The stories and history of

1) William Bently Born in Amphill in Bedfordshire

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1.  WILLIAM BENTLEY, JR  (#2) was born July 8, 1677 in Kingstown and died before Mar 21, 1760.  (7, 11)  Davidson lists as born in 1674.  See Chapter XX for more info.  

2.  JAMES BENTLEY was born May 26, 1679  in North Kingstown, RI. (7, 11)  Davidson lists as died 1768.

In 1710 he served for 169 days in a military campaign against Port Royal, Nova Scotia, in the War of Spanish Succession, known to the colonists as Queen Anne's war.  (6)

 He married Dorothy Albro (b abt 1680/84) in  abt 1700; and then married Hannah abt 1716.   (7, 12).  Davidson has the marriage with Dorothy as Dec 28, 1710.  James had one daughter with each wife: Jane b 1702; and Hannah b Dec 15, 1718 (7)

 Cowan/Criddle list second wife married abt 1716/17 as Hannah and with a daughter Hannah b Dec 15, 1718.

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3.  JANE BENTLEY WIGHTMAN was born abt 1681 in Kingstown, RI.  (7)  She may have been the first child of William and Sarah, or she may have been #2 or #3.  Cowan lists as b bet 1675-1680.  The Narragansett Historical Record notes that Jane’s father, Wm. Bentley, was a resident of Narragansett on July 29, 1679,  no—James then      (10)so perhaps that is when and where she was born.

Jane died before June 29, 1729 (6)
Rootsweb/Genweb History of Kingstown (6):

“JOHN WIGHTMAN, son of George, Sen., b. April 16, 1674. He married, Jan. 6, 1700, Jane Bentley, dau. William…..He died in 1754.”

Jane and John had 8 children born 1702-1719 in North Kingstown.  (6, 7)

John later married Virtue (b abt 1678) in June 1729 (7, 12)---but note this is the date listed for Jane’s death.  Virtue then married James Tefft Dec 25, 1757.  (7)

 “Jane Whitmore” is noted in the will of her father. (13) Seems the name was spelled many ways:

ROOTSWEBGenwebRI online
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HISTORY OF THE WHITEMAN OR WIGHTMAN FAMILY.

“the same names being variously spelled by different town clerks - Weightman, Wightman, Whiteman, and Whitman.”

Jane and John had 8 children from 1702  to 1719 (7)  
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4.  THOMAS BENTLEY was born Jun 19, 1685 in Kingston, Washington Co., RI .  (7/11)  He died Mar 8, 1778 in Exeter, Washington Co., RI.  (7/12)  He was a “cordwainer” (shoemaker).  

Thomas had two wives.  He married  Elizabeth Chamberlain (b 1685 in N. Kingstown, d 1718 in RI) on June 6, 1706.  She the daughter of Jacob Chamberlain and Mary Childe.  They had 6 children from 1707-1717.  He then married Mary Reynolds (b 1702 in North Kingstown to Joseph and Mary Reynolds) on May 20, 1720 in North Kingstown.  They had one child, Thomas Bentley (1730-1816).  (7/14)

 Cowan:  “According to the information in Mr Stewart's book, Thomas' will was drawn June 15, 1772 and probated April 15, 1778. If these dates are correct it would appear that the Bentley men tended to live to a ripe old age!”  Thomas lived to age 93 if this is correct, and indeed many of the early Bentley men lived well past 80 which was unusual in those days.

The 6 children of Thomas and Elizabeth as listed in the Rhode Island Record:  Jane (Oct 25, 1707), Mary (Feb 22, 1709), William (Dec 18, 1710), Benjamin (Jul 5, 1714), Thomas, Jr (July 11, 1717).   Benjamin died March 15, 1799.  William III died Dec 25, 1800, Beekman, Dutchess Co., NY.  (7, 13)

The Record in Rhode Island also notes:  “Mary Bently the wife of Thos Bently was Born June ye 27 in ye of the Lord 1702.”  This apparently his second wife whom he married likely after the death of Elizabeth. That is, Thomas' second wife Mary Bentley was born in 1702 and his child Mary Bentley with his first wife was born in 1709.

5.  BENJAMIN BENTLEY was born Mar 27, 1690 in North Kingstown, RI (7/11); and died before June 8, 1772  in Warwick, RI (7)

In 1709 Benjamin Bentley served for five months with the rank of sergeant in a colonial expedition to French Canada during the War of Spanish Succession.
In 1710 he served with the same rank in the expedition against Port Royal, Nova Scotia.  When his father died in 1720 he inherited his father’s tannery and was a currier like his father in Kingstown.  (6)

Benjamin married Patience Rathbone (b Nov 14, 1690 Block Island, RI)  in abt 1715.  (7) She was the daughter of the very wealthy Captain Thomas Rathbone and Mary Dickens of Block Island. They had 5 children from 1717-1725.  (6)

Did Benjamin have a second wife? Cowan notes:  On June 08, 1772 in Warwick, the inventory of the estate of Benjamin Bentley, deceased, was taken, the administration to his wife Barbara.  Lobdell lists him as marrying Barbara Pearce/Pierce (b 1738) on Nov 21, 1762 in Warwick, RI and having 3 children from 1764-1769.  If so, he married her at age 72 (and she age 24) and fathered his last child at age 79.  Could have been the wrong Benjamin?

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Chapter 4:  WILLIAM BENTLEY, JR. (William G4) (1677-abt 1760); son of WILLIAM BENTLEY, SR. and SARAH  ELDRED BENTLEY; husband of  ELIZABETH GARDINER BENTLEY (1673-1723); husband of BATHESHEBA GREENE BENTLEY (b abt 1699); father of GREENE BENTLEY, Sr; grandfather of Green Bentley, Jr; g grandfather of George C. Bentley, gg grandfather of George E. Bentley; ggg grandfather of Wilbur Bentley; ggg g grandfather of Adelia Bently Burger;  ggg gg grandfather of Corinne Burger Glover; ggg ggg  grandfather of Robert H. Glover ---FIRST BENTLEY BORN IN AMERICA

William Bentley, Jr. (#3) was born July 8, 1677 in Kingstown, RI  (7, 11); and died before March 21, 1760 when Richmond Township, RI probate records show an inventory was made.  (7)  Davidson lists him as born in 1674 and states that he was a cordwainer: somebody who makes shoes and other articles from fine soft leather.  Thus he followed his father in the leather business.

WILLIAM AND ELIZABETH

William’s first wife Elizabeth’s maiden name is not known for sure, but Alden G. Beamon theorized in the “Rhode Island Genealogical Record” that it may have been Gardiner.”  Criddle has William as marrying  Elizabeth Gardiner in 1702 at the Stonington First Church, New London, CT .  (7/11)

But first child born in 1700-1703?

 Emilie Sarter notes Elizabeth  was born May 22, 1673, and died in 1723.   Cowan lists Elizabeth as born abt 1678/1680 and died abt 1732/33.   Criddle and Davidson have as  Elizabeth’s parents George Gardiner (1647-1724) and Tabitha Tefft (1653-1722).  Cowan:  “However, there does not appear to be an Elizabeth in the Gardiner family who was born about 1676-1680, which would make her the right age for the first wife of William Bentley .”  To add to the confusion, William and Elizabeth’s eldest son, John, married an Elizabeth Gardiner (b May 17, 1708 to George and Elizabeth Gardiner)  in 1727. (7) But others list her as “Gardner” not Gardiner.  

William had 6 of his 8 children with Elizabeth in Kingstown.  In abt 1715 he moved to Westerly, Washington Co., RI, where two more of his children with Elizabeth were born.  (6)

8 CHILDREN OF WILLIAM AND ELIZABETH:  John, George, Elizabeth, Tabitha, Caleb, Ezekiel, Ruhammah, Mary

 (note:  Cowan has birth range from 1699 for John to 1717 for Mary; Criddle has 1703-1717 range which fits with wedding date of 1702, and the order is different with Ezekiel the youngest)  

(Note:  Some, including note from Henry W. Bentley in “Bentley Gleanings,” list Mary Elliott as the wife of William and mother of the below children.  Cowan and Criddle do not agree and state Elizabeth is correct)

1.  JOHN BENTLEY was born  June 22, 1700 in Kingstown, RI (13) (Criddle giving an alternate date of Aug 12,1703 in Richmond, RI). John Bentley of South Kingston m. Elizabeth Gardiner May, 1727 . (14)  The name is also listed in places as Gardner.  A deed in Exeter Land Evidence states:  “dated 23 January 1750, in which Elisha Bentley of Richmond, son of John Bentley, sells 100 acres in Exeter to Isaac Gardner "being that tract of land which my great grandfather George Gardner gave unto my mother Elizabeth Bentley by a deed bearing date the 18 of October 1709 ."  (6/10)

So did William Bentley (#3) marry an Elizabeth Gardiner in 1702 and then their son John Bentley married an Elizabeth Gardiner in 1727?  Or was at least one of them a “Gardner” and not a “Gardiner?”

This Elizabeth Gardiner/Gardner  was b abt May 10, 1708,  and John and Elizabeth  had three children born abt 1730, 1741 & 1744 in Richmond, RI. (6) One named “Gardiner” Bentley.  But there is a gap of 11 years between birth of the first and second child.  Perhaps there were other children?  Cowan lists the Elisha Bentley noted above as born  abt 1730.

John Bentley of Richmond, m. Mary Cottrell of Westerly, 21 Dec 1749 in Richmond.  (14)  They had 4 children born 1750-1757 in Richmond. (7) However, Arnold’s Vital Records show those children as also of William and Elizabeth.  Most likely they are from the second wife, Mary, given the gap from 1744 to 1750 with no children born of William.

John married 3d wife Mary Vaughan on Apr 25, 1765.  They had 2 children (13)

2.  GEORGE BENTLEY was born in 1705 in Westerly. (7)  Cowan lists abt 1701 and Davidson abt 1702. Criddle/Davidson list his death as 1802.

He married Ruth Barber (b June 23, 1705 in N. Kingstown to Moses Barber and Susannah West; d Sep 21, 1755 in Stonington, New London, Ct) on Mar 4, 1724 in Kingstown. (7/14)  They had 10 children from 1726-1746, including John Bentley (1726-1807) who married Patience Shaw and was the father of the Eldred Bentley (1756-1853) who is the subject of “The Family of Eldred Bentley” compiled by Dolores Davidson.  

George’s son Caleb (B 1742 in RI; d 1828) was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and built the first two mills in Berlin, NY according to his grandson Caleb Bentley in 1904. (10)

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nanc/hewitt/aqwg01.htm

Which included:  Mary married Caleb Bentley Nov 27, 1782 in Little Hoosick, Rensselaer Co.  Caleb was born in Berlin, Rensselaer Co.

See Stewart page 1168

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3.  ELIZABETH BENTLEY was born abt 1703 in prob. Kingstown and died aft 1749. (6)  Criddle has b 1707 in Richmond, RI.  She married Nathaniel Potter (b Apr 15, 1700) on May 31, 1727 in S. Kingstown (14)

4.  TABITHA BENTLEY was born abt 1705 (Criddle 1709, Westerly) ) prob in Kingstown.  (6)   She married Thomas Sweet (1703-1763) on Apr 11, 1728 in S. Kingstown (14) They had 6 children.

5.  CALEB BENTLEY was born abt 1707 in prob Kingstown and died abt 1793 in prob. Exeter, RI.  (6)  Criddle has  b abt 1715; d abt  1790/1792; Davidson has him born abt 1711.  He married first Dorcas Gould (b abt 1715) on Jan 21, 1738 and they had 11 children born 1738-1751; and he married Tabitha Gould (b Jul 12, 1738) in 1759/60 and they had 9 children from 1757-1777.  (7)  If Criddle’s info is true, Caleb fathered 20 children from abt age 23 to abt age 62!!

Alden G. Beaman (a descendant of Caleb) noted that 19 names of children appeared in his will of 1790, Exeter, RI., excepting Elizabeth who was deceased., plus three grandsons, and his second wife.  (6)

Cowan has notes that Caleb first married Tabitha.  Stewart notes that Caleb married second Dorcas Gould.

6.  EZEKIEL BENTLEY was born abt 1710 (Criddle:  1717, Westerly) in prob. Kingstown and died aft. 1751. (6)

7.  RUHAMAH  BENTLEY JAMES was born in Westerly, RI.  in 1711 (Cowan, 1715) and married James James (1714-1806) on  May 28, 1738 in N. Kingstown.  They had two sons.  (7)

8.  MARY BENTLEY JAMES was born in 1713 in Westerly (Cowan, abt 1717), and married Thomas James bef Aug 18, 1748.  (7)

Cowan: You know, we can blame Israel for the fact that we do not have Bathsheba's maiden name. In the (civil) record of their marriage--he calls her his '... now wife....'. And their first child was born 4 or 5 months after the ceremony. IF they were married by a Baptist preacher, there is no record available. If she was an unwed mother--cast out by her family-- that could explain the omission of her last name.

William Bentley married Bathsheba Lewis on Aug 1, 1734 in Westerly, King Co., RI.  They were married by Samuel Wilbur, Justice. (14)  Lewis was the name of her first husband.

Criddle has her as born 1699 prob in Westerly, RI; Davidson notes she died aft Oct 1785, prob in Richmond, RI.

Was Bathesheba’s maiden name “Greene” (or Green) and thus the interesting first name of her son Greene Bentley, Sr.?  

Elaine Cowan:   “Maybe.  Bathsheba has proved to be one of the most frustrating targets of our genealogical investigations. While she is often mentioned in official records and in articles by other researchers, the exact identity of her parents remains unproven. Virtually everybody who has written about her believes she was a Greene. The fact that a son of her second marriage, to William Bentley, was named Greene M. has most certainly given rise to that belief.”

“I have found many assertions, but never any real proof that Bathsheba's maiden name was Green/Greene. I read that monumental GREEN book by LaMance who states, without  documentation that Bathsheba was daughter of George Green--son of Edward Green etc.  I never found a George Green in the RI records we checked, who could qualify.”

 “Family of Ezekiel Bentley” by Mrs. Cyril M. Edmunds:

“”Bathsheba Green born abt 1698 of Westerly daughter of George Greene (br 1665) and Mary Tibbets (br 1670)”   (13)

Cowan:  “The fact that William and Bathsheba named a son Green is given as proof. But it could have been that her favorite color was green!”  It turns out that Green has been a name used throughout history as there are many Green Bentley’s listed in the records of ancestry.com, including from the states of Alabama, Georgia and Michigan, which are highly unlikely to have begun with the maiden name of Bathsheba Greene Bentley.  In fact, many of them are listed under race as “African (Black).”  

Cowan:  “Bathsheba had three husbands. It should be remembered that her first two marriages took place at WESTERLY. She was likely born and/ or raised in Westerly.”

Bathsheba first married Israel Lewis (b June 22, 1695, prob. In Westerly; d abt 1732) on June 30,1720 in Westerly. (14)  Israel and Bathsheba had 7 children from 1720 to 1732, including  Bathsheba Lewis.

Lobdell notes that “Vital Records of Rhode Island” show “Bathsheba Bentley, 1740, member of Sabbatharian Church of Hopkington, R.I.”

After her second husband William Bentley died, on Mar 29, 1761, Bathsheba married her third husband, blacksmith John Bissel (b Apr 1707) in South Kingstown on May 29, 1761 (7, 14)

Bathsheba didn’t waste much time, marrying William less than 2 years after Israel died, and then marrying John less than 2 months after William died.  But then she had 7 Lewis kids and then 5 Bentley kids---a total of 12 children born from 1720 to 1744—for whom to provide.  And add to that the 5 children (from 1728-1737) John Bissell had with first wife Anna Albro.  (7)

William fathered two of five children with Bathsheba in Westerly.  Betw 1737 and 1739 he moved to Richmond, RI where three more children were born to Bathsheba, including Greene.  William then spent the remainder of his life in Richmond.  (6,7)  
FIVE CHILDREN OF WILLIAM AND BATHSHEBA:  William, Thomas, James, Greene Sr.,  Benjamin.  Info from Cowan and Criddle:

According to A.S. Bennett:  “Among the Bentleys who served in the Continental line in New York State are the names of Benjamin, Thomas and Green M. “  (19)

1.  WILLIAM BENTLEY III was born May 29, 1735 in Westerly, RI. ; died Sep 20, 1800, Troy City, Rensselaer Co., NY;  married Abigail Milleman, both of Richmond, 21 April, 1754.  (14)  Arnold’s Vital Records lists 4 children born 1755-1762 in Richmond.  Criddle lists 8 children born 1755-1772, in Richmond, RI,  including a Bathsheba Bentley.  Abigail died abt 1783, and William married Phebe Paine abt 1785. (13)  Phebe b Oct 21, 1746; d Oct 15, 1799. (7) Davidson notes that Phebe had been widowed twice before and had children from both marriages. She had 4 children with William Bentley betw1787-1792.  

Davidson:

“William was known to be a Baptist minister, which was not a popular religion outside of Rhode Island.  There is one reference to him as a “weaver.”  However, in 1785, he was ordained in Bennington, VT , and there is evidence that he served as a Baptist minister in Hoosick, Rensselaer Co., NY.”

NOTE:  The above needs some correction.   This William was not ordained in Vermont, but rather in Hoosick, NY. According to “History of the Shaftsbury Baptist Association” from 1781 to 1853, compiled by Stephen Wright, the first organized Baptist Church in the town of Hoosick was situated in the vicinity of the Bennington battle ground in the northeast part of town.  More correctly, it was located near what is now called North Hoosick.  …….it held the name First Baptist Church in Hoosick. ……William Bentley was ordained by and called to the Hoosick Baptist Church as its first pastor on the date of its organization, 16 March, 1785.”  (10)

    -----Would William have been ordained at the age of 50? And in the same year he married is second wife Phebe?   Doubt this is our William.  And the William described below as a party to lawsuits doesn’t fit with a minister?

Abstracts from the minutes of the Baptist Church of Stephentown, NY (Rensselaer Co)  Indicated that Brother William Bentley was not satisfied with the church in 1796-1797 and threatened to leave.  The minutes of Aug 22, 1801  state “Brother William Bentley Requested to be given up to the Church at Black River that fellowshipped on the 20th of this instant August and answered his request by giving him up and ordered the Clerk to give him a letter.”   Mrs. Jas. H. Lobdell.  (10)

Davidson:

“William was a party to numerous court actions, in few of which he emerges the winner.  He was sued by his mother and step-father (Bathsheba Greene Lewis Bentley Bissell and John Bissell) because he did not maintain her in a good decent manner during her natural life although she had signed her dower rights to him.  He was later sued for debts by two men and his property was confiscated by court order.”

According to Davidson, William murdered Phebe with an ax—a story that we have not been able to verify but included it as it is fascinating.  However, if the Brother William Bentley who was a minister with the Baptist Church of Stephentown was with the church in 1801, he could not have been the ax murderer in 1799.   Seems the ax murderer and debtor more applies to William than the Baptist minister?  And the below ax murder story is perhaps too detailed to not be true?

Davidson:

“Phebe’s brother Barnabus wrote of he “horrid abuses and inhumanity” of their marriage, which was brought to a conclusion October 23, 1799.  On that day, William struck his wife with a shoemaker’s hammer on one of her arms which was broken in two places; she attempted to escape and had proceeded some way towards a neighbor’s home when he overtook her and struck her repeatedly with the edge and head of an axe on her head and shoulders.  She survived only a few hours.

William was tried and convicted.  He was sentenced to hang, but died in prison before the sentence could be carried out.  There is some evidence to suggest that he took poison.”
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2.  THOMAS BENTLEY was born Apr 9, 1737 in Westerly or Richmond, RI.  Likely the same who served in the Old French and Indian War with Co. Harris’ Co in 1760.  Davidson has him as marrying Mary Reynolds.  Lobdell notes “Vital Records of Rhode Island”:   “List of those who signed the covenant, 31 March, 1770, Mary and Thomas Bentley (deceased).”  Likely this shows Thomas died by Mar 1770.

3.  JAMES BENTLEY was born June 6, 1739 in Richmond, RI. (14)  Cowan:  He probably married a Eunice before 1766 and had 3 children.

 He may have died in 1822.  Likely the same who served in the Old French and Indian War in Capt. Greene’s Co. in 1757.  And was that Capt. Greene perhaps related to James’ mother Bathsheba Greene Lewis Bentley?

4.  GREENE M. BENTLEY, SR. was born Mar 23, 1741 in Richmond, RI (14), and died abt 1821/1823 in  Veteran (Millport), Tioga Co, NY (7)  See Chapter XX for more info.

5.  BENJAMIN BENTLEY was born Jan 11, 1744 in Richmond, RI; lived in Elmira, NY in 1800;  and died June 1830.  (7) Arnolds’ Vital Records show b 1758 but must be in error.

According to Criddle, he married Nancy Northrop.

He married Deborah Baker  bef 1773 and possibly had at least two children in Kent, Litchfield Co., CT. (6) Perhaps the same Benjamin who served in the Old French ad Indian War with Co. Harris’ Co in 1760.

WILLIAM’S WILL

Cowan:  “Richmond (RI) Probate Court Records (LDS film # 0930847) contain several references to our Bentleys. Some of the entries are difficult to read and for many, it is difficult to determine the exact date, since they do not always appear in chronological order.

Richmond (RI) Probate Court Records Entered in the Record June 1, 1761

Apparently Bathsheba didn’t like the part of the will where she was directed to sell the homestead she shared with William when Benjamin reached the age of 14 (which would be 1758) and give the proceeds to the children.     Richmond, RI court records of 1760 reveal a bitter struggle between Bathsheba and the Town Council, which voted to have her arrested and jailed until she would take an oath regarding William’s estate.  

In June of 1772 the Council "voted that the Clerk Grant a Warrant to Bring Bershaba Bissel before Town Council in order to render on oath an account of her last legal Settlement and of what Right She hath to reside in this town.”  Looks like Bathsheba refused to give up the land to the sons from William’s first marriage