Person:James Bent (4)

James Bent was born on 5th January 1788 and baptised the following month at Harpenden in Hertfordshire, son of Susannah Bent, formerly Sheffield, and her husband James Bent. His baptism records that the family lived in Wheathampstead parish. James's older and younger siblings were all baptised at Luton, with some of their baptisms recording that the family lived at Ashwell Bridge, which is at East Hyde, right on the border between Luton and Wheathampstead parishes, but also close to Harpenden. Presumably therefore that is the area of Wheathampstead in which they were living when James was born.

In 1803, when James was fifteen years old, his father died.

James was married on 2nd December 1809, aged 21 to Ann Godfrey. She was from Shillington, and they married in the little village of Hexton. James's parents had married at Shillington and his father was from Hexton, so perhaps he had gone to stay with friends or relatives of his parents in that area. James and Ann's first child was baptised at Hexton the following year.

They then appear to have moved to the Cockernhoe area. Cockernhoe is a hamlet in the parish of Offley, but it is three miles from Offley's parish church; the churches at Lilley, King's Walden and Luton are nearer, and James and Ann seem to have had children baptised at each of those churches as well as at Offley. They had at least six children. James worked as an agricultural labourer and straw plait dealer. His mother died in 1822 in Luton.

The 1841 census finds James and Ann living at Cockernhoe Green with some of their children. They were still there in 1851, with just their daughter Ann Maria living with them by that time.

James died at Cockernhoe on 6th December 1859, aged 71. Ann survived him by nearly six years, and was executor for his will. His estate was valued at under £100.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Church of England. Harpenden Parish Registers.

   Christinings [sic] in the Year 1788
   James the son of James Bentaman and Susannah His Wife was Born the 5th of Jan[ua]ry Baptized the 10th of February following from the Parish of Wheathampsted

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 445; Book 12; Folio 32; Page 7, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Cockernhoe Green, Offley, Hertfordshire
   James Bent, male, 54 [1786/7], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Ann Bent, female, 52 [1788/9], born in county
   Thomas Bent, male, 25 [1811-16], born in county
   Mary Ann Bent, female, 20 [1816-21], born in county
   Sarah Bent, female, 16 [1824/5], born in county
   Charlotte Bent, female, 7 [1833/4], born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1710; Folio 399; Page 19, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Cockernhoe, Offley, Hertfordshire
   James Bent, head, married, male, 63 [1787/8], Plat Dealer, b. Harpenden, Hertfordshire
   Ann Bent, wife, married, female, 61 [1789/90], Plat Dealer Wife, b. Shitlington, Bedfordshire
   Ann Maria Bent, daughter, unmarried, female, 23 [1827/8], Plat Dealer Dau[ghte]r, b. Mangrove, Hertfordshire

4. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. James BENT, December Quarter 1859, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 159, aged 72 [1786/7]

5. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Offley Parish Registers, 1653-1943. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Offley in the County of Hertford in the Year 1859
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   658	James Bent	Cockernhoe	Dec[embe]r 10th 1859	72	T. Salusbury, Vicar

6. ↑ England. National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858 onwards. (Ancestry.com).

   1860
   BENT James. Effects under £100.
   20 June. The Will of James Bent late of Cockernhoe in the Parish of Offley in the County of Hertford Dealer in Straw Plait deceased who died 6 December 1859 at Cockernhoe aforesaid was proved at the Principal Registry by the oath of Ann bent of Cockernhoe aforesaid Widow the Relict and the sole Executrix.