Benjamin+Darling


 * Benjamin Darling** was the son of Joseph Darling.He was born on April 15, 1738, in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and passed away on September, 26 of 1820 in Redding, Connecticut. Benjamin Darling was married on November 6, 1777 to a lady called Mary Andrews. In his earlier life he was a slave, but then was freed. He was a slave in the West Indies; and gained his freedom by saving the captain during a disastrous shipwreck. First he decided to settle on Bear Island (right next to Malaga Island). It is believed that Benjamin Darling named the island. Two things that are possible reasons for him naming the island are either Malaga Island meaning 'cedar' which is the type of wood that is on the island. Or the slave ship that Darling was on was named Malaga, after the Spanish town. The naming is still unsure but those are two of the possible reason. Some people say that this island was settled by Will Black, but he had never lived on it, but it has been proven that Darling really settled the island. There wasn't a lot of recorded proof that he originally settled the island, but all of his descendants and family had lived on Malaga. All of his children were raised there, all seven of them healthy and happy. Without him this island would not be as popular to this day.


 * ~Malaga Island~

By: Olivia Harrison**