Benjamin Turner Boyton

by Isabel Morse Maresh

Benjamin Turner Boyton was born on 11 September 1829 in Montville, Waldo County, Maine, the son of James and Lois (Turner) Boynton. Benjamin Boynton died on 12 January 1912, aged 82 years, 5 months, and 2 days in Montville, and is buried in Mt. Repose cemetery on Route 3 in The Kingdom, in Montville, Maine. Great-Aunt Mildred (Hannan) Perkins said that Grandfather Benjamin Boynton is buried on his sister, Lucy Murch's cemetery plot near the East gate, with no gravestone, nor marker to mark his last resting place.

Benjamin turner Boynton married Nancy Maria Griffin, daughter of Jacob and Lydia Ann (Davis) Griffin. They took out marriage intentions in Liberty on 26 March 1853. They were both of Liberty, Maine. Benjamin T. Boynton's wife, Nancy Maria Griffin, was born on 3 December 1835 in Montville. She died in Montville on 28 June 1898, aged 63 years, 6 months, and 25 days of 'Cancer of stomach'. She is buried with her husband, Benjamin t. Boynton, in Mt. Repose cemetery, with no gravestone.

Benjamin and Nancy (Griffin) Boynton had the following children:

1. Alfred Royal Boynton, born 1854; married 1877 Ellen O. Richards [called both Alfred and Royal]

2. Charles T. Boynton, born ca 1855; died ca 1929, buried in Dobbins, Yuba County, CA; married 1896 Mary Ann Sleppy in Talent, Jackson County, OR; no children

3. Ida Myra Boynton, born 1858; married Charles Weston Pinkham; died 1909, aged 51 years; Ida and Charles had seven children

4. James Boynton, born ca 1861; died 1 Aug. 1879, aged 18 years in Liberty, ME; unmarried

5. Annie Dorothy Boynton, married 1st George W. currier, and had nine children; she married 2nd, George W. Thomas, moved to Washington State, and had one child with George W. Thomas

6. Franklin Gustavus Boynton, born 1864; married Alice Fuller; had six children

7. John H. Boynton, born 1867; married Cora E. Penney; had a large family, up to twelve children

8. David Ulysses Boynton, born 1870; married 1st Ava Arvilla Wellington, had four children, Ava died; he married 2nd Harriet L. Morrison and had three children

9. Benjamin Boynton, Jr. called Bennie, born 1871; married 1st Viella 'Mabel' Griffin, his 1st cousin, by whom he had one child, Worthing Boynton; he married 2nd Addie J. Bateman, and they had six children

10. Sadie May Boynton, born 1872, married William David Thomas; removed to Leland, Jefferson County, WA; had 8 children

11. Bertha E. Boynton, born 1874; married 1894 Charles E. Davis; had 9 children

12. Georgia Camilla Boynton, called 'Millie' born 1879; married 1st, Herbert Reuben Hannan; 2nd Joseph Chapman; 3rd Charles Hubbard; had ten Hannan children, and one child, George Chapman, who went by the surname, Hannan

13. Oswell Boynton, born 1885, went to Leland, WA, and in the Census had a wife, Florence, and children

One year before Benjamin's death an item in the 26 January 1911 issue of The Republican Journal reads "Centre Montville.... Benjamin Boynton's house caught fire last Sunday night around the stove funnel. They heard the sound of fire and upon going into an adjoining room found it all ablaze. Having water at hand, the fire was soon extinguished. They lost some clothing and bedding..."

In The Waldo County Herald, Benjamin's short obituary reported that he lived in the house where he died for fifty-four years, on the North Ridge Road, in The Kingdom, on the road to Centre Montville. Millie (Boynton) Hannan later lived in the house with her family. His funeral was held Sunday the 14th of January 1912, and that "he leaves quite a large posterity."