Benjamin DARBY, Sr.
1744 - 1844 (100 years)-
Name Benjamin DARBY [1] Suffix Sr. Birth 1744 [2] Gender Male Biographical Note - Benjamin was the progenitor of the Island Darbys. He was a loyalist from Newburg, New York, according to family tradition, from Rhode Island, according to Ada MacLeod. (a) He settled in St. Eleanors shortly after William Schurman settled in Central Bedeque, and, like him, was for a time a member of the provincial legislature. He died March 3, 1844, aged 100, according to his gravestone. He was twice married. By his first wife, whose name we do not know, he had at least two children, Elizabeth and Mary. He married as his second wife Mrs. Sarah Bremble (ca. 1758-1825 (b)), a widow with several daughters (one of whom, Mary, married Peter Schurman, eldest son of William Schurman the Loyalist), and with her had George, Benjamin, Isaac, Netus, Lois (called Lucy), Deborah, Esther, Hannah, Susannah, and perhaps others. (c)
Footnotes:
(a) "Some Loyalists of Prince Edward Island" in the Dalhousie Review, October 1930, p.328.
(b) The year given on Sarah's gravestone, immediately behind the St. Eleanors Anglican Church, is almost illegible and looks like 1822 than anything else; but his death notice appeared in the register for Friday, June 3, 1825.
(c) Of these;
a. Elizabeth, m. John Welling and settled at Shediac Cape, N.B.
b. Mary, m. William Hanington and also settled at Shediac Cape.
c. George (ca.1790-1864), m. Olivia Hewson, sister to Phoebe Hewson, who married John Schurman. They had no children.
d. Benjamin (ca.1795-1876). Brought up his nephew Edwin Darby (1824-1920), a twin brother to Lavinia Darby (1824-1911), who was wife of William McEwen and mother of Mary McEwen, the first wife of David Schurman (Peter-at-the-Point, Caleb, William).
e. Isaac , m. Mary Schurman (who was daughter of an Isaac and a Mary)
f. Netus (d. 1857), m. in 1827, Margaret Glover, lived in St Eleanors and had large family.
g. Deborah, m. a Forbes and settled in Buctouche, N.B.
h. Esther, m. Capt. Alexander Kennedy (ca. 1787- 1875), lived in the St Eleanors-Summerside area, and had Mary who m. Peter-at-the-point Schurman and Alexander who married Mary Jane Schurman, Peter's daughter by his first wife.
i. Hannah, m. Robert Ellis and lived in Summerside.
j. Susannah (ca. 1801-1856) m. David Betts and lived on Linkletter Road.
This information was taken from William Schurman Loyalist, page 107.
License 12 Dec 1803 , Bedeque, Prince County, Prince Edward Island, Canada 
[3] - tavern license, fee paid 10 pounds.
Death 3 Mar 1844 St. Eleanors, Prince County, Prince Edward Island [4, 5] - "Benjamin Darby died on the 3rd and was buried on the 5th March 1844, in the hundred year of his age."
Burial 5 Mar 1844 St. John's Anglican Church Cemetery, St. Eleanors, Prince County, Prince Edward Island, Canada, 46.419783,-63.810433 [1, 6] - Inscription: Sacred / To The Memory Of / Sarah Wife Of / Benjamin Darby Senior / Who Departed This Life The 16 of May 1827 / Aged 66 Years / Also The Above Benjamin Darby / Who Died the 2nd of March 1844 / Aged 100 Years.
Person ID I12478 Ancestral Trails Last Modified 28 Apr 2024
Family 1 Sarah BREMBLE, b. 1758 d. 16 May 1827 (Age 69 years) Marriage 1786 [1, 7] Children 1. Lois DARBY, b. Abt 1788, , St. Eleanors, Prince County, Prince Edward Island 2. George DARBY, b. Abt 1790 d. 19 Oct 1864, , residence, near Summerside, Prince County, Prince Edward Island (Age ~ 74 years)3. Deborah DARBY, b. Abt 1792, , St. Eleanors, Prince County, Prince Edward Island 4. Isaac DARBY, b. Abt 1793, , St. Eleanors, Prince Edward Island, Canada d. 1 Feb 1863, , St. Eleanors, Prince Edward Island, Canada (Age ~ 70 years)5. Esther DARBY, b. 1794, , Prince Edward Island, Canada d. 1885 (Age 91 years)6. Benjamin DARBY, Jr., b. 1795 d. 5 May 1876 (Age 81 years) 7. Hannah DARBY, b. 1798 d. 4 Feb 1891 (Age 93 years) 8. Netus DARBY, b. Abt 1799, , St. Eleanors, Prince County, Prince Edward Island d. 1857 (Age ~ 58 years)9. Susannah DARBY, b. 1801, , St. Eleanors, Prince County, Prince Edward Island d. 29 Mar 1856 (Age 55 years)Family ID F15221 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 1 Sep 2025
Family 2 Unknown ? Children 1. Elizabeth DARBY 2. Mary DARBY 3. Son DARBY 4. Son DARBY Family ID F31756 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 1 Sep 2025
- Benjamin was the progenitor of the Island Darbys. He was a loyalist from Newburg, New York, according to family tradition, from Rhode Island, according to Ada MacLeod. (a) He settled in St. Eleanors shortly after William Schurman settled in Central Bedeque, and, like him, was for a time a member of the provincial legislature. He died March 3, 1844, aged 100, according to his gravestone. He was twice married. By his first wife, whose name we do not know, he had at least two children, Elizabeth and Mary. He married as his second wife Mrs. Sarah Bremble (ca. 1758-1825 (b)), a widow with several daughters (one of whom, Mary, married Peter Schurman, eldest son of William Schurman the Loyalist), and with her had George, Benjamin, Isaac, Netus, Lois (called Lucy), Deborah, Esther, Hannah, Susannah, and perhaps others. (c)
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Sources - [S3167] Cemetery Marker Benjamin Darby Sr., 3167. (Reliability: 3).
- [S362] Harold Cairns, personal communication, 362. (Reliability: 2).
- [S3881] License to Operate a Tavern - Benjamin Darby Sr., 3881. (Reliability: 3).
- [S5209] Death Record - Benjamin Darby Sr., 5209. (Reliability: 2).
- [S3167] Cemetery Marker Benjamin Darby Sr., 3167. (Reliability: 2).
- [S5209] Death Record - Benjamin Darby Sr., 5209. (Reliability: 3).
- [S2346] IGI - Marr. Benjamin Darby & Sarah Bremble, 2346. (Reliability: 2).
Batch Number 5017443, Sheet 12, Source Call No. 1553687
- [S3167] Cemetery Marker Benjamin Darby Sr., 3167. (Reliability: 3).