George Bentham (1800 - 1884)

Born 22 Sep 1800 in Stoke Damerel, Devon, England

Ancestors

Died 10 Sep 1884 at age 83 in London, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

George was born in 1800. He is the son of Samuel Bentham. He married Sarah Brydges on 11 Apr 1833 in Kingsland, Herefordshire, England and their marriage was reported in the Berrow's Worcester Journal, Worcestershire and Herefordshire, England on 18 Apr 1833. A systematic botanist, he was interested in methods of categorising plants. A detailed description of his career can be found with his works in the National Archives^[1]

Census

• 1851 England Census: Name: George Bentham; Event Place: Kentchurch, Herefordshire, England; Registration District: Hereford; Gender: Male; Age: 50; Marital Status: Married; Occupation: Magistrate; Relationship to Head of Household: Head; Birth Year (Estimated): 1801; Birthplace: Stoke, Devonshire

George Bentham Head M 50 Stoke, Devonshire

Sarah Bentham Wife F 52 Mansel, Herefordshire

Elizabeth Morgan Servant F 39 Wormbridge, Herefordshire

Marian Hobday Servant F 17 Dedrington, Herefordshire

Hannah Pritchard Servant F 24 Orcup, Herefordshire

Eliza Mapp Servant F 19 Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire

Samuel Stokes Servant M 23 Kingsland, Herefordshire

• 1871 England Census: Name: George Bentham; Event Place: St George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom; Sub-District: Belgrave; Gender: Male; Age: 70; Marital Status: Married; Occupation: Landowner; Relationship to Head of Household: Head; Birth Year (Estimated): 1801; Birthplace: Stoke, Devonshire

George Bentham Head M 70 Stoke, Devonshire

Sarah Bentham Wife F 72 Mansell Lacy, Herefordshire

Sarah Gooch Servant F 23 Hitcham, Suffolk

Virtue Mason Servant F 23 Longham, Norfolk

Notes

notes Note: botanist. taxonomist no University training. Note: George Bentham Blue Plaque. 25 Wilton Place London SW1). .

biog Note: George Bentham had neither a school nor a college education, but at an early age acquired the power of giving sustained and concentrated attention to any subject that occupied him. He also had a remarkable linguistic aptitude. By the age of seven he could speak French, German, Russian and he learned Swedish during a short residence in Sweden when little older. At the close of the war with France, the Benthams made a long tour through that country, staying two years at Montauban where Bentham studied Hebrew and mathematics in the Protestant Theological School. They eventually settled in the neighbourhood of where Sir Samuel purchased a large estate. George Bentham became attracted to botanical studies by applying to them his uncle's logical methods, and not by any special interest in natural history. While studying at he came across a copy of A. P. de Candolle's Flore française' and he became interested in the analytical tables for identifying plants. He immediately proceeded to test their use on the first plant he saw. The result was successful and he continued to apply it to every plant he came across. A visit to London in 1823 brought him into contact with the brilliant circle of English botanists. In 1826, at the pressing invitation of his uncle, he agreed to act as his secretary, at the same time entering Lincolns Inn and reading for the bar. He was called in due time and in 1832 held his first and last brief. In that same year Jeremy Bentham died, leaving his property to his nephew. Having inherited his father's estate the previous year, he was now in a position of modest independence, and able to pursue wholeheartedly his favourite studies. For a time these were divided between botany, jurisprudence and logic, in addition to editing his father's professional papers.

Sources

1. ↑ https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16267

• "England, Herefordshire Bishop's Transcripts, 1583-1898", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W4GJ-FPW2 : 2 November 2019), Sarah Jones Brydges in entry for George Bentham, 1833.
• "British Newspaper Archive, Family Notices," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLSC-4QYF : 18 April 2019), Sarah Brydges in entry for George Bentham, Berrow, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom; records extracted FamilySearch and images digitized by FindMyPast; citing Berrow, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom, 18 Apr 1833, The British Newspaper Archive, Ireland; FHL microfilm .
• "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGPH-S56 : 12 September 2019), George Bentham, Kentchurch, Herefordshire, England; citing Kentchurch, Herefordshire, England, p. 11, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
• "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VB65-CMH : 25 April 2019), George Bentham, 1871.

See also:

• https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/George_Bentham