MENDENHALL, John and Benjamin, were early settlers in Concord, and another
brother, Moses, resided there a short time, but returned to England. They
also had a sister, Mary, who came over unmarried, and became the wife of
Nathaniel Newlin, April 17, 1685, and Margery, who married Thomas Martin, and
came with him from England in 1685. They were from Mildenhall, in
Wiltshire, which was formerly the family name.
John married, in 1685, Elizabeth, daughter of George Maris, by whom he had three
children,-George, b. 6,14,1686, d. 1758, unmarried; John, b. 4,3,1688, m.
Susanna Pierson, 1709; Aaron, b. 9,20,1690, d. 4,30,1765, m. 4,16,1715 to Rose
Pierson, sister of Susanna, and daughter of Thomas Pierson. John, Jr. and
Aaron settled in East Caln, whence John went to Lancaster County, and finally to
Virginia.
Benjamin Mendenhall married, 2,17,1689, Ann, daughter of Robert and Hannah
Pennell, of Middletown, by whom he had ten children,-Ann, b. 3,31,1690;
Benjamin, b. 3,5,1691, m. Lydia Roberts, 3,9,1717; Joseph, b. 3,17,1692, m. Ruth
Gilpin, 8,30,1718; Moses, b. 2,19,1694, m. Alice Pyle, 4,18,1719;
Hannah, b. 6,11,1696, m. Thomas Marshall, 2,24,1718; Samuel, b. 1,28,1697;
Rebecca, b. 10,10,1699, m. Thomas Gilpin, 2,21,1726; Ann, b. 7,22,1703, m. John
Bartram, 10,11,1729; Nathan, b. 8,16,1705; Robert, b. 7,7,1713, m. 9,13,1734, to
Phebe Taylor, 6,23,1762, to Elizabeth Hatton, and 2,6,1777,
to Esther Temple.
Phebe Mendenhall, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth, was born 7,7,1770, m.Gideon
Thomas, and died 1,19,1875. Robert had a large number of children, whose
descendants are numerous.
Benjamin Mendenhall was held in good esteem both in his religious society and as
a citizen. His sons Benjamin and Moses were both ministers. Joseph,
the second son, removed to the west side of Brandywine, and became an active
member of Kennet Meeting. He settled on a large tract of land purchased by
his father in 1703. His children were Isaac, Hannah, Joseph, Benjamin,
Ann, Stephen, and Jesse.
Of these, Isaac married Martha Robinson, and was the father of Joseph, Isaac,
Betty, Thomas, Noah, Benjamin, Martha, Dinah, Aaron, Ruth, and Caleb. He
was born 8,13,1719 and died 8,18,1803. his wife died 5,21,1766. Aaron, his
son, born 2,20,1760, married Sarah, daughter of Nicholas Woolas,
and had children,-Ann, Isaac, Elwood, Hannah (m. to James Trimble), Sarah (m. to
Chalkley Way), and Martha.
Isaac, born 9,29,1806, married Dinah Hannum, 5,12,1831, and has had the
following children: Anna (deceased), Aaron, Luther, Sarah (deceased), and Sallie
Hannah. Of these, Aaron married Ella Taylor, by whom he had one child,
Anna, and his wife dying, he married Hattie Shoemaker, by whom he has two
children,-Isaac and Emma. This Aaron resides on the old Mendenhall
property, purchased in 1703, part of a thousand acres, beginning on the
Brandywine and extending west two and a half miles to the Letitia Penn line, in
the shape of a parallelogram. This Mendenhall homestead contains 150
acres, and the house, shown elsewhere, is the third one built, and was erected
in 1838. The barn was built in 1796. This homestead and farm is
in Pennsbury township, but Aaron's father, Isaac, lives in Kennet township.