35, with her husband and two children. Sometime between about 1852 and 1860 the family left New Bedford, and by 1883 Eliza resided in Moline, Rock Island Co., IL. I have no further record of her. Capt. Benjamin Kelly Studley was born on 21 Dec 1814 in Dartmouth, Bristol Co., MA. His June 1837 marriage record listed him as a resident of New Bedford. He was described in a July 1837 crew list as being 5' 11¬" tall, with a light complexion, brown hair, and blue eyes. Benjamin Studley is not listed in the 1838 New Bedford directory, but in 1839 he is listed as boarding at 166 Kempton St., New Bedford, the mate of ship Endeavour, which sailed on 10 Aug 1837 for the Indian Ocean under Capt. Stetson. He appeared on the 1840 New Bedford census with his wife and daughter, adjacent to the listing of his mother-in-law Betsey West. The 1841 New Bedford directory lists him at 89 Kempton St., the mate of ship Golconda 2d, which sailed on 30 Jun 1841 for the Pacific Ocean under Capt. Smith. He was listed again in the 1845 New Bedford directory, this time as the master of ship Golconda. He was listed in the 1849 New Bedford directory at 89 Kempton St., master mariner, and was probably the Benjamin Studley, native of New Bedford, who sailed as master of the brig Baltimore of New Bedford on 16 Mar 1850. Benjamin appeared on the census of 26 Aug 1850 in New Bedford, aged 36, "sailor," with his wife and two daughters. This census valued his real estate at $1500. The 1852 New Bedford directory lists him again at 89 Kempton St., master mariner. I could not find Benjamin or his family in the 1860 census index for Bristol County, so I assume the family moved west between about 1852 and 1860. He died on 19 Jul 1880 in Rock Island Co., IL, aged 65. Children of Eliza Coffin West and Capt. Benjamin Kelly Studley were as follows: * Amanda Merry Studley was born 20 Mar 1838 in New Bedford. She married Micah H. Griffith. * Sarah H. Studley was born about 1844-5 in Boston, MA. She appears with Benjamin and Eliza Studley in the 1850 census, but I have no record of her after 1850. * Benjamin Kelly Studley was born on 21 Sep 1849 in New Bedford. He died on 2 Nov 1849 in New Bedford of a "bowel complaint". * Charles Coffin Studley was born on 26 Feb 1856. He died after 1856. He was noted as an unmarried farmer living in Moline, Rock Island Co., IL before 1899. Full source information available from Chris Baer ------------------------------------------------------------- UGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organiza- tions or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contri- butor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------- File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Chris Baer