BENNETT BIOGRAPHY, YATES CO., NY Copyright (c) 1999 by Bonnie Bunce (bmbunce@juno.com). ************************************************************************ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ************************************************************************ [From undated 5-column newspaper clipping found in family files in Yates County Historical Society, Penn Yan, New York, probably published in late 1800s since Nancy born 1807, was still said to be among the living. Copy was very dark and torn in a couple of places. Blank lines indicate words that were illegible. Some blank lines were part of the original text, like the first names of Comstock and Walling in paragraphs IX. and X. below. This may have been from the Dundee Record, because in S.C. Cleveland's History and Directory of Yates Co., New York, on p. 1133, it says that while the Dundee Record was under the management of Edward Hoogland/Hoagland during 1848-54, he published "biographical sketches of leading citizens with portraits. Among those noticed in this way were Samuel Harpending, . . ." Even though this article appears to have been written after 1854, it may have been published in that newspaper, perhaps a tradition started by Edward Hoagland, who had moved to Kansas in 1856.] THE BENNETT FAMILY. Advent of the first newspaper in Yates County. ____________________ Thomas Bennett, Esq.--born July 9, 1768, in Orange Co., N.Y., married Charity Hedges of New Jersey. She was born June 18, 1771, and married in the year 1789. They settled at Wallkill, but emigrated soon after to Exeter, Otsego County, N.Y., where they remained until the year 1812, then removing with their numerous family to what is now Yates County, and settled on the east side of Keuka Lake, on the farm known as the Baxter farm, on the road next east of the Bath road in Milo. Here they resided and cleared and improved their farm for many years, and their family were mostly reared to adult age. They sold this property and removed to a farm now owned by Thomas B. Curtis in the town of Starkey, where they both died. He in Jan. 7, 1860, age 92, and she in March 13, 1845, aged 74. Their family consisted of 14 children--David J., Polly, Elizabeth, Jerusha, Abraham H., Esther, Thomas, Sally, Samuel, Nancy, Stephen, Mehitable, Sophiah and Charity. I. David J., Born July 29, 1790, at Wallkill, N.Y., married Dorothea Morse of Ct., then (1812) of Exeter, N.Y. They settled on a farm south of and adjoining the father's farm in Milo, resided there until 1833, when they removed to Tyrone, Steuben Co., with their family, where she died in 1842, leaving three children--Newman M., Lester B. and Sally. 2. Lester B. married Hannah Hause of Tyrone, and resided in Dundee. His father with him. They have two children--Dorothea and Carrie A. Dorothea married Milton W. Derring, residing at Addison, N.Y. 3. Sally married Freeman Whitehead of Altay, Schuyler Co. They had three children--David J., Lester B. and William F. Mr. Whitehead died at Tyrone. She afterwards married Jason Chamberlain. Emigrated to Amboy, Lee Co., Ill., with their family. Two children by the last marriage--Cornelia and Alvira. II. Polly twin sister died in infancy. III. Elizabeth born Sept. 11, 1792. Died single. IV. Jerusha, born Nov. 3, 1794. Died July 24, 1869. Married Roswell Curtis, and emigrated to Michigan, where they died. They have one son Thomas B. Curtis, now a prominent citizen of Starkey, who married Alvira, daughter of William R. Briggs. They have two children--Frank and Lydia A. V. Abraham H. Bennett was born Dec. 10, 1796, in Otsego Co., N.Y. Married Desdemona, daughter of Ephraim Kidder and stepdaughter of Samuel Lawrence of Milo. They were married Oct. 4, 1817, and settled in Penn Yan, where they remained until they died. He on the 13th of May, 1842, age 45. His wife July 24, 1846, aged 45. They were buried in the cemetery near Caleb Hazen's, opposite the brick school house in the Shaw district in Benton. Mr. Bennett was educated a printer, and served his time with John A. Stephens of the Ontario Messenger, at Canandaigua, a paper long known to and associated with the Democratic party of the then west, as their organ, and conspicuous during the war period of 1812, as favoring the administrations of President Madison, and Governor Tompkins and their associates and supporters during the heated political period, preceding, including and following the war. It was under the schooling of such influences that he acquired his profession, as printer and editor, and it is therefore not surprising that the bent of his mind and associations directed him to the advocacy of those doctrines thus early. We find him soon after attaining his maturity, returning to his adopted county, and there establishing a weekly paper, devoted to the advocacy of the principles of Jeffersonian democracy. In May 1818, he started a newspaper in Penn Yan under the title of "Penn Yan Herald," which he conducted until 1822 with that heading. But deeming the title not sufficiently significant of his veneration for and devotion to the principles which he regarded as underlying all of elemental principles of our institutions, he changed the name and heading of his paper to that of the "Penn Yan Democrat" and so fully established its title to the name during his direction of its course that its popularity became proverbial then, and it has retained the name and heading to this day, under and through all of the changes and varyings of the political compass and parties with that of editors and directors. It must be remembered that this was the first press established and paper printed in Penn Yan (which was then part of Ontario Co.) and was the only paper at and for some time after, the organization of Yates County, within its boundaries; and to those who are only familiar with the boundless facilities of this day for the spread of knowledge and news through the newspaper press, it will be difficult to appreciate its importance and influence in the local community, for it was the very exceptional few, who then saw and read a New York or other than home paper. The habits of Mr. Bennett were always those of strict temperance and frugality--and in his business pursuits he was devoted to his profession and perseveringly industrious, braving as the times demanded, all the difficulties and embarrassments which constantly blocked the path of his profession. The rudeness of the means with which he worked may be judged of by a visit to the present Penn Yan Democrat office, where the old press and its appendages and facilities may be seen and compared with the present. Mr. Bennett was the first county clerk of Yates county, elected in 1822 and served up to Jan. 1832. In 1830 he was appointed Deputy U.S. Marshall and took the first census of the county after its organization. In August 1834, he was appointed Post master at Penn Yan to succeed Ebenezer Brown who emigrated about that time to Indiana--which office he retained until Sept. 1841. Somewhere about Dec. 1840 he purchased the stock in trade of Thomas H. Locke in the book and binding business which he continued up to the time of his death, 1842, May 13th. On June 1st, 1841, Mr. Bennett disposed of his then interest in the Democrat to his son Clement W. Bennett, which had been conducted for some five years previously under the name of Bennett & Reed and in the issue of the fifteenth of the month appears his Valedictory which closed his active and direct connection with the paper. Thus for twenty three years was he interested in and associated with both its advent and progress, and with it, the rapid and wonderful changes and developements [sic] of the county and village, and it is no wonder that his local attachment to both were strong and controlling, for Abraham H. Bennett seemed identified with and a part of each. In all the official positions which he occupied, the discharge of duties was always satisfactory and without taint or delinquence. Socially he was warm and devoted to his friends, and he had no enemies that would own the name. In his family relations he was all kindness and devotion; hence his death was universally felt to be a great loss to both his family and the community to whom he was so long and familiarly known. Their family consisted of six children--Clement Welles, Adelaide G., Henry B., Mary A., Abraham H. and William W. Clement W. born April 21st, 1820, married Margaret M., daughter of William Goundry of Benton, 21st Feb. 1843. For a time they settled in Penn Yan and he was engaged as joint editor and proprietor of the Penn Yan Democrat with Alfred Reed, Esq., and thus conducted the business up to Feb. 1847, when he disposed of his interest in the paper and accepted an appointment in the Treasury department at Washington and occupied it until Jan. 1850 when he resigned and ____ _____ _____ practice of the Legal profession as Attorney and claim agent (which profession he had studied under the late Henry A. Wisner and was admitted to the practice while at Penn Yan) and which he has pursued as a business since, spending with his family a portion of each year at their summer residence in Dresden, Yates Co. They have three children, Adele M., Alice B. and Clement G., all born in Washington, D.C. Adelaide G. married Reverend Oliver I. Sprague, April 17th, 1841. He died in Penn Yan without children. She again married to Dr. B. H. Colegrove of Sardinia, Erie Co., N.Y. where they now reside. Henry B. married Cornelia B., daughter of Henry Bradley, of Penn Yan, Oct. 18th, 1840. They resided in Penn Yan, where he assumed the Book and Stationary business of his father, which he successfully conducted until he sold to James Burns in------and entered into banking--bought the Bank of Bainbridge and brought it to Penn Yan. It was finally closed in consequence of a disastrous failure of N. B. Kidder of Geneva who was part owner in the year 1855. He then removed to the city of New York and engaged in the business of a note broker, [sic] lost his health, returned to Penn Yan, and died of consumption, Feb. 6th, 1859, leaving his wife and two children, Henry B. and Rhoda B. Mrs. Bennett died Oct. 28th, 1859. Mary A. unmarried, is a school teacher, and resides in Penn Yan. Abraham H. Jr. emigrated to Chicago where he married, and now resides. Wm. W. is unmarried, resides in Washington, D.C. and is a druggist. [VI.] Esther, born March 17th, 1799, died single. [VII.] Thomas, born March 8th, 1801, married Eliza Linklighter, and settled in Milo, where she died leaving five children. VIII. Sally, born March 22, 1803, died young. IX. Samuel born Apr. 3, 1805, married Martha A. May of Milo; emigrated finally to Iona, Mich., where they reside. They had four children--Cordelia, Nehemiah, Thomas and Hester. Cordelia married ______ Comstock, and they reside in Canandaigua--no children. Thomas married Lucy Rose of Hammondsport. They reside in Canandaigua. One child. [X.] Nancy, born May 26th, 1807, married _____ Walling. He died, and she resides in Starkey, a widow. X. [should be XI.] Stephen born Sept. 18, 1808, married Betsey Baxter, of Milo, settled in Milo, where he died Sept. 3rd, 1856. They had surviving children--Lavinia, Emily, Isaac and Dell (not married). Lavina married ____ Shepherd and they reside in California. Emily married _______ Gardiner, and they reside in Milo. They have two children. XI. [should be XII.] Mehitable, born Oct. 2d, 1810, married Lewis Wilkins, and reside in Starkey. They have three children, Esther, Minnie, and Sylvester. Esther married ______ Horton of Starkey and resides there. Minnie married Angel, [sic] and resides in Starkey. XII. [should be XIII.] Sophia born May 31st, 1812, married Robert Logan Shannon of Starkey, where she died Dec. 8th, 1845, leaving three children, Mark, Charity and Martin. Mark married Sarah Little of Dundee, and lives at Iona, Mich. Charity married George Smith of Starkey, and resides there. Martin is unmarried. Mr. Shannon married again and removed to Iona, Mich. XIII. [should be XIV.] Charity, born July 4th, 1814, died 13th March, 1845, married Edward Baskin of Starkey, and removed to Tyrone where he died leaving his widow and children, John, Henry, Edward and Scott. R.H.W.