W6: Benjamin Franklin Reed(1819-UNKN)

Benjamin Franklin Reed was born on October 5th, 1819 in Whately, MA to Simeon Reed and Miranda Morton.  He was the third of six children. He lived with is parents through 1840. He married Sarah Wheeler Sanders on February 26th, 1845 in Whately, MA.  They were married in the Congregational Church by Jonathan S. Judd.   Benjamin moved into Sarah's parents house and there are mill records showing that Benjamin purchased supplies off of David Sanders.  Benjamin is listed as being a broom maker. Their first daughter, Jane Caroline, was born on February 12th, 1846 and their second, Lucy Amy Reed was born on February 5th, 1848.  The 1850 census shows Sarah, Benjamin, and Jane all living with Sarah's parents and sister, Lucy.  There is no listing for Lucy Amy.

The 1850 census shows that he was still working as a broom maker and the family had $1000 worth of real estate. They had another girl in 1850, Mary W..  I suspect the W stood for Wheeler but have no proof.  She died on November 3rd, 1852.  Their last child, Albert David was born on October 17th, 1852.  Benjamin's father dies in 1853.  The 1855 State census has the family still living with Sarah's parents and sister.  The family has an Irish maid named Mary Grace, age 24.  Once again, there is no listing for Lucy Amy.  Benjamin is now working with the railroads.

Benjamin is still living with Sarah, her parents, sister and children in 1860.  He is listed as being a sash and blind maker and has a personal income of $500 a year.  There is still no record of Lucy Amy.  They have a 22 year old maid from England named Sarah Barrett living with them.  Sometime after this, Benjamin left.  The last record we have of him is a civil war draft registration from Whately showing that he is in New York in 1863 and working as a grocer.  There is a comparable record from Brooklyn, NY that has a Benjamin F. Reed working as a grocer and living at 71 Main Street.  This is likely the point he runs off with a spiritualist.  The family stories identify him as a womanizer.  As I said in a previous post, Sarah followed him and made him divorce her and marry the other woman.

There are a few possible clues in later census records, but they could be a red haring.  The 1870 shows a Benjamin F. Reed of the right age from Massachusetts living with a woman named Charlotte C. Reed also from Massachusetts in Waterford, NJ.  He is a carpenter and has $100 in personal property.  The 1880 census shows the same couple living in Hammonton, NJ.  This Benjamin is now a farmer. Once again, family history has it that Benjamin became a missionary to the Native Americans in the south.  His son, Albert David brought him back to Massachusetts when he was old and dying. I don't know where he died or is buried but suspect it was in Haydenville or Willimsburg.

The Mystery

• Where did Benjamin go after leaving Sarah?

• Who did he marry?

• Where there any children? There is a family story of a person showing up and being shoed away by either Sarah or Jane.  

• Where is he buried?

Branch

• Generation 3 (2nd Great Grandparents): Benjamin Franklin Reed and Sarah Wheeler Sanders

  • Generation 2 (Great Grandparents): David Joy Wright and Jane Caroline Reed

    • Generation 1 (Grandparents): David Sanders Wright and Florence Edna Smith

      • Generation 0: Robert Ervin Putnam and (Florence) Caroline Wright

Sources

• Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988: Name Benjamin Franklin Read, Event Type Birth, Birth Date 5 Oct 1819, Birth Place Whately, Massachusetts, Father Name Simeon Read, Mother Name Miranda Read

• 1820 United States Federal Census: 1820 U S Census; Census Place: Whately, Franklin, Massachusetts; Page: 30; NARA Roll: M33_50; Image: 41

• 1830 United States Federal Census: 1830; Census Place: Whately, Franklin, Massachusetts; Series: M19; Roll: 62; Page: 123; Family History Library Film: 0337920

• 1840 United States Federal Census: Year: 1840; Census Place: Whately, Franklin, Massachusetts; Page: 155; Family History Library Film: 0014677

• Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988: Name Sarah W Sanders, Event Type Marriage, Birth Date abt 1823, Marriage Date 26 Feb 1845, Marriage Place Whately, Massachusetts, Marriage Age 22, Father Name David Sanders, Mother Name Amy Sanders, Spouse Name Benjn F Reed, Spouse Marriage Age 25, Spouse Father Name Simeon Reed, Spouse Mother Name Miranda Reed

• 1850 United States Federal Census: Database online. Year: 1850; Census Place: Whately, Franklin, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_316; Page: 68A; Image: . Record for Sarah W Reed

• Massachusetts, State Census, 1855: Name Sarah W Reed, Gender Female, Birth Year abt 1823, Birth Place Massachusetts, Residence Whately, Franklin, Massachusetts, USA, Enumeration Year 1855, Age 32, Household Number 220, Reel Number 10, Volume Number 14

• 1860 United States Federal Census: Database online. Year: 1860; Census Place: Whately, Franklin, Massachusetts; Roll: ; Page: 226; Image: 230. Record for Sarah W Reed

• Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988: Name Sarah W Sanders, Event Type Miscellaneous, Residence Date 6 Mar 1864, Residence Place Whately, Massachusetts

• U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registration Records (Provost Marshal General's Bureau; Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865); Record Group: 110, Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau; Name Benjamin F Reed, Birth Year abt 1820, Place of Birth Massachusetts, Age on 1 July 1863 43, Race White, Residence Whately, Massachusetts,  Congressional District 9th, Class 2

• U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registration Records (Provost Marshal General's Bureau; Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865); Record Group: 110, Records of the Provost Marsha; Name Benjamin F Reed, Birth Year abt 1822, Place of Birth Massachusetts, Age on 1 July 1863 41, Race White, Residence Brooklyn, New York, Congressional District 3rd, Class 2

• 1870 United States Federal Census: Year: 1870; Census Place: Waterford, Camden, New Jersey; Roll: M593_855; Page: 93B; Family History Library Film: 552354

• 1880 United States Federal Census: Year: 1880; Census Place: Hammonton, Atlantic, New Jersey; Roll: 770; Page: 192D; Enumeration District: 007