Benckendorf Family

The **Benckendorf Family** was a early prominent political family in the United States. The Family was mainly based in Pennsylvania, where the Benckendorf Plantation was located, but parts were prominent in New Hampshire where Charles Benckendorf moved in 1781.

## George Benckendorf

George Benckendorf is a prominent Pennsylvania Politician, currently serving as the President of the United States, and is the owner of the Benckendorf Plantation. George was a Brigadier General during the war, serving key roles in several major and minor battles throughout the Pennsylvania and surrounding areas. In 1777 George joined the Continental Congress, and would later serve in the Constitutional Convention as well, being a signer of the Constitution, George also served as a Senator for 12 years, and served as the 2nd and 4th President Pro Tempore. George has four children with his wife Sarah Benckendorf, and is one of the most prominent living Pennsylvanians.

## Scott Benckendorf

Scott Benckendorf was nominated for Secretary of the Treasury on March 4, 1797, with a well known family name and a great mind for business, it seemed like the perfect fit. In April of 1800 the nation began to devolve, and for several months many Cabinet and Congressional leaders were missing. On June 16, 1800 Secretary of State James Madison ascended to the Vice President, and when he resigned on July 26, 1800, Scott became the Vice President. On August 19, 1800 Scott Benckendorf became the Acting President after President John Adams was imprisoned by the forces of the Republic of Dixieland in the 2nd American Civil War. Scott increasingly relied on his brother George for military affairs, and the only thing he was able to do was organize a military response and move a temporary capital to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Scott would attend the inauguration of his Brother George as President in Adams' stead.

## Charles Benckendorf

Charles Benckendorf is a New Hampshire politician and brother of George Benckendorf, serving as a Representative in the House of Representatives. Charles had been dual engaged as a student of Harvard University and a soldier in the U.S. Military, serving as upwards of a Lieutenant Colonel. In 1784 Charles as elected as a State Legislator, serving until he was elected as a Representative in 1790. In 1792 Charles was elected as Senator of New Hampshire, serving until his death in 1796 during a duel with Governor Amon Gus. Charles had 16 children with his wife Martha Hayes.

## Joachim Benckendorff

It has been a mystery who was the father of Joseph Henry Benckendorf, the one who, as people initially thought, was founder of the Benckendorf family. As barely any document survived, the Benckendorf Foundation could only gather few, not learning his name but being able to trace the roots further up, and find the first member of the family who stepped foot on the New World.

Joachim Benckendorff is a German glassmaker, who was one of the few German Americans who arrived in the New World somewhere in 1608. The Benckendorf Foundation put a hypothesis of the origin of his last name, due to it being similar to the dynasty of dukes of Courland, that he resided in Riga and in some way was a relative of that future dynasty, but the evidence is lacking. No record of his life since colonisation has been found, except for one of the lists from a local doctor's office in Virginia, which lists him as one of those who died from dysentery in 1615. Because of the lack of information, there is no knowledge of where his burial site is, and what his family was like, but it is believed that the second "f" at the end was removed in the process. The discovery of such a person puts the Benckendorf family as one of the oldest German American families, being in the second group of German colonists in America, after Johannes Fleischer in 1607.

## Members

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 Joachim Benckendorff (?-1615)

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↳ Joseph H. Benckendorf (June 7, 1711 - November 18, 1785)
    ↳ Scott Benckendorf (Born: May 18, 1744)
    ↳ George Benckendorf (Born: January 3, 1751)
          ↳ Hiram Benckendorf (February 7, 1782 - April 29, 1785)
          ↳ John G. Benckendorf (Born: April 7, 1785)
          ↳ Patrick Benckendorf (Born: June 7, 1787)
          ↳ Josephine Benckendorf (Born: January 6, 1788)
          ↳ Mark Benckendorf (Born: May 6, 1795)
    ↳ Hunter Benckendorf (Born: December 2, 1754)
          ↳ Barron Benckendorf (Born: August 3, 1789)
    ↳ Dauna Covington (Born: July 8, 1756)
          ↳ Christopher Covington (Born: January 5, 1796)
    ↳ Charles Benckendorf (August 17, 1757 - November 16, 1796)
          ↳ Harrold Benckendorf (March 7, 1781 - June 19, 1781)
          ↳ Nathanael Benckendorf (Born: July 2, 1782)
          ↳ Lucy Benckendorf (Born: April 10, 1783)
          ↳ Charles Benckendorf Jr. (Born: February 29, 1784)
          ↳ Felix Benckendorf (Born: December 23, 1784)
          ↳ Abigail Benckendorf (Born: December 23, 1784)
          ↳ Olivia Benckendorf (Born: October 5, 1785)
          ↳ Benjamin Benckendorf (Born: July 13, 1786)
          ↳ Marie Benckendorf (Born: May 31, 1787)
          ↳ James Benckendorf (Born: February 13, 1788)
          ↳ Thomas Benckendorf (Born: February 13, 1788)
          ↳ Paul Benckendorf (Born: November 17, 1788)
          ↳ George T. Benckendorf (Born: August 29, 1789)
          ↳ Gregory Benckendorf (Born: June 9, 1790)
          ↳ Rachel Benckendorf (Born: March 28, 1791)
          ↳ Caroline Benckendorf (Born: November 4, 1793)
    ↳ Robert Benckendorf (February 16, 1760 - January 4, 1802)
          ↳ David L. Benckendorf (Born: August 1, 1795)
          ↳ John B. Benckendorf (Born: December 3, 1797)

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