Holbrook line: Benjamin Hearnden Harrington Herendeen

For simplicity's sake, I'm going to use the spelling Hearnden in this post, but Benjamin's name was spelled in many different ways during his lifetime; he was apparently illiterate as he signed his name with an X on legal documents.

Information abounds about this ancestor, and so do stories that can't be proven.  Also people look at the same set of facts and draw different conclusions.  So, I'll just say that some people think his parents were James Harrington and Ann Clinton-Fiennes, which lines probably trace back to English nobility.  Others say his father was likely Robert Harrington.  It is known that James and Ann had a son named Benjamin and that they all came to Boston in 1630.  James died in 1630 and Ann in 1632 and Benjamin went to live with an uncle, Charles Clinton-Fiennes.  The story goes that Charles was a strict Puritan and Benjamin had become a Baptist.  Uncle Charles severely flogged Benjamin for this, and Benjamin then went to Rhode Island.  Another story says that when escaping to Rhode Island, Benjamin joined a family of Quakers also enroute to Providence Plantation, and that is how Benjamin met his future wife.  These are stories and speculation only, but it seems to be true that Benjamin was a Baptist and Elizabeth White, his wife, was a Quaker.  Choose for yourself how much of the story, or which stories, you want to believe.

What is well documented is that Benjamin had some run ins with the law in Massachusetts.  There was a man of his name presented in court in Lynn, Massachusetts for beating his wife in 1647.  It appears that this was about the same time that the Hearnden's moved to Rhode Island, although it is possible that they shuttled from Lynn to Providence and back again for a few years, while they were establishing crops in Providence to support themselves, and while there was work for a bricklayer (Benjamin's occupation) in Massachusetts.  He took the oath of allegiance in Providence in 1648, and received a land grant in 1651, which may have been the first time he was old enough to receive a grant.  He acquired several more plots of land during his lifetime, so that he was able to pass land on to each of his surviving sons.

Benjamin and Elizabeth each seem to have had difficulties with their neighbors.  Elizabeth was found guilty of stealing clothing from Mary Pray, the wife of Richard Pray.  (Elizabeth would marry Richard Pray as his second wife after Benjamin's death, so it's hard to figure out what was going on here).  Elizabeth's family received a house lot next to that of Benjamin and Elizabeth, and there were court proceedings involving altercations between the two families.  At another time, Benjamin was charged with inciting an Indian to kill John Clawson.  John Clawson was killed by the Indian and the Indian was executed for it, but Benjamin was acquitted of being an accessory to the crime.

Benjamin had several dealings with our ancestor Roger Williams, and one writer says the two families were related.  Another writer hints that it was Clawson that was Benjamin's relation.  I've not found anything to connect Benjamin to either family, except as neighbors.

Benjamin died between February 1686/87 and May 17, 1687.  His estate was probated about a year later and was valued at either 42 pounds and change, or 142 pounds and change (two different amounts reported and I've not yet found the original to judge for myself).  His estate included the typical farm animals and implements as well as land.  As mentioned above, Elizabeth married Richard Pray for her second husband.  Benjamin and Elizabeth had nine children together, all adults by the time their father died.

It's an interesting couple.  Benjamin was a Baptist with a not totally savory reputation, and Elizabeth was a Quaker who perhaps made little defense when charged with stealing clothes from the first wife of her second husband.  It would be interesting to hear their sides of these issues.  It would also be interesting to know what their reputation was in Providence.  I'd also like to know whether it was Benjamin, or Benjamin Jr who participated in King Philip's War. (It appears that the Herendens did leave Providence when the town was burned, but returned fairly soon after.)  Either way, I wonder what Elizabeth thought of her husband or son participating in war.

Our line of descent is:

Benjamin Hearnden-Elizabeth White
Alice Hearnden-Daniel Brown
Hosanna Brown-Mary Hawkins
Othniel Brown-Deborah Brown (yes, cousins)
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen