Benjamin ⁴ BIGELOW

# 1622.   Benjamin ⁴ son of Jonathan ³ (Joshua ², John¹) and Elizabeth (BEMIS) BIGELOW, was born 03 December 1709 at Watertown, MA. He married (1) 11 April 1734 Mindwell COOLIDGE, born 17 January 1716, daughter of John and Margaret (BOND) COOLIDGE. She died 01 February 1735. Benjamin married (2) 16 October 1735 in Weston, Love WOOD. They lived in Weston until 1743. By 1754 he appears in Lunenberg records, where his wife died 18 June 1754. Benjamin then married (3) 31 October 1754 Elizabeth COLEMAN, and after 1755 they seem to have left Lunenburg.
     Tradition says they moved to Fitzwilliam, NH (Monadnock No. 4) in 1762, and were first settlers in the town, and that daughter Beulah was the first child born in the town, and she was born under a cart body, their cabin not yet ready for occupancy. Family tradition also says Benjamin was an original church member at Fitzwilliam (1771) and one of the first deacons, but church records do not show it. On 03 May 1771 Benjamin started for the mill in Winchester, NH with a bag of rye to be ground; he was drowned while crossing the Ashuelot river at Winchester. His widow joined the church 22 September 1771, but later returned to MA without taking a letter of dismissal .

Children of Benjamin BIGELOW, by first wife, Mindwell COOLIDGE:

16221     Benjamin, b 25 Jan 1735; d 28 Jan 1735 Weston.

By second wife Love WOOD:

16222      Mindwell, b 10 July 1736 Weston; d 02 Nov 1739 "of throat distemper."

16223      Benjamin, b 03 Dec 1737 Weston; d 30 Oct 1739 "of throat distemper".

16224      Mary, b 31 May 1739 Weston; d 31 Oct 1739 "of throat distemper."

16225      Solomon, b 23 Sept 1741 Weston; d ___ (was living 1800); m Mrs ____ WILSON.
                2 known children.

16226      Sarah, a twin, bapt 07 Aug 1743, "born last Tuesday"; died 13 Dec 1743; Weston..

16227      infant son, twin of Sarah, died "soon after birth" Weston.

16228      Joel, b 10 June 1747; d _ Mar 1815 Salisbury, Addison co, VT; m ca 1775
                Abigail McCALL; res Springfield and Salisbury, VT. 10 children.

16229      Hannah, b 05 Mar 1754 Lunenberg.

By third wife, Elizabeth COLEMAN:

1622A     Benjamin, b 04 Oct 1755 Lunenberg; "captivated" by the British at Bunker Hill, and was aboard the prison ship Jersey in 1776, after which presumed dead.
                Mass Sold & Sail Rev War, Vol II:
Bigelow, Benjamin, Packersfield, Private, Capt. Wyman's co., Col Prescott's regt.; company return dated Cambridge, Oct 3, 1775; "reported captivated June 17, 1775."
Bigelow, Benjamin, Packersfield, Private, Capt. Wyman's co., Col Prescott's regt .; muster roll dated Aug 1, 1775; enlisted April 21, 1775; service, 3 mos. 9 days; reported in captivity.

1622B     Beulah, b 23 May 1762 Fitzwilliam, NH; d 26 Dec 1832 Stow, MA;
                m 9 Mar ____ Ezekiel Gates. 8 children.

1622C     Aaron.

1622D     Sampson, d 29 June 1770 Fitzwilliam, NH.(these may be twins born on the same day 24 or 29, or a typo on one of the years)

1622E     Ruth, d 24 June 1770 Fitzwilliam, NH.(see above)

Sources:
Bigelow Society,The Bigelow Family Genealogy Vol I, pg. 67-68;
Howe, Bigelow Family in America;
vital records Weston;
American Prisoners of Rev War.
See also: John Bigelow (47.7 kb) added 11/21/05  - History of Watertown, Mass. at Janice pages:

rodbigelow@netzero.net