- Parish of Waterborough, Queens Co. Will dated 20 June 1828, proved 26 March 1834. Wife Rachel BIRDSILL one-third of real and personal estate and the household furniture. Son Benjamin BIRDSILL Jr. 100 pounds. Residue of real and personal estate to be divided among my children, Elizabeth BIRDSILL 'now CARPENTER,' Deborah BIRDSILL 'Now PURDY,' Phoebe BIRDSILL 'now MERRITT,' Deborah BIRDSILL 'now GIDNEY,' Sarah BIRDSILL 'now VAIL,' and Isaac BIRDSILL. Isaac BIRDSILL the last named legatee being now dead his portion to be divided among his children, my grandchildren, James, John, Isaac, William, Ephraim, and Samuel BIRDSILL. Sons-in-law Gilbert MERRITT and Nathaniel VAIL and my wife Rachel BIRDSILL executors. Witnesses: Charles GIDNEY, Joshua GIDNEY, Sara R. BABBIT, Valentine H. PETERS. Inventory, dated 27 March 1835, valued at 1,955 pounds by George KNOX and John McDONALD. Benjamin, a United Empire Loyalist, lived in New York City during the War. He and his family immigrated from Dutchess County, New York in 1783, settling in the Parish of Waterborough, Queens County, New Brunswick along the Jemseg River. The Jemseg flows out of Grand Lake some 50 miles north of the city of Saint John, and into the Saint John River seven miles below. It's not surprising that Benjamin and his family moved to Canada as Loyalists. He was a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers), which are pacifists. Leaving America may have been a way for him and his family to try and live in peace away from the fighting. Even in Canada, not joining the Church of England had it's drawbacks. In 1807, as a witness to the signing of his son-in-law's will, he was only allowed to affirm, rather than swear that he had seen Coles Carpenter sign it. The 'History of Queens County, N.B.' states that Benjamin moved back to New York in 1826, and his son Benjamin Jr. moved to Wentworth County, Ontario about the same time. If they did indeed move, they didn't waste too much time in getting back to Waterborough. He was here to sign his will on the 20th of June in 1828, and died sometime before it was proved on the 26th of March, 1834. His son Benjamin Jr. predeceased him by almost four years in Waterborough. His wife, Rachel, lived for at least another 15 years, evidently moving to Gagetown sometime during the period in between, before making out her Will in 1843. Benjamin's ancestry shouldn't be too hard to trace back further, given the detailed Quaker records usually existing. The Birdsell File lists Benjamin the Loyalist as 'Jr' and his son as 'Benjamin III.' Further information was not in the file, though it did say that this information if from a forthcoming book on Queens County, N.B. being written by a Dr. Mildred Smith of Miami, FL. Sources: New Brunswick Loyalists by Sharon Dubeau; from the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick: The Birdsell file, Land Claims, Probate Records, History of Queens County, N.B.
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1743 - 1834 (91 years)