The Benton Family of Plaistow, West Ham, Essex

Benjamin Benton - The Grocer

Benjamin was born about 1792 (in Totham, Essex according to the 1861 census, and Harlow, Essex according to the 1871 census). He married Elizabeth LAYBANK on 4 June 1818 at Plaistow. Elizabeth died on 3 Sept 1847 at Plaistow. On 22 Jan 1850 he married Mary RUDGE from Deptford, Kent.

                                                              John BENTON                      James RUDGE
                                                                  |                                 |
      Elizabeth LAYBANK============v=======================Benjamin BENTON============v=========Mary RUDGE
            ?-1847                1818                        1792-1877              1850            
                                   |                                                  |
                                   |                                                  |
    |------------------------------|----------|---------|--------------|              |---------------|
 Benjamin John                   James    William  John Laybank  Elizabeth Martha  Abel Benjamin  Ebenezer Frederick
 1820-1914                     1822-1874 1824-1871   1826-1913       1828           1854-          1856- 
    |                                         |         |              |                              |
    |------------|--------|                   |         |              |                              |
  m1:1838     m2:1846   m:1882             m:1862    m:1856         m:1850                          m:1882
 Eleanor     Charlotte   Anne              Harriett   Mary          James                           Sarah
 GWALTER       SHARP    DRAKE               LOVETT    STENNER       WILLIAMS                         WOOD
    |            |        -                   |         |              |                              |

 

Benjamin and Elizabeth had five children:

Benjamin remarried  on 22 Jan 1850 to Mary RUDGE from Deptford, Kent. They had two children:

(The name of each child is hyperlinked to a new page with information about them and their families.)

1841 Census

In 1841 Benjamin and family lived at Black Lion Row, Plaistow. Black Lion is not in the street index for London, but the census record shows it was adjacent to Broadway.

Benjamin, the oldest son has his own child, Benjamin, with him but not the youngest son James Gwalter Benton. His wife Eleanor GWALTER had recently died. Note that ages were rounded down to the nearest 5 years in the 1841 census. 

1851 census

By 1851 Benjamin had married Mary RUDGE. The only Benjamin and Mary Benton in the 1851 census were living at 4 Vine St, West Ham. The names and places of birth are correct, but the recorded age for Benjamin is wrong. As he was more than 20 years older than his new wife, the census taker may have altered the age to 38 instead of 58.

Benjamin	38	House Proprieter	Sutton, Essex
Mary	34		Deptford, Kent

1861 census

Benjamin and Mary with their sons Abel and Ebenezer are living at 1 Vine Place Plaistow, which is adjacent to Vicarage Lane, off Church St, close to All Saints Church.

Benjamin	68	Retired grocer	Tatham, Essex
Mary	45	wife	Deptford, Kent
Abel B	7	Scholar	West Ham
Ebenezer F.	4	Scholar	West Ham

1871 Census

They were now living at 2 South St, West Ham. Note that the sons are now using their middle names (Benjamin and Frederick).

Benjamin	79	Formerly grocer	Harlow, Essex
Mary	55	Carriage cushion maker	Deptford, Kent
Benjamin	17	confectioner	West Ham
Frederick	14	Painter, glazier	West Ham

1881 Census

By 1881, Benjamin had died (10 April 1877 at 2 South St, West Ham). His widow remained at this address:

Mary	64	Carriage lining maker	Deptford, Kent
Ebenezer	24	House painter	West Ham
Elizabeth	12	granddaughter	Poplar, Middlesex

Mary is not listed in the 1891 or later censuses, so had died by this date, although I cannot find an entry in the BDM index for her....