GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives

Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2005-08 > 1125332975


From: (John Chandler)
Subject: Re: [DNA] Benjamin surname
Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 12:29:35 -0400 (EDT)
References: <43110556.9040608@neyersoftware.com>
In-Reply-To: <43110556.9040608@neyersoftware.com> (message from Mary Jo Neyeron Sat, 27 Aug 2005 20:29:10 -0400)


Mary Jo wrote:
> What is interesting to me about this Benjamin line is the ones who
> moved to L.I. used names "David" and "Gamaliel". I have not encountered
> "Gamaliel" among other Puritan families (although I know who he is in
> the NT )and "David" was despised by the Puritans for his sexual
> misbehaviour. It is a name popular with Welsh and Scottish families, so
> perhaps this is evidence for the Welsh tradition.

I don't think you'll find any kind of unanimity of opinion on David
among the Puritans. As for the name Gamaliel, it was very popular in
the Beaman family, right down to the 20th century. The founder of the
Rhode Island Genealogical Register was named Alden Gamaliel Beaman.

As for the Jewish-vs-Welsh question as a whole, I think you need to
focus on the surname, not the given names of New England members of
the family. We can assume "Benjamin" was a patronymic dating back to
the 15th century or so -- before the time when Old Testament names
became popular in England. That *might* be a clue of Jewish origins.
At the same time, the recognition of that clue *might* be the sole
origin of the family "tradition" you mentioned.

John Chandler

This thread: