Benoni Buck (1616–1639) was a second-generation

colonist A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among the first settli ...

in Jamestown, James City, Virginia, and is notable as the first documented case of a person with an

intellectual disability Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability (in the United Kingdom), and formerly mental retardation (in the United States), Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010).Archive is a generalized neurodevelopmental ...

in the

Colonial United States The colonial history of the United States covers the period of European colonization of North America from the late 15th century until the unifying of the Thirteen British Colonies and creation of the United States in 1776, during the Rev ...

. His life and legal battles over his guardianship provide significant insight into the early American legal and social treatment of individuals with

disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physica ...

Early life

Buck was born as the sixth child to

Richard Buck (chaplain) Reverend Richard Buck was a minister to the Colony of Virginia at Jamestown, Virginia from 1610 to 1624. He was chaplain of the first session of the Virginia General Assembly, which was composed of the House of Burgesses and the Virginia Gover ...

and Elizabeth Langley (Brown) Buck. His siblings were Elizabeth, Bridget, Mara, Gercian, and Peleg. Named Benoni, which translates to "child of sorrow," he lived during a time when disabilities were poorly understood and often stigmatized.

Guardianship and legal disputes

From 1624 to 1626, Thomas Alnutt held the guardianship of Buck, during which time Buck was likely under the care of Peter and Mary Langman,

indentured servants Indentured servitude is a form of labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract called an "indenture", may be entered voluntarily for a prepaid lump sum, as payment for some good or ser ...

to Alnutt. His exact whereabouts often remained ambiguous, with records suggesting he might have lived in Neck-of-Land with the Kingsmills, Langmans, Harmers, Porters, or Burrows. In 1637, Ambrose Harmer controversially obtained guardianship by petitioning

King Charles King Charles may refer to: Kings A number of kings of Albania, Alençon, Anjou, Austria, Bohemia, Croatia, England, France, Holy Roman Empire, Hungary, Ireland, Jerusalem, Naples, Navarre, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sardinia, Scotland, Sicily, S ...

and the

Court of Wards and Liveries The Court of Wards and Liveries was a court established during the reign of Henry VIII in England. Its purpose was to administer a system of feudalism, feudal dues; but as well as the revenue collection, the court was also responsible for wa ...

, sidestepping local legal procedures. Despite lacking solid evidence or thorough examinations of Buck's condition, the petition was granted. Harmer stated Buck was "an

Idiot An idiot, in modern use, is a stupid or foolish person. "Idiot" was formerly a technical term in legal and psychiatric contexts for some kinds of profound intellectual disability where the mental age is two years or less, and the person cannot ...

, and in no way able to govern himself, or to manage that small estate left him". This act was criticized, with later revelations of Harmar's mismanagement and exploitation of Buck's estate. In 1639, Virginia governor John Harvey noted that Harmar and his wife had long coveted the land, underlining the manipulative intent behind obtaining the guardianship.

Death and legacy

Buck died in 1639 at the age of 23. His death was undocumented, and Harmar retained control over his portion of the Buck estate. The guardianship battles surrounding Buck highlighted the colonial desire to accumulate wealth through the manipulation of legal and custodial systems, often at the expense of the vulnerable. The legal and cultural handling of Buck’s case set a precedent for guardianship laws, showcasing how legal systems could both protect and exploit individuals with

. His story, primarily known through third-party reports and lacking personal testimonies, remains a critical example of early American legal practices concerning individuals with

intellectual disabilities Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability (in the United Kingdom), and formerly mental retardation (in the United States), Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010).Archive is a generalized neurodevelopmental ...

References

Footnote

{{Reflist, group=Footnote 1616 births 1639 deaths People from Jamestown, Virginia People with intellectual disability People from colonial Virginia American people with disabilities 17th-century American people