Brief Life History of John Martin
When John Martin Benson was born about 1788, in Georgia, United States, his father, Martin Hendrick Benson, was 39 and his mother, Sarah Walker, was 45. He married Sarah W Johnson on 28 December 1841, in Newton, Georgia, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 daughter. He died about 1866, in Oktibbeha, Mississippi, United States, at the age of 80.
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Family Time Line
Sources (4)
- John Benson, "United States Census, 1860"
- Legacy NFS Source: John Benson - Government record: Census record: birth-name: John Benson
- John M. Benson, "Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950"
Spouse and Children
Parents and Siblings
World Events (8)
about 1788 · The First Presidential Election
The First Presidential election was held in the newly created United States of America. Under the Articles of Confederation, the executive branch of the country was not set up for an individual to help lead the nation. So, under the United States Constitution they position was put in. Because of his prominent roles during the Revolutionary War, George Washington was voted in unanimously as the First President of the United States.
1795 · Yazoo Land Fraud
As Georgia had been weakened during the Revolutionary War, it was unable to defend its Yazoo lands, or land west of the Yazoo River. Thirty-five million acres were sold to four companies for $500,000 as Governor George Mathews signed the Yazoo Act on January 7, 1795. Angry Georgians protested in the streets as they felt bribery and corruption were involved and the sale was far below market value. The legislation tried to rescind the Yazoo Act, but much of the land had been sold to third parties. The issue made its way to the United States Supreme Court and it was determined that rescinding the law was an unconstitutional infringement on a legal contract. The government took full possession of the territory by 1814 and awarded its claimants over $4,000,000.
1811 · The Savannah Riots
A barroom brawl in Savannah on Tuesday, November 12, 1811, had international impact. An American seaman boasted of having joined the crew of a French vessel, likely named La Vengeance. Others became upset at the idea of the American joining a foreign nation and a brawl erupted. The county coroner asked for peace but was beaten with clubs. A second clash occurred the following day when French sailors attacked five American seaman. A day after the second attack, twenty French sailors attacked six Americans. Four of them escaped but two were beaten and stabbed. Jacob Taylor died on the scene and a rigger named Collins died the following day. By Friday, a full scale riot erupted when the French crewmen arrested on murder charges were released. Many were arrested and French ships La Vengeance and La Franchise were burned. In the end, the incident caused disruptions in French-American relations and affected shipping and trade.
Name Meaning
English: patronymic from the medieval personal name Ben(ne), a pet form of Benedict (see Benn ) + -son.
English: habitational name from a place in Oxfordshire named Benson, from Old English Benesingtūn ‘settlement (Old English tūn) associated with Benesa’, a personal name of obscure origin, perhaps a derivative of Bana meaning ‘slayer’.
Americanized form of any of various Scandinavian patronymics from the personal name Bengt, Bendt, etc., Scandinavian forms of Benedict , e.g. Swedish Bengtsson , Danish Bendtsen, Danish and Norwegian Bentsen . Compare Bensen 2.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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