Bentley
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Bentley Surname Genealogy
The root of the surname Bentley is the Old English beonet, meaning "bent grass," and leah, a "woodland clearing," hence a clearing overgrown with bent-grass. There were a number of Bentley place-names in England - in Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Suffolk, Essex, and Hampshire - which could have given rise to the Bentley surname.
Bentley showed as Benedledge, Benetlea and Benedlage in the Domesday Book of 1086. The first recorded spelling of the family name was William de Benetlega in the pipe rolls of Derbyshire in 1176. John Benteley appeared in the 1388 Surrey rolls.
England. The Staffordshire place-name provided an early Bentley line, beginning with William Bentley of Bentley near Cannock Chase in the mid 14th century.
From Staffordshire roots came the well-known Bentley publishing family. The first of this line was Richard Bentley who died in Staffordshire in 1647. Edward Bentley published in London the General Evening Post and his son Richard began Bentley's Miscellany with Charles Dickens as its editor.
There were more Bentleys in Yorkshire. One family history started with the birth of Martin Bentley in Oakenshaw near Cleckheaton in 1579. Another Bentley family were farmers in Knottingley near Wakefield in the 18th century. Michael Bentley started a new business as an auctioneer and valuer in the town in the 1820's. Abraham Bentley was the beadle (town crier) for Bradford in the 1830's. And W.O. Bentley, the founder of Bentley Motors who grew up in London, came from a Yorkshire family.
America. The first Bentley in America was probably William Bentley who arrived in Elizabeth city, Virginia on the Jacob in 1624. His descendants migrated from Virginia across the South into Texas.
Another William Bentley, from Bedfordshire, sailed on the Arabella in 1677 and settled in Kingstown, Rhode Island. He made his living there as a currier in leather. Later Bentleys of this family were to be found in Stonington, Connecticut and Chautauqua, New York and subsequently west in Flint, Michigan.
Then there was a Bentley family was in Chester county, Pennsylvania, as the following note from a descendant shows:
His son Jeffrey and grandson John were deacons of the Baptist church in Brandywine, Chester county. Later Bentleys of this family headed west to Ohio.
Canada. David Bentley crossed over to Nova Scotia from Connecticut in 1760, taking up land that had been vacated by the Acadians. His descendants established themselves in the Annapolis valley. Another who made the journey from America to Canada was John Bentley, a young harpsichordist in Philadelphia, who took a musical troupe to Montreal in 1787, married and stayed there. Samuel Bentley came to Ontario from Rhode Island with his Loyalist family around 1799. His son Elijah became a Baptist minister.
Select Bentley Names
W.O. Bentley founded the luxury car manufacturer Bentley Motors in London in 1919.
E.C. Bentley was a popular English writer and humorist of the early 20th century and inventor of the clerihew, an irregular form of humurous verse.
Select Bentleys Today
The root of the surname Bentley is the Old English beonet, meaning "bent grass," and leah, a "woodland clearing," hence a clearing overgrown with bent-grass. There were a number of Bentley place-names in England - in Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Suffolk, Essex, and Hampshire - which could have given rise to the Bentley surname.
Bentley showed as Benedledge, Benetlea and Benedlage in the Domesday Book of 1086. The first recorded spelling of the family name was William de Benetlega in the pipe rolls of Derbyshire in 1176. John Benteley appeared in the 1388 Surrey rolls.
- W.O. Bentley. The story of Bentley Motors.
- The Bentley Family of the Annapolis Valley. Bentleys in Nova Scotia.
- Bentley DNA Project. Bentley DNA.
England. The Staffordshire place-name provided an early Bentley line, beginning with William Bentley of Bentley near Cannock Chase in the mid 14th century.
From Staffordshire roots came the well-known Bentley publishing family. The first of this line was Richard Bentley who died in Staffordshire in 1647. Edward Bentley published in London the General Evening Post and his son Richard began Bentley's Miscellany with Charles Dickens as its editor.
"The Bentley firm became arguably the
finest printers in London and the first to prominently feature
wood-engraved illustrations."
There were more Bentleys in Yorkshire. One family history started with the birth of Martin Bentley in Oakenshaw near Cleckheaton in 1579. Another Bentley family were farmers in Knottingley near Wakefield in the 18th century. Michael Bentley started a new business as an auctioneer and valuer in the town in the 1820's. Abraham Bentley was the beadle (town crier) for Bradford in the 1830's. And W.O. Bentley, the founder of Bentley Motors who grew up in London, came from a Yorkshire family.
America. The first Bentley in America was probably William Bentley who arrived in Elizabeth city, Virginia on the Jacob in 1624. His descendants migrated from Virginia across the South into Texas.
Another William Bentley, from Bedfordshire, sailed on the Arabella in 1677 and settled in Kingstown, Rhode Island. He made his living there as a currier in leather. Later Bentleys of this family were to be found in Stonington, Connecticut and Chautauqua, New York and subsequently west in Flint, Michigan.
Then there was a Bentley family was in Chester county, Pennsylvania, as the following note from a descendant shows:
"One hundred acres of land was granted
to John Bentley on August 14, 1704 in Pennsylvania. The material
Indicated the information had been taken from a family Bible and that
the family had indeed originated in Bentley Hall in Staffordshire."
His son Jeffrey and grandson John were deacons of the Baptist church in Brandywine, Chester county. Later Bentleys of this family headed west to Ohio.
Canada. David Bentley crossed over to Nova Scotia from Connecticut in 1760, taking up land that had been vacated by the Acadians. His descendants established themselves in the Annapolis valley. Another who made the journey from America to Canada was John Bentley, a young harpsichordist in Philadelphia, who took a musical troupe to Montreal in 1787, married and stayed there. Samuel Bentley came to Ontario from Rhode Island with his Loyalist family around 1799. His son Elijah became a Baptist minister.
Select Bentley Names
W.O. Bentley founded the luxury car manufacturer Bentley Motors in London in 1919.
E.C. Bentley was a popular English writer and humorist of the early 20th century and inventor of the clerihew, an irregular form of humurous verse.
Select Bentleys Today