Fellow Virginia Researchers:
Researchers of Bentleys 1730 and beyond in counties south or bordering the
James River Amelia, Prince George, Powhatan, Fluvanna, Halifax and other
counties have speculated that their origin in these Southside Counties is in
the Northern Neck -- specifically Richmond Co. I recently went through most
of the Richmond Co wills, deeds, parish registers, and court orders prior to
1750 to see what I could find. I have posted a fairly complete and lengthy
list (not all court orders) list of what I found at genforum (with a couple
of followups/corrections):
http://genforum.genealogy.com/bentley/messages/2871.html
My interest is in Samuel Bentley, who died about 1795 in Amelia County, and
appears in tax lists in that county with a John Bentley, who I believe to be
his brother. However, I am only really familiar with Samuel Bentley's family.
His children married into Cobbs, Archer, Booker, Saunders (mine), Winston,
Anderson, Markham, Gay, Turpin (Lucy Gaines Turpin, widow of Benjamin
Harris). His wife is said to be Mary Weldon, a descendant of Samuel Weldon
and Sarah Efford,d/o Peter Efford (unproven). I have posted Samuel Bentley's
will and a little bit on children's marriages here:
http://genforum.genealogy.com/bentley/messages/2409.html
I will summarize here briefly what I found:
My initial question was whether the Richmond records would provide further
proof that Samuel, d. ca 1795, was the son of Daniel and Anne Bentley, and
was baptised December 30, 1719 in North Farnham Parish. Siblings also
recorded in the register are Ann and William. I found two Richmond records
that I feel together further establish the relationship: (a) A 1723 deed
mentionining Ann Bentley Widow, and a (b) 1732 deed of gift of household
items, horses from Ann Bentley to three sons: John, Samuel and William. In
the deed she says she is doing this before "matrymony" and seems to indicate
that none of the three sons are 21 years of age. I am sad to report she did
not name her intended, however, the deed is witnessed by two Nash men
(neighbors in the 1723 deed), so possibly it was another Nash (there are some
in Amelia). The deed is important because it names John as a son and brother
of Samuel, and he didn't show up in the parish records.
The second question was whether Anne Bentley's husband Daniel was most likely
the son of Daniel of GLOSTER, with wife Elizabeth who dies ca 1721, naming
sons James and Daniel. Here there is a question because there is a third
Daniel who with wife Elizabeth also has children baptised in the 1720s
appearing in the register, and who appears in various court cases with
regularity until about 1731. He could be a much older son of Daniel and
Anne, who was not mentioned in Anne's 1731 deed of gift, because as the
eldest son he would have inherited the land by primogeniture IF as it seems
his fathered died intestate about 1723 when Anne appears as a widow in a
deed.
I have reiterated below only the items directly relevant to the above
discussion in brief form. See the genforum post for more information. I
welcome any comments, observations, etc. Again, I have not followed any of
these Bentleys, except Samuel...but I know there are lots of other folks on
their tails.
I am of course, interested in who all the unknown wives of our Richmond
County Bentleys are [sic]. Maybe from neighboring families of Samfords,
Jones, Alloways, Jaspers, Nashes, Tillerys, Gupton, Smith, Bayleys, Lewis??
It is possible some of the answers might be (a) held in a closer look at the
Amelia county deeds, where John or Samuel were witnesses (a task I haven't
undertaken because there are so many of them) and (2) post-1750 Richmond Co
records, which I did not study. with the exception of the Wills of Richmond
County Virginia, 1699-1800 by Headley, Robert K. The extent of my knowledge
of Richmond Co families does not go beyond the Bentley information here.
A final observation on research avenues: I am realizing that a not
insubstantial number of Richmond Co, other northern neck county families
appear to have migrated DIRECTLY to counties south of or bordering the James
River in the 1700s. The same holds true for families in the counties just
south between the Rappahanock and York Rivers (Essex, Middlesex, etc.). I
recommend that if you can't find your folks south of the James (or south of
the York River in York or New Kent Co ) you move on north in your research.
Now that the Library of Virginia has a search engine for both Northern Neck
and other Land grants, this is easier: http://eagle.vsla.edu/lonn/
My best regards,
Janet (Baugh) Hunter
1624 Patent to William Bentley -- 50 acres being between New Ports Newse and
Blunt Point, Westd. upon the land of Lt. Giles Allington.
1704 (Richmond) – July 31. Deed DANIEL BENTLEY of “GLOSTER” deeds with
Samuel Samford and Richard King. Richmond County Deeds, 1701-1704,.
(Sparacio). Daniel Bentley bought 150 acres for 5,000 pounds tobacco from
Samuel Samford and wife Elizabeth, AND 80 acres for15 pounds lawful money
from Richard King and wife Sarah. The only geographical feature mentioned in
both is Farnham Creeke (close to Totuskey Creek in deed of 1723 mentioning
Ann Bentley widow). Names mentioned in bodies of the deeds include: (a)
Samford deed -- James BIDDLECOMBE, Robert FRISTOW and Jane his wife, Richard
JASPR, Robert BAYLIS and Jane widow,; and (b) King deed -- Robt.. WOOD,
Alexander SWAN, Thomas GRIFFIN, George HOWELL, Robert BAYLIST. Stephen
GUPTON/GUBTON and Edward JONES are witnesses to both. Note: when “lawfulle”
money is converted to tobacco, the King land costs less per acre than the
Samford land, but not substantially enough to infer any sort of privileged
relationship.
1704 (Richmond) – August 3. Phillips receives land for importation of RICHARD
BENTLEY.
Js Phillips received 400 acre for importation of Thomas OWENS, Richard
BENTLEY, Edw DIXON, John FRASER, Mary BRADGETT, Mary HILL, Wm YATES, Mary
FITZGERALD, Per Court Order Book.
1717 (Richmond) – November 2 ANN, d/o DANIEL AND ANN BENTLEY baptised. No
Farnham Parish Records,
1719 (Richmond) – December 30, SAMUEL, s/o DANIEL and ANN BENTLEY baptised,
No. Farnham Parish Records.
1720/21 (Richmond) – March 13, WILLIAM, s/o DANIEL and ANN BENTLEY baptised..
No. Farnham Parish Records.
1720/21 (Richmond) – March 19 DANIEL BENTLEY writes WILL, proven August 2
1721. Names sons Daniel and James, the latter to be cared for by his brother.
Wife (not named) executrix. Signed 19 March 1720 Witness: Wm. Gupton, Margot
M. Smith (her mark), Thos. _______
1721 (Richmond) – August 2. wife ELIZABETH, executrix presents DANIEL
BENTLEY’S will in court. Richmond County Order Book, 1721-32, page 10
(Sparacio). “(Daniel) BENTLEY’s Will proved
1721 (Richmond) – September 6, DANIEL BENTLEY’S inventory. Will Book 4, Page
195 (TLC Genealogy Abstract). Includes servant boy James SPICER. Signed--
James Suggitt, Thomas Jesper, Thos. Nash. Recorded Sep 6, 1721. (Later
Bentley, Spicer marriages).
1723 (Richmond) – June 4, ANNE BENTLEY, mentioned as WIDOW in deed.. Richmond
County Deeds 1720-1733, Pages 199-200 (Sparacio) Samuel SAMFORD and Giles
SAMFORD sell to Thomas NASH ... Neighbors on borders include Gabrill ALLOWAY,
Edward LEWIS, Thomas NASH. In addition to Totuskey Creek, Dark Meck Swamp is
mentioned. Witnesses: Edwd. JONES, Peter James BALTEZER, Thomas NASH, Jr.
(all signed their names).
1724 (Richmond) – April 13, ALICE, d/o DANIEL and ELIZABETH BENTLEY baptised.
No. Farnham Parish Records.
1726 (Richmond)– February 28 DANIEL, s/o DANIEL and ELIZABETH BENTLEY,
baptised.. No Farnham Parish Records.
1730 (Amelia/Prince George) – May 19. _____, d/o JOHN and MARY BENTLEY
baptised. Bristol Parish Register Records. __ dater of JOHN and MARY Bentley
Born 19th May 1730. (Believed to be John, brother of Samuel).
1732 (Amelia/Prince George) – June 1. SARAH, d/o JOHN AND MARY BENTLEY
baptised. Bristol Parish Register Records.
1733 (Amelia/Prince George) – December 12, MARY ELLIS, d/o JOHN AND MARY
BENTLEY baptised. Bristol Parish Register Records.
1734 (Amelia/Prince George) October 3 – SAMUEL BENTLEY Patent. Description:
400 acres on the south side of Appomattox River, and on both sides of Pruitts
Creek, adjoining Joseph Echolls.
1741 (Richmond) – November 30, ANN, d/o SAMUEL AND MARY BENTLEY baptised. No.
Farnham Parish Records.
1743 (Richmond) – February 5. Birth, Daniel son of John and Mary BENTLEY
No. Farnham Parish Records.
1745 (Amelia) – 10 July. JOHN BENTLEY patent. Description: 200 acres on the
heads of Pruits Creek between the lines of Willm. Yates (Gates?, William
Evans, William Hendricks and William Hurt and others.
1746 (Richmond) – September 24. Birth, MARY, d/o SAMUEL AND MARY BENTLEY
baptised. No. Farnham Parish Records.
1740s, early 1750s….Brunswick Co. JAMES, JOHN, and WILLIAM BENTLEY in Court
records.
1730s-1752 Amelia Co Tax Lists—JOHN AND SAMUEL BENTLEY. John and Samuel
Bentley generally consistently on tax list. ALSO in court records during
these early years, in association are a few mentions of RICHARD, JAMES, and
WILLIAM BENTLEY. A Daniel Bentley shows up now and again after about 1765 or
so, but I didn’t find him before then.
1746-1752 (Lunenberg) –JOHN BENTLEY mentioned in TLC Deed Index for Book A,
page 48 (1746-1752)
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