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Note: Benjamin White Thach, son of Nathan and Esther, was born about 18 1 5 , p robably in Chowan County. In 1832 he inherited his father?s ho m e p lant ation. He was married on 18 Oct. 1836 to Martha Lavinia Fel to n, w hos e father, Richard Felton, was one of the wealthiest men i n Pe rquim an s County. By 1843 Benjamin owned 488 acres and 13 taxabl e sla ves i n Ye opim District (now Bethel Township), paying Perquiman s $22. 8O i n taxes . In February 1845 he was appointed to the patrol l in Yeo pim . The patr oll ("patty rollors"?) kept watch over neighbo rhood sla ves , being sur e they did not leave plantations without per mission an d th at no subver sive gatherings of blacks took place. Tha t same yea r he w as appointe d to be one of the Wardens of the Poor , overseein g the car e of the ind igent, infirm and insane, particula rly the inma tes of th e County Hom e and Poor Farm.
In 1847 Benjamin was appointed a Justice of the Peace and the nex t y e a r he was a member of the committee to appoint Patrolls for Yeo pi m . B y 1850 he had moved to Chowan County. He returned to Perquima n s ab ou t the end of the Civil War, probably influenced to a large d eg ree b y t he death of his father-in-law, Richard D. Felton. He wa s app ointe d adm isitrator of the estate of Richard Felton in May 186 5 an d on 1 5 July 1 868 he spent $24,099.50 to purchase Felton?s 300 0 acr e Homepl ace, 100 0 acre old plantation in Yeopim, 800 acres i n Bear S wamp, a t own lot w ith a store, and other properties. On 1 M ay 1869 h e bid $84 O at auctio n for the 2000-acre Edmund Skinner far m in Harve y's Neck . Four years l ater, on 12 June1873, he bought fo r $4100 lot s 93, 94 , 95, 110, 111, a nd 112 in Hertford, encompassin g all the ar ea in Her tford between Grub b Street and Market Street , between Churc h Street a nd Hertford Baptis t Church, containing th e famous Eagle Ho tel and it s rival, the Union H otel.
Benjamin W. Thach died 8 Apr. 1874. He was apparently doctore d i n h i s last illness with Wrights Pills, quinine, antimony, ipecac , al oe s an d coal tar.
Benjamin Thach?s property was divided in October 1874, includin g h i s h ome (Roseland), Bear Swamp farm, William Felton tract, Edmun d Sk in ne r farm, Union Hotel, old Thach farm, old Felton farm, Hudgi ns an d S kin ner store and lot, Berryman tract, Chowan Thach farm, an d th e Eagl e Ho tel.
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