Benjamin Hedges
1768 -
Generation: 1
Generation: 3
Generation: 4
1. Benjamin Hedges was christened on 21 Oct 1768 in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware (son of Joseph Hedges and Hannah Ford).
2. Joseph Hedges was born on 7 Jan 1743 (son of John Hedges and Susanna Hendrickson). Joseph married Hannah Ford on 26 Nov 1767 in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware. Hannah was born about 1742; was christened on 21 Oct 1768 in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware; died in 1828. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
3. Hannah Ford was born about 1742; was christened on 21 Oct 1768 in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware; died in 1828. Notes:
Married:
Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church. Married by Lawrence Girelius.Children:
- 1. Benjamin Hedges was christened on 21 Oct 1768 in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware.
- Elizabeth Hedges was born on 20 Jun 1770; was christened on 29 Jun 1770 in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware.
- John Hedges was born on 11 Mar 1776; was christened on 21 Mar 1776 in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware.
Generation: 3
4. John Hedges was born about 1709 (son of Charles Hedges and Elizabeth Stille). Notes:
The records of Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church, Wilmington, Delaware from 1697 to 1773.
Historical Society of Delaware, Wilmington, Delaware, 1890.
Page 366
Marriages 1738
John Hedges and Susanna Hendrickson, married December 20th
page 374
Baptisms in 1739.
Johan Hedges and his wife Susann's child, Charles, born the 20th of December, baptized the 23rd of December.
page 378
Record of baptisms 1740
John Hedges and his wife Susanna Hendrickson's child, John, born the 25th of November.
page 383
Record of baptisms 1743
John Hedges and his wife Susanna's child Joseph, born the 7th of January, baptized the 11th of January.
page 395
Baptisms 1745
John Hedges and his wife Susanna Hendrickson's child, Sara, born and baptized 11th of May.
page 407
Baptisms 1748
John Hedges and his wife Susanna Hendrickson's child Samuel, born and baptized 1st of February.
John married Susanna Hendrickson on 20 Dec 1738 in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
5. Susanna Hendrickson Notes:
Married:
Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) ChurchChildren:
- Charles Hedges was born on 20 Dec 1739; was christened on 23 Dec 1739 in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware.
- John Hedges was born on 25 Nov 1740.
- 2. Joseph Hedges was born on 7 Jan 1743.
- Sarah Hedges was born on 11 May 1745; was christened on 11 May 1745 in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware.
- Samuel Hedges was born on 1 Feb 1748; was christened on 1 Feb 1748.
- Elizabeth Hedges was born on 15 Feb 1750; was christened on 25 Feb 1750 in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware.
- Susannah Hedges was born on 22 Jun 1752; was christened on 19 Jul 1752 in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware.
- Benjamin Hedges was born on 29 Mar 1756; was buried on 22 May 1756 in Holy Trinity Church, Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware.
Generation: 4
8. 
Charles Hedges was born on 6 Aug 1673 in New Castle County, Delaware (son of William Hedges and Mary Caldwell); died in 1743 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Notes:
Charles Hedges, age 5, was apprenticed as a wheelright for a period of 12 years.
The New Castle Court sat monthly, its December session being held on Tuesday, 3 December 1678. (NCR, 1:251). At the end of the January sitting (8-9 January 1678/9), the court records show
"Mary the Late Widdow of William Hodges deceased this day apeared in Court whoe declared to have putt out hur son Charles hodges of about 5 Jeares of adge, unto Thomas Jacobs of Bread & Cheese Ysland for the full space and terme of Twelve Jears now next Ensuing, Thomas Jacobs Lykewyse apearing in Court did aknowledge to have taken the said Chyld for the abovesaid terme of 12 years; during which tyme hee doth promisse & Ingage to find the said boy with sufficient meat drink apparill washing and Lodgeing, and att the end of the 12 Jears to give to the boy a Cowe and Calfe, and doth further promis to Instruct him (if hee the said Jacobs Lives and that the boy is Capable of itt) in the trade of a wheele Right, and that his son Oele Tomas shall Larne the said boy to Reed as much as hee can teach him." (NCR, 1:285-86)
Thomas Jacobsson, who accepted responsibility for Charles Hedges, was a Finnish Swede who had arrived in former new Sweden … in 1656 with his wife [and] three children…. Thomas Jacobsson's name last appeared in New Castle County court records in the above-quoted excerpt. He presumably died shortly thereafter. He was no longer living in February 1682/3 when his son, Olle Thomasson [but not Thomas Jacobsson], pledged allegiance to the new government of William Penn. (NCR, 2:37)
The Joseph Project
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hedges/joseph/life.htm
[Repeated here is a series of excerpts from "The Colonial Descendants of William and Mary Hedges" by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig, Washington D.C. , November 1988, quoted and posted on the HEDGES Biographies/Vital Statistics GenConnect board in 1999 by permission of the author]
"Olle Thomasson (Bread and Cheese Island, Christiana hundred, 120). Olle Thomasson inherited his father's land and divided the same with the other current owners, Abraham Man and Arent Johnson, on 11 Jan, 1682/3. After the division, he was taxed on 200 acres. To this he added 200 acres more on 15 Jun 1689, purchased from John Cann, of which 100 acres were sold to Bengt Palsson in 1697. On 24 Jun 1699, he and his wife were assigned pews in the new Holy Trinity Church, but he died shorty thereafter. In 1701, his widow Eleanor Thomison was listed as owner of his property. The 1693 census show nine person in their household. Probably included in this number were Charles Hedges and his younger brother Joseph Hedges, as well as Olle's own children, of whom only Olle and Paul Thomasson and a daughter Margaret have been identified."
pages 103-104.
The 1693 census of the Swedes on the Delaware.
Peter Stebbins Craig.
Studies in Swedish American Geneaology 3.
SAG Publications, Winter Park, Florida, 1993.
"Bread and Cheese Island. This island, located at the junction of Christiana River with White Clay Creek, was the farthest settlement from the Delaware. Hwre patents had been granted to Thomas Jacobsson, Olof Palsson and Thomas Snelling, 3 August 1668 and 1 October 1669."
page 42.
1671 Census of the Delaware
Peter Stebbins Craig
Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1999.
Monograph Series No.4.
The Joseph Project
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hedges/joseph/life.htm
[Repeated here is a series of excerpts from "The Colonial Descendants of William and Mary Hedges" by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig, Washington D.C. , November 1988, quoted and posted on the HEDGES Biographies/Vital Statistics GenConnect board in 1999 by permission of the author]
Charles Hedges (1673-1743). When indentured for 12 years to Thomas Jacobsson … in 1679, he was only five years old. It is likely that relatively soon thereafter, with the death of Thomas Jacobsson, he moved to another Swedish home in the western part of Christiana Hundred along the east side of Red Clay Creek. It was here that he and his brother Joseph Hedges established long-standing relationships with several inter-related Swedish families and it was probably here that they both found Swedish wives soon after 1700.
The families were those of John Hedrickson, Charles Springer, John Anderson Cock (brother of Justus Anderson of New Castle) and Stephen Corneliusson. [Some of these and other names the author now introduces have appeared in various theories about who it was that Joseph of Monocacy married; but the author uses the information to show how those theories do not stand up to the facts.]
On Midsummer's Day 1699, Charles Hedge was assigned a pew in the new Holy Trinity Church at Christina [Wilmington]. (Horace Burr, Records of Holy Trinity (old Swedes) Church, 63) He had volunteered 15-1/2 days of work on the church and, in addition, had been paid £1.15.0 for cutting stone for one month during its construction. (ID, 47, 48)
On 17 August 1704, Charles Hedges purchased 96 acres of land in Mill Creek Hundred (on the west side of Red Clay Creek) from William Guest. (New Castle Deeds, L-4:341). He probably married soon thereafter. On 10 May 1711, there was surveyed for him another 170 acres above his land in William Penn's Manor on branches of the Elk River.
The surviving baptism records of Holy Trinity Church start in 1713. They show that Charles Hedges or his wife twice journeyed to Christina (present Wilmington) to be a baptismal sponsor.
On August 1723, Charles Hedges of Mill Creek Hundred, yeoman, acquired [17 more acres nearby]. Soon, however, his thoughts turned to moving further inland.
On 25 November 1724, the Pennsylvania Board of Property included the following entry in its minutes (Pa.Arch.2d Ser, 19:724): "Edward Robertson [Robinson] requests the grant of 500 acres of Land on the Head of the further Branch of Elk River. Charles hedge desires about the like Quantity about a mile to the Northward of the Indian Town, between the Head of Elk river and Octoraro."
A year later, on 29 October 1725, this plea was repeated (Id., 19:733): "Edward Robinson and Charles Hedge request the Grant of two parcells of Land on the Head of Elk River for 2 settlements for their sons." The move apparently took place, as is shown by [a] quotation dated 26 Jan. 1730/31 supplied by John Dern (source not identified).
On 17 February 1730/31, Charles Hedges and his wife Elizabeth of Notingham township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, for £70 and one peppercorn if demanded, sold their three tracts in Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle county, to Thomas Gray of Mill Creek Hundred. (New Castle Deeds, L-4,341) Simon Hadley and Charles Sprnger delivered the deed to Gray.
On 12 October 1743, Charles Hedges of Londonderry township, Chester County, Pa., yeoman, being "very sick and weak", signed his will by his mark, a "C". No wife is named in the will, suggesting that Elizabeth had died. (Chester Co., #865) [Children and grandchildren are named in the will, but none of that detail seems to have an immediate bearing on The Joseph Project.]
In 1699 Charles Hedges helped build Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church in Fort Christina [Wilmington], Delaware. Was assigned a pew there.
Will of Charles Hedges
Written 12 October 1743
Probated 8 November 1743
Chester County, Pennsylvania
Estate No.865
In the name of God Amen. I, Charles Hedges of Londonderry Township and County of Chester and Province of Pennsylvania, Yeoman, being sick and weak of body, yet of perfect mind, memory do make this my last Will and Testament. And principally and first of all I give and recommend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God in hope it may be precious in His sight. And likewise I recommend my body to the Earth to be buried in a decent and Christian manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same by the Almighty Power of God. As for my worldly Substance with which God hath blessed me, I dispose of in manner following. Viz:
I give unto my well beloved son Andrew Hedges the sum of fifty pounds good and current money of Pennsylvania, and that which is in his hands of the Gold shall be part of the fifty pounds received in part of the purchase of my place sold last whereupon my son had lived. Moreover I give and bequeath to my son Andrew Hedges over and above the aforesaid sum of fifty pounds current money aforesaid to receive the same for the first payment due for the place sold by me. And also eight cattle young and old to take back to his new place. And also I leave and bequeath unto my son Andrew Hedges the one half of all my other chattels besides.
Item: I leave and bequeath unto my son John Hedges or his heirs the sum of sixteen pounds current money of Pennsylvania. And also the half of all my chattels.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my son Joseph Hedges the sun of sixteen pounds current money of Pennsylvania.
Item: I give unto my daughter Mary Bishop the sum of sixteen pounds current money as above said.
Item: I give unto my son Peter Hedges the sum of ten pounds current money as above said.
Item: I give and order to be delivered unto my son John Hedges, oldest son (Charles) one young mare a year old last spring.
Item: I give and bequeath unto Ezekial Hedges son to Peter Hedges a mare a year old.
It is to be observed that above name legacies are to be paid in proportion to the receiving of the money due the estate of the abovesaid Charles Hedges by Josh Preston which above payment is well and timely to be made on the fifteenth day of May in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Five and in proportion till the whole legacies be discharged.
I likewise constitute and appoint my son John Hedges and Andrew Hedges my true and Lawful Executors of this my Las Will and Testament and all my ____ ____ My Lands and tenaments, whatsoever, Rectifying and confirming this my Last Will and Testament and no other. In witness thereof I hereby set unto it my hand and seal the Twelfth Day of October in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Three.
Signed, Sealed and Delivered in the presence of
Christopher Springer, William Cleneay & John Gordon
Signed Charles Hedges with his mark (C) and his seal.
The above will was in probate on 8 November 1743 when the above witnesses testified under oath that they were present at the time of making of the will.
Inventory of the goods of Charles Hedges
A white mare and a year old colt 3:10:0
An old bay horse and saddle 3:00:0
One young bay horse at 4:10:0
One old bald horse at 3:00:0
One brown cow with while on her back 2:10:0
One speckled cow at 2:10:0
One pair of handmill stones 0:10:0
A parcel of tools 0:15:0
One anvil and big hammer 0:15:0
Two sets of hough irons 1:00:0
Traces and Hams 0:11:0
Three old wheels 0:03:0
Two old chests 0:07:0
Parcel of wood trenches, peals, heelers
broken pewter and one tanker 0:12:0
Seven harrow teeth 0:01:8
One earthen crock and tub 0:01:0
Three pots one skillet and chair 1:10:0
Wheat in the yaerd 6:00:0
Rye and Barley 1:05:0
One servant boy prized at 10:00:0
This text follows with a sentence which is not readable
Seventh day of November 1743.
transcribed by Dorothy Shoop (1992).
Charles Hedges (b.c. 1673; d.c. 12 Oct. 1743- Chester Co., Pa) who m. Elizabeth Stille (d. < 12 Oct. 1743 -Chester Co. Pa) daughter of Anders Stille and Annetje Pieters. (Olof Persson Stille and his Family by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig (PeterCraig@ColonialSwedes.org) originally published in Swedish Colonial News, Volume 1, Number 16 (Fall 1997).
http://mosesrawlings.freeservers.com/hedges.htmlCharles married Elizabeth Stille. Elizabeth (daughter of Anders Stille and Annetje Pieters) died on 12 Oct 1743. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
9. Elizabeth Stille (daughter of Anders Stille and Annetje Pieters); died on 12 Oct 1743. Notes:
Charles Hedges (b.c. 1673; d.c. 12 Oct. 1743- Chester Co., Pa) who m. Elizabeth Stille (d. < 12 Oct. 1743 -Chester Co. Pa) daughter of Anders Stille and Annetje Pieters. (Olof Persson Stille and his Family by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig (PeterCraig@ColonialSwedes.org) originally published in Swedish Colonial News, Volume 1, Number 16 (Fall 1997).
http://mosesrawlings.freeservers.com/hedges.html
Children:
- William Hedges was born about 1705; died in 1742 in Prince George [Frederick] County, Maryland.
- 4. John Hedges was born about 1709.
- Andrew Hedges was born about 1711; died in 1747 in Prince George County, Maryland.
- Joseph Hedges was born about 1713.
- Mary Hedges was born about 1715.
- Peter Hedges was born about 1719; died in 1791 in Frederick County, Maryland.