Person:Mary unknown (3)

Mary's origins and maiden name are unknown. Her first confirmed sighting is on 16th February 1761, when she was married at Hexton in Hertfordshire to a labourer named William Bentman. He was a widower, with two children from his first marriage, who were eight and five years old at the time. Mary was described as Mary Pakes, widow, but the details of her first marriage and the identity of her previous husband Mr Pakes have yet to be established. At the time of Mary and William's marriage, both were described as living in Hexton, and they continued to live in Hexton after their marriage, having three children baptised there between 1761 and 1769.

Mary died in 1786, when her youngest child was 16. Her husband William only outlived her by six months.

1. ↑ Church of England. Hexton Parish Registers, 1538-1927. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   Bur[ie]d: Mary Bent was Buried Feb[ruar]y the 7th 1786

   Whilst this burial seems most likely, it is worth noting that it could also relate to her daughter.