BENTLEY and RELATED FAMILIES

Chapter 2: Samuel BENTLEY (c1760s->1808)

‘Our’ Bentleys are first known from Birmingham in the latter part of the eighteenth century when Samuel Bentley married Sarah Stanyard in Birmingham’s parish church, St Martin’s, on 17 March 1788. Apparently soon afterwards Samuel and Sarah moved to the High Town area of Birmingham, to the north west of the city centre. At least eight of their eleven children were baptised in the ‘new’ church of St Philip’s. The Church (now Cathedral) was built between 1709 and 1715 and was an early public building erected before Birmingham had expanded to the area. Kellys Directory of 1897 includes the description ‘an edifice of stone in the Italian style, consisting of apsidal chancel, nave, aisles, and a western tower with dome and cupola, containing 10 bells’. One of Samuel and Sarah’s children, Thomas, was baptised at only one day old; perhaps he was a weak child who was not expected to survive.

As was usual for the time the bride was heavily pregnant at the time of her wedding, for the couple’s first child was baptised, at a few months old, eight months after the marriage took place. Again not unusually, the first child died in infancy, as evidenced by the baptism of a namesake only six months later.

Manufacturing and brewing figured in the occupations of Samuel and Sarah’s children. In 1851 Charles was possibly working as a brewer. If the identification is correct he was unmarried and lodging in the home of Jane Parker, in probably dismal accommodation, at 26 Court, 6 House, Brearley Street in Birmingham. Thomas (Chapter 3) and James (Chapter 5) became brass founders and William (Chapter 4) a button castor (sic).

It is not known when Samuel died, but he predeceased Sarah who went on to live with her son William.

Samuel BENTLEY m Sarah STANYARD

….John BENTLEY b 1788 d.<1789

….John BENTLEY b.1789 d.<1851

….Sarah BENTLEY b.1792

….Charles BENTLEY b.1793 d>?>1851

….Elizabeth BENTLEY b.1795

….Samuel BENTLEY b.1797 d.?<1851

….Thomas BENTLEY b.1799 (Chapter 3)

….Mary Ann BENTLEY b.1802

….Eliza BENTLEY b.1804

….William BENTLEY b.1805 (Chapter 4)

….James BENTLEY b.c1808 d.>1881 (Chapter 5)