Husband Benjamin Dorrance 1
Born: 1767 - Plainfield, Windham Co, CT 1
Christened:
Died: 24 Aug 1837 1
Buried:
Father: George Dorrance (1736- ) 2
Mother:
Marriage:
Wife Nancy Buckingham 1
Born: - Windham, Windham Co, CT
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Children
1 M Rev. John Dorrance 1
Born: 1800 1
Christened:
Died: 1861 3
Buried:
2 M Charles Dorrance 4 5
Born: 4 Jan 1805 - Kingston, Luzerne Co, PA 2
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Susan Ford ( - ) 4
3 M George Dorrance 1
Born:
Christened:
Died: in childhood
Buried:
Spouse: Did Not Marry
General Notes: Husband - Benjamin Dorrance
He spent nearly his whole life at Kingston, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and it is recorded of him that "he was the most popular man of his day," in that neighborhood. He held by election several important offices, including those of County Commissioner, High Sheriff of the County, and member of the Legislature of the State, holding the last named position eleven terms. He was one of the founders and the first President of the Wyoming Bank at Wilkes-Barre, which was chartered by the State in 1829, and which earned the reputation of being one of the safest and staunchest financial institutions in the country. Other offices and honors would have been thrust upon him, but he declined them.
The following obituary notice appeared in the United Staten Gazette of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, under date of September 6, 1837:
"Col. Benjamin Dorrance is no more. The place on earth that once knew him shall know him no more forever. On Thursday, August 24th, while conversing cheerfully at his own house with a member of his family, he was seized with an apoplectic fit; he fell, and in a few moments the vital spark was extinct. There are few indeed whose departure could have occasioned so deep a void, so wide a chasm in society. Universally known, everywhere respected and beloved, not by his relations alone, but by a numerous circle of friends, the bereavement is deeply felt. Yet why should sorrow prevail? Who in life has been more successful? Who more useful in his day and generation? How few, with his fine health, live to so great an age? Col. Dorrance was about seventy years old. He was born in Plainfield, State of Connecticut, in 1767, and came to Wyoming when quite a lad with his father's family. In the Indian battle his father, Lieut.-Col. George Dorrance, who was third in command, standing next to Butler and Dennison, was slain. The day after, when Forty Fort was surrendered, the object of this notice was in the fortification, and used to describe with graphic clearness the entry of the British at one gate and of the Indians at the other. But this belongs rather to his biography than to an obituary paragraph. Col. Benjamin Dorrance was a man of sterling good sense, remarkably pleasing in his manners, eminently hospitable, liberal and benevolent. The offices of Sheriff, Commissioner, and Member of Assembly, as often as he would accept a seat, show the estimation in which he was held by his fellow-citizens. No man enjoyed society and the good things of this life with a higher relish than Col. Dorrance, yet using them as subservient, and never allowing pleasure to mislead from the moral path, or to interfere with health or business. If asked who, for the last half century, has been the happiest man in the county, the county, I think, would say Col. Dorrance. Yet was he careful, active, intelligent and shrewd in business, a strict economist, and was abundantly blessed with this world's goods. In fine, Col. Dorrance was an extraordinary man, mingling in his character the pleasant and the useful, liberal expenditures with fair and steady acquisition, sweetening labor with enjoyment, and heightening pleasure by a prompt and energetic devotion to business, and throughout life popular without envy, without an enemy and never yielding his independence or integrity. Honor and affection to his memory. His funeral took place on Saturday the 26th inst. A sermon suited to the solemn occasion was preached by the Rev. Mr. Snowden. The remains were attended to their last resting place by a very large concourse of friends. It is said to have been the largest funeral procession ever seen in the Valley."