Mary Francis Davis

Notes:

 

North Carolina State Board of Health

Bureau of Vital Statistics

Certificate of Death

County: Alexander Township: Sugar Loaf Registration District No.: 2-5024 Certificate No.: 3

Full Name: Fannie Bently

Female; White; Widowed

Date of Birth: May 28 1822

Date of Death: July 25, 1916

Cause of Death: The cause of death was not known. No doctor attended

Age: 94 yrs 1 mos 28 ds

Occupation: Farming

Birthplace: N.C.

Name of Father: Jerry Davis

Birthplace of Father: N.C.

Name of Mother before Marriage: Catharine Eads

Birthplace of Mother: N.C.

Informant: Rachel Kerley

Address: Taylorsville, N.C.

Filed : July 26, 1916 Registrar: Peter Daniel

Place of Burial or Removal: Pleasant Hill

Undertaker: Ambros Bentley

Date of Burial: July 26, 1916

Address: Taylorsville, N.C.

Mary married Thomas Bentley. Thomas (son of John Quiller Bentley and Margaret Hamilton) was born 1825. [Group Sheet]

Mary married Esquire Bentley, Jr. Esquire (son of Catherine Bentley and Drucilla Bentley, son of Esquire Bentley and Sarah Hines) was born 1821, North Carolina, United States; died Abt 1865, Alexander, North Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet]

1. Robert Franklin Bentley was born 14 Sep 1847, North Carolina; died 7 Dec 1906, Newland, Avery County, North Carolina; was buried , Fork Mountain Cemetery, Avery County, North Carolina.
2. N M Bentley was born 1852.
3. Jermiah Thomas Bentley was born 1854, North Carolina.
4. John A Bentley was born 1856.
5. Mary Jane Bentley was born 1858.
6. Elbert Leander Bentley was born 21 Apr 1861, Alexander County, North Carolina.
7. Partee Bentley was born 1863.
8. Esquire S Bentley

Jerry married Catharine Eads. Catharine was born , North Carolina. [Group Sheet]

Lydia married Solomon Yonts 18 Feb 1816, Floyd County, Kentucky. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

 

The earliest record of Thomas Bentley, an early settler of Rowan (now Davie) County, North Carolina is found in the 1768 Rowan County, North Carolina List of Taxables of Morgan Bryan's District. Here he and his son, Benjamin, are listed separately at one poll each. Thomas was born about 1725. In the 1778 Rowan County Tax List he is listed as "Thomas Bentley junr" indicating that his father may have been named Thomas Bentley. According to family tradition these Bentleys or their ancestor had migrated to North Carolina from Virginia, but it is not known where Thomas Jr. was born.

On 17 December 1769 Thomas wrote a note that his son, Benjamin, might sign the bond for his daughter, Mary, to marry Aaron Freeman. Benjamin did sign the bond for his sister to marry, along with James Freeman. In Rowan County Court, 9 August 1771 Thomas Bentley registered his livestock brand as a "crop and a hole in the right ear and a crop in the left ear."

Although Thomas' political affiliation is unknown, it is found that on November 4, 1777 he and others, including neighbors, Wm. Frohock and Anthony Peeler, appeared in Rowan County Court and swore an Oath of Fidelity to the State of North Carolina.

By 1783 Thomas and his family began moving from Rowan County. Thomas, his wife Hannah, and some of the children moved to Lincoln County, North Carolina. His son, Benjamin, sold the land he owned in Rowan and moved to Cedar Run - South Yadkin River area of Iredell (now Alexander) County while the other son, Daniel, moved to Lincoln County, North Carolina. Daniel Bentley married Nancy Lewis by bond in Rowan County North Carolina February 8, 1782. As he and his parents were moving to Lincoln County, it appears he could not bear to leave his sweetheart behind.

On January 1, 1783 Thomas Bentley bought 100 acres for 30 pounds on both sides of Indian Creek in Lincoln County from Robert Armstrong and Hugh Beaty, executors of Francis Beaty. On this same day, Thomas also bought 120 acres from Thomas Wilsh (Welch), planter, for 20 pounds. This land also lay on both sides of Indian Creek.

By 1789 Thomas may have begun to experience poor health as on the fourth of May that year he deeded to his wife, Hannah for the natural love and affection "which I bear & have unto Hannah Bentley, my beloved wife" all his goods, chattels, leases, plate jewels, working tools and one negro man named Saul.

In the Lincoln County census, Hannah was listed as the head of household with three other females in her house, which are probably the younger daughters which are not yet married. Thus it seems that Thomas died between the dates of May 4, 1789 and the census of 1790. Hannah sold to her "daughter," Margaret Bentley, all her goods, chattels, and plantation for "natural love and affection" on April 1, 1793. Margaret Bentley married by bond in Lincoln County on September 25, 1794 to William Younce (Yonts). Christian Eaker was the bondsman for the marriage.

December 1780, he was considered as a "Patriot" by selling corn at a price of 75 cents per bushel.

Thomas married Hannah Beasley 1745, Maryland, USA. Hannah (daughter of Robert Francis Beasley and Mary Bentley, daughter of Catherine Bentley and Drucilla Bentley) was born 29 Dec 1714, North Carolina; died 1793, Lincoln County, North Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

 

1790 Census shows her as head of household.

See Weynette Parks Haun, Old Albemarle County, North Carolina-Perquimans Precinct, Births, Marriages, Deaths and Flesh Marks, 1659-1820, (Durham NC: 1980), 55.

Hannah BEASLEY might possibly be the 1st cousin once removed of Thomas BENTLEY, Sr., father of her husband, Thomas BENTLEY, Jr.

Notes for James Beasley brother of Hannah:

James Beasley, son of Francis and wife Mary (BENTLEY) was born Aug 5, 1704 (J.R.B. Hathaway, Ed., North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, 1901 Reprint, Vol 3, No. 3, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979), p. 375.

Abstract of Will: James Beasley, Bertie County, January 2, 1758. Proved January Court 1758. William Bentley (wife, Elizabeth Ashley), son of John Bentley (wife Sarah Farlee) - 3 pewter plates, godson Luke Smithwick - rest of my estate. Friends Jno. Smithwick, of Bertie, and Jno. Ward executors. Test Jno. Smithwick, Edmund Smithwick. (Records of the Secretary of State, North Carolina

Archives, Raleigh, NC)

JOHN BENTLEY, NEPHEW; James and William BENTLEY are also mentioned in the will of Martha Bentley (daughter of William and Elizabeth Ashley?), Bertie County, February Term 1795. (J.R.B. Hathaway, Ed., North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, 1901 Reprint, Vol 2, No. 3, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979), p. 329.

By 1789 Thomas may have begun to experience poor health as on the fourth of May that year he deeded to his

wife, Hannah for the natural love and affection "which I bear & have unto Hannah Bentley, my beloved wife" all

his goods, chattels, leases, plate jewels, working tools and one negro man named Saul.

In the Lincoln County (1790) census, Hannah was listed as the head of household with three other females in her house, which are probably the younger daughters which are not yet married. Thus it seems that Thomas died between the dates of May 4, 1789 and the census of 1790.

Hannah sold to her "daughter," Margaret Bentley, all her goods, chattels, and plantation for "natural love and affection" on April 1, 1793.

Hannah is not on the 1800 Census of Lincoln County, North Carolina.

Southern Historical Familes by Bodie, Vol. XVI, Appendix V, p.174-175

John BENTLEY Jr., probably the second son and born 1703-4, seems likely to have been married by 1728 and the father of the grand-daughter Hannah BENTLEY mentioned in the will of John Sr. This Hannah may have been a Hannah ( KENT) SMETHWICK, who with John SMETHWICK (Husband of Hannah KENT) and James BEASLEY, witnessed a deed of John BENTLEY (Jr.) to Jesse BENTLEY for 125 acres, August 10, 1751 (Bertie Co. Deed Book "G", Page 373). Jesse was probably a son too, though neither he nor Hannah is mentioned in John BENTLEY'S will. The will of John BENTLEY, dated March 12, 1754 and probated in Bertie Co., at the May court, 1754. (Hathway, Vol. I, p. 79) mentions only his sons, William and John, his sister-in-law Ann BENTLEY, and appoints Richard TOMLINSON his executor. James BEASLEY, who witnessed John BEASLEY'S deed with the SMETHWICKS in 1751 must have been a relative, for in his will, dated Jan. 2, 1758 and probated in Bertie County at the January Court, 1758 (Grimes, op. cit., p. 25) he leaves all his property to William BENTLEY, son of John BENTLEY, and to "my godson Luke SMETHWICK" and appoints John SMETHWICK and John WARD his executors. From the above, John BENTLEY Jr., had at least the following children: William (head of a household in Bertie County, in 1757), John, Jesse, and Hannah (probably the wife of John SMETHWICK).

Hannah Beasley's child, Mary Bentley, married Aaron FREEMAN, Sr. son of John FREEMAN, SR. and Sarah Elizabeth "Sally" OUTLAW. Sarah OUTLAW was the daughter of Edward OUTLAW II and Ann IVEY and the brother of George OUTLAW, SR. who married LYDIA BENTLEY the daughter of JOHN BENTLEY, SR. and Sarah FARLEE. John Bentley, Sr. was the son of RICHARD BENTLEY and his second wife, Lydia MANN and the half brother of MARY BENTLEY whose 2nd. husband was ROBERT FRANCIS BEASLEY (Mary BENTLEY was also the 2nd. wife of Robert Francis BEASLEY). MARY BENTLEY and ROBERT FRANCIS BEASLEY had a daughter HANNAH BEASLEY

Notes:

Married:
Spouse: Thomas Bentley, Jr.

William married Margaret Bentley 26 Sep 1794, Lincoln County, North Carolina. Margaret (daughter of Thomas Bentley, Jr and Hannah Beasley) was born 1775, Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States; died 1829, Perry County, Kentucky, United States. [Group Sheet]