Mary (Elliot) Bentley (1687 - aft. 1752)

Born 22 May 1687 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut

Ancestors

Wife of William Bentley IV — married 21 Apr 1703 in Stonington, New London County, CT

Descendants

Died after 1752 after age 64 in Richmond, Washington, Rhode Island

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Shirley Becker [send private message] and Darlene Carerros [send private message]

Biography

Mary was christened on May 22, 1687 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. The records from the First Congregation Church in Stonington^[1] show a record for:

"Mary Eloit - parents: [not given] & Henry Eloit - bapt. 22 May 1687 - by Rev. James Noyes

"Mary Elliot was a daughter of Henry Elliot and Deborah (Bell) (York) Elliot, of Stonington, Connecticut Colony^[2]

Mary married William Bentley on April 21, 1703 in Stonington, Connecticut. At least one source, states that a different William Bentley married Mary Elliot.^[3] However, at least two other sources agree the William Bentley, son of William Bentley and Mary Houghton, who married Mary Elliot:

William Bentley who was son of William and Mary (Houghton) Bentley who were married in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in January of 1675/6 and who HAD APPARENTLY died many years prior to the time of their son's marriage to Mary Elliot.^[4]

Mary Eliot was a daughter of Henry and Deborah (Bell) (York ) Eliot of Stonington, Connecticut Colony. She was married there, according to both town and church records, on April 21, 1703, to William Bentley who was son of William and Mary (Houghton) Bentley who were married in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in January 1675/6 and who had apparently died many years prior to their son's marriage to Mary Eliot. William and Mary (Eliot) Bentley settled in Lebanon , Connecticut Colony. It does not appear that any Rhode Island Bentleys settled in Stonington or even in the Connnect icut Colony until the middle of the eighteenth Century.^[5]

An additional fact that may link this William to Mary Elliot can be found in the records of men who served with Captain Henchman in 1675. Among those names are the names of William Bentley and Henry Elliot, believed to be the father of William and Mary.^[6]

(see research notes below for possible conflicting information about William Burch & Mary Elliott also married on 21 Apr 1703 - by Rev. James Noyes.). ^[7][8]

The records of the First Congregational Church in Stonington show records for three of William and Mary children^[9]:

• John Bently - parents: [not given] & William Bently of Lebanon - bapt. 27 Jul 1712 - by Rev. James Noyes
• Mary Bently - parents: Mary & William Bently - bapt. 5 Jun 1704 - by Rev. James Noyes
• William Bently - parents: [not given] & William Bently - bapt. 9 Nov 1707 - by Rev. James Noyes

Research Notes

"Mary Elliot was a daughter of Henry Elliot and Deborah (Bell) (York) Elliot, of Stonington, Connecticut Colony. She was married there on 4.21.1703, to William Bentley who was son of William and Mary (Houghton) BENTLEY who were married in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in January of 1675/6 and who HAD APPARENTLY died many years prior to the time of their son's marriage to Mary Elliot. William and Mary (Elliot) BENTLEY settled in Lebanon, Connecticut Colony . It does not appear the RHODE ISLAND Bentley's settled i n Stonington or even in Connecticut Colony until the middl e of the eighteenth century."^[10]

Marriage

The "Barbour records" have two different sections dealing with marriages:

Stonington, New London Co., CT, Vital Records from Barbour, 1668-1852 - D-E Transcribed by Coralynn Brown [available here].

The D to E list, under the ELLIOTT, ELIOT category shows:

Mary, m William BENTLEY, Apr 21, 1703, by Rev James Noyes

The Babbitt to Breed list, under the BENTLEY category shows:

William, m Mary ELIOT, Apr 21, 1703, by Rev James Noyes

The Birch and Burch listing show no marriage by a William to a Mary.

In the list of brides of The First Congregational Church, Stonington, CT; Richard Wheeler, Norwich, 1875^[11]. [available here]: The list of brides does not show Mary Elliott marrying a William Bentley. It does however contain the following:

William Burch & Mary Elliott m. 21 Apr 1703 - by Rev. James Noye

Likewise in the List of Grooms, there is a listing for:

William Burch & Mary Elliott m. 21 Apr 1703 - by Rev. James Noyes

There is no listing for any William Bentley in the list of grooms for this church.

However, the baptism records of the First Congregational Church [available here], may provide the answer.^[12] These records show no mention of anyone by the last name of Burch or Birch. It does however, list the birth of 4 children to William Bentley, including one listing with Mary as the mother:

Mary Bently - parents: Mary & William Bently - bapt. 5 Jun 1704 - by Rev. James Noyes

Since the baptism took place in 1704 and the marriage in 1703, it is reasonable to conclude, Mary Elliot married William Bentley, not William Burch.

Info available but need to verify is in sources

Christening -found source put in bio

Approximate Death

after 1752 19 APR 1799 Place: Richmond, Rhode Island, USA

Age: 111

Sources

1. ↑ Extracted from History of the First Congregational Church, Stonington, CT; Richard Wheeler, Norwich, 1875 [available here]
2. ↑ GENEALOGICAL CLASSIFICATION BY FAMILY GROUP CODING FOR DECENT FROM COMMON ANCESTERS«/b»", by Cameron Ralph Stewa rt, Vol II, p. 1059 [cited by Allan Bentley here]
3. ↑ 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
4. ↑ GENEALOGICAL CLASSIFICATION BY FAMILY GROUP CODING FOR DECENT FROM COMMON ANCESTERS", by Cameron Ralph Stewart, Vol II, p. 1059, 1986. [cited by Allan Bentley here]
5. ↑ Emile Sarter, compilation entitled "One Branch of the Bentley Family of Rhode Island", 1953 as cited by Allan Bentley [available here]
6. ↑ Soldiers in King Philip's war; Being a critical account of that war, with a concise history of the Indian wars of New England from 1620-1677, official lists of the soldiers of Massachusetts colony serving in Philip's war, and sketches of the principal officers, copies of ancient documents and records relating to the war, also lists of the Narragansett grantees of the United colonies, Massachusetts, Plymouth and Connecticut; by Bodge, George M. (George Madison), 1841-1914, 1896, Pages 51 and 52 [available here]
7. ↑ "Connecticut Town Birth-Death & Marriage Records, Pre 1870 (Barbour Collection) database on-line accessed 23 Nov 2010. The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. Original data: White, Lorraine Cook, ed. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records. Vol. 1-55. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1994-2002. Note: This database contains an index to vital record information for individuals born primarily before 1870, abstracted from Connecticut town vital records, and recorded in the multi-volume set known as the Lucious Barnes Barbour Collection. Information contained in the index includes name of child, relationship (son or daughter), birth date, birth location, and parents' names. Information regarding an individual's marriage and death may also be included. Repository: #R512 Italicized: Y Paranthetical: Y User ID: E059C4EA6FE944B9857EF2F74EC27D803542
8. ↑ Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records [available online here]
9. ↑ Extracted from History of the First Congregational Church, Stonington, CT; Richard Wheeler, Norwich, 1875 [available here]
10. ↑ GENEALOGICAL CLASSIFICATION BY FAMILY GROUP CODING FO R DECENT FROM COMMON ANCESTERS«/b»", by Cameron Ralph Stewa rt, Vol II, p. 1059 [cited by Allan Bentley here]
11. ↑ First Congregational Church, Stonington, CT; Richard Wheeler, Norwich, 1875 list of BRIDES [available here]
12. ↑ Extracted from History of the First Congregational Church, Stonington, CT; Richard Wheeler, Norwich, 1875 [available here]

See also:

• "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP73-41DJ : 21 September 2019), William Bentley in entry for Mary Elliot, 21 Apr 1703; citing Marriage, Stonington, New London, Connecticut, British Colonial America, Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008272230.

• Wheeler, Richard. History of the First Congregational Church, Stonington, Connecticut, 1674-1874 (T.H. Davis & Co., Norwich, Conn., 1875) Page 215: Her husband's name is listed as "William Burch"

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (R), Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998. Ancestral File Number LR6B-GL Ancestral File Number 14GV-J9X Ancestral File Number GBFC-F8

• James Miller Guinn, A History of California and an Extended History of Los Angeles and Environs, (Historic Records Co., Los Angeles CA, 1915), note: has name Mary Eliot, great granddaughter of Rev. John Eliot, famous missionary to the Indians of Massachusetts Bay Colony.