Joshua F Bennett (b. 1794 Kentucky) was my fraternal fourth
great-grandfather. He and his family came to Texas before 1850,
and were living in Travis County for the 1850 United States
Federal Census. He is my “oldest” Texas ancestor, having arrived
here the earliest (so far…). According to Ancestry.com, the
surname Bennett is English, derived from “the medieval personal
name Benedict (Latin Benedictus meaning ‘blessed’). In the 12th
century the Latin form of the name is found in England alongside
versions derived from the Old French form Beneit, Benoit, which
was common among the Normans.” The Internet Surname Database
provides the following information about surname Bennett: This
interesting surname derives from the medieval given name
“Benedict”, from the Latin “Benedictus” meaning blessed. This
personal name owed its popularity in the Middle Ages chiefly to
St. Benedict (circa 480 – 550), who founded the Benedictine
order of monks at Monte Cassino, and wrote a monastic rule that
formed a model for all subs