I tried to mail this on Tuesday and nothing got through. Here goes again!! Bev W -----Original Message----- From: user917826 <user917826@aol.com> To: PA-OLD-CHESTER <PA-OLD-CHESTER@rootsweb.co> Sent: Tue, Aug 28, 2012 3:05 pm Subject: Benjamen Ford and family Hi all... I have been doing a bit more "poking around" regarding the marriages of Benjamin Ford, b. circa 1702 to Reuben and Mary Druitt Ford. We know that Benjamin first married Sarah Rawson, d/o Charles Rawson and wife Mary. Charles Rawson was the son of Olla (Wolla William) Rawson and Britta Andersdotter. He died in 1708. Benjamin ultimately ended up with a great deal of the Rawson property, which included a grist mill. My confusion begins with looking at family trees that suggest that Benjamin was married three times. There seems to be no problem with assigning the first three daughters to wife Sarah. Hanna, Mary and Elizabeth Ford are reported as Sarah Rawson Ford's off spring. My fifth great grandmother, Jane who married 3 times by her early 20s and some of her brothers are attributed to a second spouse and finally, the last six of twelve children are attributed to a third wife "Mary". I for one would like to know how these assignments were made by other descendants. First, I have found no record for the death of Sarah Ford. Looking at the considerable court proceedings regarding her father's estate, even in 1744 when Ford was asked to support his claim to the property, she was listed as his wife. I see no mention of "deceased" in the record. Admittedly, Sarah was very young when Charles Rawson died and her inheritance was no doubt part of her dowry. It looks like she married Benjamin Ford around 1728. While his family appears to have been Quaker, I found him listed as a member of the Chester faction at Old Swedes of New Castle in 1730. Records and activity for Benjamin Ford and his family can be found in New Castle Co., De., Chester Co., Pa and Salem Co. Nj. Most surprisingly, I found an Orphan's Court Record from New Castle asking Benjamin Ford to resume guardianship of Jane Grubb, a widow and a minor in April of1755. Jane had married Peter Grub on 12/24/1754. Jane, who went on to marry a Williams...and became widowed again a year or two later, ultimately married my 5th ggrandfather John Golden of Delaware in 1761. From what I can piece together, Jane might have been all of 22. It also appears that she was very close in age to her sisters, Hannah, who married Thomas Perkins in 1755, Mary who married a Derrickson, and Elizabeth who married Jacob Worrell. Looking at naming patterns of sons, it appears that many of the Ford sons carry the names of Benjamin's family. Benjamin appears to have named h is sons after several of his brothers. Reuben Ford had children: William, Benjamin, Joseph, John, David, Philip. Reuben and Mary. Frankly, thanks to these "naming patterns", I have a hard time trying to figure out which son married which wife. Did brother William Ford's son Benjamin marry Margaret Derrickson or was it Benjamin's Benjamin???? Which Benjamin married a Rebecca.? Of course there are children attributed to Benjamin and "Mary". Was this the last wife of Benjamin Sr? If so, how was the determination made? I am still working on all of this. I am trying to look at some of the Administration records associated with Benjamin Ford in Chester Co. If anyone wants to weigh in with information about these colonial wives, I would really appreciate it. Frankly, it appears to me as though Sarah Rawson might have been mother to at least half of this brood. Regards, Bev W

>From THE 1693 CENSUS OF THE SWEDES ON THE DELAWARE, by Craig Olle Rosse (Rawson)... was among the soldiers arriving on the Eagle in 1654....known then as Olof Rase....and was stationed at Fort Trinity (New Castle) when the fort was surrendered to the Dutch in 1655. Born in Sweden, Olof or Olle was variously identified as Raesen, Rassen, Rase, Rason, Rawsa, Raws, Rawson and Rosen in 17 century records.....probably variants of resen, meaning the giant in Swedish. He died July 25, 1697. Brita was buried at Holy Trinity Church in Wilmington on 22 Aug, 1724. (Brita was the dau of Johan Gustafsson and Brita Mansdotter, probably the daughter of the freeman Mans Andersson.) Charles, one of the children of Olle and Britta, was born in 1660. I looked for wills but didn't find much of interest ...nothing for Benj or Reuben...no wills or adm papers. I'll send this along, in case you can use it. . DRUITT, JOHN. November 18, 1740. Adm. to Elizabeth Druitt.[He left issue, John and Mary Derritt. Widow married John Moore of Brandywine Hundredbefore October 2, 1744:daughter of Charles Rawson ofBrandywine Hundred. She had a 1/3 interest in a small estate.] Sandra " I have been doing a bit more "poking around" regarding the marriages of Benjamin Ford, b. circa 1702 to Reuben and Mary Druitt Ford. We know that Benjamin first married Sarah Rawson, d/o Charles Rawson and wife Mary. Charles Rawson was the son of Olla (Wolla William) Rawson and Britta Andersdotter. He died in 1708. Benjamin ultimately ended up with a great deal of the Rawson property, which included a grist mill. My confusion begins with looking at family trees that suggest that Benjamin was married three times. There seems to be no problem with assigning the first three daughters to wife Sarah. Hanna, Mary and Elizabeth Ford are reported as Sarah Rawson Ford's off spring. My fifth great grandmother, Jane who married 3 times by her early 20s and some of her brothers are attributed to a second spouse and finally, the last six of twelve children are attributed to a third wife "Mary". I for one would like to know how these assignments were made by other descendants. First, I have found no record for the death of Sarah Ford. Looking at the considerable court proceedings regarding her father's estate, even in 1744 when Ford was asked to support his claim to the property, she was listed as his wife. I see no mention of "deceased" in the record. Admittedly, Sarah was very young when Charles Rawson died and her inheritance was no doubt part of her dowry. It looks like she married Benjamin Ford around 1728. While his family appears to have been Quaker, I found him listed as a member of the Chester faction at Old Swedes of New Castle in 1730. Records and activity for Benjamin Ford and his family can be found in New Castle Co., De., Chester Co., Pa and Salem Co. Nj. Most surprisingly, I found an Orphan's Court Record from New Castle asking Benjamin Ford to resume guardianship of Jane Grubb, a widow and a minor in April of1755. Jane had married Peter Grub on 12/24/1754. Jane, who went on to marry a Williams...and became widowed again a year or two later, ultimately married my 5th ggrandfather John Golden of Delaware in 1761. >From what I can piece together, Jane might have been all of 22. It also appears that she was very close in age to her sisters, Hannah, who married Thomas Perkins in 1755, Mary who married a Derrickson, and Elizabeth who married Jacob Worrell. Looking at naming patterns of sons, it appears that many of the Ford sons carry the names of Benjamin's family. Benjamin appears to have named h is sons after several of his brothers. Reuben Ford had children: William, Benjamin, Joseph, John, David, Philip. Reuben and Mary. Frankly, thanks to these "naming patterns", I have a hard time trying to figure out which son married which wife. Did brother William Ford's son Benjamin marry Margaret Derrickson or was it Benjamin's Benjamin???? Which Benjamin married a Rebecca.? Of course there are children attributed to Benjamin and "Mary". Was this the last wife of Benjamin Sr? If so, how was the determination made? I am still working on all of this. I am trying to look at some of the Administration records associated with Benjamin Ford in Chester Co."