John Martin Bentley

John Martin Bentley was born on October 23, 1853 in Pike County, Kentucky. He was the son of John Vint and Annie Potter Bentley.

In 1860 the Pike County Census showed

John V Bentley 34
Anny 30
Mary L. 8
John M. 7
Benjamin 6
Virginia 4
Elizabeth 2

In 1870 the family was

Bentley, John V. 46, farmer
Anne 39
John M. 16
Benjamin, 15
Virginia 13
Elizabeth 11
William A. 9
Rhodicia 7
Surrilda 5
James M 3

On August 27, 1872 John Martin married Malinda Addington. She was the daughter of William K. "Billy" Addington and Nancy Ann Kilgore.

Their first child was Josephone, born June 18, 1873.

On August 14, 1875 Malinda had twins -- John Vint and William.

Nancy Ann was born on October 5 1877.

Elbert Franklin was born on May 5, 1880.

In June when the census was taken, the family showed:

Bently (no e), John M. 25
Malinda 23
Josephine 6
William A. 3
John V. 3
Nancy A. 2
Elbert F., 1 month

Mary Bentley was born on July 7, 1881.

Otho Bentley was born on November 23, 1884.

Florence Caldonia was born on January 22, 1888.

Surrilda Jane was born on August 15, 1889.

Cora Lee was born on May 7, 1892.

John Martin lost his father on August 6, 1895.

Laura Belle was born on August 11, 1896.

The 1900 Census showed them as

Bently (again no e), John, head, 46, married 28 years
Malinda, wife, had 11 children, 11 living
Otho, son, 15
Florence C. daughter, 13
Surrilda J, daughter 10
Cora, daughter, 8
Laura Belle, daughter 3
Wright, Mary A. lodger, 81

This Mary Wright was John Martin's aunt. She was John Vint Bentley's sister. She married JohnWright. This is the Mary Wright that my cousin Mack and I tried to get to her grave. We are going back for another try again next month.

Annie Potter Bentley, John Martin's mother, died on September 13, 1901.

In 1910 the census was

Bently, Martin 56, first marriage 37 years
Malinda, 51, had 11 children, all living
Cora 16
Laura 12

In 1913 after having married Jeff Bentley, son of William Finley Bentley and Edia Fleming, and having five children with him, John Martin's daughter was committed to Eastern State Hospital, a lunatic asylum in Lexington.

On September 1, 1917 after spending four years, seven months and six days in the asylum she died of cerebral congestion with a contributing cause of pellagram which she suffered from for 8 years before she was committed to the hospital. I wrote a whole blog about Mary and her illness which you can go back and read. She was taken to Greenup county and buried.

In 1920 he and Malinda were living with their daughter, Cora, and her husband, Elmer Boggs in Greenup county where many in the family had moved to when they left Letcher county.

Boggs, Elmer, 28 Car Repair, Car shop
Cora 27
Lola 4
Bentley, J. M. 67
Malinda 65

In 1930 John Martin and Malinda were back in Millstone.

Bentley, Martin, 77 married when he was 18
Malinda, 74, married when she was 15
Caldonia, 39, married when she was 16
James M. 6
Elmer 5

They eventually moved back to Greenup county.

Malinda died on November 19, 1933.

Caldonia, Josephine, Otho, Nancy Ann, William, Cora Lee, Laura, Elbert, John Martin, John Vint

Caldonia, Josephine, Nancy Ann, Cora Lee, Laura Belle

John Martin, Caldonia, Not sure, Otho, Nancy Alice Bentley, Josephine, John Vint, Nancy Ann, Bill Collier, Elbert, Sabrina Craft, Cora Lee, Laura Bell

I have not heard a lot of good things said about Martin

I have heard he was lazy, but he was a stern matster over his children and wife working them very hard. I have always heard that Malinda had problems. Her great-grandfather died in a mental institution. Others in the family have suffered from mental illnesses from the Addington line. She could easily have suffered from something all on her own. What I was told was that he was mean to her, that he aggrevated her and certainly didn't make her life any easier. I have heard more than one of his children say that they hated him. I have heard some things that I will not put here.

During the last years of his life after Malinda had passed away he lived with his youngest daughter, Laura Belle and her husband, Sherman Bentley. I asked one of Laura's sons, Bob, if he remembered his grandpa staying with them. He said yes, very well. He said he remembered John Martin playing tricks on him and his brother. Tricks that ended up with he or his brother being blamed. When I asked for an example he said "like tying cat tails together and throwing them over the clothesline." Ouch! for the poor cats and whoever had to get them down and apart.

John Martin Bentley died on March 15, 1942. He was lving in Greenup, Kentucky. The family sent a telegram care of James Caudill to let the Letcher County family know about the funeral.