Early BENGES/BINGES in America
Copyright by Don Chesnut, 1996
William BENGE/BINGE [#1]: The first Benge in America [ID#10057]
William Binges (#2)
Joan Binge
Jon. Bing
Samuel Binge
Introduction
Hotten, J.C., 1974, GPC, Baltimore, "Lists of Emigrants to America: 1600-1700:"
p. 235,
"The Muster of those that Liwe [live] in ye Treasurors Plant." [the treasuror,
G. Sandys' plantation at Jamestown],
The list includes...
William Benge [who arrived] on the "Marygold," [in] 1619.
This muster was ordered in 1622-1623 to determine who had survived
Opecancanough's massacre at Jamestown. William Benge/Binge had lived through
it. The muster also mentioned when they arrived and on what ship they came.
The Virginia Company's treasuror, George Sandys had a plantation and a
well-fortified stockade with 30 guns, a "peece" of ordnance, 20 swords, "powder,
lead and shott and invluded armor Steele Coats and Coats of Male." I assume
that this was necessary for the company's "bank."
Bill and Linda [bilinbo@aol.com] found the following...
"The 1624 Jamestown Census contains information that we have not seen in
most published sources. There are a number of columns--name, age, status,
head of household, location, ship, and dates--so it is necessary to scroll
to the side of the page to read them all.
In 1624, there were only about 450-500 people in Virginia, and most of these
were men and boys. Twenty-four people lived on the plantation of George
Sandis/Sandys. On the plantation there were only three heads of household:
George Sandis, Robert Sheppard, and Zachary Cripps. We counted nine people
in the household of George Sandis, all of them male servants, including one
"hired" servant. There were two freemen in the household of Zachary Cripps,
and nine freemen and one freewoman in the household of Robert Sheppard. William
Benge, who arrived on the Marygold, was one of the freemen listed in the
household of Robert Sheppard.
Most of the settlers were young people in their twenties and thirties. According
to a post on the Sheppard GenForoum, Robert Sheppard was born about 1604
in England and died before July 5, 1654 in James City, VA. He immigrated
to Jamestown before Feb. 16, 1623 and later married Elizabeth Spencer. If
the source is accurate, Robert Sheppard was about twenty years old when he
was head of a household on the Plantation. Could William Benge also have
been a young man in his twenties or thirties? (As luck would have it, no
age is given for William Benge on the 1624 Census.)"
According to Elizabeth Kujawski [ca 1990], "Some of the early Benge family
in England had been armorers. Would that explain the presence of Will on
this plantation?" [I would like to find her sources.]
After 1620, there were numerous references to William Binge at Jamestown,
but the spelling varied from Benge, Binge, Bing, Byng, to Bynge.
Virginia Magazine of History and
Biography, vol. 7:
50-51, Letter from Earl of Warwick to Secretary Conway,
"1624, Aug. 9, Newark, this Monday noon.
"Robert Earl of Warwick to Secretary Sir Edward Conway:
"Has sent back Mr. Pory with the commission desiring Sec. Conway to put Mr.
Potts name out of it, his Maj. Knows the reason, he was the poisoner of the
Savages there (in Virginia) and therefore it is very unfit he should be employed
by the State in any business. Prays him also to put the King in mind of writing
a letter to Mr. Attorney to put in Robert Bing in the Virginia commission
according to his Maj. Promise, for he can do his Maj. Much service therein,
and since his Maj. Trusts the Earl of Warwick in that business he would be
glad to do all he can for the advancement thereof."
Early Virginia Immigrants 1623-1666, by
Greer:
*Will BENGE, 1653, by Geo. Hack, Northampton Co.
Joan BINGE, 1654, by Tho. Felton, Charles City Co.
Jon. BING, 1636, by Bridges Freeman, __ Co.
Wm. BENCE, 1654, by Mrs. Mgt. Brent, Westmoreland Co.
Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants;1623-1666,
by Nugent, 1983:
p. 285,
George Hack, 400 acres, Northampton Co., Matchotank Creek, 1 jul 1653
[transaction with persons including Will. Benge].
Who was this William Benge/Binge [1]?
Elizabeth Kujawski [ca 1990] notes the following:
"The first parliament of James the first lists as those interested in American
colonization, one William Bing, esquire. He represented New Romney,
1610-1611 and Winchelsea in 1614. He was admitted to Gray's Inn 1612; Governor
of Deal Castle and the younger brother of George Byng of Wrotham,
Kent ("Genesis of the U.S."). [I have the pedigree of this family; Robert
Byng, who wrote a letter to mr. Ferrar who was in Jamestown in 1620’s
may have been his older brother; DRC]. This same book states that using various
sources he determined that a Wm. Bing was an original member of the
Virginia Companies. The William Benge who came to James City in 1619
was not a servant of any sort and... he paid his own passage. In the Hotten
book listing passenger lists of "Persons of Quality," William Benge
is mentioned."
"The Court Rolls Portfolio 207, No. 42 of Kenilworth in County Warwick, show
that tenants of his Lord King Henry the eighth included a Thomas Benche
at the homage in Lillyington. [I also have information about this line, DRC.]
Was this a Benge? We cannot know but the name has often been given as Benche
in this country."
"The book, "Virginia Gleanings in England" shows there was a will of 21 Nov
1647, proved 23 Dec 1647 of an Elizabeth Dunkyn. This will leaves, among
other bequests, "To my son William Binge and Elizabeth his wife 12
d. apiece. The residue of all my personal estate to my grandaughter
Elizabeth Binge, daughter of my sd son William Binge exix.
if she shall then be living." Was this our William or his son? A William
Benge is listed in "Cavaliers and Pioneers" by Nugent. The first mention
is of George Hack receiving 400 acres for transporting, among others, Will.
Benge in 1653. In 1664 and again in 1668 land grants were given for importing
a W. Benge."
[perhaps Will went back to England ca 1650 to settle the estate of his mother
and returned ca 1653; DRC]
Putting it all together
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 George and brother Robert
Byng of Wrotham, Kent, England were known to be involved with the Virginia
Company. A William Bing, Esq. was also reported to be interested in the
colonization of America. George and Robert also had a younger brother William.
Robert corresponded with his friends, the Earl of Warwick and Mr. Ferrar
who were important figures in Jamestown [then James Citty]. William Binge
[immigrated 1619], listed as a member of the Court at Jamestown, was a member
of the Earl of Warwick’s and Mr. Ferrar’s faction at Jamestown.
Accordingly, I think that our William [immigrated 1619] was the brother of
George and Robert of Wrotham, Kent. This Byng family probably pronounced
their name with a soft "g" as in Binge. Some of their relatives [cousin Edward
Binge and descendants] in England spelled their name as Binge.
I gather from the records
of the Virginia Company, that William Binge (Immigrant 1619) was a venture
capitalist probably trading in tobacco because he was so concerned about
the tobacco patents. I am guessing that he was personally overseeing his
family’s (i.e., brothers) investment. I don’t see anything to suggest
that he was there for military reasons, as earlier suggested. He was once
called Captain, I propose, because of his stature and age only. He was obviously
a man of some leisure because he was able to attend the almost weekly meetings
of the Courts. He was listed as an Adventuror and not a Planter. [DRC]
If this assumption is
true [that Wm. Binge, immigrant 1619 is Wm. Bynge of Wrotham, then this is
his pedigree…
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Thomas Byng (b.ca 1477), md. Joan Hicks
John Byng (b.ca 1510), md. Agnes Spencer of Essex
Robert Byng, Esq. (b.ca 1540), md. Frances Hill; they had the following children…
George
John
Francis or Frances
Robert
William (b.ca 1571 Wrotham, Kent, England) **
Anne
Other Early BINGES in America
William BINGES/BINGS [#2]: another
Binge [ID#10031]
"Some Early Emigrants to America," p. 417,
(a) D.978. Wm. Bings. A Taylor. About 24 [b. ca 1660]. From Redford
co. Notts. [Nottinghamshire?] Son of Richard Bings. Signes "William
Binges."
[odd that they listed him as Bings even though his signature was Binges]
[Note from Andrea Haga
(eaohaga@swbell.net): The first spelling
of the name was whatever the clerk or the Bonder wrote when filling out the
form. It is good to trust the spelling that the indentured signed (if they
were able, in which case, he was).]
(b) John Moore of London. Merchant.
[Note from Andrea Haga
(eaohaga@swbell.net): John Moore,
the merchant from London, is the original holder of the indenture. Typically,
the merchant would rack up as many people as possible, bind them into contract,
sail with the servants, and then auction off the contracts when they arrived
in the colonies. Essentially they were the middlemen, and quite ruthless
at times; known for kidnapping and using duress to get potential servants
to sign.]
(c) Merriland. 4. To serve as a Taylor. Recoverie. Capt. Thomas
Hasteed.
[Note from Andrea Haga
(eaohaga@swbell.net): Merriland was
a common misspelling of Maryland at the time; 4 was the number of years the
indenture contract was to last (beginning, not at the time of the original
contract signing, but when the servant set foot in the colony);
Recoverie was the name of the ship captained by Capt. Thomas Hasteed
or Hastings.]
(d) 1st. September 1684. John Spring. (Abra. Bayly. Ro: Hastings.).
[Note from Andrea Haga
(eaohaga@swbell.net): the ship sailed
for Maryland 9/1684 and is possible it went to Carolina instead. Bayly and
Hastings were the magistrates who had to "examine" the would-be servant.
It is interesting to mention that most indentures were signed by only one
magistrate, but in this case, two were required because this William had
a trade, was literate, and had a parent living. These circumstances sometimes
meant that William was possibly obliged to someone else in apprentice or
something similar. England was passing many laws to "protect themselves"
at this time from entering into indentures that could bring legal action.]
[Nothing more is known about this William Benge/Binges; based on his age
in 1684, he must have been born ca 1660.] [Note from Andrea Haga
(eaohaga@swbell.net): So far, I can
safely assume that this William did not settle in Anne Arundel or Baltimore
Counties.]
Joan BINGE:
Early Virginia Immigrants 1623-1666, by Greer:
Will BENGE, 1653, by Geo. Hack, Northampton Co.
*Joan BINGE, 1654, by Tho. Felton, Charles City Co.
Jon. BING, 1636, by Bridges Freeman, __ Co.
Wm. BENCE, 1654, by Mrs. Mgt. Brent, Westmoreland Co.
[Nothing more is known about this Joan Binge/Benge.]
Jon. BING:
Early Virginia Immigrants 1623-1666, by Greer:
Will BENGE, 1653, by Geo. Hack, Northampton Co.
Joan BINGE, 1654, by Tho. Felton, Charles City Co.
* Jon. BING, 1636, by Bridges Freeman, __ Co.
Wm. BENCE, 1654, by Mrs. Mgt. Brent, Westmoreland Co.
[George, Robert, and William BYNG of Wrotham also had a brother John; maybe
Jon. Bing here is that brother. He could also be a son of William.]
Samuel BINGE, died 1687: info sent by Bill and
Linda B. [BILINBO@aol.com]
Bill and I stumbled upon this reference to the death of Samuel Binge in 1687
in West New Jersey. Can anyone help us identify him? Linda B.
"[Richard Basnetts returne upon the death of Samuell Binge] The Returne of
Richard Basnett appointed as Coronour for the present Immirgencie to sitt
upon and view the dead body of Samuell Binge:
"The Second of the 6th Moneth 1687: The Jury or Inquest returned and appeareing
James Marshall, Thomas Raper, Christopher Weatherill, Thomas Gladwin, Lawrence
Morris, Anthony Burgesse, James Wills, John Budd, William Crues, John Kinsey,
Isaac Smith, James Silver Attested. It is the Judgment of the Jury Upon Viewing
the body and examination of such as were presesnt or neare at hand, when
the said Samuell Binge fell of from the Roofe of the house of Samuell Jenings:
And the said Jury doe mutuall agree and give it as their Judgment that the
death of the said Samuell Binge came by Accident, Testyfyed under their hands
the day and year above written: Taken by Richard Basnett Coronour the day
and yeare above written."
From: American Legal Records--Volume 5, The Burlington Court Book, A Record
of Quaker Jurisprudence in West New Jersey, 1680-1709.