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Shropshire dawn
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A Shropshire Lad

Into my heart an air that kills
From yon far country blows;
What are those blue remembered hills,
What spires, what farms are those?
That is the land of lost content
I see it shining plain,
The happy highways where I went
And cannot come again...
Housman

With thanks to Nevil Shute - The Far Country, and
Emma Sinclair - The Path Through the Woods,
both of whom had included this poem in their works -
which I read, accidentally, one after the other, while 
researching for this page!
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James Bentley was born about 1743-1750, probably in Worfield, Shropshire, and is as early as I've managed to go back in time with the Bentley's so far. He and his descendants led me a merry chase trying to find them! James and his son, and grandson, both named George, managed to live in Pattingham, then Albrighton, Bonningale, Beckbury - all in Shropshire, back to Staffordshire to Patshull, and returned to Shropshire to Worfield, then back to Albrighton. A common link with all families below is that they are either very near, or IN Worfield at some time, and it is my fairly well educated guess that the family were originally from there.  All of these places are within seven miles of an area centred on Worfield, as may be seen in my page of parish distances within ten miles, here. 

There are many thousands of Bentley's in both Shropshire and Staffordshire. I've tracked quite a few down that may or may not be related to me in the villages and towns known to have had my Bentley's living in them, and have a page on each County extracted from the Church of Latter Day Saints Family Search pages transcribed. If you're looking for Bentley's that appear to be outside my direct family line... you just might find them here!

Shropshire - Bentley's from Albrighton, Worfield, Halton, Beckbury, Bonningdale, Stableford, Bentley, Ackleton, and a rather dramatic entry from Wolverton :-)

Staffordshire (Pending) - Pattingham only... the only entries for Patshull are my direct line.

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*Thomas and Mary Bentley of Worfield

*There is a record from the Latter Day Saints site of James Bentley born around 1750 Pattingham, Staffordshire, who married Anne Walker. However, there's no mention in the Pattingham Parish records of a Christening for this James, and I believe it more likely that he is part of the family below.... 

James was married in Albrighton (6 miles from Worfield), and the Banns were also called in Pattingham, where he lived at the time, which probably led to the belief by whoever entered the info on LDS that he was born Pattingham. The family below was submitted to the International Genealogical Index (IGI) by a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, and is not necessarily a direct extract from the parish registers, which have not yet been transcribed by the LDS... I haven't checked it, but seems to fit.

Children of Thomas and Mary:

Mary Christened 19 January 1736 in Worfield, Shropshire, England. No birth date mentioned.

Hannah born 25 Feb 1738 Christened on 18 MAR 1738 in Worfield, Shropshire, died 24 March 1738

Thomas born 13 March 1740 Christened 08 APR 1740 in Worfield, Shropshire

James born 12 December 1743 Christened 30 DEC 1743 Worfield, Shropshire

William born 8 April 1746 Christened 29 APR 1746 Worfield, Shropshire 

I need to look them up to confirm them, but they're worth putting on here as speculation!

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James Bentley of Pattingham, Staffordshire and Albrighton, Shropshire

James Bentley was likely born in Worfield Shropshire, as above, in 1743. He married Anne Walker 23 FEB 1775 Albrighton,  Shropshire, England. The banns were called in both Pattingham (where he lived) and Albrighton. The Albrighton Parish Registers HAVE been transcribed to the IGI, and there were no Bentley's in it prior to the births below, so James was not born there.

Ann Walker was Christened on the  10 April 1748 in Albrighton, Shropshire, England. Her parents were William and Mary Walker.

Children of James and Ann:

George Bentley 19 FEB 1776 Albrighton, Shropshire

John Bentley 26 APR 1778 Albrighton, Shropshire

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George Bentley of Bonningale and Beckbury, Shropshire

George Bentley married a Sarah. The only George Bentley marrying a Sarah on LDS is Sarah Page, married on 30 APR 1797 in Quatt Malvern, Shropshire, 4 miles from Worfield. This may or may not be my George and Sarah, but again is likely to be. The children below are my George and Sarah's though.

Children of George and Sarah:

William 02 FEB 1800 Bonningale, Shropshire

Sarah 16 JAN 1803 Bonningale, Shropshire

George 09 JUN 1805 Beckbury, Shropshire

James 08 APR 1810 Beckbury, Shropshire

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George Bentley of Patshull and Worfield, Shropshire

George Bentley married Anne Dovey on 25 February 1828 in Kemberton, Shropshire. Anne came from Chelmarsh, Shropshire, the daughter of John and Martha (Evans) Dovey. She was born on the 27 May 1810.

Their son William was born in Patshull, Staffordshire. There are two records of Christenings for William, one on 24 April 1829, and one on the 20 September 1830. I have no idea which one is correct. Both have been entered by family members on the LDS site. It's more likely the later date, this was the one in my family's records, and is somewhat confirmed by a newspaper report of his death in 1889, stating that he was "about 58". 

Children of George and Anne:

William Bentley, Christened Patshull, Staffordshire, as above.

John 10 JUN 1832 Worfield, Shropshire

James 09 NOV 1834 Worfield, Shropshire

Emma b 30 April 1838 ch 03 JUN 1838 Worfield, Shropshire

Charles Bentley 30 AUG 1841 Albrighton, Shropshire

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