Husband Benjamin Becraft [2859] 1
Born: 13 Sep 1758 - Athens, Greene, New York, British Colonial America. 1 2
Christened: 21 Jan 1760 - Loonenburgh, Albany, New York Colony, British Colonial America 2
Died: 1800 - Gore District, Ancaster Township, Ontario, Canada 3
Buried:
FamilySearch ID: G1NV-413
Father: William (Wilhelm) Becraft [2486] (1725-1825)
Mother: Sara Hexdyle [2488] (Abt 1717- )
Marriage: 1777
Events
• Military: Beatin. The Pictorial Field-Book of The Revolution
by Benson J. Lossing
Volume l, Chapter Twelve
Among the Tory captors of Harper and his associates was a brute named Becraft, who boasted of having assisted in the murder of the Vrooman family in Scho He had the audacity to return to Schoharie after the war. The returned prisoners, who had heard his boast, and others, informed of his presence, caught him, stripped him naked, and, tying him to a tree, gave him a severe castigation with hickory whip. They enumerated his several crimes, and then gave him a goodly number of stripes for each. On releasing him, they charged him never to come to the county again. Of course he did not.
• Biography: Reid's Sons of Daughters of American Loyalists reads:
Bycroft, Benjamin or Bigcraft, was born about 1762 in New York Province, a
farmer, settled on Lot 11, Con. 2 of Ancaster; married Elizabeth Westbrook,
sister of Andrew Westbrook; d. prior to 1801. OC 24 Feb 1801.
Anne, m. Benjamin Hunt of Ancaster OC 23 Nov 1816
James of GrandRiver, OC 23 Nov 1816
Sara OC 25 Feb 1819
Anthony of Farichild's Creed, OC Oc 2 1822.
• Biography: Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution. by Lorenzo Sabine
Page 223
Becraft, ---. A Tory leader, cruel, and noted for deeds of blood. He boasted to his associates of having assisted to massacre the family of a Mr. Vrooman, in Schoharie, New York. The family, he said, were soon dispatched, except a boy of fourteen, who ran from the house, when he started in pursuit, overtook him, and cut his throat, took his scalp, and hung his body across the fence. After the peace, he had the hardihood to return to Schoharie. He was seized, stripped naked and bound to a tree, and whipped nearly to death by ten men, some of whom had been his prisoners, and had heard him recount his exploit. Thus beaten, he was dismissed with a charge never to show himself in that country again; an injunction which he carefully kept.
.
• Event: New York, United States. Quote from the book; The Mark of Honour
by Hazel C. Mathews
"Benjamin Beacraft, who had been with Joseph Brant when Alexander Harper was taken prisoner, returned to his home in the Schoharie Valley. One day upon hearing a knock at his door he bade the caller to enter whereupon three men with whom he was acquainted filed into the room. Beacraft arose, respectifully inquiring after their health, and offering his hand; the compliment was returned by a hearty and determined clench of his shoulder. He was taken outside to a hickory grove before a self-appointed "jury" of ten men. He was stripped, tied to a staddle strapping, to save him the trouble of running away, and after cutting hickory switches each man joined a circle and gave Beacraft fifty lashes on his back. They then warned him, "to flee the country and never more return to blast, with his presences, so pure an atmosphere as that where liberty and independence breaths and trumiph." Compared with the experiences of others, Beacraft would seem to have got off lightly. He returned to Niagara and with his wife Elizabeth Westbrook eventully settled on Lot 11, concession 2, Ancaster Township."
• Event: The Mark of Honour. Quote from the book; The Mark of Honour
by Hazel C. Mathews
"Benjamin Beacraft, who had been with Joseph Brant when Alexander Harper was taken prisoner, returned to his home in the Schoharie Valley. One day upon hearing a knock at his door he bade the caller to enter whereupon three men with whom he was acquainted filed into the room. Beacraft arose, respectifully inquiring after their health, and offering his hand; the compliment was returned by a hearty and determined clench of his shoulder. He was taken outside to a hickory grove before a self-appointed "jury" of ten men. He was stripped, tied to a staddle strapping, to save him the trouble of running away, and after cutting hickory switches each man joined a circle and gave Beacraft fifty lashes on his back. They then warned him, "to flee the country and never more return to blast, with his presences, so pure an atmosphere as that where liberty and independence breaths and trumiph." Compared with the experiences of others, Beacraft would seem to have got off lightly. He returned to Niagara and with his wife Elizabeth Westbrook eventully settled on Lot 11, concession 2, Ancaster Township."
• He owned land Lot 11, Concession 2, in Ancaster, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada.
• Military: This is what the Old United Empire Loyalist List has written about Benjamin BEECRAFT:
Benjamin Begraft (Beacraft) of the Home District - S.G. Corpl. Becraft,
Indian Dept. single, PLAN, 1786, Niagara stamped book.
.
• Military: Reid's Sons of Daughters of American Loyalists reads:
Bycroft, Benjamin or Bigcraft, was born about 1762 in New York Province, a
farmer, settled on Lot 11, Con. 2 of Ancaster; married Elizabeth Westbrook,
sister of Andrew Westbrook; d. prior to 1801. OC 24 Feb 1801.
Anne, m. Benjamin Hunt of Ancaster OC 23 Nov 1816
James of GrandRiver, OC 23 Nov 1816
Sara OC 25 Feb 1819
Anthony of Farichild's Creed, OC Oc 2 1822.
• He worked as a Farmer.
• He had a web site at https://archive.org/stream/generalpatchin00patcrich#mode/2up/search/becraft.
Wife Elizabeth Westbrook [2860] 1
Born: 16 Oct 1768 - Machackemeck, Orange, New York, British Colonial America 1 3 4
Christened: 12 May 1769 - Machackemack (Deerpark), Orange Co, NY
Died: 19 Jun 1822 - Oxford, Ontario, Canada
Buried:
FamilySearch ID: L7NQ-1JS
Other Spouse: Allen Sager [5431] ( - ) - 1801-1802
Events
• She was born on 16 Oct 1768. Elisabeth Westbroek According to William V. H. Barker, in his excellent "Early Families of Schoharie," Benjamin is the brother of Frantz Becraft. They are the sons of William Becraft b.~1725, d. 18 Jul 1825 at age 100. It seems that William had two wives, and that Benjamin b ~1758 was the son of the first, Sara. Here is what Barker has to say: "BENJAMIN BECRAFT - born ca 1758 (age 25 in 1783); pr. died near his home at Blenheim, Schoharie Co. ca 1784 from a flogging by his Schoharie neighbors (some accounts say applied by young Caspar Martin). Gen. Freegift Patchin (Patchin book) tells of Benjamin's flogging, which was punishment for his villainous conduct as a Tory raider during the Revolution, but claims Becraft survived the 50 lashes. Benjamin lived at Schoharie before the Revolution and about 1777 he joined with Adam Crysler and other Tories in waging war against his former neighbors. During one of the raids, Benjamin scalped the young son of Teunis Vrooman (Noyes/24-6), and in 1780 boasted of this atrocity to Freegift Patchin and others captured during Chief Brandt's raid on Harpersfield. Was a Loyalist, age 25, in the Indian Department at Niagara 1 Dec 1783."
New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962
Name:
Elisabeth Westbroek
Event Type:
Christening
Event Date:
12 May 1769
Event Place:
Machackemeck, Orange, New York, United States
Event Place (Original):
Dutch Reformed Church, Machackemeck, Orange, New York, United States
Gender:
Female
Birth Date:
16 Oct 1768
Father's Name:
Antony Westbroek
Mother's Name:
Sarah Dekker.
Children
1 F Sarah Becraft [2862]
Born: 1782 - Ancaster, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada 5
Christened:
Died: 7 May 1843 - The Cross Roads 6
Buried:
FamilySearch ID: LTCW-T53
Spouse: George Lawrence Sr. 6 [8938] (1757-1848)
2 M Anthony Becraft [2863] 7
Born: 1794 - Brant, Ontario, Canada 7
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
FamilySearch ID: K15Q-KL4
Spouse: Eliot 8 [17494] ( - )
3 M James Becraft [2848] 1
Born: 23 Feb 1794 - Nassau District, Ancaster Township, Wentworth Co, Ontario 3 9
Christened:
Died: 16 Mar 1853 - Charlotteville, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada 3 10
Buried: - Glenshee Cemetery, Glenshee, Charlotte Township, Norfolk Co, Ontario, Canada 11 12
FamilySearch ID: K15Q-KGW
Find A Grave ID: 175284779
Spouse: Mary Ann Petts 1 [2849] (1799-1862)
Marr: Canada 11
4 F Anne Becraft [2861]
Born: 1796 - Ancaster, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada 5
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
FamilySearch ID: K15Q-KK7
Spouse: F Benjamin Hunt 3 [4201] (1786-1840)
Marr: 23 Nov 1816 - Ancaster, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada
General Notes: Husband - Benjamin Becraft
Barker suggests that William's parents may be the Thomas Becraft m. 1722 at Kettlewell, Yorkshire, England to Anne Strapper. His second wife was Marietje Bond who he md. 22 Nov. 1746 at Loonenburg (now Athens), Greene County, NY.