Hannah Arnold (; c. 1705/06? – August 15, 1758) was the mother of American-born
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
Brigadier General Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...
(1741–1801).
Early life and marriages
Hannah Arnold was born in
Norwich, Connecticut
Norwich ( ) is a city in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The Yantic River, Yantic, Shetucket River, Shetucket, and Quinebaug Rivers flow into the city and form its harbor, from which the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River f ...
, to John Waterman and Elizabeth Lathrop. Her first husband, Absalom King, was a wealthy merchant who had settled in the area. The couple had a daughter, also named Hannah. Not long after, however, King died at sea from the
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
. Hannah married again, this time to
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Benedict Arnold, the descendant of
Rhode Island governor
The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Dan McKee, a member of the Democratic ...
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...
. The Arnolds had six children. As was not unusual at the time, most of the couple's children died young, many within months of one another due to a
yellow fever outbreak, including an older son, Benedict. A younger son, also named
Benedict
Benedict may refer to:
People Names
*Benedict (given name), including a list of people with the given name
*Benedict (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Religious figures
* Pope Benedict I (died 579)
*Pope Benedict II (635– ...
, was born in 1741. Shortly thereafter, market downturns caused hardships in the family finances.
Later life and death
Hannah Arnold died on August 15, 1758, and was buried in the Old Uptown Burying Ground, Norwich, Connecticut. Hannah's death fell hard on her widowed husband, Captain Benedict Arnold, who lingered some time and suffered with
alcoholism
Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
and depression. He died in 1761.
Historical reputation and legacy
Hannah Arnold is remembered in Norwich as a worthy woman and a model of "piety, patience, and virtue."
Her gravestone is still visible in Norwichtown Burying Grounds, yet no one knows who paid for it.
Children
Arnold had nine children:
* Benedict Arnold (1738–1739); died at age one
*
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...
(1741–1801); died at age sixty
* Hannah Arnold (1742–1803); died at age sixty-one
* Mary Arnold (1745–1753); died at age eight
* Absalom King Arnold (1747–1750); died at age three
* Elizabeth Arnold (1749–1753); died at age three
+ Absalom King Arnold (22 Oct 1750, soon died)
+ Mary Arnold (Sep 1753-c. 1754)
+ Elizabeth Arnold (Sep 1755-bef. 1765)
References
Further reading
*''Genealogical and family history of the state of Maine'' By George Thomas Little,
Henry Sweetser Burrage, Albert Roscoe Stubbs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arnold, Hannah
1758 deaths
18th-century American women
Hannah
People from Norwich, Connecticut
People from colonial Connecticut
Year of birth uncertain