"Of the memoranda found on the dark weather-stoned stones of the 156 persons’ graves, the inscriptions on two, Jesse Benham, died June 27, 1800, aged 32 years, and John F. Tillman, died June 27, 1800, aged 14 years 6 months and 10 days, might have recalled an event which, at the time of the occurrence, created no little excitement in the village, and made their funerals famous in the history of the Third street burial-ground. Few there were who looked on the disinterment of their remains knew of the facts relative to their deaths, and of the suddenness with which the two persons were
"HURRIED INTO ETERNITY.
"As early as 1791, Jesse Benham was living in a small wooden dwelling house situated a little east of the southeast corner of First and Ferry streets. He was well-known to everybody living in Troy and its vicinity, for he had been for many years the accommodating and affable ferryman who transferred people across the river from the Ferry street landing to West Troy. John F. Tillman, or Jack Tillman, as he was more frequently called, was the son of Capt. Christopher Tillman, who, in 1777, had command of the Lansingburgh company which served for a time in Col. Stephen I. Schuyler’s regiment of infantry during the first years of the revolutionary struggle. The circumstances which launched them both hurriedly into eternity are given in the Lansingburgh Gazette, July 1, 1800:
"The following melancholy accident happened in Troy, on Friday last, [June 27]: a person having dropped his shoe into a well near Mr. Ashley’s tavern, which had been covered and unused for some time, persuaded Master Jack Tillman, a young lad about fourteen years of age, son of the late Christopher Tillman, Esq., of this village, to descend into the well to fetch it up. A stick was tied on the end of a rope for the purpose, on which he placed his feet, and was lowered down; but as he approached the bottom, he was almost instantaneously suffocated with the dead air, and dropped from the rope. A Mr. Jesse Benham, who has attended the ferry at Troy, inconsiderately went down after him and met with a like fate. The water in the well not being more than a foot deep in depth, the bodies were soon taken up, but every attempt to animate them proved ineffectual."
“Troy's Tombs.” Troy Daily Times. November 12, 1879: 1 cols 1-5.
"1800—June 27, Jesse Benham, 32."
Weise, A. J. "Necrological List of Prominent Citizens." History of the City of Troy. Troy, NY: William H. Young, 1876. 358.
"HURRIED INTO ETERNITY.
"As early as 1791, Jesse Benham was living in a small wooden dwelling house situated a little east of the southeast corner of First and Ferry streets. He was well-known to everybody living in Troy and its vicinity, for he had been for many years the accommodating and affable ferryman who transferred people across the river from the Ferry street landing to West Troy. John F. Tillman, or Jack Tillman, as he was more frequently called, was the son of Capt. Christopher Tillman, who, in 1777, had command of the Lansingburgh company which served for a time in Col. Stephen I. Schuyler’s regiment of infantry during the first years of the revolutionary struggle. The circumstances which launched them both hurriedly into eternity are given in the Lansingburgh Gazette, July 1, 1800:
"The following melancholy accident happened in Troy, on Friday last, [June 27]: a person having dropped his shoe into a well near Mr. Ashley’s tavern, which had been covered and unused for some time, persuaded Master Jack Tillman, a young lad about fourteen years of age, son of the late Christopher Tillman, Esq., of this village, to descend into the well to fetch it up. A stick was tied on the end of a rope for the purpose, on which he placed his feet, and was lowered down; but as he approached the bottom, he was almost instantaneously suffocated with the dead air, and dropped from the rope. A Mr. Jesse Benham, who has attended the ferry at Troy, inconsiderately went down after him and met with a like fate. The water in the well not being more than a foot deep in depth, the bodies were soon taken up, but every attempt to animate them proved ineffectual."
“Troy's Tombs.” Troy Daily Times. November 12, 1879: 1 cols 1-5.
"1800—June 27, Jesse Benham, 32."
Weise, A. J. "Necrological List of Prominent Citizens." History of the City of Troy. Troy, NY: William H. Young, 1876. 358.
"Of the memoranda found on the dark weather-stoned stones of the 156 persons’ graves, the inscriptions on two, Jesse Benham, died June 27, 1800, aged 32 years, and John F. Tillman, died June 27, 1800, aged 14 years 6 months and 10 days, might have recalled an event which, at the time of the occurrence, created no little excitement in the village, and made their funerals famous in the history of the Third street burial-ground. Few there were who looked on the disinterment of their remains knew of the facts relative to their deaths, and of the suddenness with which the two persons were
"HURRIED INTO ETERNITY.
"As early as 1791, Jesse Benham was living in a small wooden dwelling house situated a little east of the southeast corner of First and Ferry streets. He was well-known to everybody living in Troy and its vicinity, for he had been for many years the accommodating and affable ferryman who transferred people across the river from the Ferry street landing to West Troy. John F. Tillman, or Jack Tillman, as he was more frequently called, was the son of Capt. Christopher Tillman, who, in 1777, had command of the Lansingburgh company which served for a time in Col. Stephen I. Schuyler’s regiment of infantry during the first years of the revolutionary struggle. The circumstances which launched them both hurriedly into eternity are given in the Lansingburgh Gazette, July 1, 1800:
"The following melancholy accident happened in Troy, on Friday last, [June 27]: a person having dropped his shoe into a well near Mr. Ashley’s tavern, which had been covered and unused for some time, persuaded Master Jack Tillman, a young lad about fourteen years of age, son of the late Christopher Tillman, Esq., of this village, to descend into the well to fetch it up. A stick was tied on the end of a rope for the purpose, on which he placed his feet, and was lowered down; but as he approached the bottom, he was almost instantaneously suffocated with the dead air, and dropped from the rope. A Mr. Jesse Benham, who has attended the ferry at Troy, inconsiderately went down after him and met with a like fate. The water in the well not being more than a foot deep in depth, the bodies were soon taken up, but every attempt to animate them proved ineffectual."
“Troy's Tombs.” Troy Daily Times. November 12, 1879: 1 cols 1-5.
"1800—June 27, Jesse Benham, 32."
Weise, A. J. "Necrological List of Prominent Citizens." History of the City of Troy. Troy, NY: William H. Young, 1876. 358.
"HURRIED INTO ETERNITY.
"As early as 1791, Jesse Benham was living in a small wooden dwelling house situated a little east of the southeast corner of First and Ferry streets. He was well-known to everybody living in Troy and its vicinity, for he had been for many years the accommodating and affable ferryman who transferred people across the river from the Ferry street landing to West Troy. John F. Tillman, or Jack Tillman, as he was more frequently called, was the son of Capt. Christopher Tillman, who, in 1777, had command of the Lansingburgh company which served for a time in Col. Stephen I. Schuyler’s regiment of infantry during the first years of the revolutionary struggle. The circumstances which launched them both hurriedly into eternity are given in the Lansingburgh Gazette, July 1, 1800:
"The following melancholy accident happened in Troy, on Friday last, [June 27]: a person having dropped his shoe into a well near Mr. Ashley’s tavern, which had been covered and unused for some time, persuaded Master Jack Tillman, a young lad about fourteen years of age, son of the late Christopher Tillman, Esq., of this village, to descend into the well to fetch it up. A stick was tied on the end of a rope for the purpose, on which he placed his feet, and was lowered down; but as he approached the bottom, he was almost instantaneously suffocated with the dead air, and dropped from the rope. A Mr. Jesse Benham, who has attended the ferry at Troy, inconsiderately went down after him and met with a like fate. The water in the well not being more than a foot deep in depth, the bodies were soon taken up, but every attempt to animate them proved ineffectual."
“Troy's Tombs.” Troy Daily Times. November 12, 1879: 1 cols 1-5.
"1800—June 27, Jesse Benham, 32."
Weise, A. J. "Necrological List of Prominent Citizens." History of the City of Troy. Troy, NY: William H. Young, 1876. 358.
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