Deacon Benjamin Parsons - Current research and information

Private User Writes:

Some current research and information from professional literature. Was searching for a friend and ran across the following information summarized below:

There were at least three Benjamin Parsons born 1620-1630, one of whom died young, the other were ("England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975.” http://FamilySearch.org):

Beniaminus Parsons, 1 May 1625, St. Mary's, Beaminster, Dorset, England to Williami Parsons
Beniamyn Parsons, 17 Mar 1627, Sandford-On-Thames, Oxford, England to Hughe Parsons

Benjamin b. 1627 did not have a brother Joseph, but Benjamin b. 1625 did.

Josephus Parsons, 25 Jun 1620, St. Mary's, Beaminster, Dorset, England to Williami Parsons

The brothers Joseph and Benjamin Parsons were born to (England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973, Beaminster, Dorset, England, http://FamilySearch.org images at http://pfawr.org/wm.html):

William Parsons and Margaret Hoskins, 15 Nov. 1602

The Parsons family was the subject of an article in the first NEHGR in which the compilers referred to Joseph and Benjamin as brothers. This conclusion was based on a letter later published in the NEHGR (v. 12, p. 175) From the Rev. Johnathon Parsons to his son Maj. Gen. Samuel Holden Parsons. Further, they found no evidence of a relationship between Hugh Parsons and either Benjamin or Joseph.

Siblings (summary of the documentation):

In addition to the letter above, there are several primary sources that indicate their relationship:

John Pynchon was a merchant know to frequently partner with Joseph Parsons. He also did business independently with Benjamin Parsons as well.

“Nov 12th 65 Agreed with Benja Parsons to have my youth Rich Waite 2 yeares from the 10th day of this psent Nov 1665 he to allow him fitting food lodging & apparell & to allow & pay me 50s Eachyeare for his service, & to Send him horn to me as well apparelled as he is now By his owne Consent & so this is put to Jo Bliss rent This lad was turned over to John Bliss.”

John Pynchon was logically in a position to know of any familial relationships between the two men. In Joseph’s account book there are at least two entries that mention a relationship:

March 12, 1655/56: “…To Goodm: Bissall I pd for yo 10d. more then I formerly sccoted & the wheate yor Bro Benj dlred me I acoted it ½ bush[el] to much.”
October 26, 1658. “…By so much I Recd of yor Brother Benja—00 12 00.”

Secondly, during the trial of Joseph’s wife, Mary (Bliss) Parsons, Benjamin Parsons was called to testify and referred to her as his “sister” on at least two occasions.

Finally, in the Hampshire County Registry of Probate in Northampton, Mass. Proceedings, March 31, 1668:
“Benjamin Parsons of Springfield also hath judgemt & execution granted him agt ye sd [Thomas] Powell for soe much as ye sd Powell was cast at the Last Co’te at Springfield to pay for the said Benjamin: And his Brother Joseph Parsons doth on ye behalf of his brother Benjamin acknowledge himself bound unto this co’te in ye summe of 6th to be responsible to ye sd Powell in case he should reverse ye judgmt within One yeere.”

In 1899, Albert Ross Parsons published an article that traced the source of the misinformation and added research and commentary. A gentleman antiquarian was offered $4000 ($125,000 now) to discover the origin of Benjamin Parsons by the dean of Union College. Judge Levi Parsons also offered to bestow an endowment of the equivalent of $1.8 million to the college as a scholarship fund.

A.R. Parsons was able to examine the research notes as was a Professor Charles Parsons and herald/genealogist George W. Marshall from the College of Arms in London who were in possession of a copy of this research, It was the opinion of both parties that the researcher’s methods were faulty and that he failed to utilize the information given to him by the family. He also found correspondence between Professor Parsons with the Herald’s College which states:

“I wonder that he [the researcher] did not look at them [Registers at Black Torrington] to make his search exhaustive… I do not think [he] purposely left out Joseph. It is evident from his notes that he failed to find him.”

Apparently, not immediately finding what he sought in the registers ae Devon, the researcher looked in the records of the Parsons family in Oxfordshire where he found entries for a Benjamin and a Hugh Parsons and pronounced that the Benjamin referenced was the same as Deacon Benjamin.

In 1653, one of the Benjamins (son of Hugh) proved his brother Robert’s will in London on 20 May 1653, However, the colonial records show that four months later, Benjamin (son of William) was married on 6 October 1653 in the colonies. Though technically there would be barely enough time for Benjamin to return from England, the reviewers concluded this was improbable. There are no ships passenger lists indicating that he ever returned to England.

Gerald James Parsons, F.A.G.S., published his research in a self-published manuscript as weill as several articles in the NEGHR between 1989 and 1994. In them he concludes that Joseph Parsons and Benjamin Parsons were brothers. He could find no relationship between the two men and Hugh Parsons. Finally, no relationship is proven between the brothers and the armigerous family in Oxford, therefore neither Joseph or Benjamin had the right to bear arms in the absence of such proof.

The information from the original researcher was published in:

Cuyler Reynolds, ed. Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs, (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1911), Vol. I, pp. 270-272

At the end of the article it discloses the source of the information:

” The Parsons family from time immemorial have been successful tillers of the soil. One notable exception must be made to this statement, however, Judge Levi Parsons, founder of the Levi Parsons Library of Gloversville... He was also greatly interested in the preservation of the Parsons genealogy, and it is to his generosity that so much has been done to preserve the Parsons' records. “

With respect to the attached source:

Henry, Frederick Augustus. ''A Record of the Descendants of Simon Henry (1766-1854) and Rhoda Parsons (1774-1847) His Wife" (J.B. Savage, Cleveland, 1905). Page 53

Most of the references in this book predate the 1899 review, include no references to his parents at all, or state the two men were brothers.

Most of the information contained in the profile support the parents of Benjamin being William and Margaret (Hoskins) or indicate the parents are unknown.

References:

Unauthored, Compiled by the Society, "Genealogy of the Parsons Family" The New England Historic and Genealogical Register, Vol. 1 (July 1847) 263-275, digital images, American Ancestors (https://www.americanancestors.org)

Reprinted Original, Transcribed by the Society, "Letter…" The New England Historic and Genealogical Register, Vol. 12 (April 1859) 175-6, digital images, American Ancestors (https://www.americanancestors.org)

Henry M. Burt, The First Century of the History of Springfield, Vol. 2 (Springfield, Mass: H. M. Burt, 1899), digital images, Internet Archive, https://archive.org/stream/firstcenturyofhi021899spri#page/670/mode/2u).

Cuyler Reynolds, ed. Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs, (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1911), Vol. I, pp. 270-272

440 YEARS OF PARSONS FAMILY HERITAGE, 1570-2010, pfawr.org/.

The Pynchon Papers, VOLUME II & VOLUME III, Selections from the Account Books of John Pynchon, 1651–1697, https://www.colonialsociety.org/index.php/node/801

Gerald James Parsons, " Were Joseph and Benjamin Parsons and David Wilton of Beaminster, Dorset, England, the New England Colonists?" The New England Historic and Genealogical Register, Vol. 143 (April 1989) 101-119, digital images, American Ancestors (https://www.americanancestors.org)

Gerald James Parsons, "The Early Parsons Families of the Connecticut Valley, Part 1" The New England Historic and Genealogical Register, Vol. 149 (July 1994) 215-238, digital images, American Ancestors (https://www.americanancestors.org)

Gerald James Parsons, "The Early Parsons Families of the Connecticut Valley, Part 2" The New England Historic and Genealogical Register, Vol. 149 (January 1995) 69-70, digital images, American Ancestors (https://www.americanancestors.org)