Benjamin Mendenhall

  General Notes:

Notes

Benjamin was one of the original Mendenhall immigrants to America, having
arrived in Chester County, PA about 1682. Benjamin sold 100 acres of the
Harding tract to his brother, Moses, on 27 Nov 1686 (the acreage and timing
intentionally matched that of brother John's sale to Thomas Martin). This
transfer was nullified on 5 Feb 1688, almost certainly because by then Moses
had returned to England. Benjamin bought 250 acres in Concord Township from
William Hitchcock (who bought the land from William Penn in England) on 8 Feb
1702. Benjamin bought 500 acres west of the Brandywine in Kennett (now
Pennsbury) Township from Isaac Few on 23 Mar 1703 with financial assistance
from his father-in-law, Robert Pennell. They jointly received title on 15 Jun
1703 and quickly sold off 100 acres to Thomas Hope on 20 Aug 1703.

He was trained as a wheelwright and made his living in that trade until he
accumulated enough land to farm. A trunk that Benjamin made shortly after his
arrival still exists and is in possession of the Historical Society in West
Chester, PA. It is carved with the initials, B.M. and the date 1684 on the
front and has wire hinges. This trunk was mentioned in his wife's will. In 1713
Benjamin and his wife built a substantial home on the western end of the 250
acres he had bought. The home is still standing and contains a date stone in
the gable in the shape of a half circle which read, "1713 Mendenhall, Ben &
Ann." In 1714 Benjamin was a member of the Provincial Assembly and in 1730 he
was tax collector for Concord Township. When he died he was the sixth
wealthiest person in Concord Township.

Sources

Henry B. Mendenhall, 6812 Burnside Drive, San Jose, CA 95120

Carol Mendenhall Duffy, 8190 13th Street #308, Westminster CA 92683-1965

Cheryl Mendenhall, 9622 177th Avenue SE, Snohomish WA 98290,
mcgee@accessone.com

A Mendenhall-Newlin Alliance, Russell Newlin Abel, 1989, Southeast Landing
Rt. 1 Box 55A, Church Hill MD 21623-9723, rabel@friend.ly.net

Benjamin married Ann A. Pennell on Apr 17, 1689 in Concord, Pennsylvania. (Ann A. Pennell was born on Apr 15, 1668 in Mildenhall, England and died on Dec 12, 1749 in Concord, Pennsylvania.)