|
| |
|
"The Early
Bentleys of England" the theory shown below
is taken from "THE STORIES AND HISTORY OF
THE BENTLEY FAMILIES By H. Ross Glover and
Robert H. Glover
THE BENTLEYS
FROM 16th CENTURY ENGLAND TO SOUTH
DANSVILLE, NY. Including the Thornton,
Burger, Smalt, and Glover Families |
|
|
THE EARLY BENTLEYS OF ENGLAND
INTRODUCTION:
We begin the stories and history of our Bentley family
with William Bentley (G1), (b. prob. betw. 1573/1581), as he is the oldest
ancestor of our branch that is documented and thus the progenitor of our
Bentleys.
There has been a lot of confusion concerning the early William Bentleys prior to
William (G3), who immigrated from England to Rhode Island. Bentley researcher
Elaine Cowan states that this was due “ mainly to errors appearing first in turn
of the century genealogists which are still being perpetuated today. Having
discovered the existence of several William Bentleys in colonial records, early
searchers tried to classify them as grandfather, father and son. However, closer
examination of the data does not support this idea.”
**THE WILLIAM-WILLIAM-WILLIAM THEORY
Many Internet listings show William (G1)-William
(G3)-William (G4) as the family lineage. Sounds good, but the numbers don’t
fit. Indeed, there are several conflicting listings of William Bentley, Sr. (G3)
with differing dates of birth and death, wife, children etc. as researchers
“tried to make it fit.” The Cameron Stewart research documents the lineage as:
William (G1)-John (G2)-William (G3) –William (G4)-Greene (G5)-Green (G6). From
there Bob Glover was able to connect to George C. (G7), George E. (G8), Wilbur
(G9), and Adelia Bentley Burger (G10)---and on to Corinne Burger Glover (G11),
Robert Harold Glover (G12), and Christopher Ross Glover (G13).
**THE CAPTAIN JAMES
BENTLEY AS FATHER OF WILLIAM (G1) THEORY----- GOING BACK TO DE BENTLEY IN YEAR
1100
Adding to the confusion are the various theories for the
Bentley family line prior to William (G1), most starting with Captain James
Bentley as the father of William (G1) (b abt 1560 in High Bentley, Eng.) and
going back to abt 1100-1400 in England when the name was “De Bentley” or “De
Benthall.” See Ancestry.com’s One World Tree for the Bentleys (18) as an
example. This is a community tree where anyone can add or delete and no
documentation is provided, and since it has huge exposure, misinformation can
spread wildly.
This theory makes “our” William Bentley (G1) the 17th generation Bentley.
Wouldn’t that be nice!
All these theories are seemingly guesses and there are many holes in the
undocumented listings. Genealogist Emilie Sarter (12) stated in 1949 after a
careful investigation of this theory: “Bentley descendants in this country are
inclined to connect William Bentley (G3) of Rhode Island with Thomas, a
half-brother of Dr. Richard Bentley (a noted classical scholar). Such search as
has been made here has revealed nothing in the nature of proof. It may be
possible, however, to find the connecting link in English records.” Indeed, the
various sites list as half-brothers and sons of Captain James Bentley a William
and Thomas Bentley—with Thomas the father of the scholar Dr. Richard Bentley.
Cameron Stewart (11) reprinted Sarter’s remarks, and begins with William (G1),
not following the path of Captain James.
It is our opinion that Captain James Bentley was the father of a different
William Bentley who was a contemporary of our William G1, and that this other
William was the uncle of Dr. Richard Bentley the scholar, that this William
migrated to America well before our William G3, and spread his family to the
south in Virginia and North Carolina. And that some sources mistakenly paired
“our” Mary Goodwin Bentley with the wrong William. It is possible, perhaps even
likely, that this other William Bentley and Dr. Richard Bentley and Captain
James Bentley are some sort of relatives to our branch.
Interestingly, Doris Burger Smalt, daughter of Adelia Bentley Burger and aunt of
Bob Glover, told Bob in 2007 (without any knowledge of this research) that she
recalls being told by her mother that they were related to a Doctor Reverend
Richard Bentley and a Captain James Bentley. So does this mean that our family
received this misinformation half a century ago or that we are barking up the
wrong Bentley tree? We will follow the lead of professional genealogists Emilie
Sarter and Cameron Stewart unless at some point this position is proven wrong.
***THE MYSTERIOUS ROBERT AND MARY BENTLEY AS
PARENTS OF WILLIAM THEORY
We perhaps can extend our family another generation to
Robert and Mary Bentley of Elstow, Bedfordshire, England. Or at least we can do
so with some confidence with the mother of William (G1), if not the father.
The mother of William Bentley (G1) was Mary Bentley. This seems to be proven by
the biography of John Bunyan, although professional genealogists would prefer to
find a primary source. Sean Bentley (27), a 13th generation Bentley (maybe we
can claim 14th generation for him?), posted on his family history website:
“In August 2005 I visited the Ancestral Home of the Bentleys (at least as
far back as I've been able to trace somewhat definitively so far) in
Bedfordshire, England. Aside from prowling around Elstow and Ampthill I visited
the John Bunyan Museum in Bedford (his mother was Margaret Bentley).”
Sean wrote to family researcher George Nelson Bentley in Sept 2001:
“I was at the Bunyan Museum in August; they showed me a biography of Bunyan
that listed William and Mary Goodwin and GAVE WILLIAM’S MOTHER'S NAME AS MARY AS
WELL, SURNAME UNKNOWN.”
The biography Sean viewed most likely was the highly respected work of John
Brown. In “John Bunyan: His Life, Times, and Work” by John Brown (28),
published first in 1887, the author notes on page 35 in reference to Margaret
Bentley Bunyan, the wife of Thomas Bunyan and mother of the famous author John
Bunyan (“Pilgrim’s Progress”):
“Margaret Bunyan, the tinker’s wife, and the Dreamer’s mother, like her
husband, was a native of Elstow, being born there in the same year in which he
was born, as the following entry from the Transcript Register shows:-
1603. “Margarett Bentley, daughter of Wm. Bentley, was C. (christened) the
xiii of November.” (NOTE: The Bedfordshire Records show she was christened
Nov 13, 1603 per letter from the Senior Clerk to Cameron Stewart).(11)
“Though her parents, William Bentley and Mary Goodwin were married, in 1601,
at St. Paul’s Church, in Bedford, we may infer that since MARY BENTLEY, HER
GRANDMOTHER, DIED IN ELSTOW, AS A WIDOW, IN 1613, the Bentleys, like the Bunyans,
had been long resident in the Parish. Their names do not occur in the Court
Roll of Elstow between 1542 and 1550, but are found in the earliest Transcript
Register.”
Note that John Brown was not just a nobody with a bunch of theories. He was a
Congregational minister who served at Park Chapel, Manchester, England, from
1855 to 1864 and at Bunyan Church, Bedford, from 1864 to 1903 (during the time
he wrote the Bunyan biography). He was the Lyman Beecher lecturer at Yale in
1899. Brown wrote broadly in history and biblical studies but is best known for
his Bunyan work. He edited Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim Progress,” “Holy War,” and
Grace Abounding,” and Bunyan’s complete works for the Cambridge University
Press.
Some 100+ years ago and being connected so closely with the Bunyan Church near
Elstow, he certainly had access to records that we are less likely to find now.
His position that Mary Bentley was the mother of William Bentley (G1) should be
highly respected and we have accepted this position as most likely and thus
refer to her in this book as the mother of William (G1). Thus our first Bentley
mothers were Mary (unknown surname) Bentley, Mary Goodwin Bentley, and Mary
Betts Bentley. William Bentley (G1) had as his mother, wife and daughter-in-law
Mary Bentley, and he had as his grandson and great grandson William Bentley.
Got that? And there were a whole bunch more of William and Mary Bentleys over
the years causing a lot of confusion (and errors) among Bentley researchers.
But who was this earliest Mary Bentley’s husband, the father of William (G1)?
John Brown made no mention of the grandfather of John Bunyan in his biography,
nor did Cameron Stewart in his massive 1986 Bentley history. Seems they would
have if they had evidence. But he did state that Mary died a widow in 1613,
thus we know her husband (Robert or otherwise) died prior her death.
Cameron Stewart wrote to Lawrence H. Bentley (29) on Sep 18, 2002: “that Robert
Bentley, buried June 30, 1605 in Elstow Churchyard, Bedfordshire, England may
have possibly been the father of William Bentley. This has not been proved.”
Sean Bentley notes:
“In 2005 George Nelson Bentley sent me some photocopies from a correspondence
with Cameron Stewart from 2002.
In a footnote with this document it says "Apparently the only other Bentleys
buried there [Elstow Churchyard] in this time frame were Robert Bentl[e]y, bur
30 June 1605 and wife Mercy, bur 7 Apr 1612...." Cameron just theorizes that
these might be William's parents.”
Sean responded to George Nelson Bentley in regard to the John Brown statement
that Mary Bentley died in 1613 but Stewart found a Mercy, husband of Robert, bur
7 Apr 1612:
"Of course, perhaps Mercy/Mary is an error one way or the other - between
illegible handwriting and bad spelling I've run across a lot of discrepancies
here and there. For example, one of William's children I've seen listed as
Annie, Amie, and Arnie! One interesting thing is that I've seen the transcribed
parish records for Ampthill/Elstow ... going back to 1602… and didn't see an
entry for Robert's death, so I'm wondering where Stewart's data comes from. A
frustrating mystery!”
George Nelson Bentley to Sean Bentley in 2005:
“I assume that you consider Robert to be the father of William as a Robert
Bentley is buried in the same graveyard as this Mary or Mercy. No one I know
has confirmed that, however it is logical. Unfortunately, according to Cameron
Stewart, Bunyan’s paternal line is well documented, but his maternal line ends
at Mary. Perhaps some day the John Bunyan Museum in Bedford would help find a
connection.”
So Mary could have died and was buried in 1612 or 1613---or the Mercy/Mary
buried with Robert in the Elstow courtyard is the wrong family. Although they
are common names, the fact remains that a Mary Bentley was the mother of William
(G1) and she died abt 1613 a widow and that is a close match to the Mercy (which
might be Mary). And her husband, Robert, died in 1605 and William’s (G1) father
died before his mother. So it is a highly possible fit!
Sean wrote Bob Glover in July 2007:
As far as I know Cameron did not find an actual tombstone for a Mary or Mercy --
or Robert! Frankly it would be miraculous if he did, given the older stones'
condition. I don't know where he got his data but presumably from a church
record.
Bob Glover found this listing at familysearch.org which may be a match for
Robert Bentley, father of William (G1):
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=ancestorsearchresults.asp
Robert Benteley
Christening 24 MAR 1560
Dunstable, Bedford, England
-----right name, right age range, right county. Could this then be the same
Robert Bentley buried 30 June 1605 at the Elstow, Bedford, England courtyard and
is he the father of William (G1)?
SUMMARY OF THE ROBERT AND MARY THERORY:
The "Mercy" Bentley that Cameron Stewart found either in
the cemetery at the Elstow Churchyard or in records as buried the wife of
Robert and with burial date of Apr 7, 1612 is likely the same Mary Bentley as
noted in the Bunyan bio. The bio could have been off a year or the burial date
off a year. Further, the Robert Bentley buried there died in 1605. The Bunyan
bio notes Mary died a widow in 1613.
Thus Mary Bentley is very probably the mother of William G1, died abt 1613 or
poss. died prior to burial April 7, 1612, was buried a widow, poss. the wife of
the Robert Bentley buried in the Elstow courtyard. Mary Bentley likely was age
18-21 when William (G1) was born and thus was probably born in about 1560 or so.
Robert Bentley (Benteley, Bently) was poss. christened Mar 24, 1560, Dunstable,
Bedford, Eng. He was poss. buried in the Elstow churchyard June 30, 1605 and
was poss. the husband of Mary Bentley, and thus poss. the father of William G1.
We are of the opinion that the listing of Mary Bentley as grandmother of John
Bunyan (and thus the mother of William (G1) in his bio is HIGHLY LIKELY, and
that the "theory" of Cameron Stewart in regard to Robert and Mary Bentley buried
in the Elstow courtyard as the parents of William (G1) is VERY POSSIBLE.
Although we shall list Mary Bentley as the mother of William (G1), genealogists
follow the family line through the documented Bentley men. So for now, our
Bentleys begin in the late 16th Century England with the proven William (G1),
rather than his unproven father Robert Bentley.
**************************
|
