Hello Everyone (apologies in advance for multiple postings),

Surnames:  Allgood, Amos, Anderson, Archer, Bentley, Booker, Cobbs, Efford,  
Ellis, Gay, Hammock, Hammond, Inge, Owen, Saunders, Spicer, Trent, Turpin, 
Vaughan, Weldon, Winston, Womack.

NOTE:  This is long, is intended to be informational, and reflects my views 
and those of many but not all (yet) Bentley researchers, as of December 6, 
2002,  as a result of recent investigations..  This does NOT itemize all the 
still unknown question marks, mysteries, certain possibly implied court 
record connections, several unplaced Bentleys showing in parish registers & 
court records, unknown wives for even the specific Bentleys below in our 
limited geographical purview.  There is in addition a wealth of early Bentley 
records still to be examined, especially Fluvanna and counties north of the 
James River between and a little bit inland of the James, the York, 
Rappahanock and Potomac Rivers, that hopefully will tie all the below 
together and get us back to the 1600s.  We think they are all (or most all) 
probably related.   To present the documentation for  just the conclusions 
here would take about 25 pages. I am happy to provide documentation and/or 
references to other researchers, or background.  Most of the "good stuff" 
isn't my direct line.  I am it seems the only one of us addicted to genealogy 
mailing lists .  Our primary forum for communication is Bentley genforum (see 
#2871 at genealogy.genforum.com/bentley for Richmond Co. info), where I daily 
wipe egg off my face.

SHORT VERSION:  Recent research by many Bentley researchers leads to the well 
documented conclusion that the sons of Daniel, d. ca 1721-1723, and Anne 
Bentley of Richmond Co.VA are most likely:  (a) JOHN with wife Christian 
HAMMOCK, whose father Benedict Hammock deeds them land in 1756 in NOTTOWAY 
Parish, Amelia Co.VA; (b) WILLIAM with wife Elizabeth, who purchases land in 
1751 from Thomas Jones in Brunswick Co., VA; and (c) SAMUEL (S) Bentley, Sr., 
who purchases land in NOTTOWAY Parish, Amelia Co., from William Jackson, and 
who dies ca 1795/6 in Amelia's offspring, Nottoway Co., and whose children 
and many of whose grandchildren are identified in ensuing court cases (see 
below).  The research also confirms that Daniel's widow Ann Bentley ca 1731 
married (2) James Spicer, who died in 1767/8 in Brunswick Co. VA (and was 
witness to William Bentley's land purchase in 1751, and with wife Ann, 
deceased by time of Spicer's will probably, leased land from Thomas Jones 
also.).   Footnote: the parents of Daniel Bentley, d. ca 1723 in Richmond Co. 
are still a questionmark, since there is another Daniel with wife Elizabeth, 
whose children are in the Richmond Co. records in the 1720s.

As a result of these conclusions on the sons of Daniel and Anne, it is 
further felt that the following two individuals who appear in Amelia Co in 
the 1730s, are most likely NOT, as many have thought and so published, the 
sons of Daniel and Anne Bentley of Richmond Co.: (a) Samuel Bentley, whose 
1784 will is probated in April 1795 in RALEIGH Parish, Amelia Co.; and (b) 
John Bentley, who married Mary Ellis 1727 in Middlesex Co. VA, probably first 
sexton of new chapel for Bristol Parish on Saml Cobbs land (now Grub Hill 
Church), first constable of Amelia Co., land patent 1745 in RALEIGH parish, 
Amelia Co. and who moves ca. 1750 to now Halifax Co., where his own brood of 
Bentleys flourish in the 1700s (more research needed, probably all his, but 
alas no wills found yet or incriminating deeds.)

LONG VERSION: 

Intensive research by several descendants of Bentleys in originals of court 
records/tax lists, etc. for Amelia, Nottoway, Halifax, Brunswick, Powhatan, 
Lunenburg have led us to several conclusions I thought I'd share with you 
all.  This is sort of like stopping a moving train, but there may be some 
items below that could qualify as Christmas gifts for some of you.  There is 
nothing below on the sons of (or not the sons of) of Daniel and Anne Bentley 
that we don't think we can document, based on what we know. I myself have had 
a Christmas in July present snatched from me.   All of the following is based 
on extensive examination by a group of no-axes-to grind wonderful cousins (we 
hope anyway! -- the cousin part) and represent the most likely scenario for 
the following folks -- that either provide new information or indicate that 
certain connections that have been made by many previously in published 
sources that we feel need to be probably severed and reexamined (including, 
alas, my own):

First.  IDENTIFICATION OF THE THREE SONS OF DANIEL & ANN BENTLEY OF RICHMOND 
CO. VA  -- to wit: John, Samuel, William named in Ann's 1731 deed of gift, 
Richmond Co. VA.   Based on a study of deeds, wills, neighbors (choking on 
Richmond Co folks), estate sales, signatures vs. marks, locations and dates 
(location, location, location and dates and dates), the sons of Daniel of 
Richmond Co VA: d. abt 1721-1723 Richmond Co. VA. and Anne, who married (2) 
James Spicer abt 1731 (a documented union) are most likely:

(a) JOHN is John Bentley with wife Christian HAMMOCK, d/o Benedict Hammock, 
Sr.  He appears to move from Richmond Co to NOTTOWAY Parish, Amelia Co.about 
1748 (tax lists); receive land from her father in Amelia 1756; they sell 
Amelia land & move with his brother William to ONSLOW Co. NC about 1762 where 
there are Hammocks/HAMMONDS (confusion with two is tremendous); sells land 
with brother William below probably in  Onslow Co. in 1774, and eventually by 
1784 Christian Bentley shows up in Wilkes Co. GA court regarding a headright 
she never claims.  Their only identified child so far is their son James in 
James Spicer's 1767 will in Brunswick Co.:A later chancery case with this 
James as plaintiff, identifies himself as James Spicer's grandson; Spicer 
likely being only grandfather he ever knew.  Exactly what happened to John 
Bentley, husband of Christian, is not known yet.  Wilkes Co. Georgia has a 
mess of Bentleys (and Hammocks) beginning in the 1770s that makes sorting 
Amelia Co. Bentleys child's play (in retrospect :-).

(b) WILLIAM, baptized 13 March 1720/21 No. Farnham Parish, is William Bentley 
with wife Elizabeth unk, who appears in Brunswick Co. VA by 1750, purchases 
land from Thomas Jones in 1751 (James Spicer, witness); sells the land in 
1762 to Peter Cooke; moves it is believed with brother John to Onslow Co; in 
1774 with brother, or possibly son, John sells the Onslow Co. land; spent 
some time in SC it seems; probably William with headrights in 1775 in Wilkes 
Co. GA; possibly William with wife Jane, many children, who has 1791 Wilkes 
Co. GA will.  (There is a William Bentley & Jane Hammond marriage in Onslow 
Co NC1774).  Only identified son of William is John in James Spicer's will.  
Footnote:  James and Ann Spicer leased land for lifetime for yearly rents 
from the above Thomas Jones in Brunswick Co. in 1753.  

(c) SAMUEL, baptized 30 December 1719, No. Farnham Parish, is Samuel (S) 
Bentley, Sr. who appears 1748 in NOTTOWAY Parish, Amelia Co. tax lists with 
brother John, Hammocks many other Richmond Co families; purchases land in 
Amelia 1752 from William Jackson; later deeds part of land to Samuel Jr. 
(1781), dau Sarah (1785), and Elizabeth VAUGHAN (1785 -- for natural life); 
dies intestate ca 1795/6 in Nottoway Co. (no move, but cut from Amelia 
1788/9).  Because there are two Samuel Bentleys of the same age who die about 
the same time and both lived in Amelia Co at one time, the above Samuel will 
be referred to herein always as Samuel (S) Bentley, Sr.

It is with this Samuel (S) Bentley Sr.'s family that we have made the 
greatest strides in putting a family group together -- and only because one 
of us, Marsha Bentley, fairly new to Bentley research, spent the equivalent 
of two weeks at the LVA, and has rented numerous microfilms, including the 
critical Nottoway Co. wills and court orders (no abstracts in that neck of 
the woods).

In brief, we have determined from court records regarding settlement of his 
estate that Samuel (S) Bentley, Sr. and probable wife or wives Mary and 
Elizabeth, per No. Farnham Parish records & Nottoway estate records, had 
these six children known to have lived to adulthood:  

(1) Samuel Bentley, Jr., married probably Sarah, died intestate in Nottoway 
Co 1795/6 about same time as his father (complications there!),  and had:   
Samuel; Charlotte; Susanna; Mary; Elizabeth and possibly Elisha.  Samuel Jr. 
was deeded the land in 1781 by his father.  My interpretation of estate 
settlement records and other court actions is that his wife at his death was 
probably named Sarah. 

(2) Sarah/Sally Bentley (never married) had children:  Joel and William 
Bentley, probably Freeman.  They moved to Union Co. SC. She was deeded land 
in Amelia Co. by her father in 1785.  Our researchers include descendants 
with much more information. Note:  this is a BIG change, as Sarah had 
previously been thought almost universally to be a daughter of Samuel 
Bentley, whose will was probated in 1795..and unnamed in the will because of 
her bastard children.

(3) Jeremiah Bentley, b. 1759, Rev. War soldier, d. 1841, Lawrence Co., TN. 
Our researchers include a descendant with much more information.

(4) Daniel Bentley, married Milley HAMMOCK, d/o of as yet identified Hammock 
-- many candidates..  Daniel died ca. 1791 in Lunenburg Co. VA.  He had three 
children:  John H. Bentley m. Martha MOORE (in GA); Robert H. Bentley m. 
Catherine INGE, and Anne who married George AMOSS.  Our researchers include 
several researchers of this line.  Not only do Nottoway Court entries 
identify the children, but so do Wilkes Co. GA records. 

(5) Mary married an ALLGOOD, probably the Edward  who died. 1783 Amelia Co. 
They had children:  William, John, William, Samuel, Jeremiah, Daniel, Mary 
Winney, Elizabeth.

(6) Alsey married a VAUGHAN, probably Randolph, maybe Daniel.  They had 
Leroy, Hartwell, Sukey, William A. and possibly Daniel.  

Information on descendants of the above can be found at these two websites:
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=ronhead&id=I18735
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=karebear&id=I37857

Second..CONCLUSION THAT THE FIRST SAMUEL BENTLEY AND JOHN BENTLEY IN AMELIA 
CO., RALEIGH PARISH IN 1730s ARE MOST LIKELY NOT SONS OF DANIEL AND ANNE  
BENTLEY OF RICHMOND CO.  Their ancestors are not known, though they could be 
brothers.  The views below on Weldon/Efford ties are primarily just mine.

Back in the summer I, as [log in to unmask], posted here regarding recent 
Bentley research, and what appeared to be rather successful efforts to 
solidify the connection I was given (and as noted  published numerous places) 
that my Samuel Bentley -- with the Amelia Co, (then PG Co)., 1734 patent and 
whose will written in 1784 was probated in April 1795 in Amelia Co., VA -- 
was the son of Daniel and Anne Bentley of Richmond Co. Virginia.  
Specifically, that he was the Samuel (S) Bentley, Sr. otherwise identified 
above.  The Samuel Bentley whose 1784 will was probated in 1795 in Amelia 
Co., I'll refer to as Samuel Bentley (d. ca 1795).  

Further, many researchers have claimed that Daniel and Anne's son John 
Bentley was the John Bentley who married Mary ELLIS in 1727 in Middlesex Co. 
and we believe appears in the 1730s with my Samuel in Amelia Co., Raleigh 
Parish, sexton of Bristol Parish for chapel built on Cobbs land, Flat Creek, 
later Amelia co.; first constable of Amelia Co., 1745 land patent there sold 
to Samuel Tarry in 1749 and moves to Halifax Co.  

We feel that overwhelming odds are that neither of the above two early Amelia 
County settlers belong to Daniel and Anne Bentley of Richmond Co.  Thus, this 
recent research (for me) leaves up-in-the-air the ancestry of Samuel Bentley 
(d. ca 1795, Amelia) and of John Bentley (wife Mary Ellis)  later moved to 
Halifax Co..   I mention this, and many of the surnames above, here because 
there are various genealogies out there that connect them to Daniel and Anne 
of Richmond Co. VA in the case of this Samuel, or who have been eying the 
Richmond Co. records in the case of the Halifax Bentleys where John and Mary 
Ellis moved.

The wife of Samuel Bentley (d. ca 1795) is not proven (nor mentioned in any 
Amelia Co. records clearly separated from Samuel (S) Bentley, Sr.) but is 
widely shown as Mary Weldon or Efford, probably as a result of an article in 
the Wm & Mary Quarterly several decades ago that said  point blank, without 
documentation or references, that  EITHER his wife or his mother was a 
descendant of Samuel Weldon and Sarah Efford, d/o Peter, of James City Co. 
Research on Halifax Co. Bentleys suggest the connection was possibly via the 
mother not his wife.  The children of Samuel (d. ca 1795) married into these 
families, some of whose descendants have the Daniel and Anne Bentley 
connection in their trees: Anderson, Archer, Booker, Cobbs, Gay, Saunders, 
Turpin, Winston    We have much more information on the above.

There is some evidence that the Weldon/Efford connection may not been through 
a wife of Samuel Bentley, d. ca 1795, but more likely his mother who may have 
been a daughter of Samuel Weldon and Sarah Efford married to a Bentley (with 
ties to York Co.)  This unknown speculative couple may also have been the 
parents of John Bentley (wife Mary Ellis).  Because….Knowing the info out 

there that Samuel Bentley (d. ca 1795) had sons with Efford/Peter/Weldon 

names, a group of Owen/Womack Halifax Co. VA researchers have for some time 

been eyeing Daniel and Anne Bentley's daughter Ann in Richmond Co parish 

records as the candidate for wife Nancy of a Halifax Co. James OWEN, who had 

a son Efford, a son Peter, then grandchildren, great grandchildren,,,etc. 

named Efford Owen, Richard Bentley Owen, Richard Bentley WOMACK.   It now 
appears to me more likely that this Ann/Nancy, if indeed a Bentley, who 
married James Owen, may have been a daughter of John Bentley and Mary Ellis 
-- who have an unnamed daughter baptized or born (sorry can't remember which) 
13 May 1730 in Bristol Parish records. Or a daughter Ann/Nancy, who along 
with other children of all the above Amelia families were probably recorded 
in the Raleigh and/or Nottoway Parish Registers, long gone.  We have deeds 
and other records that show Bentley/Owen ties in Richmond/Middlesex and 
especially Halifax Co.  On the Owen family see:  
http://members.fortunecity.com/jdw4/Owen1/rr01_008.html#P1616.

Again, I am sorry this is so long.  There is a lot unsaid here, but I am 
hoping to provide some of you with perhaps new information and to connect 
with other researchers.   This has been a wonderful experience for me, still 
ongoing, working with others open to all new data, no axes to grind, sharing 
all information, studying all information, etc.  It has also shown the 
importance of a thorough review of records, often in a variety of counties, 
with a particular eye, to dates, locations, neighbors/cronies, etc. 

This is so long, I'm sure I've made several hopefully minor errors.  

In addition to my Bentley cousins, given the spirit of the season I in  want 
to thank the following who have been especially helpful to me in this 
research:  Dixie, Bill Hunt, Steve & Bunny Binns (for all those tax lists, 
esp. early Amelia Co. ones), Paul Drake & Margaret Driskill (for putting up 
with numerous questions about documents), and in particular, always, my daily 
sounding boards and sources of untold amounts of information (and who I "met" 
through a major error in my ancestry provided by a cousin for which I thank 
them daily) -- Linda Sparks Starr and Rhoda Fone.

With my best wishes for a Merry Christmas,

Janet (Baugh) Hunter




To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html