2. WILLIAM2 BENTLEY II (WILLIAM1) was born 1620 in Of Charlestown, Virginia.
Notes for WILLIAM BENTLEY II:
From the LDS IGI file for Virginia, version 4.02, Film #170626, page 899, Reference #30315:
BENTLEY, William - born 1620 "of Charlestown, Virginia"
Relatives: John BENTLEY.
SOUTHERN HISTORICAL FAMILIES by Boddie, Vol. XVI, Appendix V, p. 168
"William BENTLEY and Richard BENTLEY, who moved to Albemarle Co., North Carolina in the 1660's, were probably sons of the above William BENTLEY. The existance of William (his brother Richard had a son William too) is proved by two deeds in Winslow's HISTORY OF PERQUIMANS COUNTY, both dated 1693. On April 6, 1693 William GODFREY deeded 150 acres to William BENTLEY, and on the same date John HAWKINS confirmed William BENTLEY SR. in the ownership of this land (Winslow, p.44). This William BENTLEY (SR.) was also the William BENTLEY who witnessed the will of Thomas KEILE in Albemarle Co., N.C., dated 1682 and probated early in 1683 (Grimess, ABSTRACTS OF N.C. WILLS, p.201), and witnessed the will of Timothy MEADE in Albemarle Co. written and probated in 1686 (Grimes, p.245). The William in these records could not have been Richard's son William, who was not born until 1671. However, William BENTLEY Sr. disappears from the records in 1693 and nothing further is known of him. He was almost certainly the brother of: Richard BENTLEY of Perquimans Precinct, Albemarle Co., N.C. ..."
"Abstract of North Carolina Wills", by J. Bryan Grimes, Raleigh, 1910
pp201
KEILE, Thomas. Albemarle County. September 19, 1682. March 6, 1682-3. Sons: Thomas ROLFE, Francis WARDE, WILLIAM BENTLEY. Proven before William CRAFORD.
Note: Thomas Rolfe, son of John Rolfe and Pocahontas, came to North Carolina and is reported to have remarried after the death of his wife Jane Poythress. He may have had male children and this Thomas Rolfe may be his direct descendant. See below:
The Descendant Story of Matoaka Pocahontas POWHATAN
http://members.tripod.com/~AlanCheshire/index-28.html
John (Rolfe) returned to his beloved Virginia with his young son and when Thomas was old enough to attend school John sent him to England for that purpose and he took lodgings, and was under the care and tutorship of his uncle, Henry Rolfe. Thomas thereafter returned to his home in Virginia and settled on a large estate in old Henrico County (now Chesterfield) above where Petersburg now is. He married Miss Jane Poythress and by her had one daughter, Jane Rolfe, before his untimely death.
The American Colonies of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries all had stringent laws prohibiting interracial marriages. Because Pocahontas and John Rolfe were married very early in the seventeenth century with the approval of the then Governor of the colony, and because Pocahontas was of royal (albeit aborigine) blood, the statutes in Virginia made an exception in their case. The laws of the other colonies, however, were very strict, and the punishment was severe. Thus, Thomas Rolfe was "safe" but only in Virginia or back in England.
He chose to return to Virginia to claim the vast amount of land Powhatan had given the couple when John and Pocahontas married.
When Jane Poythress died, after bearing an only daughter, Thomas Rolfe is reputed to have left Virginia and moved to North Carolina, where he is also reputed to have married again. With the laws of North Carolina so strict, both then and during the next century or so, it is understandable that Thomas would never have mentioned the fact that he was half Indian, nor would that information have likely been passed down in the family tales.
If, in fact, Thomas did remarry after he left Virginia and sired a number of male children, it would be reasonable to assume that one or more of them returned to the motherland, particularly if they knew of their ancestor's ethnic background and were therefore nervous about remaining in the colonies."
pp245
MEADS, Timothy. Albemarle County. March 2, 1685/ July 15, 1686. Son: John. Brother: Thomas MEADS of Littleworth, in Warickshire, England. Wife: Ann. Executors: Mr. Danell AKEHURST, Arnall WHITE and Hardy WHITE. Witnesses: John HUNTT, WILLIAM BENTLEY, William HOGBEN. Proven before Seth SOTHELL.
http://www.anusha.com/pafg26.htm
Thomas WILLIS (WYLLYS) [Parents] was born in 1625 in , Warwickshire, Eng. He died in 1660 in Lancaster, Middlesex, Va. Thomas married Mary Willis BENTLEY (her maiden name was TOMLIN) in 1654 in , Middlesex, Va.
(1) Sir Thomas Willis [this is the man who people claim is the Virginia immigrant], bp. 6 Sep. 1612, was aged 72
in
1684, when he gave information for the Visitation of Cambridge, and died 17 Nov. 1701, aged 87. He married
Anne Wild, daughter and coheiress of Sir John Wildeby Anne Honeywood. He was created a Baronet 15 Dec.
1641, but his male issue eventually became extinct. His eldest son, Thomas, aged 2 in 1634, died without issue.
(Sir Thomas had six sons and seven daughters.)
(2) Sir Richard Willis, second son of Richard Willis and Jane Henmarsh, was bp. 13 Jan. 1613/14, and buried 9
Dec.
1690. He married Alice Fox, daughter and heir of Thomas Fox, MD, by Anne Honeywood. He was also created a
Baronet, on 11 June 1646. He had one son and two daughters. His only son, Sir Thomas Fox Willis, died without
issue unmarried in 1701, aged 59.
(3) William Willis, bp. 16 Apr. 1615, was a colonel of the horse. He married Katharine Offley, daughter of Sir
John Offley, and widow of Thomas, son of Thomas Willis of the Inner Temple, London and Ahs, Hampshire.
(4) Elizabeth Willis, bp. 29 Sep. 1616, married Sir William Man of Canterbury.
If you examine the above, you will see that Thomas Willis, the Virginia immigrant, was not the man in England so
frequently stated on the Internet.
Paul C. Reed
rpc5@uswest.net
There was a marriage contract dated 2nd October 1670, between Mary, widow of Thomas Willis, and Matthew
Bentley. Their issue were Richard, John and Eleanor. Thomas had land in York Ridge in 1653, and Thomas, with
William Willis, in 1665 had 250 acres of land in Gloucester Co on Grave Neck Creek. He was in Lancaster Co in
1657, and on 1 Oct 1667 Thomas had wife, Mary. Someone sent me this information nearly 20 years ago.
Renia renias@btinternet.com
Mary Willis BENTLEY (maiden name TOMLIN) was born about 1633 in , , Virginia. She died on 27 Sep 1684 in , Middlesex, Va. Mary married Thomas WILLIS (WYLLYS) in 1654 in , Middlesex, Va.
Other marriages:
BENTLEY, Matthew (6 FEB 1669/1670 in Middlesex County, Virginia) He was a Shoemaker.
They (Thomas WILLIS and Mary Tomlin WILLLIS) had the following children:
F i Ellianor WILLIS was born on 18 Apr 1655 and died in 1734/1737.
M ii Richard WILLIS was born on 29 Aug 1656 in Christ Church, Middlesex, Va. He died about 1717 in , Middlesex, Va.
M iii John WILLIS was born on 24 Nov 1658 and died in Jul 1715.
F iv Mary WILLIS was born on 23 Feb 1660 in , Middlesex, Va and was christened on 23 Feb 1660 in Christ Church, Middlesex, Va.
M v Thomas WILLIS was born on 8 Sep 1660 in Christ Church, Middlesex, Va.
M vi William WYLLYS was born about 1664 in , Middlesex, Va.
"Historical and Genealogical Notes; Wm. and Mary Qrtly., Vol., 5, No. 4, 1897", Transcribed by Kathy Merrill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project
"There is in the Middlesex (Virginia) records a petition from Major John LEWIS for damages against Captain MATTHEW BENTLEY for taking away his stock and corn to supply the rebel army stationed at "Major (Thomas) PATE'S house" during the Rebellion (Bacon's Rebellion)."
Bacon's Rebellion, uprising in 1676 of Virginia farmers against the colonial authorities headed by Sir William Berkeley, governor of Virginia. The rebellion began when a group of former indentured servants led by Nathaniel Bacon, a young plantation owner, accused Governor Berkeley of failing to protect them from raids by Native Americans. Under Bacon's authority, the men formed an army to punish the raiding tribes. Berkeley denounced the men as rebels and accused them of attacking and killing not just hostile Native Americans, but members of friendly tribes.
After defeating the Native Americans, Bacon and his men occupied Jamestown, the capital of the colony. The farmers, who were now demanding governmental reforms in addition to protection from hostile Native Americans, forced the governor to flee. Bacon then led another expedition against the Native Americans, defeating them at the Battle of Bloody Run. While Bacon was engaged in this effort, Berkeley began to raise a force to fight him. Marching against Jamestown a second time, Bacon captured the city and burned it in September 1676. In the following month, Bacon died suddenly and his rebellion immediately collapsed. The governor took revenge upon Bacon's followers, executing some and confiscating the property of others.
"Bacon’s Rebellion," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 97 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Children of WILLIAM BENTLEY II are:
