Benjamin Child Headstone, Walter Street Burying GroundChapter 7
Benjamin Child III - 1656-1724 (67 Years Old)
Benjamin Child III was born on March 7, 1656 in the village of Jamaica Plains, Roxbury Township, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Benjamin III was the second of twelve children born to Benjamin II and Mary Bowen Child, thus making him the second member of the Child family to be born in America from this direct lineage. It is most likely that Benjamin III was born in a log cabin that was built by his father in the wooded region of Roxbury's northwestern boundary, which was considered as the frontier of the civilized region of Boston during this time period. As a result, the Child homestead of Benjamin III was slowly being cleared of its wooded areas, only to be replaced by crops for cultivation.
Benjamin's older brother Ephraim and his younger brother Joshua were born within a few years of each other, which signifies that these brothers would have shared similar experiences. Because the father of Benjamin III had just migrated to New England with no possessions or money, the early years of these brothers must have been very primitive and filled with long hours of hard work. Nonetheless, Benjamin III and his brothers were raised in an educated home where schooling was of the utmost importance, especially that of a Puritan religious nature. These brothers all attended Congregational services with their father at the First Church of Roxbury, where they were all christened in 1659 by the pastor of the church, Reverend John Eliot.
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| Pilgrims making peace with Massasoit Father of Metacomet (King Philip) |
Because the homestead of the Child family was initially settled on the frontier region of the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the last half of the 17th century, precautions were taken to defend against any hostile Indians. Many of the hostilities between the English settlers and Native Americans could have been avoided if it were not for the majority of the second generation of Puritans who had lost sight of why the first generation had originally come to the New World. When the first generation of Puritans arrived in New England during the first half of the 17th century, their religious zeal was the primary motive for making peace with the Native Americans. In particular, is the peace accord between the Wampanoag Indians and the Pilgrims after they had established the Plymouth Colony in 1620. The fact that the Wampanoag Indians helped the starving Pilgrims survive their first winter by teaching them how to cultivate corn, beans and squash, speaks volumes about their compassion and tolerance for these foreign intruders. By the following spring, the "head sachem" of the Wampanoag tribe, formally known as Massasoit, signed a peace accord with Governor John Carver, who was the Pilgrim leader of the Plymouth Colony. This alliance gave the Pilgrims permission to utilize about 12,000 acres of land for the Plymouth Plantation, where in return, the English would help defend the interests of the Wampanoag Indians against the oppression of neighboring Indian tribes.
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| Indian Tribal Territories of Southern New England during 17th Century |
While the establishment of the Pilgrims for the Plymouth Colony was based on a peace accord with Native Americans, the founding of the Puritans for the Massachusetts Bay Colony originated on different circumstances. When European traders and fishing vessels sailed along the upper shores of New England during the early 17th century, their contact with Native Americans brought epidemics that wiped out approximately ninety percent of coastal populations. In particular, were the Massachusetts Indians, where an European-introduced plague devastated this tribe between 1616-1619. By the time that Governor John Winthrop had arrived with the Puritans in Boston harbor in 1630, there were hardly any Native Americans left in this region, thus resulting in the free settlement of the entire region of the Massachusetts Bay.
Within the next two decades, more that 20,000 Puritans sailed from England and settled in the surrounding vicinity of Boston harbor. These English settlements expanded inland until they eventually came into contact with the Native American settlements of the Nipmuck tribe. As more Puritan settlers encroached upon Indian Territory, skirmishes became more frequent between the two sides. Consequently, Reverend John Eliot of Roxbury stepped forward with the proposal to convert the Native Americans to Christianity, which resulted in passing the Act for the Propagation of the Gospel amongst the Indians by the General Court of Massachusetts in 1646.
By autumn of 1646, Reverend John Eliot had preached his first sermon to the Indians, where he gained his initial converts. Shortly after, Reverend Eliot converted the chief at Natick, which resulted in transforming the village into a gathering place where other Native American converts could settle. By 1649, Eliot's success swayed Parliament in England to form a corporation that would raise funds for the purpose of establishing centers of Puritan learning for the Native Americans throughout New England.
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| John Eliot Translated the Bible and Preached to Native Americans |
Another outcome that resulted from the Indian Acts of the 1640s was the creation of "Praying Towns" throughout New England. These centers were planned towns where converted Indians could move to and govern themselves as Christian societies. The only condition that was required was renouncing their previous religion (beliefs, rituals, etc.), thus adhering to the Puritan form of Christianity. During the lifetime of Reverend John Eliot, he established at least fourteen praying towns among the Nipmuck Indians.
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| Map of Indian Praying Towns in New England during the 17th Century |
The reason that the establishment of praying towns was necessary was based on the fact that converted Indians were rejected by their own tribesmen and viewed as traitors for accepting the white man's religion. In addition, because settlers encroached more and more upon Indian Territory, which resulted in an ever-increasing escalation of skirmishes between the two sides, the Puritans were suspicious of the Indian converts and did not fully accept them. Hence, the irony of this precarious situation had come full circle by the 1670s, when the Indian converts who had accepted Christianity were now caught in the middle of a war where they would become the primary victims.
Because many of the second generation of Puritans had forgotten why the first generation had come to the New World, there was a dramatic decline in religious zeal during the latter half of the 17th century. It appears that numerous Puritans were seduced by land and material goods, which brought about the transition from a communal society centered on God, to an individualistic society based on capitalism. Consequently, the first half of the 18th century witnessed the replacement of the Puritan by the Yankee, where the precursor to this transition was manifested in King Philip's War during the 1670s.
For more than forty years, the peace between the "great sachem" Massasoit and the colonies remained relatively constant until his death in 1661. After his eldest son Wamsutta (King Alexander) succeeded Massasoit, he suddenly died under suspicious circumstances following a visit with the English at the Plymouth Court. The following year, Massasoit's second son Metacomet (King Philip) became the "great sachem" of the Wampanoag, where soon after, the English demanded more and more land from him. By 1671, the English also insisted that the Indians surrender their firearms, which ultimately drove Metacomet to ally himself with many of the other Indian tribes that had lost lands to the white settlers as well. As a result, King Philip's War broke out in the summer of 1675 when the Indian tribes attacked many of the colonists who lived on or around the fringes of their lands. These unexpected attacks devastated the white settlers with a relentless slaughter, where women and children were not even spared. Of the 90 English settlements, the allied Indians attacked 52, where many communities were burned to the ground.
The fact that the competing Indian tribes had finally allied themselves together and carried out surprise attacks on the English settlers caused immense fear and panic throughout New England. As a response, a colonial army was raised to deal with the insurrection which affected the family of Benjamin Child(e) II. His eldest son Ephraim, who was twenty-one years old at the time, was enlisted in Captain Beers' company, which consisted of 36 mounted men and two-man ox team. The company was ordered to respond to the Indian attacks that were occurring on the upper Connecticut River around the settlement of Northfield, Massachusetts.
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| King Philip's War where Ephraim Child died Eldest son of Benjamin II |
When Captain Richard Beers' company arrived within four miles of Northfield on September 4, 1675, they were ambushed by a force of Indians about four times their size, which consisted of the Wampanoag, Nipmuck, Squakeag, Nashaway, and Quaboag tribes. A fierce battle was fought and the company was overpowered, whereby Captain Beers, Ephraim Child, and twenty other valiant men were slain, scalped, and beheaded. Only 16 soldiers managed to escape and eventually find their way back to the colonial fort at Hadley. The Northfield Massacre was the final act that served as the impetus that brought together the New England Confederation, which officially declared war on the hostile Native Americans on September 9, 1675.
Throughout the ensuring winter, the united Indian tribes continued to maintain the upper hand in King Philip's War by carrying out surprise raids that decimated many settlements. However, by the spring of 1676, the tide had changed for the Colonists when they used a numerical advantage through a war of attrition to sweep across the land and eliminate many of the Indian raiding parties. By the summer of 1676, the Indian tribes were no longer united, which resulted in various tribes abandoning the fight all together. The great sachem Metacomet (King Philip) was eventually betrayed by his own people, where he was hunted down in a "miery swamp" near the bay of Mt. Hope, Rhode Island and killed on August 12, 1676.
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| Left: King Philip and his Seat Right: Mount Hope Swamp and Bay, Rhode Island |
Although the Colonists were victorious, King Philip's War was a disaster for both sides in terms of the human ratio of death and material cost. Historians have considered it the most detrimental war in American history, even more that the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. At least one in every ten settlers in New England died in the campaign, which resulted in the deaths of 600 soldiers and 2,000 women and children. Even the family of Benjamin Child(e) II was not exempt, where he offered his eldest son on the altar of patriotism. Nevertheless, this sacrifice was indirect in comparison to those made by the real victims of the war, the Praying Indians. It is evident that the greatest suffering occurred with the Indian Christians who were caught in the middle of both sides.
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| Promises for Praying Indians that were Forsaken (emphasis added) |
Soon after these Indians had accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, they were tried even as the apostles of old, for both sides had rejected them. Because many hostile Native Americans viewed them as traitors for accepting the white man's God, the Indians killed many of the converts that lived in the praying towns. The second generation of Puritans responded by removing all of these "non-trusting" Praying Indians to an island in Boston harbor, where soon after they forsook them by withdrawing all support. As a result, many Indian Christians died from starvation during the winter or were sold into slavery. Hence, the real unsung heroes of King Philip's War will echo throughout the eternities as they receive crowns of righteousness for being faithful unto death.
There is no doubt that the death of Ephraim Child in King Philip's War was a devastating blow and tremendous sacrifice for the Child family. The comparison of his death to those of the Praying Indians was based on the circumstances of defending the interests of the colonies versus being a victim that was forsaken by both sides for the Christian religion. Nevertheless, Ephraim's sacrifice was still a necessary step for the progression of the colonies, if they were ever to assert their independence in order that the restoration of the gospel could eventually be realized. Hence, while the Praying Indians made a direct sacrifice, Ephraim Child made an indirect sacrifice that was manifested 155 years before its time as an essential milestone for ushering in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
The sibling of the Benjamin Child(e) II family that was affected the most by the death of Ephraim Child was his younger brother Benjamin III. Because these brothers were born within two years of each other, they would have been close from the many experiences that they shared together. As a result, Benjamin III lost his best friend who had been a role model for him growing up. In addition, the death of Benjamin's elder brother Ephraim made him the heir to his father's estate, due to the fact that the British laws of primogeniture were clearly in force in the colonies during this time period. Benjamin III was now the inheritor of the birthright, which entitled him to a larger share or double portion of his father's property.
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| Benjamin Child (e) II Homestead of 1665 Additions by Benjamin III |
By the time that Benjamin Child III was nineteen years old, he had experienced the tragic death of three of his siblings within the previous four years, which would have reminded him of the fragility of life. While these tribulations clearly affected his life in an everlasting way, there is no doubt that the next tragedy that he experienced at the age of twenty-two altered the course of his Child bloodline forever. When his father Benjamin II was only forty-seven years old, he suddenly passed away in 1678. This unexpected tragedy must have been very difficult for Benjamin III to endure, knowing that he was close to his father, who also gave him his name. Although the loss of his father was difficult, Benjamin III was now the head of the family. It must have been arduous for Benjamin III to mourn the loss of his father, while providing strength for his mother and younger siblings. He must have felt the weight of the world press down upon him as he adjusted to his new life providing for his brothers and sisters that ranged from four to twenty years of age. As Benjamin III took over the responsibilities of the house, his mother Mary never remarried, but continued to live with him for the next thirty years, until she passed away in 1707.
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| Benjamin Child III Homestead with addition of Horse Stables |
With the death of his father, Benjamin Child III received new responsibilities within the community as the head of the household. As a result, at the young age of twenty-two, Benjamin III was elected Selectman of Roxbury from 1678 to 1684. In addition, while Benjamin III adjusted in his new role as a provider for his mother's family, he must have relied heavily on his younger brother Joshua for help. Because Benjamin III and Joshua were less than two years apart, they had a tight relationship with each other, in which the tragic death of their elder brother most likely brought them closer. It appears that both of them courted the daughters of Deacon Edward Morris of the Second Church of Roxbury. Consequently, on Benjamin's twenty-seventh birthday on March 7, 1683, he married the twenty-two year old Grace Morris at the Second Church of Roxbury. Two years later, Benjamin's brother Joshua married Grace's sister Elizabeth Morris. The fact that Benjamin III and Joshua lived next to each other their entire lives, and were buried in the same cemeteries indicates an everlasting friendship that was shared between these two brothers.
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| Joshua Child's Land in Brookline next to the Land of Benjamin Child III |
It is interesting to note that Benjamin III shared something in common with his grandfather Benjamin I, where both of their wives became pregnant soon after their weddings. Exactly nine months and eleven days after the marriage of Benjamin III and Grace Morris, they gave birth to their first child on December 18, 1683. Their eldest son was named Ephraim, after Benjamin's elder brother and his father's uncle.
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| Children of Benjamin II and Grace Morris Child |
Another similarity that Benjamin III shared in common with his namesake comes from his father Benjamin II, who also had twelve children. However, Benjamin III did not have to endure the tragedy of losing children like his father had done, for all of his twelve children survived into adulthood. Benjamin's trial was different, in that when his first child was born, he was also providing for two younger brothers, a nine-year and twelve-year, along with two younger sisters, a fourteen-year old and seventeen-year old. There is a twenty-three year difference in age between the first and last-born child of the twelve children of Benjamin III, which were all born between 1683 and 1706. This could indicate that Benjamin's wife Grace gave birth to her last child when she was forty-five years old. Thus, the majority of Benjamin's life involved raising, caring, and providing for a total of nineteen children, when his seven younger siblings are included, along with his own twelve children. Benjamin III must have been a benevolent and patient human being for our Heavenly Father to put him in such a delicate and sensitive situation, by entrusting him with the great responsibility of caring for so many of his spirit children.
Benjamin III not only ran a prosperous farm, but also played an active part in the political affairs of Jamaica Plains.
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| Early Painting of Jamaica Plains Village Roxbury Township, Massachusetts |
A great honor was bestowed upon Benjamin III when he was elected a member and representative of the General Court of Massachusetts. This high honor was only granted to the most influential citizens of each community that radiated the highest standards of morality, honesty, and integrity. In addition, Benjamin III served in the position as one of the Colonial Auditors. The general meeting records of the Freemen of Roxbury indicate that Benjamin III served as a town officer many times. Moreover, he served as a Surveyor of Highways during the years of 1703-1704 and 1720-1722. The influence of the Child family in the Township of Roxbury can still be seen today, where a street that bears the Child name intersects the main road of the village of Jamaica Plans.
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| Child Street Sign in Jamaica Plains Village Roxbury Township, Massachusetts |
In addition to civic affairs, Benjamin III took an active role in religious duties, where he served faithfully in the Congregational Church. The records of the First and Second Churches of Roxbury reveal that Benjamin III and his family were active in these congregations for nearly sixty years, from 1658-1717. All of Benjamin's children were baptized and continued to be devout members of these Puritan congregations until the Church of Jamaica Plains was organized and built in 1717.
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| Jamaica Plains Church built in 1717 Roxbury Township, Massachusetts |
From this point on, Benjamin III and his family only had to travel less than a mile to attend church services on Sunday, instead of the four-mile trek into the hub of Roxbury Center. There is no doubt that Benjamin III and Grace were devoutly religious and that they instilled good Christian virtues within all of their children.
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| Map of Benjamin Child II-III Sites in Jamaica Plains, Roxbury, Massachusetts |
Benjamin's wife Grace Morris Child lived to be sixty-three years old, where she peacefully passed away on December 10, 1723. It is evident that Grace lived a full life where she was able to see all her children grow into adulthood and bring forth numerous grandchildren for her to thoroughly enjoy before she passed on to the spirit world. It is most likely that the death of Benjamin's beloved wife must have been too much for him to handle, for within a month and a half, Benjamin III was reunited with her as he passed away on January 24, 1724. As other Child historians have noted about their formidable and everlasting marriage, "This union, so complete, was broken by death, but for an exceedingly brief period."
The fact that Benjamin and Grave Morris Child attended the new church that was organized and built in Jamaica Plains in 1717 indicates that a new burial ground would have been set apart as well. As a result, Benjamin III was not buried in the Eliot Burying Ground like his Child predecessors from Roxbury had been, but rather was entombed in the new Central Burying Ground of Jamaica Plains. There are only a handful of tombstones that have survived in this small cemetery that is located within the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. The state of preservation of Benjamin III and Grace's tombstone is in remarkable condition after weathering the elements for almost 300 years. This monument is close in proximity to the tombstone of his brother Joshua and his wife Elizabeth.
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| Benjamin III Tombstone at Central Burying Ground Jamaica Plains, Massachusetts |
In conclusion, Benjamin Child III was the first member of his ascendant Child bloodline to be born and raised in America. Although Benjamin III started out in very humble and primitive circumstances, our Heavenly Father placed him in several perplexing and extenuating situations that allowed him to prosper abundantly in this chosen land. It is evident that the prosperity of Benjamin III did not occur by setting his heart upon the materialistic things of this world like so many Puritans of the second generation had done throughout New England, but rather resulted from Divine Providence smiling upon his precarious situation. The course of his bloodline was forever changed with the death of his elder brother Ephraim, thus making him the heir to his father's large estate, which also resulted from the abundance of blessings that the Lord had previously poured out upon the Child family. Furthermore, the unexpected death of his father changed the direction of his life forever, by placing the added responsibility upon him of raising his younger siblings, while caring for his children as well. It is apparent that these difficult trials and tribulations were placed upon Benjamin III because the Lord knew that he was not only mentally strong enough to endure them, but also spiritually sensitive enough to show forth love, affection, and compassion towards his father's remaining family. As tragic as these conditions were, Benjamin III showed forth great resolve and fortitude in the face of insurmountable odds, and rose above these trials like so many of his Child ancestors had done in the past. It is only through the religious convictions of his Puritan upbringing that his parents instilled within him as a youth that allowed him to radiate the highest moral character that the noblest of mankind can possess.
Pages 221-237
"The Ancestry of Alfred Bosworth Child" Mark B. Child, Ph.D./Paul L. Child, D.D.S., 2008 printed by Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
Benjamin became the patriarch of the Child family and settled his father's estate. The deed of sale of his brother Ephraim's property is recorded in the name of Benjamin Child who acted for the heirs. On the 15 of May 1699 Benjamin settled his father's estate then of 46 acres (originally had over 80 acres) partly in Boston, partly in Roxbury. Jacob Chamberlain, Mary Child Chamberlain, Elizabeth Child, Margaret Child, Samuel Perrin, Mehetabel Perrin, and John Child. Joshua Child gave his portion unto Benjamin Child and his heirs forever.
Benjamin Child was married on 7 March 1683 at Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, to Grace Morriss. Grace was born 17 February 1661, daughter of Lt. Edward Morriss and Grace Bert. Edward Morriss was also a deacon of the Roxbury Church. Grace was admitted into the Church at Roxbury 21 June 1681. She died 10 December 1723 at the old Child homestead in Roxbury. Benjamin Child III died 24 January 1724 at Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, and is buried in the Central Hill Burial Yard of Boston, Massachusetts. Benjamin Child's tombstone is the second oldest tombstone in the Boston area.
Benjamin and Grace Child lived on the Roxbury Child homestead most of their lives except the few years they went to Woodstock, Connecticut. with their seven sons. Roxbury is now a part of Brookline, which was incorporated into the city of Boston in the early 1700's.
The children of Benjamin and Grace Child are listed in the Roxbury Parish Register partly under Childe and the last three under Child. Benjamin Child dropped the English spelling of Childe with "e" and the descendants since that time left the "e" off. Some later generations added the "s" but most spell the name Child.
Benjamin was one of the great and noble early settlers of New England. He took an active part in church and civic and state political affairs. Benjamin was elected a selectman of Roxbury from 1677 to 1684. A great honor came when he was elected a member and Representative of the General Court of Massachusetts. He was also one of the Colonial Auditors.
Benjamin's sons wanted the excitement of opening a new settlement. In 1709 Benjamin took seven of his eight sons to New Roxbury, later named Woodstock, Connecticut. This settlement was eight miles across the Massachusetts border into Connecticut. Edward, the 3rd son, remained in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and inherited the Benjamin Child estate upon the death of his father. Before Benjamin died, he returned to Roxbury to live the last few years of his life. Grace died a year before Benjamin in 1723, and Benjamin in January of 1724. He is buried with the great settlers in Boston, Massachusetts.
Supplementary information:
found on childgenealogy.org
Benjamin Child, second child of Benjamin and Mary (Bowen) Child, born 1656, the next progenitor, was given the seniority of his father's family, through the death of his elder brother Ephraim, and the British laws of Primogeniture being then in force in the colonies, he was thereby the inheritor of the large share of his father's property. He remained at the homestead, and felt constrained to follow in all good ways the example of his parents. Moved by the charms of a fair young maiden, he asked her hand in marriage, and on the 7 March 1683, he was united in holy wedlock to Grace Morris, who was born 17 February 1661, daughter of Deacon Edward and Grace (Bett) Morris. They were also the parents of twelve children. This union so complete, was broken by death, and for an exceedingly brief period. Mrs. Grace Morris Child died 10 December 1723, and her husband joined her 24 January 1724. (Ref. Child Family History, and Roxbury Vital Records)
Page 533
Benjamin, second son and child of Benjamin and Mary Child of Roxbury, was born in Roxbury, in 1656. the death of his elder brother, Ephraim Child, gave him the seniority in his father's family, and the British laws of primogeniture being then in force in the colonies, he was thereby the inheritor of the larger share of his father's property, or the Benjamic "double portion."
He remained at the homestead, and we believe felt constrained to follow in all good ways the example of his parents. Moved by the charms of a fair young maiden, he asked her hand in marriage, and on the 7th of March, 1683, he was united in holy wedlock to Grace Morris, who was born February 17, 1661, a daughter of Deacon Edward and Grace Bett Morris. "Deacon Morris was one of the projectors and early settlers of the town of Woodstock, Connecticut. From 1677 to 1684, he was one of the selectmen of Roxbury, and during the same period was also a deputy from that town to the General Court of Massachusetts, and during part of the time Colonial Auditor. Grace Morris was admitted to the church June 21, 1681." The goodly number of twelve sons and daughters again made cheery the Puritan's demure household. Deed of sale of the property of his brother Ephraim, is on record in the name of Benjamin Child, who acted for the heirs. We give the quaint document accompanying--wherein he settles with brothers and sisters in the partition of the paternal heritage, as many will be interested to look in this way into the past. This union, so complete, was broken by death, but for an exceedingly brief period. Mrs. Grace Morris Child died on 10th of December 1723, and her husband joined her on 24th of January, 1724.
Pages 541-542
Histories of Child, Rawson, Coffin and Holtzclaw Families
Compiled, written, and published by Fern Roberts Morgan
Printed by M.C. Printing, Inc., Provo, Utah
Very interesting, how did you find all this out. I'm living in England at the moment, anything you need me to find at the National Archives? I did find his fathers will and have some pictures.
ReplyDeleteIs there a way I can have copies of the will and photos? I am also a direct descendant.
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