| Notes |
- {{Palatine Migration}}
== Biography ==
=== Birth ===
According to his obituary, Benjamin Hershey was 92 years old when he died in 1789. [ This puts his birth in about 1697.]
Richard Warren Davis put his birth in about 1690 in Freidelsheim, Germany.[Richard Warren Davis. ''Emigrants, Refugees and Prisoners'', Volume 2, page 367.]
=== Immigration ===
Benjamin's father, Christian Hershey, patented land in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on 30 November 1717, so he must have arrived in America sometime before then. [ It's likely that Christian's family, including Benjamin, all arrived at the same time.]
=== Occupation ===
Benjamin Hershey was a Mennonite. Many sources state that he was a bishop, but the source for that title is unknown.
"Benedict Hitchi," who lived "one mile west of Lancaster Town," signed the Dordrecht Confession of Faith in 1725. [Ira D. Landis. [https://archive.org/details/lancastermennoni00land/page/56/mode/2up The Lancaster Mennonite Conference: History and Background, page 57.]]
=== Family ===
The connections among three generations of the Hershy family are laid out in a 1773 Lancaster County deed between Benjamin's children.[1773 Deed, Christian Hershy et al to Benjamin Hershy, Jr.: [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSFB-K37F-3?i=279&cat=224489 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book X, page 551.] FamilySearch film #008067076, image 280 of 621.]The deed connects Benjamin Hershy to his parents, siblings, and children. The following facts appear in the deed (mentions of the Benjamin Hershey of this profile are in bold):
* In 1717, Christian Hershy ('''Benjamin's''' father) and John Brubaker patented 1,000 acres of land in Lancaster County. [[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-V3DD-Y87Y?i=83&cat=44185 Pennsylvania Land Patent Book A5, page 271.] FamilySearch film #008715258, image 84 of 834. [https://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r17-522WarranteeTwpMaps/r017-Map2828-Lancaster-ConestogaManorWeb.pdf Lancaster Township Warrantee Map].] They divided the land equally between them, with Christian receiving the northeasterly 500 acres. The land straddled the Little Conestoga Creek, which forms the boundary between East Hemphill and Lancaster Townships. Christian died intestate before the division was finalized, leaving a widow, Ode Hirshy, and three children:
** '''Benjamin Hirshy''' (eldest son)
** Andrew Hirshy (youngest son)
** Ann (wife of Herman Long)* In 1733, the 500-acre parcel was allotted to Christian's eldest son, '''Benjamin'''. [1733 Deed, Hans Brubacher et al to Benjm Hirshy: [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSF1-S95P-V?i=464&cat=224489 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book R, page 187.] FamilySearch film #008067073, image 465 of 741.]
* '''Benjamin Hershy''', of Lancaster Township, had four children:** Christian Hirshy of Warwick Township, Lancaster County (husband of Ann)
** Ann (wife of Jacob Hostetter)
** Mary (wife of Benedict Mellinger)
** Benjamin Hirshy* At the death of the elder '''Benjamin Hirshy''', two parcels of land in Lancaster Township, Lancaster County, one containing 175 acres and 75 perches, the other containing 75.25 acres, descended to his son Benjamin. Both parcels were part of the original 1,000 acres.
: '''Marriage'''
In January 1733/4, when Benjamin sold 268 acres of the land that he had inherited from his father to Peter Bumgardner, his wife's name was Mary. [1762 Deed: John Dehuff to John Stoner: [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS7S-NHHP?i=162&cat=224489 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Deed Book G, page 306]. FamilySearch film #007856829, image 163 of 562.](The cited deed, in recounting the history of the land, says only that the sale took place in January, without specifying the year. But Benjamin purchased the land from his siblings in December 1733, and Peter Bumgardner received a new patent for the land in August 1734. The reason for the new patent was that Benjamin was not a citizen at the time, and therefore could not legally sell the land.)
According to Richard Warren Davis, Benjamin's second wife was Magdalena, daughter of Ulrich Roht. [Richard Warren Davis. [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS8D-CSML-Q?i=848&cat=761809 ''Emigrants, Refugees and Prisoners', Volume 1, page 210.] FamilySearch film #007956425, image 849 of 1808.]Magdalena Rhode was definitely married to a Benjamin Hershey, but her husband was probably not this Benjamin, but rather his son, who was also named [[Hershey-182|Benjamin]]. A 1764 deed shows that Benjamin Hershy and Magdalena Rhode, daughter of Ulrick Rhode, were married by that date. [1764 Deed: Benjamin (Bentz) Hershy et ux to Barbara Elleberger: [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSFB-K3QL-P?i=525&cat=224489 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book Y, page 372]. FamilySearch film #008067076, image 526 of 621.]Another deed shows that Benjamin was still married to a woman named Magdalena in 1799, [1803 Deed: Benjamin Hirshey to Benjamin Hirshey jr.: [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSFB-YQ7Y-Y?i=597&cat=224489 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 3M, pages 459-464 (see page 460, where reference is made to the 1799 deed)]. FamilySearch film #008067093, image 598 of 678.]long after the Benjamin Hershy of this profile was dead. The confusion may have arisen because Benjamin, son of this Benjamin, was referred to as "the younger" while his father was alive, but he became "the elder" after his father died in 1789.
=== Death ===
The 1773 deed mentioned above, which was signed on 14 May, was an agreement among Benjamin Hershey's children. It stated clearly that their father was dead, and that he died intestate, leaving four children. The deed was recorded on 23 February 1784.
Another deed, written in German, complicates this picture. It was dated and recorded on 23 February 1784, the same day that the 1773 deed was recorded. Benjamin signed the 1784 deed, and was clearly still alive at that time. The deed confirmed the 1773 transfer of the two parcels to his son, Benjamin. In the deed, he stated that the 1773 transfer "was made with my complete consent and approval" (''welche Abtrettung und Übergebung durch meine völlig Einwilligung und Approbation geschehen ist''), and that the 1784 deed was made to clear up any objections to the 1773 deed. (''Weillen aber zu besorgen ist, daß Einwendungen gegen den gemelten Kaufbrief möchten gemacht werden, aus Ursach weillen er für meinen Absterben gemacht ist worden, so habe [ich] beschlossen, durch dieses gegenwärtige Schreiben den gemelten Kauffbrieff zu bekräfftigen und zu verstärcken und allen Unruhen und Einwendungen, die nach meinem Tod dargegen gemacht mögen oder können werden, vorzubeugen und abzuhelfen.'')[1784 Deed, Benjamin Hershy Sr. to Benjamin Hershy, Jr.: [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSFB-K37X-V?i=282&cat=224489 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book X, page 555.] FamilySearch film #008067076, image 283 of 621.]
Since Benjamin didn't die in 1773, and was still alive in 1784, he was likely the Benjamin Hershey who died at his home near Lancaster on 29 July 1789. An obituary was printed a week later on 5 August 1789 in the German language newspaper ''Lancaster Zeitung''. In translation, it read:[''Neue Unpartheyische Lancaster Zeitung und Anzeigs-Nachrichten'' (Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States), Wednesday, 5 August 1789, page 3, column 2. (GenealogyBank.com) The translation is adapted from the Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy webpage, [https://websites.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/mn/m11554x16237.htm#Fm11554x16237R91 ''Notes for Benjamin Hershey and Mary''.]]
: Died last Wednesday night [29 July 1789] on his plantation near this town [Lancaster], Benjamin Hirsche. He was in the ninety-third year of his age [so he was 92 years old], and was old and tired. His remains were interred on Friday morning in the cemetery attached to the meetinghouse about a mile from his home. His funeral was attended by a large following of all classes and denominations. He had been bedfast for the past five years owing to his great age. He came to this country from Germany in 1717, and he had lived on his farm since that time. He was one of the oldest inhabitants of this county. For more than fifty years he was a teacher and a worker in the vineyard of the Lord. He served the Mennonite congregation at all times with fidelity, and he will be remembered in blessing forever. He leaves a large number of descendants, and will be mourned by all who knew him.
== Sources ==
: See also:* Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy website:, [https://websites.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/mn/m11554x16237.htm ''Notes for Benjamin Hershey and Mary''.]* Mentioned in "Mennonites of Lancaster Conference" by M. G. Weaver; Pages 40,41,90,120,340,467.* FamilySearch family tree, [https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LVPT-WDR Person ID LVPT-WDR] Benedict Benjamin Hershey.
== Acknowledgments ==*Thank you to [[Ludwig-317 | Richard Ludwig]] for creating WikiTree profile Hershey-181 through the import of Richard Ludwig's Family.ged on Jan 18, 2013.* WikiTree profile Hershey-144 created through the import of BaxterFamilyTree.ged on Jan 27, 2012 by [[Baxter-692 | Jason Baxter]].
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1696 - 1789 (93 years)
