Benjamin HILLIKER

                   BIOGRAPHY - H. Crysler Hilliker notes found in Eva Brook Donly Museum, 109 Norfolk St. South, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada N3Y 2W3
     There is a record for Ben Hilliker with Mary at Norwich cemetery but no stone or inscription for him in cemetery records, so he probably is buried in Lynnville.
      He married Mary Beadle of Poughkeepsie, New York. A stone on the Norwich cemetery for "Mary, wife of Benjamin" says she died Jun 8 1817 at 51. If she is the wife of this Benjamin, she is 20 years older than her husband.
      At this point Carson speculates on the mother of Benjamin's children after 1817 and before 1836. Benjamin did have another wife as Throckmorton records the death of Benjamin Hilliker's wife" in June 1835 and her burial on June 9.
      Then Benjamin married Charlotte probably Charlotte Pitcher nee Cunningham. She was born in Tarrytown in about 1799 She married Benjamin in 1836 after the death of her first husband, Alva B. Pitcher of Queensbury Twp. Warren Co., New York State. She had two sons with her, Archibald and Seneca Pitcher, born in Warren County. Seneca was believed to operate the saw mill before coming into Norwich as a store clerk and later a storekeeper. (There are many references to Seneca in "Amelia  Poldon's History of the Norwiches" and Charlotte's stone records her as Charlotte Hilliker, the mother of Seneca Pitcher).
      Benjamin arrived between 1816 and 1819 in Canada since Phebe was born in the US and John was his first child born in Canada. The Mary in Norwich cemetery is probably Benjamin's wife as she died in 1817 although cemetery records have the stone transcribed as 1811 and her death at age 72.
     Benjamin inherited the mill and farm Lot 2 Concession 5 from his father, William. In 1846 Behjamin sold his land to David McDowell of Windham Twp. for pounds 750. Charlotte sold her dower rights for 5 sh (Oxford Registry Office Document 6703). Benjamin and his wife moved to Windham in North Norwich as noted in the 1871 census. It is interesting that she had her birthplace originally written as America and that was crossed out and Tarrytown written above.  She died Jan 8, 1876 and is buried in Norwich.
     In the history of the Norwich Gore church there is mention of the Episcopal Methodists meeting at the home of Benjamin Hilliker in 1834. In 1859 it was decided that a church needed to be built and original members of the Norwich Gore Episcopal Methodists are listed and include Benjamin and his son, William.  The William Barnes diary has several referecne to going to meeting at Benjamin Hilliker's house. He also tells about going to the mill to grind wheat. On March 19, 1836 he had to fix the shaft of Hilliker's mill "dam went off" and June 27 he "made a gate and planked the floom." Again on Sept 3 he fixed the sawmill floom. He also records visits to and from Giles and a visit from Egbert and his wife Frances Jacobs. William also "cased a door" and shingled Benjamin's barn with boards.  He records the marriage of Mima Hilliker.
      Two entries unrelated to the Hillikers caught my interest.  he records his calf being killed and eaten by wolves and also spent one day corking his house with moss.
      Benjamin's grave marker in Lynnville has a four line poem. The last two lines are:
        The debt is paid, my soul is free
        Prepare in time to follow me