Benjamin WICKHAM ²

  General Notes:

PARENTAGE: In John Wickham's Revolutionary War pension application, Benjamin Wickham was referred to as his "oldest son".

BIRTH DATE: a DAR application lists Benjamin's birth year as 1761.

MARRIAGES: It is possible that Benjamin was married twice and that his wife Jerusha was not the mother of Benjamin's oldest child/children. Jerusha would only have been 3 when the Benjamin's oldest child, Nathan, was born. There does not appear to be a wife of Benjamin's listed in the 1800 census, so his first wife may have died by then.

NEW YORK IN THE REVOLUTION AS COLONY & STATE, Vol. 1, 1904, p. 149:
Heading: Dutchess County Militia -- Sixth Regiment
Rank: Enlisted Men
Name: Benjamin Wickham; Benjamin Wickham, Jr.; Daniel Wickham
(Are either of these Benjamin's the correct one?)

1786: A Tax Roll for the District of Coxsackie in the County of Albany pursuant to a Law of the State of New York passed 29th April 1786:
Benjamin "Wickhams" 3 Pounds Quota 3 S
(Note: Unsure if this is the correct Benjamin Wickham.)
(Note: According to the "NY Genealogical & Biographical Society" web-site: The district of Coxsackie in Albany County was transferred to Green County in 1800. Some of the towns that were formed from the Coxsackie district were Durham, New Baltimore, part of Greenville, part of Cairo and part of Athens.)

1790 NY CENSUS, Albany Co, Easton:
Benjn(?) Wickham -
2 males above 16 (John, Sr. & Benjamin?)
1 male under 16 (John, Jr.?)
6 females (John's wife, Benjamin's wife, ?,?,?,?,?)
(Listed next to Benoni Reynolds on the census.)
(Note: According to the "NY Genealogical & Biographical Society" web-site: In 1788 Easton was part of Saratoga District of Albany County. In 1789 part of Easton was transferred to Saratoga County and in 1791 part of Easton was transferred to Washington County.)

1987 LETTER FROM CHUCK & FRANCES MERRY TO MARY ANN MARASICK, Waterford, PA;
"Rensselaer Co, N.Y. is, was and has always been a big problem as far as our research is concerned. The patroon system around Albany more or less precluded ownership of land by the settlers, so records go from scanty to non-existant. John Wickham as well as Benjamin, Warren and William Wickham and Thomas Balis were leaseholders in the Manor of Rensselaerwyck. This we learned from a deed from one Van Rensselaer to another, in which the property description included at least 5 pages of lease holders, front and back. Ebenezer Merry was also a lease holder in said Manor (in 1789, 1793 & 1794), as was his son William."

1990 LETTER FROM CHUCK & FRANCES MERRY TO EMMETT R. WELLS:
"We can follow a John Wickham through Rensselaer Co, N.Y. by means of a deed from one Van Rensselaer to another in which at least 5 pages of leases were used as part of the property description. (Res. Co. Deeds 77:400 John Wickham 65th lease, Benjamin and Warren Wickham jointly 73rd lease)."

1800 NY CENSUS, Otsego Co, Milford:
John Wickham:
1 m. under 10 (Benjamin's son Nathan Henry?)
2 m. 16-25 (William? & John, Jr.?)
1 m. 26-44 (Benjamin?)
1 m. over 45 (John)
1 f. 10-15 (?- if this is Benjamin's wife Jerusha, is her age incorrect? or Minerva?)
1 f. over 45 (John's wife)
(Listed next to John Wickham on the census were Ambrose Merry, Warren Wickham, and Richard "Baits" and listed nearby were Thomas Bates, Silas Ackley, Ephraim Bates & Elisha Lyon.)
(Note: No record was found of Benjamin Wickham in the 1800 census so it is possible that Benjamin and his family were living with John Wickham, Benjamin's father.)

LAND RECORDS, Milford, Otsego Co:
Benjamin Wickham and John Wickham, of the town of Milford, bought 100 acres of land on Oct 23, 1800 from William Cooper, of Cooperstown, for $300. (Unsure if this John Wickham was Sr. or Jr. )

1810 NY CENSUS, Otsego Co, Milford:
Bn. Wickham:
2 m. under 10 (Lester? & Benjamin, Jr.?)
1 m. 10-15 (Nathan?)
1 m. over 45 (Benjamin)
1 f. 16-25 (Jersuha?)
(Listed next to Jn. Wickham, Jn. Wickham, W. Wickham, Wm. J. Wickham, A. Merry, T. "Bailus" and E. "Ferinton".)

LAND RECORDS, Otsego Co, NY, May 13, 1816:
John Wickham and Hannah, his wife, and Benjamin Wickham and Jerusha, his wife, all of the town of Milford in the Co. of Otsego sold 100 acres of land for $1,000.

Benjamin moved from NY to what was then Morgan Co. (later became Noble Co., Olive Twp), OH, sometime about 1816, after selling land in Otsego Co, NY. Benjamin had at least 5 sons and 4 daughters according to the census.

1820 OH CENSUS, Morgan Co, Olive Twp:
Benjamin "Wickam":
3 m. under 10 (Alpheus?, Elias? & Benjamin, Jr.?)
1 m. 10-16 (Lester?)
1 m. 45 and older (Benjamin)
2 f. under 10 (Lorana & ?)
1 f. 26-45 (Jerusha?)
Two in family in agriculture.

EARLY TAX RECORDS, OH:
John Wickham, Jr. and Benjamin Wickham were listed as living in Morgan Co, OH in 1825.

History of Noble Co, OH, 1887, ChapterXVII, Olive Township, p. 315:
The following is a list of the holders of real estate in Olive Township in 1826, taken from the Morgan County tax duplicate for that year: Benjamin Wickham; John Wickham, Jr. (and many other names)
p. 316: Few of the families moved directly to Duck Creek from New England, but most of them came here after spending a few years within the present limits of Washington Co. - - - Nearly all of the first settlers located along the West Fork of Duck Creek, and that part of the township was considerably improved before much land was taken up elsewhere.

1830 OH CENSUS, Morgan Co, Olive Twp:
Benjamin Wickham:
2 m. 10-15 (Elias? & Abisha?)
1 m. 15-20 (Alpheus?)
2 m. 20-30 (Lester? & Benjamin, Jr.?)
1 m. 60-70 (Benjamin?)
1 f. under 5 (Philinda?)
1 f. 5-10 (Cynthia?)
2 f. 15-20 (Lorana? & Minerva?)
1 f. 40-50 (Jerusha?)
(Listed next to John Wickham on census.)

1840 OH CENSUS, Morgan Co, Olive Twp:
Benj Wickham
1 m. under 5 (Silas - son of Lorana?)
1 m. 5-10 (James - son of Lorana?)
1 m. 15-20 (Abisha?)
2 m. 20-30 (Lester? & Alpheus?)
1 m. 70-80 (Benjamin)
1 f. 5-10 (Hulda - daughter of Lorana?)
1 f. 10-15 (Philinda?)
1 f. 15-20 (Cynthia?)
1 f. 20-30 (Lorana?)
1 f. 50-60 (Jerusha?)
(Listed next to Benj Wickham, Jr. on census.)

DEVOLLD CEMETERY RECORDS: a deed record, N-276, Morgan Co. shows that Benjamin Wickham and wife Jerusha, deeded an acre of ground to the Trustees of Olive Twp, "where the graveyard now is"; recorded 9 June 1846.
(Note: Their stones are no longer readable, 1986; Benjamin is in Eynon's listing 1768-1851.)

1850 OH CENSUS, Morgan Co, Union Twp:
Benjamin Wickham, 82, farmer, $700 real estate, b. NY;
Jerusha, 60, b. MA;
Cynthie, 27,b. OH;
Philinda, 24, b. OH.
Benjamin was a farmer, owning $700 of real estate.
(Listed as a seperate family in the same household was Benjamin's daughter, Lorana Wickham, and 2 of her children.)

OH, WILLS & PROBATE RECORDS, 1786-1998:
Name: Benjamin Wickhams
Probate Place: Noble, Ohio, USA
Inferred Death Place: Ohio, USA
Item Description: Index to Wills, Vol 1-17
Will Record: Vol. 1, page 15
Case#:11
Box: 1

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF BENJAMIN WICKHAM:
I, Benjamin Wickham, of the County of Noble in the State of Ohio, do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following, that is to say:
First, it is my will that my funeral expenses and all my just debts be paid.
Second I give, devise and bequeath to my beloved wife Rusha Wickham in lieu of her dower, the one third part of the farm on which we now reside situate in the County of Noble and State of Ohio containing seventy nine acres during her natural life. I also give and bequeath to my said wife one horse beast, one cow and the household and kitchen furniture. Also one years provisions for her.
Item third, I hereby authorize my administration to sell my personal property and land and divide the money amongst my children.
Item fourth, I devise and bequeath to my four daughters, Manerva Rubal, and Raney Wickham, and Sinthey Devore, and Filda Wickham twenthy-five dollars to each one of them when collected.
Item fifth, I devise and bequeath the balance of my estate again be divided equally amongst my six sons, namely, Nathan Wickham & Leicester Wickham and Alf (sic) Wickham & Elias Wickham & Benjamin Wickham & Byshere Wickham to their heirs and assigns forever.
and lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint John Lanam to be the executor for this my last will and testament revoking and annulling all former wills by me made and ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 16th day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty one.
Benjamin Wickham (his mark)
Signed, Published and declared by the above named Benjamin Wickham as and for his last will and testament in presence of us, who at his request have signed as Witnesses to the same.
signed by William Hill and Thomas Balis
Will probated in 1852. Recorded in Will Book 1, p. 117, Noble, Co, OH

TOMBSTONE: Benjamin Wickham died July 12, 1851 - aged 83 yr 3 mo 12 days

Benjamin married Jerusha "Rusha" (---) in 1791 in NY.¹ (Jerusha "Rusha" (---) was born about 1790 in MA ⁴ and died after 1856 in probably OH.)