Jacob Bennett was born in late spring of 1772 in New Jersey. He was the son of Abraham Bennett and Jerusha Wanzer. His parents lived briefly in NJ and upper PA before settling in Warwick, Orange Co., NY sometime before 1775.

Jacob married Julia Benjamin about 1793 and they had 11 children. According to the "History of the Settlement of Steuben County, New York" by Guy McMasters [1853], Jacob, Benjamin and Daniel N. Bennett, "settled in 1807 or about that time" in Steuben Co, NY "on what is yet called Bennett's Flatts". Jacob operated the hotel on the corner in Howard, Steuben co., NY. (The Gaynor House was located on that spot in 1983.)

Julia probably died sometime between 1820-1824, when Jacob was remarried to Thankful Baker Stephens, probably in Howard, Steuben Co., NY. Thankful was the widow of Rufus Stephens, and she had at least 3 children from her first marriage. Jacob & Thankful had 2 more children, born in 1825 & 1827.

Jacob was captured by the Indians about 1829, and while captured he married a full blooded Mohawk Indian named Charlotte Gitchell and returned with her to Steuben Co., NY by 1830. Jacob had at least 4 children with Charlotte betwen 1829-1836, and he is listed with Charlotte as his wife on the 1830, 1840 & 1850 censuses of Howard, Steuben Co., NY.

Jacob Bennett and Charlotte Gitchell had the following children:

Comfort Bennett (1829 - 1862 in Ashland, Boyd, Kentucky in the Civil War)

Daniel Bennett (1825 – 1858)

Nancy Bennett (1833 - 1907)

Phillip Bennett (1835 – 1893)

Deborah Bennett (1836 - 1856)

Jacob wrote his will on January 15, 1851, in which he named Charlotte as his wife, and also named as his heirs 15 children, 3 son-in-laws, 12 grandchildren, 3 husbands of his granddaughters, and a niece. Jacob Bennett died on December 1, 1851 in Howard, Steuben Co., NY. He was age 79 when he died. Charlotte is listed at age 67 on the 1860 census of Howard, Steuben Co., NY in the household of her married daughter Nancy Mesick. Charlotte died April 20, 1877. Jacob & Charlotte are both buried in the Howard/Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Howard, Steuben Co., NY.

(Adapted from Rootsweb)


According to One World Tree, there is a very high degree of probability (5 of 5 stars) that this is the direct line, and that author Geoffrey Chaucer is the 12th Great Grandfather of Jacob Bennett.

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400)

Thomas Chaucer(1367-1434)
Alice Chaucer (1385-1475)
Joan De La Pole (1436-)
William Stonor (1432-1484)
Anne Stonor (1484-1518)
Margaret Fortescue (1502-1551)
Anne Wentworth (1520-1575)
Mary Poole (1552-1633)
William Hopkins (1594-1643)
Mary Hopkins (1623-1671)
Sarah Lewis (1652-1722)
Abraham Bennett (1715-1790)
Abraham Bennett (1742-1795)
Jacob Bennett (1772-1851)