Willis Benham of CT married to Elizabeth Irby, Laurens SC, daughter of William Irby. Slaveholders to my paternal grandparents George and Harriet Benham.
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From family research notes

" It is time to find ancestors before the Civil War. So far, we have only found "Little Charlotte" in the estate of William Carter Irby of Laurens SC. His Will is dated 1828, and he bequeated two negros to daughter Elizabeth Irby Benham.

Archives of estates and inventory appraisments might be the next source. This is the Irby genealogy of most interest:

Joshua Irby b 1664 England d 1746 Henrico Parish, Va. Married Elizabeth Jane Ludson

Joshua Irby b 1705 Bristol Parish, Prince George, Va. Married Mary Blythe b 1705 Prince George County Va. The marriage in 1728 was in Lunenberg County Va.

Joseph Lafeyette Irby b 1728 Culpeper County, Va. Died 1781 in Hayes Station Massacre in Laurens, County SC. Married 1757 to Mary Frances Carter b 1735 Culpeper Va died 1798 Newberry District SC.

William Carter Irby b 1748 died 1828. Married in 1782 to Henriette Henderson Ritter sho died 1825. Siblings of William Carter Irby were Moses, Charles, Grea, Elizabeth, Carter, Joseph and Henry.

So now we know the counties in SC and VA where the archive records will be found. The big issue will getting access to the county records.

But we have ancestors in those documents who names have waited over a century to be unlocked.

Stay strong --"