James Bentley and Emma Hughes Married 1865

[Jayne Bentley Stidham]

Hello! I have been researching the Bentley line and have come to a point where the information I have for James and Emma Bentley is conflicting with other trees I have seen with their names. For instance I show that James died in 1890 (Emma is showing widowed on the 1891 census) but I have seen trees from other researchers that show he dies in 1939. Someone is barking up the wrong genealogical tree (probably me  so I wondered if anyone had access to records that would quantify any of this information. Any help is greatly appreciated! Other info I have (that may or may not be incorrect) is James's parents were Eli Bentley and Maria Kettle and James had siblings William, Hannah, Margaret and Sarah.

[lizdb]

Sounds like you have some evidence, in that Emma is widowed by next census.
Getting the death cert of the one dying in 1890 should clinch it.
Then you can just ignore all the other trees (I would do that anyway!Unless any of the owners can come up with proof - how do they explain Emma being a widow, have they got the 1939 death cert, etc etc)

[jan57]

There's  a    probate   on Ancestry for a James Bentley   died  in 1939,   effects  going to a Caroline Bentley  Spinster  and Sarah       Ann Cantrill  and Maria Wheeldon 

[lizdb]

I checked for Probate for James Bentley's dying 1890
One in Yorkshire, probate granted to widow Caroline, or maybe Charlotte, I think it was. Not Emma anyway.

But when I looked back at death index, there were about 3 deaths for James Bentleys in Yorkshire in 1890, so presumably this was one of the others. Must admit I didnt go into detail with the addresses etc.
HAvent checked how many deaths there are in 1939 - if only one, then that probate index entry will be the same person. If more than one, then need to look closer.

[Pels.]

Hi

Could you give the details for where Emma was in 1891, also the death registration for James, please? I have James in the earlier census returns with Eli and Maria, so I'm assuming he was born in Staffordshire. But - there's also one on the 1881 who was born in Bermondsey and living in Kingston-Upon-Hull.

Kind regards,

Pels.

[Pels.]

Here's the one born in Bermondsey :

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X3FT-3MC

And the other is here :

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X3VP-L34

Pels.

[Pels.]

Also their marriage :

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NXFR-6JR

This might be where the confusion starts.

As far as I can see at the moment, the James who was the son of Eli - is still alive in 1911?

Pels.

[jan57]

1891  census  has  A James Bentley  mistranscribed as Benttey. James  born Stoke  , Emma  born Longton

[Pels.]

And in 1901 - he's Jas Bentley :

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XS73-81Y

Pels.