Hannah Taft


Hannah Taft was the great grand daughter of the U.S. Taft family founder Robert Taft and sister of Revolutionary War soldier Samuel Taft. She was born in Mendon, Suffolk County, Massachusetts and died at age 75.

Early life and marriage

Hannah Taft was the daughter of Israel Taft, and great grand daughter of Robert Taft Sr., the first American Taft, of the famous Taft family. She belonged to the same family group as President Taft.
Hannah lived her life in the western part of Mendon, Massachusetts, which later became the town of Uxbridge. Married Elijah Benjamin at Mendon, Mass. on September 9, 1747, with whom she had 8 children.
After her second marriage to Major Ezekiel Pierce of Plainfield, Connecticut, they moved to Wyoming in Litchfield County in July 1771 and were there during the Wyoming Massacre on July 3, 1778. Ezekiel helped to save his step-daughter, Mary Benjamin, but two of his sons, Lieutenant Timothy Pierce and Private John Pierce were killed in the battle and son Daniel Pierce was taken prisoner. Their names are listed on the Wyoming Monument.
The 5th of nineteen siblings, the most notable being her brother Samuel Taft. In 1789, Samuel was the proprietor of a tavern in Uxbridge. This tavern is now known as Samuel Taft House. Newly elected President of the United States, George Washington, stayed one evening with Samuel Taft and his family.