Benjamin Acton (bef. 1653 - aft. 1729)

Born before 1653 in England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Christian (Strangman) Acton — married after 24 Sep 1686 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [uncertain]

Descendants

Died after Sep 1729 after age 76 in Salem County, Province of New Jersey

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Biography

Benjamin Acton was a part of William Penn's Pennsylvania Settlers community. Join: William Penn and Early Pennsylvania Settlers Project Discuss: penn

Origins

Benjamin Acton is assumed to be English, like many Quaker immigrants of his generation. No record of his birth or baptism has been located in Irish or English records indexed by FindMyPast or Ancestry UK as of 14 Mar 2020. See the Research Notes below.

Benjamin's DOB is estimated at before 1653, as he was likely an adult of at least 21 when he removed from Limerick to Dublin in 1674 He was married in 1678, so he was at least born by 1657.

In Irish Quaker Records

The first record available for Benjamin Acton in Ireland is a removal record from Limerick to Dublin dated 9d 7m 1674.

At Dublin Men's Meeting Minutes, 30d 9m 1678, Benjamin Acton desires to marry Sarah Freeman. The meeting agrees and requests the Wexford meeting to 'take security' of Benjamin to ensure that Sarah's child from her previous marriage is properly looked after.

Benjamin Acton married Sarah Freeman of Corlkenny County Wicklow on 10d 10m 1678.^[1]

In Dublin Monthly Meeting Disownments, the disownment of Mortimer Matthias, dated 5d 12m 1682, was signed by both Benjamin Acton and Philip England.

No certificate of removal was yet located in Dublin Meeting Records.

The final Irish record was made after Benjamin had immigrated.

In Dublin Men's Meeting Minutes, 1d 5m 1684, Benjamin Acton desires a clearance certificate to get married. He has asked for one from the Newgarden Meeting but has not received one. The Dublin meeting will write to the "Country" to inquire. When it receives the certificate it will send it to Pennsylvania.

Immigration

Several genealogists were in disagreement regarding whether Benjamin Acton immigrated in 1677 or 1683. This dispute seems settled now that there is a record for him in Dublin in 12m 1682 (that is, February 1683). In Dublin Monthly Meeting Disownments, the disownment of Mortimer Matthias, dated 5d 12m 1682, was signed by both Benjamin Acton and Philip England.

Still to be researched is James Acton's statement that Benjamin Acton was mentioned in an unspecified 1678 "colonial" record (see below).

Below is a summary of the old theories.

In 1876, Cushing, Sheppard, and Shourds "placed him on the Kent."

"There is no record in what year he arrived at New Salem; circumstances make it probable he came to America in company with Christopher White, Henry Jennings, William Hancock and their families and servants, together with a number of other emigrants. They embarked in the ship Kent, from London, Gregory being master, and landed at New Salem 23d of sixth month, 1677."^[2]

In 1970, McCracken, citing Philadelphia Arrivals, disagreed:

"He came on the Lion of Liverpool, John Crumpton, master, arrived 14 8th mo. 1683, as servant to Robert Turner, to serve four years, loose on 14 8th mo. 1687, then to receive £3 and the usual fifty acres. He managed to get free, however, before the end of this term, for he bought property at New Salem, New Jersey, on 2 March 1685/6 from William Surridge."^[3] The Lion sailed from Dublin to Philadelphia.^[4]

In 1977, James Acton placed him back on the Kent.

"The "Welcome Claimants" state that Benjamin came on the "Lion" of Liverpool. John Crumpton, Master as indentured servant arriving on August 14, 1683. He could have made a trip back to England but Craig Vol. 1 - P299 says that he came on the "Kent" in 1677 and Cushing & Sheppard on P369 says he was first mentioned in Colonial records in 1678 when he was appointed by the Society of Friends to repair and build an addition to the meeting house that should be large enough to accommodate a yearly meeting. He certainly came before 1683. He was very active in real estate transactions; odd if he were indentured as stated in Welcome Claimants."^[5]

Benjamin is listed as a passenger on the Kent in 1677.^[6]

Next step -- It should be straightforward to locate the original reference for this statement.

"he was first mentioned in Colonial records in 1678 when he was appointed by the Society of Friends to repair and build an addition to the meeting house that should be large enough to accommodate a yearly meeting."

Marriage to Christian England

On 27d 6m 1686, at a monthly meeting in Philadelphia, "Elisabeth Suffe (?) and Elisabeth Morgan presented from the womens meeting Benjamin Acton & Christian England, who the first time declared their intentions of marriage, the meeting desires Benja Acton to bring a Certificate from the meeting at Salem in order to his further proceedings."^[7]

"At a monthly meeting the twenty fourth of the seventh month 1686. Friends being meet at the house of John Jones... Benjamin Acton & Christian England came the second time to our monthly meeting to signifie their intentions. Benjamin having brought a certificate with him from Salem friends of his good behaviour, which friends were satisfied with, so they are left to their liberty to consummate their marriage."^[8]

Children

After their marriage, Benjamin and Christian Acton were members of the Salem Monthly Meeting, Salem, New Jersey, which registered the births of several of their children.

Children^[3]

1. Elizabeth
2. Mary
3. Benjamin Jr.
4. Lydia
5. Joshua

Public Life

"Benjamin lived in "Millbrook" in Pilesgrove and was very active in buying and selling real estate. He was county surveyer for many years; also for the Penn and Logan estates. He was also weaver, carpenter, miller, yeoman, ordinary keeper and tanner. He died about 1730."^[9]

"He was the first recorder when Salem was first incorporated in 1693."^[10]

"He was Justice of the Peace for Salem in 1700."^[11]

"He was a commissioner to layout a road to Maurice River, 1705, and a road to Greenwich in 1709, and many other roads and surveys.^[12]

"He had a tan yard and built a house on East Broadway in 1727 (opposite John Street)."^[13]

"He was a surveyor by trade and also a tanner and currier."^[2] He has weaver, carpenter, miller, yeoman, and ordinary keeper, serving as the "town recorder of Salem in 1695."^[3]

Death and Legacy

McCracken states that he died "at an unknown date without probate."^[3] James Acton estimated his date of death as 1730.

Research Notes

James Acton, then president of the the Salem County Historical Society, wrote and published Descendants of Benjamin Acton in 1977, which included a lineage for Benjamin Acton dating back to 1175. He was said to be the grandson of Edward Acton and Sarah Mytton by their purported son Thomas Acton (1623-1677).^[14]

"Benjamin Acton was the son of Thomas Acton (1623-1677), of Gate Acre Park, County Salop, England, and Mabel Stonir, his wife. He was grandson of Sir Edward Acton who was made the first Baronet in 1643 for his fidelity to King Charles I, and died 1657."

Acton's cited sources for the relationship are "Manuscript by Nellie Poulet Dickinson revised by Melissa Black Carver and Lucile Dunn Van Ness; Ammesseley County Worchester; Harliean Manuscript #1043, Folio 206; Harliean Manuscript #1566, Folio 126; Visitation of Worchester P3; in possession of James N. Acton, 1977" [sic]

This claim needs to be carefully reviewed. Is there any evidence that the Quaker immigrant was related to this prominent family? While Acton was prosperous and took many public roles in West Jersey and New Jersey, he was an accomplished tradesman and surveyor, which seems to preclude an aristocratic connection.

Have so far been unable to locate definitive sources for his supposed father Thomas Acton (more can be done), so cannot say this is disproved yet. Here is Thomas Acton on ThePeerage.com. It lists two sons for Thomas and Mabell,citing an email as source; Benjamin is not included.

Acton does somewhat acknowledge the discrepancy in social status, nothing, that McCracken has him migrating in 1683 as an indentured servant (who did not complete his term), whereas Acton has him immigrating on the Lion of Liverpool in 1677. Fenwick (founder/self-styled proprietor of Salem County) was associating with aristocrats, so it's not impossible.

Acton also claims "Benjamin's uncle Richard came to Maryland with Calvert and founded that branch of the family." This seems to be inaccurate (see Edward Acton's profile for some content on Richard).

Sources

1. ↑ “Ireland, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Marriages,” database with images, FindMyPast (https://www.findmypast.ie/transcript?id=IRE%2FQUAKER%2FMARR%2F18402G : accessed 14 March 2020), marriage of Benjamin Acton and Sarah Freeman of Corlkenny Co Wicklow in Wexford on 10d 10mo (Dec) 1678; citing Register of marriages, WICKLOW, 1859, Religious Society Of Friends In Ireland Archives.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Shourds, Thomas. History and genealogy of Fenwick's colony, New Jersey. (Bridgeton, N.J., G.F. Nixon, 1876)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} McCracken, George E. The Welcome Claimants Proved, Disproved and Doubtful with an Account of Some of Their Descendants. (Baltimore, Genealogical Pub. Co, 1970), 33
4. ↑ Dobson, David. Ships from Ireland to Early America, 1623-1850. (Baltimore, MD: Printed for Clearfield Co. by Genealogical Pub. Co, 1999), 90
5. ↑ Acton, James N. Descendants of Benjamin Acton. (Salem, NJ: Salem County Historical Society Publications, 1977), n.p.
6. ↑ Passenger list for the Kent sailing in 1677. Craig, H. Stanley, 1872- “Salem County, New Jersey, Genealogical Data : records pertaining to persons residing in Salem County Prior to 1800,’’ Merchantville, New Jersey pages 299- 300
7. ↑ Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, Minutes 1682-1714, page 27. Retrieved from U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 for Benjamin Acton Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Monthly Meeting Minutes, 1682-1714. Image 35 of 374.
8. ↑ Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, Minutes 1682-1714, page 28. Retrieved from U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 for Benjamin Acton, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Monthly Meeting Minutes, 1682-1714, image 36 of 374.
9. ↑ Acton, n.p.
10. ↑ Acton, n.p.
11. ↑ Acton, n.p.
12. ↑ Acton, n.p.
13. ↑ Acton, n.p.
14. ↑ Acton, James N. Descendants of Benjamin Acton. (Salem, NJ: Salem County Historical Society Publications, 1977), n.p.

See also:

• FUTHEY, JOHN SMITH, AND GILBERT COPE. "A Partial Registry of Arrivals Was Made Between the Years 1682 and 1687." In History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with Genealogical and Biographical Sketches. Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1881, pp. 23. Retrieved from U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s, http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7486