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Benjamin Hodgdon
Benjamin Hodgdon lived his life in New Hampshire, being born in Newington, NH May 20, 1750 and dying March 01, 1823 in Portsmith, Rockingham Co, NH at the age of 72. The “Massachusetts Society, Sons of the Revolution, dated 1897”, where Benjamin’s service is documented, list Benjamin’s birth as 1749.  The South Street Cemetery in Portsmouth, where his headstone stands, lists his birth in 1751. He was the son of John Hodgdon Jr and Mary Decker. His second great grandfather, Nicholas, had originally immigrated from Edinborough, Scotland in the early 1600s. In 1802, about age 23, Benjamin married Rosamond Coleman (born March 10, 1779), about nine years his junior. They had two sons, Ephraim (b. 1779 d. 1848) and Benjamin Jr. (b. 1781 d. 1855) and two daughters. The 4th Provincial Congress of New Hampshire voted on Sept 4, 1775 “to raise 4 regiments of minute men by the enlistment of men from the several regiments of militia” to defend Piscataqua Harbor, the coastline between New Hampshire and Maine. The men were to be enlisted for 4 months, then others were to take their places. “The troops were to be stationed in Portsmouth, New Castle, Kittery and the surrounding vicinity to defend the harbor from any attack that might be made upon it by the enemy from seaward.”  The Mass. Society, Sons of the Am Rev documents that Benjamin Hodgdon of Newington, New Hampshire (b.1749 - d.1823) was a private in Captain Stephen Hodgdon’s Company (no relation) to protect Kittery Point, starting November 5, 1775. In July 1776 the Continental Congress made a requisition to “forthwith raise and equip a battalion of troops to include 750 men from NH, including officers, to be sent to reinforce the Continental army in Canada. In August 1776, Private Benjamin signed the Association Test. The first major military initiative by the newly formed Continental Army was the '''invasion of Quebec (frequently referred to as Canada in 1775).  The objectives were to: 1. gain military control of the British Province of Quebec    2.''' Convince French-speaking Canadians to join the revolution on the side of the 13 Colonies. Benjamin appears in both muster and pay roll in Captain John Drew’s Company, under Col.Evan’s and Col. Badger’s Regiments. Their purpose was to reinforce the Northern army at Stillwater, Canada September 8 – December 3, 1777.   Noncommissioned officers and privates were to be paid one month’s pay in advance and 6 pounds bounty. On August 29, 1776, Benjamin received 9 pounds 18 shillings and no pence (9.18.0). He did not qualify for the traveling fee of 8 shillings 4 pence.

Benjamin was a farmer, but he also served as Newington Town Clerk from 1787-89. He was originally buried in the family plot on their land in Newington, but later the land was taken by the government and his remains were moved to South Street Cemetery in Portsmouth.