The family of Benjamin Slot 1721-1796

Oh boy.  There are several men named Benjamin Slot in this time period, at least two born on the same day to the same parents.  Inevitably, children born to our Benjamin Slot are mixed with those born to another Benjamin Slot, even though a cursory look shows that the children are born in two distinctly different places and have birthdates that make it highly unlikely, if not impossible, for them to all belong to the same man.  To make things more interesting, most of the children in this family changed their name from Slot to Lock, although we only have records for William.  

Our Benjamin Slot was born about May 21, 1721 in Hackensack, New Jersey, the son of Jacobus and Maria or Mary Demarest Slot.  He married Sarah Demarest, the daughter of Samuel and Lea Demarest Demarest.  (Yes, there are a lot of intertwining relationships here, but this is about the Slot family so I'll stick to that focus.) Our Benjamin traveled with a group of people from the Hackensack area and lived for a time in Conewago Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania before moving on to Mercer County, Kentucky and eventually Shelby County, Kentucky, where the group was known as Low Dutch. Our Benjamin died in Mercer County (possibly Shelby County) in 1796.  Note that there is no room in this narrative for the Benjamin who went to Nova Scotia after the Revolutionary War and died there in 1820.  I have not researched that Benjamin at all, but it's quite possible that he was a Loyalist during the war.  

I have great difficulty in sorting out the children of Benjamin and Sarah, from a list of potentially 13-15 children.  These couples did tend to have a lot of children, but they also, at least in Benjamin and Sarah's case, usually left records of their birth.  I have not been able to verify many of them, but will list those that I think are most probable.

Samuel was born in 1762, and it makes sense that a child of the couple would be named Samuel, but I have not found records where I would expect to find them.  This is therefore a tentative identification.

By 1763, the family was on the move and Jacobus was born in Clarkstown, New York.  He apparently lived a short life, with one death date showing as 1764 but I've not found the source for that yet.

Benjamin was born in 1766 in Schenectady, New York, and like Jacobus, appears to have had a short life, with a death date in 1767.   

Petrus or Peter was born in 1770 and may be the Peter Lock who died in 1850 in Switzerland County, Indiana.  If so, perhaps he was married twice, to Hannah Bradley or Bradby, and to Rhoda unknown.   

John or Johannes was born in 1772 and died in 1841 in Decatur County, Indiana.  He married Rachel Knox, not yet further identified.  Their known children are Jemima, Phoebe and Cinthia.     

Finally, William was born in 1779.  (Note the seven year timing.  It is certainly possible that more children were born during the interim, but I am unable to confirm or deny any specific names.) William died in 1854 in Craig, Switzerland County, Indiana.  He married Elizabeth Tague or Teague, the daughter of John  and  Elizabeth (possibly Watkins but not verified) Teague.  Their children are Sally, Leah, Elijah, Samuel, and Catherine.  I will follow this family in my next post.  

Other names I have seen attached to this family are Gerardis and Polly, but I have no further information about either of them, and they are still to be researched more fully.

Sarah remarried after Benjamin's death, to George Admire, and died after 1804.  She and Benjamin had an eventful life, from settled homes in New Jersey to moving to New York, then Pennsylvania, possibly Virginia, and Kentucky.  The French and Indian War, and the Revolutionary War, and numerous battles with indigenous peoples were all fought during their lifetime, and it's not hard to think that at some point Benjamin may have participated in America's growth as a military, or at least militia, member.  More research needs to be done.