Benjamin Bentley (abt. 1690 - 1773)

Born about 27 Mar 1690 in Kingston, Rhode Island

Ancestors

Husband of Barbara (Peirce) Bentley — married 21 Nov 1762 in Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island, British Colonial America

Descendants

Died 30 Nov 1773 at about age 83 in Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island, British Colonial America

Problems/Questions Profile manager: John Bentley [send private message]

Biography

Benjamin was born on March 27, 1690, he was the son of William and Sarah Bentley of Kingstown, Colony of RI. Benjamin was listed as an executor in his father William's will which was executed and proved in 1720.^[1][2]

"Benjamin served nearly five months as sergeant in the colonial expedition to French Canada in 1709 in the war of the Spanish Succession which the English colonists in America called Queen Anne's War against France. Pay for his service amounted to L7.10.0. In the same war he served in that rank in the expedition against Port Royal, now Annapolis, Nova Scotia, in 1710, in which his brother James Bentley, also served. For "139 days at 1 and 6" Benjamin Bentley, received L10.8.6 in pay. The name is spelled Bently." ^[3][4]

Benjamin, was a currier by trade and then later records show list him as "mariner." In Kingstown, as the King's Towne came to be written, he lived probably with his father in the house on the plot of land which the Town Council had granted the latter in 1705 and which was part of the eight acres William Bentley purchased from Captain John Eldred in 1718 and bequeathed to his son, Benjamin. ^[5]

In September 1719, Benjamin and his father, William Bentley, lost their appeal of 1715, in the action for trespass brought against them by James and Daniel Updike. The Bentleys were ordered to pay damages amounting to L150. Benjamin Bentley was admitted a freeman of the Colony from Kingstown on May 2, 1727.

Benjamin was married first to Patience Rathbone. The date of his marriage to Patience Rathbone has not been found but it must have been after 1710 and perhaps a few years before his father's death in 1720.^[6] On November 21, 1762 , Benjamin was married for the second time to Barbara Pearce (Peirce or Pierce) at Warwick by Elder John Gorton. The record shows that bride and groom were "both of East Greenwich." Elder Gorton was pastor of the Six Principle Baptist Church of Warwick.^[7]

"When Benjamin left East Greenwich is not known, but he apparently was "of Exeter" either at or soon after August 29, 1744, the date on which he signed the receipt for his wife's portion of her father's estate. He purchased there on November 16, 1744, as "Benjamin Bently of Exeter, Corrier" one acre of land from his nephew, William Bentley, son of his elder brother, Thomas.' It may be that Benjamin had been a tenant on this land and with his wife's inheritance was now able to purchase it. William (3) Bentley was a blacksmith in Exeter. His brother's name was Benjamin, who, with the advent of his uncle, Benjamin, came to be called Benjamin, Jr., to distinguish him from the senior uncle so long as the latter remained in Exeter."^[8]

Benjamin was involved in a lawsuit in 1765. In discussing the records related to this suit, Stewart provides interesting insight into the currency system used in Rhode Island during this period of time:

"The records of the Court of Common Pleas for Kent County in the Court House at East Greenwich show in Book 4, page 86, that at the 'January Term A.D. 1765, Benjamin Bently of East Greenwich, Marriner' was plaintiff in an action of Damages of 'L5 Legal Money' against "Randall Holden, Jr., of Warwick, Marriner.' Holden defaulted and Bentley was awarded judgment of L45.6.1 Old Tenor or the equivalent in legal money 'with costs. Old Tenor was paper money issued between 1710 and 1740 against any money then or subsequently current and available. 'New Tenor' was paper money issued between 1740 and 1756 against silver and gold of a fixed weight per ounce. 'Legal or Lawful Money' was paper money issued between 1756 and 1786 against gold only. 'Old Tenor' in 1765 was greatly depreciated. A New England pound which in the early colonial period had been equivalent to about $200 of our money today began to depreciate during the last quarter of the seventeenth century and was in 1765 worth about $3.50 more or less." ^[9]

The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island states Benjamin died in 1744. However, other records show Benjamin was living, in East Greenwich, as late as 1765; and, perhaps in Warwick, until 1772, for on June 8th, 1772,^[10] the inventory of the Estate of Benjamin Bentley, deceased, was recorded and administration granted his widow, Barbara, on November 30, 1773. Benjamin would have been eighty-two and perhaps a few more years old, a very likely age, for with the exception of one brother, James (2) Bentley who died prior to 1757, this generation of Bentleys, in the males, all lived to be eighty and more.^[11]

Benjamin is believed to have had eight children, five with his first wife Patience and three with his second wife Barbara. Stewart list Bejamin's children as follows^[12]:

A study of other records would show that the children of Benjamin and Patience (Rathbone) Bentley were more likely as follows:

1. Sarah, who may have died young
2. Margaret or Mary who died unmarried in 1782
3. Jemimah (3), who married at Providence, February 4, 1748, William Fish or Fisk of Providence.' ('"William Fisk, of Providence, and Jemima Bentley. of East Greenwich; m bv Giles Pierce. Justice, Feb. 4. 1738." East Greenwich "Marriages," 3:169; Arnold, J.N., Vi Rec RI. Vol. 1. p 28.)
4. Elizabeth (3), who married at Warwick on September 2, 1744, Israel Tripp
5. William (3)

Children of Benjamin (2) and Barbara (Pearce) Bentley:

1. Sarah (3), born East Greenwich, August 31, 1764, died, probably East Greenwich, in 1805, married, East Greenwich, December 25, 1785. Moses Peirce,1 born 1757, died Surinam, South America, in 1796 of yellow fever. Buried at sea, son of Thomas and Rebecca (Scranton) Pearce.
2. Albethany (3) (so spelled), born East Greenwich, March 22, 1767, died —, married "Greenwich" by Elder John Gorton, March 15, 1789, James Gould, of East Greenwich, born —, died —, son of John Gould of Newport, deceased.
3. Parmelia (3) (so spelled), born East Greenwich, June 3, 1769, died —, married, East Greenwich, by H. Cook, Justice, May 31, 1790, Caleb Green, born —, died —, son of Nathan and —

Research Notes

Need to locate or create profiles for Benjamin's eight children

• Sarah no profile found
• Margaret or Mary no profile found
• Jemima-no profile on wiki(could this be her husband, William Fish
• Elizabeth found
• William his brother Thomas has a son William (need to double check sources)
• No profile for this Sarah either
• Albethany no profile found or for Bethany
• no Parmelia but few profile might match Caleb Green or Greene

Sources

1. ↑ History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut, from its first Settlement in 1649 to 1900 , With a Genealogical Register of Stonington Families, By Richard Anson Wheeler, New London, Connecticut, Press of the Day Publishing Company, 1900. page 233 [available here]
2. ↑ Genealogical and Family History of Western New York: A Record of the Achievements of her People In the Making of a Commonwealth and the Building of a Nation, Vol. II, William Richard Cutter, 1912, Lewis Historical Pub. Co, page 869 available here
3. ↑ General Treasurer's Accounts, p. 140, R.I. Archives, Providence, R.I.C.R., 4:82. as cited by Stewart, page 1636.
4. ↑ Stewart, Cameron Ralph Genealogical Classification By Family Group Vol. 2, Page 1536 (Stewart, Long Beach, 1986).
5. ↑ Stewart: Vol. 2, Page 1536
6. ↑ Stewart: Vol. 2, Page 1541
7. ↑ Stewart: Vol. 2, Page 1535-36
8. ↑ Stewart: Vol. 2, Page 1538
9. ↑ Stewart: Vol. 2, Page 1538
10. ↑ Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9079/images/007649992_00508). Rhode Island, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1582-1932 [database online], Wills, Vol 2-4, 1745-1797, image 508. Wills, No. 3, Warwick, 1761-1781, Page 285-286. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
11. ↑ Stewart: Vol. 2, Page 1535-36
12. ↑ Stewart: Vol. 2, Page 1541-42

Other Sources

Acknowledgments

• WikiTree profile Bentley-315 created through the import of FAMILY 6162011.GED on Jun 20, 2011 by Michael Stephenson. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Michael and others.: Prior to import, this record was last changed 24 JAN 2011 .