Benjamin Choyce was born in England, in Leicestershire, (the present family presumes) between 1852 and 1854. The names of his parents are not known, although his progeny are well documented.

There is a bit of family folklore concerning the mother of Benjamin Choyce. This tale follows similar tales heard in other English families. It concerns the naive young girl who gains a place of employment with the family of a local Lord of the Manor in their resident castle. The tale goes that the young, innocent girl awestruck by her surroundings and eager to please her "betters", slips into the position of victim to the concupiscence of the Lord of the Manor. She eventually finds herself the mother of a child whom she must struggle to nourish and protect without the benefit of a legal spouse to help.

Benjamin's mother may have had the lead role in a scenario such as this, with a slight variation on the theme. But the full script has been lost to posterity.

The 1881 Census for Hugglescote shows Benjamin born at Market Bosworth, Leicestershire. A record of his birth has not yet been found, nor is one listed in the indexes of St. Catherine's House, London.