Mary Adaline Bentley

Mary married Jimmy St. Clair. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

 

He was deeply involved in his church--numerous mentions of his name are in church minutes.

Ambrose married Rachel Bentley. Rachel (daughter of David Bentley and Caleb Bentley, daughter of Esquire Bentley and Sarah Hines) was born 11 Jun 1811, Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States; died 1 Oct 1900, Alexander, Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

 

They were first cousins.

Notes:

 

In 1850 he is living in Caldwell County with a Sarah Tucker.

James married Elizabeth Laws 25 Feb 1806, North Carolina, United States. Elizabeth (daughter of Esquire Bentley and Aaron Freeman) was born Abt 1786, North Carolina, United States. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Married:
Spouse: James Martin Bentley

Esquire married Sarah Hines Abt 1798, North Carolina, USA. Sarah (daughter of Esquire Bentley and Aaron Freeman, daughter of Henry Hines and Elizabeth Williams) was born Abt 1775, Rowan, North Carolina, USA; died 1856, North Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

 

Benjamin Bentley, in 1795, made a trip to Lincoln County from Iredell County to help his brother, Daniel, settle their father's estate. On April 17, 1795 they sold to Jacob Bullinger (Bollinger) the two tracts of land that Thomas had bought in 1783. However, 25 acres were withheld from the 120 acre tract for the use of Hannah Bentley "widow and relict of Thomas Bentley" (Lincoln County Deed Book 17 page 211). It is this deed that establishes the fact that Benjamin and Daniel are the sons of Thomas Bentley as the deed reads that Thomas Bentley died intestate and by regular course of law (the land) descended to Daniel and Benjamin Bentley "the sons and their heirs of the said Thomas, dec'd." On September 1, 1795 Hannah and Daniel sold to George Savage and Catherine Bolinger the plantation on which Hannah lived. They probably done so Daniel and his family could migrate to Kentucky, as he did so by 1800. Hannah was not listed in the 1800 Lincoln County Census, so it thought that she also went with Daniel to Kentucky, where he has the distinction of being the "first Bentley in Eastern Kentucky."

On July 8, 1795 Hannah Bentley, as administrix of her husband's estate, wrote to the court that Thomas Bentley, in his lifetime, had at differnet times given parts of his property to his children to provide for and advance them and also before his death had made a deed of appointment for the purpose of suporting Hannah in the event that she survived him. This document goes on to say that she considered these articles as her property and not to be divided among the children. She also knew of no debts due from the estate. Hannah then proceded to name the articles that had been deeded to her, consisting of livestock, household articles, a negro boy named Saul, one big Bible, and other farm and clothing items. She signed her mark on the document.

According to family tradition Benjamin's family ancestry came from Virginia to settle in North Carolina. Benjamin Bentley, along with his parents, brother, and sisters lived in old Rowan (now Davie) County on Bear Creek, a few miles south of Mocksville. In the 1768 Rowan County tax list of Morgan Bryan is found that Benjamin Bentley and Thomas Bentley are included at one poll each. Benjamin was most likely married at this time as he was living separately from his father.

Benjamin was a "wheel-deeler" when it came to purchasing land. Early in life he amassed enough property and land (over 1,500 acres) to be considered part of the planter class of society. He was also a slave owner as was his father. On June 30, 1778 Benjamin entered a claim for 640 acres of land on Bear Creek in Rowan County. The state of North Carolina on March 21, 1780 granted him this land by Grant No. 97. It sold for fifty shillings every 100 acres and joined the lands of William Frohock, Anthony Peeler, Thomas Bentley, and Abraham Welty.

The Bentley house still stands in this area in 1985 a few miles south of the town of Mocksville on an unpaved road just of Hwy. 601. Although later land owners added onto the house, the originial portion is a two-story log structure which consists of two 20 X 20 foot square rooms downstairs separated by a 10 foot wide entrance way. The upstairs floor space was the same. This location was one of the first known communities in Davie County and was named "Bentley."

Located behind the main house was a summer house where the children slept in the summer as it was too hot to sleep upstairs in the main house. The 1778 tax list of Capt. Lyon's district in Rowan County shows Benjamin's value to be 336 pounds and that of his father, "Thomas Bentley, junr." to be 609 pounds. Benjamin also served as a constable in Rowan County from Feb 16, 1771 to Feb 1772.

On June 29, 1778, NC Grant No. 329 was made to Benjamin Bentley, assignee of Uriah Davis, for land lying at the head of the South Yadkin River in Rowan County joining Soloman Davis. Also on November 13, 1778 the state by Grant No. 1375 granted Benjamin 100 acres on the North Fork of Rocky Creek, beginning at the mouth of the big branch above the Tumbling Shoals in "Rowan" County. Benjamin transferred this land to George Hinds (Hines). Benjamin Bentley evidently moved his family to Iredell (now Alexander) County about 1784 as this is when he began selling his land on Bear Creek. He had the year before on October 10, 1783 received Grant No. 457 for 150 acres as a branch of the South Yadkin River near the "Cedar Knob" in Rowan County, about five miles north of Taylorsville. As Iredell was formed in 1788, it is here that Benjamin begins to appear in the court records. At the first court session of the newly formed county, Benjamin Bentley, Adam Hall, and others were appointed a jury to lay out the Cove Gap Road.

While Benjamin moved his family to Iredell County, his father and mother, Thomas and Hannah Bentley, moved the rest of their family to Linclon County about 1783.

Benjamin married Jane Holman 1764, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States. Jane (daughter of Phoebe Bentley and Joseph Keller) was born Abt 1750, Rowan, North Carolina, USA; died 1839, Lincoln, North Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet]

Esquire married Aaron Freeman 15 Feb 1806, Wilkes County, North Carolina. Aaron (son of James Freeman) was born Abt 1745, Chowan County, North Carolina; died Bef 1830. [Group Sheet]

Henry married Elizabeth Williams. Elizabeth (daughter of William Sifford and James Martin Bentley) was born 1850. [Group Sheet]