John Bentley Sr (1679

Biographical Reference: (10)

John BENTLEY, son of Richard BENTLEY Sr. and his second wife, b. ca 1679, Died in Bertie Co., N.C. in 1741.

He married, probably about 1700-1701, Sarah, who seems to have been a sister of James FARLEE (Jr.) of Chowan Precinct, who in his will dated May 1, 1727 and probated May 15, 1727, mentions his wife (name not given), but leaves all his lands to James BENTLEY, son of Sarah BENTLEY (Grimes, op. cit., p.29).

John BENTLEY and his eldest son, William were juriors in Bertie County, N.C. in 1723 (N.C. Colonial & State Records, Vol. 25, p.188) and John, John Jr., Joseph and James BENTLEY were all jurors there, Feb. 25, 1739-40 (same, Vol.4,pp.522-3). John (Jr.) and Jeremiah BENTLEY were witnesses to the will of Joshua WHITNEY, dated 1735 and probated in Jan. 1735/6 (Grimes, p.406), so that the son Jeremiah was of age at this time, too.

On Sept. 9, 1740 John BENTLEY Sr. deeded to John MANNING 225 acres in Cochie Neck of Cypress Creek, adjoining Jeremiah BENTLEY, James BEASLEY, Charles MANNING and John MANNING; and John BENTLEY Jr. and Jeremiah BENTLEY were witnesses (Bertie Co., D.B."F",p.229).

Census and Land Records: (11)

John Bentley appears on the 1695 census records of North Carolina. John is listed as owning 400 acres of land on the 1704 and 1717 Tax Digest Records.

Lords Proprietors to John BENTLEY April 5, 1722. Grant 300 acres in Chowan Precinct at Roquess (Rocquist) Swamp adjacent Cullen POLLOCK, James WILLIAMSON, John SMITH. "due for the importation of six persons.." Signed Thomas POLLOCK. Recorded in Secretry's Office J. LOVICK Secretery. John BLOUNT, Rich SANDERSON, Thomas POLLOCK, June .*.*.

The Lords Proprioters granted John Bentley 480 acres on the north side of the Morattock River. Signed August 4, 1723

Lord Proprietors (Dom Rex) to John BENTLEY. Grant of 480 acres "according to our great Deed of Grant bearing date the first day of May Anno Dom 1668..." For importation of persons 50 acres per person. Land on the North Side of Morrattock River adjacent John HARLOW, Martin GRIFFIN, Thomas POLLACK,.

Lords Proprietors to John BENTLEY April 5, 1722. Grant 300 acres in Chowan Precinct at Roquess (Rocquist) Swamp adjacent Cullen POLLOCK, JamesWILLIAMSON, John SMITH. "due for the importation of six persons.." Signed Thomas POLLOCK. Recorded in Secretry's Office J. LOVICK Secretery. John BLOUNT, Rich SANDERSON, Thomas POLLOCK, June .*.*.

Will dated 15 Mar 1738 in Moratuck River, Bertie County, North Carolina, USA.: (12)

I John BENTLEY of Moratock River in ye province above said being in good health and in perfect mind and memory, blessed be God and it doe constitute and ordain this to be my last Will and Testament revocking all other wills heartofore made or done by me calling to mind ye uncertainty and frailty of mankind doe give and bequeath my worldly estate in manner and form following:
Imprimus:

I give and bequeath to my son William BENTLEY ye land and plantation he now lives on.
I give and bequeath to my son John BENTLEY my manner plantation and ye land belonging to it to be equaly divided between him and my son Joseph BENTLEY and my desire and will is that my loving wife Sarah BENTLEY shall have her life in ye plantation and my desire is that ye plantation and land shall not be sold to any till one or ye other refuses.
I give and bequeath my plantaion and land at Quitsna where Jon HAYS now lives to my son Jeremiah (BENTLEY).
I give and bequeath to my son James BENTLEY my plantation and land at that going in at ye fork of Rockwis (Rocquist Creek)
My will is that ye stock which is at ye plantation that I give to my son Jeremiah (BENTLEY) to be equally divided between Jeremiah (BENTLEY) and son James (BENTLEY) and they to be at age eighteen to be there own men.
I likewise give to my son Jeremiah (BENTLEY) one jar pot holding about 8 gallons.
I give to my son Jeremiah (BENTLEY) one feather bed and one long pewter dish.
I likewise give to my son James (BENTLEY) one iron pot holding about four gallons and one feather bed and such furniture as their mother can contrive and one large pweter dish and each of them a mare or a horse.
I give to my son Joseph BENTLY four cows and calves out of ye stock where my son William (BENTLEY) now lives.
I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary BENTLY three cows and calves and a spring mare and one small pweter dish.
I give and bequeath to my daughter Lydia (BENTLEY) the mulatto boy Tom and one little Bellmotte Skillit and one small pweter dish and one cow and one calf.
I give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah BENTLY three cows and calves and a young mare and one small iron pot and one small pweter dish.
I give and bequeath to my grandson John BENTLEY one young mare and her increase and a two year heifer.
And I give to my grndaughter Hanah BENTLY one two year old heifer.
I give to my son John BENTLEY two cows and calves.
I give to my loving wife Sarah BENTLY my old horse whip bridle and sadle and ye large feather bed and furniture we now lie upon and all necessarys which is in ye house for her life and two horses for ye plantation use and for ye stock which is at my dwelling plantation to run for ye benefit of bringing up of my children which are under her care.

Likewise my will is that my loving wife shall have ye benefit of ye stock that is at my son William's plantation and likewise ye benefit of ye stok which is at my now dwelling plantation during her life and after her decease to be equaly divided amongst all my children.
My will and desire is to appoint my loving wife Sarah Bentley and my son William BENTLEY to be my exectrix and executor to this my last Will and Testament as in witness I have hearunto set my hand and seal ye day and date above written.

signed John BENTLY
Testators: Will Lattimer
Proved then before me and Sarah BENTLY the within named Exectrix qualified according to law.

Probate: (13)

The old order books of Bertie County (unpaginated) show that the widow, Sarah BENTLEY, died by early 1743, for at the February court, 1742/3, permission was granted to John MANON (MANNING), administrator of Sarah BENTLEY decd., to sell the perishable estate. At the same court, John MANNING proved his rights, namely, for John, Sarah, Charles, and Martha MANNING for Jean BENTLEY, Beasley MANNING, Lucretia BENTLEY, Lurannah (Susannah) BENTLEY, and a negro woman. At the May Court, 1743, John MANON made a report on the estate of "ye widow Bentley", but no heirs are listed. At the court John BENTLEY proved his rights for 5 whites, and Joseph BENTLEY for 6 whites. The three BENTLEY women claimed by John MANNING when he "proved" his rights" in 1743 were probably all his daughters, married to sons of John BENTLEY and his wife Sarah. Jean seems to have been the wife of Jeremiah BENTLEY. The other two are uncertain. Another wife of one of John BENTLEY's son's was probably Susannah BENTLEY, who signed the inventory of John COLSON in Bertie.