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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: BAC3 on Monday 26 February 18 19:46 GMT (UK)
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Hello,
Abraham BENTLEY according to criminal records was born a half-caste in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, c1845, the son of Harriet BENTLEY who, according to the 1861 England Census was living in High Street, Preston, but she apparently was born c1831 in Madras (India). The Census also indicates there is a John BENTLEY, aged 47, born in Liverpool, at that same address……neither entry indicates marital/personal status. Could they be husband and wife, father and daughter even?? Incidentally, ignore the other entry on the same Census page for a Thomas BENTLEY as this is an incorrect transcription.
There are no other Census entries for Abraham or Harriet.
Abraham BENTLEY was imprisoned twice, first from 22/02/1860 for 12 months at the Cumberland Assizes and, second, from 01/02/1862 for 6 years at the Preston Quarter Sessions…..the records for this latter sentence show he had an alias COSSAM but this is something of a red herring as there are no other sustainable links to the name. When he was released early from prison in 1867 he stated his destination was Liverpool: where his possible father may have been born?? He stated throughout all his criminal records he was a Sailor/Fisherman.
I would appreciate any help or suggestions for other lines of research.
BAC3
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Harriet BENTLEY who, according to the 1861 England Census was living in High Street, Preston, but she apparently was born c1831 in Madras (India).
I can't see an entry with that name born in Madras ** (India) - how have you linked Abraham to Harriet?
** Ok found it under "Madnass"
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He states in his criminal records that his mother is Harriet BENTLEY, living at High Street, Preston and a newspaper report in January 1862 confirms he was lodging in the house of Peter BROWN in High Street, where his mother was also a lodger.
However, he does not appear in the 1861 England Census which records his mother's information.
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St John Preston,
5th March 1865
Harriet Bentley
aged 2
buried
abode Hight Street
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St John Preston
11th June 1865
Lucrettia Bentley
child of John and Alice
abode High Street
father a spinner
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5th Jan 1866
Harriet Bentley
aged 54
buried
abode Workhouse
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27th October 1867
Abraham Bentley
son of John and Alice
abode Water Lane
father a hawker
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Thank You Radcliff,
Am I to understand you are saying that John BENTLEY had no marital connection with Harriet? Could she have been his sister?
And the Harriet who died in 1866 is too old, of course, born in 1812 not 1831.
BAC3
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Just playing with the names and abode
sorry not trying to lead you astray,
quite an interesting story about a Harriet Bentley in Liverpool in 1843 concerning the Bank Of England £1000.00 note
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I take it you are thinking Harriet was unmarried when she had Abraham?
This Harriet born 1831 would only have been 14 in 1845 :-\ and from Madras to Philadelphia at that young age ???
They must both have travelled back from the US at some point.
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Yes I am thinking she was unmarried when she had him,
and strangely can not find a birth registration for a Lucrettia Bentley child of John and Alice
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Is this John Bentley Alice McDonald marriage 1864 only there are 2 Alice McDonald lodgers on the 1861 also.
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Could Louisa be Lucrettia :-\
1881
Alice Bentley 40 widow general hawker
Louisa 15
Abraham 13
Andrew 6
Elizabeth Janney 23 boarder general hawker
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In case it's any help the John Bentley that marries Alice McDonald gives his father as Robert a musician.
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John Bentley and Alice McDonald,married Liverpool 1864 John gives his fathers name as Robert a musician
in the 1861 census for the Bentleys in Preston,Alice is also a boarder,now the marriage states he is a mariner ?
Abraham's,birth registered Leeds 1867
I suspect Lucrettia is Louisa who later marries Richard Holden in 1883 Preston free bmd,see the 1901 census her mother Alice Bentley is with her
on the 1881 census Alice is a widow with her children in Preston,
so who was Robert Bentley a musician
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I can't see John and Alice as a couple with children in 1871. There is an Alice who is widowed but not sure if that's her and John has already died but that wouldn't explain baby Andrew born c1875 :-\
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ooops Andrew does give John Bentley a sailor as his father when he marries in Preston in 1897
but I don't see a baptism for him
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Thank you all for trying to help.
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so this one in Wakefield prison in 1884
Abraham Bentley,a hawker born Calcutta aged 38
drunk and disorderly in Rotherham,10th March
has been in Manchester and Chester prisons
Pear tattoo on back of neck
is he possibly the same man
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Could be Radcliffe!
In 1875 an Abraham Bentley was charged with manslaughter at Manchester (but found not guilty).
The interesting thing is that the York Herald of 15 May 1875 had found him in York - knowing he was wanted by Manchester police. The York Herald article describes him as a Mulatto.
We know from early prison records that Abraham was 'half-caste' - so I can't imagine there being 2 people by this name, both of mixed race - and being 'naughty citizens'.
Hence it looks as though he was in Manchester in 1875 - then by 1884 he was in Wakefield. Don't know if you will be able to read the Newspaper article from York Herald (see also Bolton Evening News 31 7 1875 for a report of the case).
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In addition -- under his alter ego of Abraham Cossam (originally mentioned in first posting) ;- there is this article in the Lichfield Mercury. The age is out - shown as 28! I can't see it being anyone else though really. I suppose the age could be a misprint - but Cossam is a most unusual name.
Also shown as a native of Madras.
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Good Afternoon Radcliff and Pennines
Some interesting new territory being opened up........thank you.
The age is approximately correct, although Madras (mother) is a long way from Calcutta and even further from Philadelphia. The "pear tattoo on back of neck" is according to Chatham Prison "two burns" (artistic licence maybe!!) but as Pennines states he was "Mulatto" and this does resemble the "Half-caste" of Chatham Prison. Somewhere along the line all this detail must connect in the same person.......balance of probabilities theory......and I am grateful to you both.
Note for Radcliff: Could you please identify the references for your last set of details if at all possible.
For now,
BAC3
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yes Bacs Yorkshire prison records on ancestry
again he is charged in December 1888
alongside another chap,also from Calcutta Abraham is now a scissor grinder
and has described as tow burn marks on the back of his neck and is black,
the other chap is John Dillon
interesting to see there is a mention of a Abraham Bentley being transported to Australia in 1862,perhaps some thing else there for you to follow up
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think there might be a bit of fibbing going on
as in 1889
Abraham Bentley otherwise Casson is again charged with be drunk and riotuos behavior
and given 14 days in prison,the event was in Barnsley and he states he is a sailor and aged 37,and born Calcutta
he is described as half caste,two burn scars on neck two coincidental to ignore
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Hello Radcliff,
Thank you for providing the citations, extremely useful details that, hopefully, will allow me to trace faithfully Abraham BENTLEY's life, which is complicated to say the least. If the Indian aspects could be explained that would literally be "icing on the cake".
However, there is there is one piece of incorrect information. Not your fault but that of the Ancestry transcriber. He was not transported to Western Australia but actually to Gibraltar, which I had already researched. If you revert to the frontispiece of that particular Register by using the backspacing arrow (left hand side of the image) on BENTLEY's entry you will notice that the convict ship Adelaide sailed for Gibraltar on 28/06/1863.
Once again , my thanks for all your help.
BAC3
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I am wondering if Abraham's alter-ego name of Cossam may have been his birth name and he was Harriet's illegitimate son - I have been looking on Family Search for that name -- no real joy - but have come across the surname of Cassam. There was someone in the Merchant Navy born India - but only a surname was showing!
I don't know why I'm posting this really, as it's a negative result -- couldn't find a Harriet Cassam or variant born in India, nor an Abraham. I have also fruitlessly checked on FIBIS. I'm just hoping the suggestion may give someone else an idea!
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Bac can I just ask was his first offence in Disington,a 17 year old sailor
given 12 months hard labour,March 1860
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Morning Radcliff,
Yes........he was sentenced at the Cumberland (Carlisle) Assizes on 22/02/1860 to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour, although he had been previously and summarily convicted on 31/10/1859 to imprisonment for 2 calendar months under the Juvenile Offenders Act.
BAC3