Women In My Family History: Part 5

Winifred King Benham

1637-1697

There is a problem with the connection to Winifred King Benham and my lines.  I still claim her while I look for more documentation but the connection has an issue.   If you start with my mother and progress to her father (Loyd Rairigh),  his mother (Georgia Shepler Rairigh),  her mother (Clara Barton Patton Shepler),  her father (Samuel Patton),  his father (Vincent Patton),  his mother (Elizabeth Sheafor) and then to her father (Peter Sheafor) -  I am comfortable with the documentation I have for those generations.  But I cannot find documentation that proves that Peter Sheafor married Catherine Coolbaugh although it is in history books.  When I go to the source of those books though there is no record of the marriage that I can find.   There is also no record I have found of who Catherine's parents were.  Although I have spoken with historical societies that truly believe that her parents were William and Sarah Coolbaugh, I have found no record that proves that as a fact.  But if Peter Sheafor did marry Catherine Coolbaugh and if she was the daughter of William and Sarah (Johnson)  Coolbaugh,  and we move to the prior generation I am good with primary source documents all the way back to Winifred.   It is clear that Sarah Johnson was the daughter of Cornelis Johnson,  Cornelis was the son of Sarah Benham Johnson and Sarah's mother was Winifred King Benham.  Since I continue to claim Winifred while I search, I am choosing her to honor in Part 5 of my series on Women In My Family History which I am writing this year during women's history month.  

Winifred King was born in 1637 and died in 1697.  I do not have a date for when she married Joseph Benham but the first date I have for a child born to them is 1669.   The thing that happened to Winifred that makes her special to me is that she was put on trial for witchcraft.  In fact hers was the last known witch trial in the state of Connecticut.   One of her daughters was also put on trial with her.  Fortunately they were  not found guilty.  The reason she was put on trial for witch craft was because her husband angered the politically powerful in the town they resided in by criticizing them and in retaliation they went after after his family.  One thing that was listed as proof she was a witch was her children were ill with a rash and then they got better and the spots appeared on the neighbor children.   For me,  the women that were persecuted (and some executed) in the early history of our country are women that are to be remembered.  They are innocent victims that are examples of what can happen when places do not maintain the separation of church and state.  There are even people working to get post humous pardons for the women about which more can be learned  HERE and HERE.  There is also a book titled Connecticut Witch Trials that looks good but I have not yet read. Please enjoy the video of an interview with the author of that book below.  And following the video are the pages that go with the title page at the top of this blog.  The book is a local history book of the area of Winifred's trial and explains more about what happened specifically to her.