Bensons of Carbonear and Grates Cove

St. Johns train station, left to right: Bedkir Thistle, Ethel Minnie(Benson)Cramm, Hayward Burridge, Lois (Benson)Laquerre,Harry Gladstone Benson, Jim Benson Cramm, Josephine(Turpin) Benson, Maxwell Cramm ,Allan Meadus Benson, Gertrude May(Benson)Thistle.

When Claude Melbourne Benson was born on 5 February 1907 in Canada, his father, Jordan, was 25. He had two daughters with Virginia Deshields between 1933 and 1935. He died on 16 September 1991 in Lorain, Ohio, USA, at the age of 84

A reference to Thomas Benson settling in Newfoundland found in Robert Bensons 1820 Journal in the Wiltshire and Swindon record office.

It all seems normal enough as they appear to be two separate families in Harbour Grace around the same time period until you read Robert Bensons Journal. Robert Benson (1797-1844) was a Salisbury barrister and deputy recorder of Salisbury history. I have a copy of his genealogical journal written around 1820 which records Thomas's departure and ensuing marriage in Harbour Grace. The journal also records the names of his children, 4 of whom are named as Williams children in ...the previous link above, the other two to Thomas. In an excerpt of Robert Bensons journal below, you can see the names of 10 children attributed to Thomas Benson. The entries seem to be an after thought as you can see old information stroked out and new entries. Robert Bensons younger brother William Benson (1788 - 1823) joined the Royal Navy at 18 years old as a Midshipman on board the AGINCOURT. He sailed to Newfoundland on his first trip out of England and I believe that it was he who returned to England with the details of the NL branch of the Benson family. William died at The Close, Salisbury, Sept. 11, 1823, so it is not he who is our elusive William, yet the names Thomas and William are replete in Newfoundland Benson families from one generation to the next. Who was William Benson and why are his children attributed to Thomas? Did William die and his children were raised by his brother, or maybe half brother. We know that Thomas's father, George Benson was married twice in Salisbury but still no record of a William even from the first wife. We may never know, but the search for the truth continues! See more

The Mystery of the Two Benson Brothers The story concerning the two brothers who came to Newfoundland from Salisbury, Wiltshire, England in the mid 1700's continues to be a mystery. This story of the two brothers Thomas and William has been recounted by other family branches, (not just my own) and passed down through the generations so it has some origin of relevance . We know that Thomas Benson did come from a Salisbury, Wiltshire family and was married in Harbour Grace i...n 1760 but we have no record of a William being part of that Salisbury family or of a William coming to Newfoundland so far. We do however have baptismal evidence of both Thomas and William being recorded as the fathers of children in Harbour Grace in a similar time frame. First, we find William and his 4 children on the following link : Harbour Grace - Anglican Baptism Records, 1775 - 1783 http://sites.rootsweb.com/~cannf/cbhg_hg_bap_1775.htm We then find Thomas and his 2 children at this link: Harbour Grace - Anglican Baptism Records, 1784 - 1794 http://sites.rootsweb.com/~cannf/cbhg_hg_bap_1784.htm See more