Person:William Bentley (73)

William Bentley was baptised on 31st August 1791 at Hitchin in Hertfordshire, son of Catherine Bentley, formerly Aldridge, and her husband Henry Bentley, a gardener.

On 9th June 1817, aged 25, William married Jane Primet, who was from the neighbouring village of Great Wymondley. They went on to have nine children baptised at Hitchin between 1818 and 1830, although at least three died as infants. All the children's baptisms describe William as a gentleman. The baptisms between 1818 and 1824 give the family's abode as Sun Street, just off the Market Place in the centre of Hitchin. Some time between 1824 and 1826 the family moved onto nearby Tilehouse Street.

The 1841 census finds William, Jane, five of their children and two servants living on Tilehouse Street. William was described as a conveyancer. The tithe survey taken that same year also shows that William owned a number of parcels of land in Hitchin, including several small pieces of arable land and woodland outside the town, a couple of tenanted houses in the Bancroft area of town, and a house described as in his own occupation on Tilehouse Street. The map for William's house on Tilehouse Street clearly corresponds with the property now called 88 Tilehouse Street, which dates from the early to mid nineteenth century, and was therefore relatively new at the time.^[10] This was a large town house on one of the main roads in the town.

The 1851 census finds William, Jane, two children and two servants at Tilehouse Street. On this occasion, William described himself as a "conveyancer not at the bar". Ten years later he described himself as a solicitor in the 1861 census.

William died just a couple of months later, on 2nd June 1861. He was 69 years old. His death was reported in local newspapers, describing how he had been a prominent figure in the town, managing the savings bank. He had apparently been in poor health for some time. He left a will and his estate was described as "under £7,000" - a sizeable value for the time. Jane survived him by just over two years.

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Hitchin. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   Baptized 1791 / Aug[us]t 31 / William / Son of Henry & Catherine / Bently / Gardener

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 2; Folio 3; Page 1, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Tilehouse Street, Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   William Bentley, male, 45 [1791-6], Conveyancer, born in county
   Jane Bentley, female, 50 [1786-91], born in county
   Henry Bentley, male, 23 [1817/18] Attorney & Solicitor, born in county
   Mary Bentley, female, 21 [1819/20], born in county
   Eliz[abet]h Bentley, female, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   Catherine Bentley, female, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   Walter Bentley, male, 11 [1829/30], born in county
   Eliza Crawley, female, 25 [1811-16], F[emale] S[ervant], not born in county
   Mary Norris, female, 18 [1822/3], F[emale] S[ervant], not 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 124; Page 24, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Tyler [sic] Street, Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   William Bentley, head, married, male, 59 [1791/2], Conveyancer not at the Bar, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Jane Bentley, wife, married, female, 61 [1789/90], Gentlemans Wife, b. Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Eliz[abeth] Bentley, daughter, unmarried, female, 27 [1823/4], Gentlemans Dau[ghter], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Cath[erine] Han[nah] Bentley, daughter, unmarried, female, 25 [1825/6], Gentleman Dau[ghter], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Eliz[abe]th Hummerstone, servant, unmarried, female, 25 [1825/6], House Serv[ant], b. Therfield, Hertfordshire
   Jane Willis, servant, unmarried, female, 18 [1832/3], House Serv[ant], b. Duxford, Cambridgeshire

4. ↑ England. 1861 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 RG9; Piece 819; Folio 53; Page 28, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Tile House Street, Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   William Bentley, head, married, male, 69 [1791/2], Solicitor, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Jane Bentley, wife, married, female, 72 [1788/9], b. Much Wymondley, Hertfordshire
   Mary Midwinter Bentley, daughter, unmarried, female, 38 [1822/3], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Elizabeth Bentley, daughter, unmarried, female, 36 [1824/5], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Catherine Hanah Shaw, daughter, married, female, 35 [1825/6], b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Alice Jeeves, unmarried, female, 55 [1805/6], Nurse, b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire
   Ann Sharp, unmarried, female, 19 [1841/2], House Servant, b. Preston, Hertfordshire
   Alice Bryant, unmarried, female, 18 [1842/3], House Servant, b. Hinksworth [sic], Hertfordshire

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

   d. William BENTLEY, June Quarter 1861, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 163, aged 69 [1791/2]

6. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Hitchin. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   1861
   No. 62
   Name: William Bentley
   Abode: Tilehouse St
   When buried: June 8
   Age: 69
   By whom the Ceremony was performed: L. Hensley

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

   Wills 1861
   BENTLEY William.
   Effects under £7,000.
   18 July. The Will of William Bentley late of Hitchin in the County of Hertford Solicitor deceased who died 2 June 1861 at Hitchin aforesaid was proved at the Principal Registry by the oaths of Charles Willes Wilshere of Hitchin aforesaid Esquire Robert Bentley of 2 Clarendon-villas Belsize-road Hampstead in the County of Middlesex Gentleman the Son and Mary Midwinter Bentley of Hitchin aforesaid Spinster the Daughter the Executors.

8.   The Hertfordshire Express, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 2, Saturday 8 Jun 1861.

   HERTFORDSHIRE NEWS.
   HITCHIN.
   DEATH OF W. BENTLEY, ESQ.-Our obituary this week contains an announcement of the decease of the above named gentleman, at the age of 69 years. For some years past his health has been failing and more recently it became evidence to his family and friends that his end was drawing near. Mr. Bentley was well known and much respected in this town and neighbourhood, having for a lengthened period occupied a prominent position in the town. He was for some time manager of the Savings Bank, the duties of which he discharged much to the satisfaction of the public; and, indeed, in all the relations of his life the deceased gentleman fulfilled the duties of his position in a most creditable and satisfactory manner. He goes down to the grave sincerely regretted by his family, and a wide circle of friends.

9.   Hitchin Tithe Map and Applotment, 1841 (thegenealogist.co.uk).

   William is listed as owning a number of parcels of land in the parish of Hitchin. Plot 248 was described as being in his own occupation and was described as "house and garden". Comparison with modern maps shows that this plot was the property now called 88 Tilehouse Street. He also owned two houses tenanted to others in the Bancroft area of town, and a number of small pieces of arable land and woodland outside the town.

10. ↑ Historic England listed building description for 88 Tilehouse Street. accessed 24 Dec 2018.