Here is the reply from David Reese regarding Benjamin Canby's wife. I'll
write to thank David for this information, but he didn't tell us where he
got it from, so in effect it's not really helpful.
For the purposes of Find A Grave, I'm going to make sure that all
information that I supply says that Benjamin's wives were Elizabeth or Mary
Baker/Boker and Jane Hall or Elton. We really don't know. The best
genealogists have been working on this for a long time, and no one has
turned up the definitive proof, so I want to be careful here to list all the
discrepancies.
By the way, Benjamin's mother is also disputed, but his father is not.
Anyway, hope that this helps to clear up some things about the Canbys.
Let's all keep in touch if we think of something else to query.
Best wishes,
Mary Jo
From: David Reese [mailto:dreese@kih.net]
Sent: Friday, 15 June 2012 1:26 AM
To: mjcmartin(a)optusnet.com.au
Subject: Mary Elizabeth Baker wife of Benjamin Canby
Hello,
All of my sources for information about Mary Baker Canby are secondary so
not necessary reliable.
She is thought to be the brother of Henry Baker who immigrated from England
and settled in Pennsylvania. Here is a copy of one of the secondary sources
of information that I have.
Benjamin CanbyA was born on 6 September 1637, presumably in Thorne, the son
of Thomas and Mary. Benjamin died in 1682, probably in Liverpool. He married
twice, Mary or Elizabeth BAKER or BOKER, and Jane HALL.
The town of Thorne was mostly built of brick, with carved stone cornices on
the more prosperous older houses. There were the ruins of a Norman castle,
whose dungeons were used by Thomas Canby (a cousin) as a cellar. [16]
<
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paxson/balderston/canby.h
tml#16can> Benjamin, as a younger son, received very little from his
father, and no land.
Benjamin married Elizabeth or Mary Baker, or Boker or Boaker. There is some
disagreement about both her name and the date. A wedding date of 26 March
1678, and name Elizabeth are from Canby's Family History; the Biographical
Dictionary of Pennsylvania Legislators gives no date, and calls her Mary,
saying that she had died by 1678.
<
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paxson/balderston/canby.h
tml#17can> [17] Their children were christened in Thorne in the 1660s, which
makes a wedding date of 1678 problematical unless there were indeed two
different wives. All of the children except Thomas seem to have died quite
young and were buried in Thorne (with the possible exception of Edward).
At some time after that the family became Friends, perhaps under the
influence of Henry BAKER, who has been said to be a brother of Elizabeth.
<
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paxson/balderston/canby.h
tml#18can> [18] The rest of the family were staunch Anglicans, and wealthier
cousins left gifts to the church and served as trustees of schools, etc.
There was a Quaker George Canby of Selby (near Thorne) but his relationship
is not known to me.
<
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paxson/balderston/canby.h
tml#19can> [19] (See above.)
Benjamin had moved to Liverpool by 1678, probably after the death of his
wife. There he set up as a distiller, and married for the second time, Jane
HALL or Elton at the Friends meeting in Tamworth, Warwickshire.
<
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paxson/balderston/canby.h
tml#20can> [20]
Benjamin was an active member of Hardshaw Monthly Meeting. In Great Britain
each monthly meeting consisted of a number of smaller preparative meetings
within a geographical area. Benjamin attended the monthly meetings for
business at least fifteen times between August 1678 and July 1681. He,
Phineas PEMBERTON, and others were appointed to a committee to gather the
names of all Friends indicted at the quarter session for religious offenses.
The committee was also charged to speak with Friends who had paid tithes and
those who were "over comme" with sleep in meeting for worship. Benjamin also
served on a marriage oversight committee.
<
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paxson/balderston/canby.h
tml#21can> [21]
Benjamin died in 1681/2 in Liverpool, and was buried in the Friends burying
place in Whitfield parish, Flintshire, Wales, as requested in his will. On
31 January 1682 the administration of his will was granted by the Consistory
Court at Chester to Peter ALLEN, blacksmith from Liverpool. It is possible
that Peter Allen was not a Friend and therefore able to swear the oaths
required by the court. Benjamin bequeathed to his son Thomas two pieces of
land in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, to be held in trust for him by
Benjamin's brother Edward until Thomas became an adult. In the meanwhile
Thomas was to be raised and tutored by his stepmother Jane and Friends in
Lancashire.
<
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paxson/balderston/canby.h
tml#22can> [22]
Children of Benjamin and Elizabeth/Mary (Baker) Canby:
i. Edward Canby1 , b. 9 Apr. 1663; bapt. 16 May 1664;
ii. Elizabeth Canby, christened 10 [or 16?] May 1664 in Thorne; d. 20 May
1664..
iii. Benjamin Canby, perhaps d. before 30 March 1681 when another son was
named Benjamin?
iv. Henry Canby, christened 24 May 1666 in Thorne; d. 9 Sept. 1666.
v.
<
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paxson/balderston/canby.h
tml#ThomasCanby1> Thomas Canby, b. 9 Apr. 1667; christened 19 Apr. 1667 [or
1668?]in Thorne; d. 20/9m (Nov.) 1742 in Wrightstown, Bucks Co., Penna.
<
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paxson/balderston/canby.h
tml#23can> [23]
vi. Henry Canby, bapt. 1669; d. Mar. 1669.
vii. Katherine Canby, christened 29 Mar. 1671 in Thorne; d. Aug. 1671.
Child of Benjamin and his second wife Jane:
<
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paxson/balderston/canby.h
tml#24can> [24]
viii. Benjamin Canby, b. 30 Mar. 1681; d. before 24 Oct. 1681 as he was
not mentionedin his father's will.
Regards,
David