NORWALK.                                                365

H O ME-LO T  X X X.
THOMAS   BENEDICT.

Norwalk had fifteen years history behind it when, selecting the colony of Conn, for
his future residence, Thomas Benedict, Sr., left Long Island, and, accompanied by his wife
Mary, and sons John, Samuel, James and Daniel, and daughters Betty, Mary, Sarah and
Rebecca, came, in 1665, to the new settlement. His first-born, Thomas^'^-, who had
recently married into a Norwalk family, soon appears upon the scene. Although about
all the available "home division" lots had, at the Benedict coming, been appropriated,
still was there, at the southwest of the " parade ground ", and on the other side of the
street, a small undisposed-of tract, which, lying along the " Fayerfielde road", and in a
good neighborhood, Mr. Benedict pitched upon, having evidently prevailed upon the ad¬
joining proprietors (Thos. Hanford on the east, Richard Holmes on the south and John
Bouton on the west) to surrender portions of their own properties (two acres in all) sufifi-
cient to afford himself the average size " four acre " homestead. Here was, unquestionably,
built the first Benedict dwelling, within which was housed a family circle, the members of
which were a contribution to the substance, sense and strength of the growing plantation.
Grants in diverse sections of the township were made to Thomas Benedict, Sr., to whom
the honors of public office were continuously offered until, after his quarter-century's Nor¬
walk life he was gathered, in   1689-90, to his fathers,

Thomas Benedict^''-, oldest son of Thomas'"-, who had by about one year preceded
his father to the tomb, left five daughters, but only one son, Thomas3''-, whose destiny it
was to perpetuate the Thomas Benedict line. Thomas ^'^-, who in 1665 or '6i), brought
hither his bride (Mary, daughter of Andrew Messenger of Jamaica, L. L, and afterward
of Norwalk) bought, in 1669, the " Fenn " homestead, which bordered the " coaste banke"
in the rear of the present upper Osborn Avenue. The head of this home, like his parent,
served the public. He was a surveyor, and himself and father-in-law (Andrew Messenger)
were heavy " commonage " proprietors. He lived to see his only son, Thomas3<^-, reach
almost to man's estate, but not long enough to be present when said son married, on May
13, 1697, Rachel, daughter of Samuel Smith and grand-daughter of Matthew ]\Iarvin, Sr.
This Thomas^-i-, known as "Ensign" Thomas Benedict, was a surveyor also, and for
several terms Selectman. He lost his first wife in 1737, and married, second, a Knapp
of Danbury, by whom there was no issue. The second child of Thomass''- and Rachel
Benedict, Thomas^"'-, born Oct. 29, 1701, married. May 21, 1725, Deborah, daughter of
Jonathan Waters of Long Island. Thomas'*'''- was the builder of the to-day remembered
West Avenue Benedict house which stood in that part of the large meadow through which
the present Maple Street has been laid out, and which was the contemplated site, twenty
 

of  which Josiah H. Fitch were Lucretia (Mrs. Sam-   ;   (Mrs. Jonas Platt Conklin);  George (of New Haven);

uel   Dascam);   Jonathan;   Theodicia  (died  young);       Horace   (married a daughter  of   Eseck   Kellogg  of

Nancy (Mi-s. E>ancis lloyt);  Lewis (of New Haven);       Norwalk and resided in New- Haven).    Descendants

Hanford (died a lad);  William (of Michigan);  Mary      of Lucretia and Nancy are Norwalk citizens to-day.