From The First Publishers of Truth

Sedbergh

      And ffirst to begin wth Sedbergh where G: ff: first came.

... And the morrow, being y^e first day of y^e weeke, he & the sd R.R. went to a Meeting of A religeous people seperated from the Common Nationell Worshippe, at the house of Gervise Benson, at Borrat, neare Sedberge aforesd, who some time before had bene Comissary in y^e Archdeconry of Richmond in y^e diesses of Chester,but those Courts being laid aside in y^e late domistick warrs, in w^ch time he became a Soldier, & was Advanced to y^e place of a Collonell, so then bore the name of Collonell Benson, & was allso then Justice of peace in the County of Westmrland, & some time before had bene Maior of the Towne of Kendall. At whose house there was a great Meeting from sevrall Adjacent places, both of York shire and Westmrland, in wch Meeting G: ff did Powrfully preach ye Gospell of ye Kingdome, wch had an Enterance into, & reception by many harts there. And the sd Gervice Benson & Wife were Convinced, & gladly received him into their house, And the sd Richard Robinson, & Major Busfield, Tho: Blaikling & wife, their Son, John Blaikling, & wife, all of Drawell, near Sedbergh, Joseph Bains, of Stangerthewaite in Westmrland, & many others, who sevrall of them afterwards received him Joyfully into their houses, & beleived in ye Truth by him preached, & became obedient to the same, and lived & died faithfull witnesses & faithfull testemony bearers therto, who are all now dead, except Joseph Bains.   [pages 242–3]

Submission by Westmorland (?)Quarterly Meeting edited by Norman Penney in “The First Publishers of Truth”
(London: Headley Brothers, 1907). Presented to Yearly Meeting in 1709. Said to be in the hand of Thomas Camm.

Sedbergh (2)

      And ffirst to begin wth Sedbergh where G: ff: first cane [sic] …

      Allso the aforesaid Gervast Benson, & Dorethy, his wife, was raised up in Sedbergh Meeting to beare Testemony to y^e Truth, & suffered Imprisonment att Yorke for the Testemony thereof. And ye said Gervast became greatly servisable upon many accts for the promotion of Truth, Labouring in the worde of the Gospell, of w^ch he was made an able Minister, Appointing Meetings in ffresh places: and his fformer station in the world made many take more notice of him, and many were Convinced by his Ministry, w^ch was sound & weighty, & his Conversation answerable, being an example of Humillety in all things, Notwithstanding y^e height and glory of the world y^t he had a great share of, so y^t none (scarce) was more plaine in Aparell & furniture of his house, Conformeing to the simplicety of y^e Truth, and in Testemony against all the vaine Titells of the World y^t his formr station might have given him. He generally stiled himselfe Husbandman, Notw^thstanding y^t he had bene a Collonell, a Justice of peace, Mayor of Kendall, & was Comisery in y^e Arch Deaconry of Richmond before y^e late Domistick Warrs, yett, as an Humble desciple of Christ, downed those things; And Allthough he had purchased that place of Comisery in y^e said Court, yet when y^e King Charles y^e 2^d was restored and y^t established againe, yett for Conscience sake denied it & y^e profit therof, tho: sevrall would have purchased it of him at a great sum of mon’y, by w^ch his selfe denyall in that Cause was Clearly demonsterated to all. And his profound knowledge in things relateing to y^t Court made him y^e more loved and esteemed by many of y^t Court and others. And through his Interest amongs the officers thereof, he was Instrumentall to obtaine y^t ffavour for ffriends y^t they had y^e preevilidge of proveing Wills & takeing letters of adminstrcion w^th out oaths, w^ch has bene Continued to this day. Moreover his service was great in helpeing ffriends y^t were prosecuted in y^e said Court for Tythe, and w^t is Called Church dues & repayers, Mariages, &ct, he knowing y^e Lawe so well that he saw when they Mised in any pointe, whereby severall ffreinds had releife & bafelled theire prosecutrs. His wife, Dorethy, died in y^e yeare       , and he bueried her in his owne Ground, at Haygarth, in Cotlay, in y^e parish of Sedbergh, in y^e edge of Yorkshire; and in y^e yeare 1660, Married Mabell, the Widdow of John Camm of Camsgill, who survived him sevrall years. And Allthough he, y^e said Gervast Benson, did leane somew^t to John Wilkinson and John Storey in y^t sepracion they made to y^e loss of many as to y^e life of Truth, yett he Came to se y^e wrongness of theire spirit y^t run into y^t sepration, & deserted them & kept to friends Meetings, & in Love and unity w^th them to y^e end of his days. He wrote sevrall Treatses, y^t were printed, Touching Tyths, & a very Cleare & full answr to Doctr Smalwood about Oaths. He finished his Course in this world in peace, in y^e Town of Kendall in Westmrland, in a good old age, betwixt 70 & 80, and was bueried in friends Bueriall place there, y^e 5^th day of y^e 3^d mo, 1679. [pages 250-252]

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