At the risk of giving too much information I will first set out what I know (and surmise) and near the end explain what information I am searching for.
1] Robert Bentley, chr. 29th April, 1716, Helmsley, father, William Bentley
A) Christiana Harrison,( chr. 18th Oct. 1712, Pickering, father George Harrison) married Robert Bentley, Kirkdale, 3rd Aug., 1738
children (named after the two fathers?)
William Bentley, chr. 2nd Oct. 1739, Helmsley ( have not found any further record)
George Bentley, chr. 12th Oct. 1741, Helmsley, 'son of Robert Bentley, farmer' buried 14th Nov. 1741, Helmsley.
Christiana Bentley buried 18th Nov. 1741, Helmsley
B) Sarah Foord (chr. Oct. 1717, Kirkdale, father John Foord) married Robert Bentley, Helmsley, 22nd Dec. 1743
children-
George Bentley, chr. 2nd July 1749, Kirkdale (named for the child who died?)
Sarah Bentley chr. 24th Dec. 1751, Kirkdale
Robert Bentley, chr. 17th Nov. 1754, Kirkby Moorside
Christiana Bentley chr. 14th Feb. 1757, Kirkdale ( named for 1st wife?)
Betty, chr. 2nd May 1762, Gillamoor
2] Robert Bentley, chr. 15th April 1723, Helmsley, father Peter Bentley
Jane/Joanna/Jony/Johannah Foord/Ford (chr. 31st May 1722, Kirkdale, father John Foord) married Robert Bentley 13th Dec. 1744, Kirkdale.
children - There are nine births 1746-1764 in Helmsley, father Robert Bentley. Some images have 'Robert Bentley of Helmsley' some have 'Robert Bentley, farmer'.
I am descended from Christiana Bentley, chr. 1757, and want to find out more about her parents and siblings. If my conclusions are correct ( the mother's name is not on any of the records I have seen) her parents were the first Robert Bentley and Sarah Foord. My reasons for choosing Sarah Foord instead of her sister Jony Foord who married the 2nd Robert Bentley a year later are:
- the name Sarah continued to be handed down through that family
- Sarah Bentley ( nee Foord) died 5th Sept. 1792 at Fadmoor (buried at Gillamoor) Robert Bentley died 18th May 1800 at Fadmoor (buried at Gillamoor) Sarah and Robert's son, George Bentley lived at Fadmoor. their daughter Sarah, lived at Gillamoor.
Christiana, George and Sarah all have in the image of their births ' Hottrills' ( or variations thereof) - the subject of a previous question of mine cleverly solved by Venelow to be ' Otter Hill' Two other siblings I think likely are Robert Bentley chr. 17th Nov. 1754, KirkbyMoorside, and Betty, chr. 2nd May, 1762, Gillamoor.
This leaves a gap between the marriage in 1743 until the first known birth, George, 1749. I have searched those years for births and deaths in the transcripts available at the LDS without success. Two possibilities that I have considered:
a) the marriage date is incorrect and should be 1748 not 1743. A question - What would be the best way to check the original?
b) there are 9 births at Helmsley 1746-1764 with father Robert Bentley. I had assumed that these were children of the 2nd Robert Bentley but perhaps some births are for the first Robert Bentley. the fact that both Robert Bentleys were farmers doesn't help.
Deaths First Robert Bentley and Sarah Foord - see above
likely deaths for the 2nd Robert Bentley and Jony Foord:
buried 28th May, 1805, Robert Bentley, farmer, Helmsley
buried 26th April, 1803, Johannah, wife of Robert Bentley, farmer, Helmsley.
I have not searched extensively for wills but there is a record June, 1805, in the Prerogative & Exchequer Court of York Probate Index for Robert Bentley.If this is a will which shows me surviving children then I could rule them out as children of the first Robert but no doubt some children died so I might be none the wiser.
There are several William Bentley deaths at Helmsley any of which could be the first Robert's father. A will 1766 is possibility. If it was the correct William it might tell me something
Any comments and/or suggestions on my next step would be very welcome. Jo
