THE BENSON-HALL ROMANCE

If such uncleanness be not punishable . . .sin will abound, sinners be encouraged, and the world fill'd with a generation of bastards..." ~ Samuel Jackson, father of one accused of fornication in 1662

Looking across the Bay from Hull to Boston, "Last Day of Summer" by Susan Fusco-Fazio

Hingham and Hull

John Benson (10GGF) was born ca. 1607 in Caversham, Oxfordshire, England. He married Mary Williams (10GGM) in 1633. Five years later, John and Mary Benson sailed to New England in 1638 on the ship “Confidence” with their two children. They settled in Hingham, MA, which had been established in 1635, the 12th town in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. That same year John received a grant of land.

The Bensons lived in Hingham until 1657 when John sold his lands there and moved to Hull. He was one of the first proprietors of that town and his lands are among the first recorded. It is quite possible that John was a fisherman as well as a farmer. The court records for 1647 state that the town of Hull could continue as they were "provided that ...they endeavor the advancement of fishing, and that such fishermen...and others which shall come thither may have all such reasonable privileges and encouragement as the place will afford..."

John and Mary had four children. John died in 1679 at 72 years with Mary following shortly after in 1681 at 75 years.

The baby of their family, our grandmother Martha Benson (9GGM), may have caused a few gray hairs for John and Mary, as we shall see.

Hull lies only 8.7 miles across the bay from Boston, but today it’s a 27 mile drive around the bay without a boat.

Note: Hull has the distinction of being home to the first "Kennedy Compound." It is now known as the ‘Honey Fitz’ summer house, named after John Fitzgerald, John F. Kennedy’s maternal grandfather, who owned the property and where the Kennedys holidayed for years.

Hull's other distinction is being the home of Fort Revere. Originally called Fort Independence, it was later named in honor of Paul Revere. It was used to protect Boston Harbor dating from the American Revolution through World War II.

Red = Hingham Blue = Hull

the romance which led to scandal

The story of Richard Hall (9GGF) and Martha Benson (9GGM) was uncovered only recently, in 2004. A very distant cousin of ours, who happens to have the same name as our grandfather Richard Hall, is another descendent of Richard and Martha. This modern day Richard Hall did the legwork in finding the information.

Our grandfather Richard Hall (9GGF) was born ca. 1644. We can find no records for his birth in New England so it's probable he was born in England.

Richard's amor, Martha Benson (9GGM) was the 4th child born to John (10GGF) and Mary Benson (10GGM). She was born in Higham in 1644 and moved with her family to Hull in 1657.

The first record we can find for Richard is in 1665 in the town records of Bradford. Bradford is the village our grandfather Robert Haseltine founded with his brother John when they were tending the livestock for the town of Rowley. The Bradford town record mentions “...Goodman Hall’s fence below the burying place…”

Bradford lies directly across the Merrimack River from Haverhill and is a full sixty difficult miles from Hull.

Six years after the fence record, in 1671, a child was born to Richard Hall and Martha Benson. There is no record of her birth and no record of a marriage for Richard and Martha. There are Court records, however, that refer to a pre-marital dalliance between the couple. Just the type of relation that was definitely frowned upon in Puritan America.

With sixty miles lying between their respective towns, how did Richard and Martha meet? Hull is unquestionably off the beaten track. From Court records it appears that Richard may have lived in Hull for a time, possibly dabbling in the fishing trade. It was there, in Hull, that Richard met his true love, Martha. And it was there that the two of them found Martha in the family way without benefit of marriage. After discovering the pregnancy, the couple quickly skedaddled from Hull to Haverhill, probably hoping to avoid Puritan wrath. The Court was not pleased.

On 32 Oct 1671 Richard Hall and Martha Benson were summoned to the Suffolk County Court in Hull:

"Richard Hall & Martha his wife presented for fornication. The Court was informed they were gon to hauarell (Haverhill) & Ordered a spetiall warrt (warrent) to be Issued out for their appearance at the next Court."

From this record, we can see that Richard had done the right thing by Martha and they were married. The time and place of the marriage are unknown.

The warrant from Hull was sent to the Merrimack sheriff who evidently located the couple and sent them back to Hull to face the music.

From Court records 30 Apr 1672:

"Richard Hall of haverill Late of hull presented for fornication wth Martha his now wife before marriage the Court Sentanced them to bee whip't with fifteen Stripes apiece or pay forty shillings apiece fine to the County in mony with fees of Court & charge of the Constable of Merrimack six Shillings Standing committed till the Sentance be performed."

Fifteen stripes! Let's hope Richard and Martha had eighty shillings for the fine.

redemption

Putting the pain and shame behind them, Richard and Martha moved on with their life in Bradford. Two sons were born and, in 1676, Richard applied for and was granted freeman status. Four more children were born to the reformed couple over the next 12 years.

His redemption complete, in November of 1682 Richard, along with our uncle David Haseltine (10U), had the honor of being appointed first Deacons of the new Bradford church. They also signed, with 17 others, the church covenant to form the first church in Bradford.

The story of Richard and Martha goes to show that, while the Puritans were a condemning lot, they were a forgiving lot as well.

Richard and Martha had seven children. Sadly, their first born daughter, Sarah , died in 1690, only 19 years old. Richard died in 1730 at age 86. Martha died sometime after Richard but I can find no record of her death in Bradford.

Richard and Martha's son Richard (8GGF) married Abigail Dalton (8GGM), granddaughter of our grandfather Philemon Dalton (10GGF) from Hampton, NH. We wrote about Philemon in our Daltons in Hampton post.