Person:William Bennett (159)

William Bennet's origins have yet to be established, although he had a brother named Robert. His first confirmed sighting is on 17th October 1724, when he was married at Aston in Hertfordshire to Elizabeth Jeeves. She was from Hitchin, a few miles north-west of Aston. She was 33 years old when they married.

After their marriage, William and Elizabeth moved to Stevenage, immediately west of Aston. Here they had a daughter, Mary, baptised in 1725, but sadly she died just a month after her baptism. Two years later they had a son, William, who also died as a baby, being buried nine months after his baptism.

They then moved to Weston, just north-east of Stevenage. Here they had another son, Luke, baptised in 1729, but he too died as a baby, being buried less than three months after his baptism. William and Elizabeth do not appear to have had any further children; none of their three children survived longer than about nine months.

William and Elizabeth were married for 34 years. He worked as a farrier (blacksmith) and appears to have owned land at Warrens Green, in Weston parish but on the way towards Stevenage.

William died in 1758, being buried at Stevenage on 6th November 1758. William left a will, in which he was described as a farrier of Stevenage. He named his brother Robert as executor. Elizabeth outlived William by nearly ten years.

1. ↑ Church of England. Stevenage Parish registers, 1538-1928. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   Buried 1758
   Novemb[e]r 6 William Bennet - p[ai]d a mortuary of 10 - Farrier

2.   Wills (1413-1857), in Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies. Hertfordshire Names Online.

   William Bennett, 1758, farrier of Stevenage
   Registered will: 16HR78
   Filed will: 18HW11

   Needs to be confirmed at Hertfordshire Archives.

3.   Access to Archives, accessed 18 Sep 2013
   DE/Pr/77257, 9 Sep 1769.

   Assignment of Mortgage Term - property as in DE/Pr/77251 (being ½r at Warrens Green, Weston)
   Contents:
   1. Robert Bennett of Walkern, farrier, brother and executor of William Bennett of Stevenage, farrier, deceased, John Jeeves of Hitchin, yeoman, and Sarah, his wife, Michael Jeeves of Hitchin, baker, executors of Elizabeth Bennett of Hitchin, widow and executrix of William Bennett.
   2. George Jeeves of Hitchin, baker, son of John and Sarah Jeeves