vital records sources

Benoni was born in Warwick and raised, in part, there, in Providence and on Prudence Island. He was with his father when the family settled in King's Town, now North Kingstown. Anecdotal history says that he built a house on "Pender Zeke's Corner) on Shermantown Road in 1707 and another across the street with leftover lumber. Deed research so far hasn't revealed the succession of ownership within and after the Sweet family. To further confuse the issue, his will mentions the "old house," which was included in Elizabeth's dowry thirds, and a "new house" that his son Thomas built, added to the old one, and bequeathed to him. Thomas was to inherit his mother's dower real estate at her death, thus giving him both houses. The phrase "added to" seems to negate the idea that the houses were separate, unless this was an obtuse way to decribe Thomas building a house for himself on his father's homestead near his parents.

Freeman 5 May 1696 (Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (Providence:1858), 311.)

Benoni is said to have been called "Bonesetter Sweet," the tradition being that bonesetting, particularly from dislocation, became a family skill. He was also a captain in the local militia.

     Benoni sold part of what was his father's homestead (which he likely inherited, but there's no evidence of an estate probated) so that St. Paul's Anglican or Episcopal Church could be built. It was on the south side of Shermantown Road near these houses. He may have been a founding member of the congregation. His pew was next to the minister's. He was voted a vestryman for nearly every year between 1725 and 1734. In the minister’s diary, he mentions that "Capt. Sweet came and I wrote his will" on 30 May 1745. Another entry, dated 19 July 1751, says "Joseph Jesse came to me on a message from Betty Sweet, to attend her husband's Capt. Sweet's funeral tomorrow; he had died ys Morning." The next day, "Tom has bro't Mors mare for me to ride to Capt. Sweet's Funeral." In the church records, an entry is found for 19 July stating "being Friday, early in the morning died Capt. Benoni Sweet of N: Kingstowne in ye 90th year of his Age, into wch year 90 he entered the 28th Day of March last. Dr. MacSparran preached his Funeral Sermon in Saturday the 20th and buried him in ye Cemetery of his Ancestors."
     There is a cryptic reference in McSparran's diary to the "Clinick" baptism of a woman who claimed to be Benoni's daughter. She was Mary Sweet, aged 23, who was baptized at the house of Phillip Briggs in North Kingstown on 27 May 1734. This was unlikely to have been Benoni and Betty's daughter Mary, not only since there appears to have only been one, born in 1696, but the circumstances of the baptism appear not to indicate a fully sanctioned event in the eyes of the church.

This is Benoni's will, taken from the transcribed probate records in North Kingstown. It was damaged in a fire in 1870 and I've inserted what is undoubtedly or likely missing:

[in the year of our Lord seventeen] forty five, I Benoni Sweet of North K[ingstown] Kings County in his Majestyes Colony [of Rhode] Island & in New England being in good [---] of Body & of perfect mind & memory t[hanks] be given unto God But Calling unto min[d the] mortality of my Body Knowing it is appo[inted] unto all men once to Die Do make & ordain [this my] last Will & Testament, That is to say Princi[pally] first of all I give & recommend my Soul [into the] Hands of God that gave it & my Body I [recom]end to the Earth to be Buryed With Dec[ent] Cristian Buryal In the Cemetery of my [---] & Ancestors at ye Discrestion of my Execurs [herein] Named, Nothing Doubting But at the Genera[l resurr]ection I Shall Reicive the Same again by th[e] mighty Power of god & as Touching Such wo[rldly] goods and Estates as it Hath pleased God to [bless] me with in this life I give & dispose of th[e] manner and Form Following

[Im]primis After my just Debts & funeral Charges are truly paid By my Execr In Convenant [time?] after my Deceas I will that my Execr p[ay my?] son James Sweet ye sum of five shillin[gs to my] son Benoni Sweet the like sum of five [shillings to m]y Daughter Mary Shearman ye s[um ---] To the Representit[ives ---] and is in lieu of their Respecti[ve portions? of] my Estate haveing allready given Lands [to m]y sd Two sons & to them & their sisters mon[ey and]goods Equal to the Fortune I could afford them [from] my Estate

I give to my Dearly Beloved wife & Concert [E]lizabeth Sweet all my Money, Goods, Chattels & Debts [th]at shall Remain after my Debts & Said Legacies [are] paid to be at her own Disposual & further I will & [he]reby Devise & Bequeath unto my sd Wife Eliz[abeth] for her & Dureing her Natural life the old part [of] my Dwelling House & all the Lands that I have [not] all Ready Disposed of by Deed or Deeds, to her Benefit, Improvement, use & Behoof while [she] liveth But it is my Will that my son Thomas [Sw]eet do live with her & Improve said Lands for [purp?]ose & Benefit

[I g]ive, Devise and Beqeath to my son Thomas [Sw]eet the New House Which he Built & Aded [to? and?] my old one together with all the Lands that I [h]ave Not Disposed of By Deed to be to him his [hei]rs and Assignes after the Deceas of his mother [the] sd Elizabeth Sweet With all the Housings, Build[ings ---]gs, Plantations and Improvments thereupon [the purtenances?] Thereunto Belonging as an Estate [of in]heritance to him his Heirs and assigned f[orever] I do hereby Constitute & appoint & ordai[n the sd] Elizabeth Sweet and my said son T[homas Sweet executors] of this my last will [and testament as n]amed, Willed, Bequeathed, appointed and Confirming this and no other to my [will] and Testament. In Witness Where of I have [hereunto?] sett my hand & seal the Day & Year above [written]

Signed, Sealed, Published, Pronouncd & Declared by the sd Benoni Sweet

[signature] Benoni Sweet

In the Presence of us

Jeffry Watson
Thomas Peckham
James Macksparin

Docr James Macksparin & Jeffry Watson Esq [---] within witnesses, Both personally appeared Before [probably a Justice of the Peace] of North kingstown this 3rd Day of August AD 1751 & on[---]engagements Declared yt they saw ye Within Subscriber [Beno]nj Sweet Decd Signe, Seal, publish, pronounce & D[eclare the] within Written Instrument to be his last Will & Tes[tament] & yt at ye signing there of he was of a Sound Disposing [mind & me]mory & yt at ye same time & in his presence they [signed there?]unto as Witnesses & allso saw Mr. Thomas Peckham sig[n] [there?]unto as a Witness in ye psence of ye Testator at ye [---] signed pr order of ye Town Council above [sd ye Day afore?] sd pr Samuel Thomas Co[---]

Children of Benoni Sweet and Elizabeth:1

i. James, b. 28 May 1687 (7 not in original record)
ii. Margaret, b. 22 September 1689 (1689 not in original record)
iii. Benoni, b. 28 March 1692
iv. Mary, b. 8 December 1696
v. Elizabeth, b. 22 February 1700/01
vi. Thomas, b. August 1703 (day missing)

vital records sources: Benoni's birth is in James Arnold Vital Records of Rhode Island, 1636-1850, vol. 5 (Providence:1894), 205. His death is noted in the McSparren diary, see note .

1 1. Births are in James Arnold Vital Records of Rhode Island, 1636-1850, vol. 5 (Providence:1894), 66.