Descendants of Capt. Arthur Fenner

Capt. Benjamin Fenner

[b 1763 at Arkwright, Coventry, RI; d 14 Apr. 1816 at Sterling, CT, age 53] Captain Benjamin Fenner is said to have been in the military service at Newport when under 20. Benjamin m Mary “Polly” Greene [b 20 Sept. 1777; d 23 Sept. 1864] at Warwick, 6 Mar. 1794. Mary lived with her daughter, Amy Tillinghast, for several years. The first four children were born at Arkwright, RI. They moved to the Sterling, CT farm in 1802.

Mary was the daughter of Col. Christopher Greene [b 1737; d 1781] and Ann Lippett. Christopher Greene was a captain in the Quebec expedition, where he was taken prisoner in 1775. When exchanged, he was promoted to Colonel. With inferior numbers, he repulsed the Hessians at Red Bank. For this victory, Congress voted him a sword. He was massacred by a band of Tory refugees.

  1. Jeremiah [b 31 Aug. 1794 in Arkwright, RI; d 20 Apr. 1851] m Elsie Barber.

  2. Elizabeth [b 25 Feb. 1796; d 30 Sept. 1825] m Nicholas Thomas. They had Susan and Mary E. After Elizabeth’s death in 1825, Nicholas married her sister, Julia.

  3. Benjamin [b 22 Apr. 1799; d 21 Mar. 1883] had three wives, no children.

  4. John [b 11 Aug. 1801; d 28 Aug. 1885] m Amanda Smith.

  5. Christopher [b 9 Sept. 1803; d 18 Mar. 1867] m Sarah Smith.

  6. Joseph Warner [b 17 June 1806; d 3 June 1884] m Lucinda Reynolds.

  7. Julia Ann [b 20 July 1810; d Nov. 1885] married her sister Elizabeth’s widower, Nicholas Thomas.

  8. Amey [b 16 Mar. 1813; d 18 Feb. 1871] m Chris Tillinghast.

  9. Mary Melinda [b 6 Nov. 1816] m James N. Franklin.

Lineage:
Arthur | Thomas | Richard | Jeremiah | Benjamin

Notes:

  1. National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, 21:36.

  2. Martha Benns, Notes on the Fenner Family of R.I. (1941), p. 37. Martha shows Elizabeth’s birth as 2 Feb. 1796, John’s birth as 11 Apr. 1801, Joseph’s birth as 17 Jan. 1815 and gives his middle name as Warren. Martha shows a tenth child, Frances, but Benjamin had died shortly after the conception of Mary Melinda. It is possible either Mary had another child by another man, or Frances was born some time before Mary.

  3. Eva Fenner, The Fenner Family, p. 99. Eva indicates Joseph was named after his grandmother, Ann Warner.