Daisy Bentley

I got a query about Daisy Bentley today. She was born Jun 23, 1913 in Virginia. She was the daughter of Joel Ambrose Bentley and Mary Tackett. Her siblings were Garfield, John, Garland, Robert and Martha.

Joel Ambrose Bentley was the son of James Martin Bentley and Tabitha Baker. His siblings were Robert Bryant, William Finley, James W. Mary Jane, David H. John Wesley, Martha Caroline and Sarah E. William Finley was the father of Jeff Bentley who married Otho Bentley's sister, Mary. Mary is the one I grew up thinking had died at age 14, but she had children and died in a mental institution in Lexington. There is a whole blog on her. Mary Jane married Solomon Bentley.

Mary Jane has a connection to me because her son Ermon was my grandmother, Cora Wright's first husband. Her other son, Samuel married my great Aunt Eliza.

Here are the census records that I have found on James Martin Bentley and Tabitha Baker:

1850 Alexander County, North Carolina.
Bentley, James M. 26 laborer
Tabitha 17
Robert 6 months
All born in NC.

1860 Yancy County, North Carolina
Bentley, James 37, miller
Tabitha 27
Robert B. 10
William F. 8
James W. 6
Mary J. 3
David A. 1 month
All born in NC

1870 Letcher County, Kentucky
Bentley, James 49
Tabitha 37
Robert 20
William 17
James 14
Mary 12
David 9
John 5
Martha 2
All born in NC

1880 Letcher County, Kentucky
Bentley, James 56, works on farm
Tabitha 44
David H.
John W 16
Martha C 12
Sarah E. 7
Joel A. 5
All NC NC NC

1900 Millstone, Letcher County, Kentucky
Bentley, James M. 75, married 50 years, farmer
Tabitha 65, had 9 children, 8 living
Tabitha 14, granddaughter
Ambrose 25, son

Joel Ambrose Bentley married Mary Tackett.

1910 Gladeville, Wise County, Virginia
Bentley, Ambrose 37, married 7 years, laborer, coke plant
Mary 22, had 4 children, 4 living
Garfield, 4
John W. 4
Garland 2
Robert B. 1 month

Hasn't run any bells yet, has it?

1920 Gladeville, Wise County, Virginia
Bentley, Ambrose, 47, laborer
Mary 38
Garfield 16
John 14
Garland 11
Daisy 5
Martha 3
Tackett, Martha 21, sister-in-law
Hazel 8 months

Aha! Martha Tackett. Mary Tackett is Martha's sister. Martha was one of grandpa Joe Hall's wives. Hazel is Granny's half sister. There is a blog about Hazel and her hair and one about Martha herself. In the story about Martha and when I talked to Hazel she told me she worked in a store that was owned by Mary Bentley. I couldn't figure out who that was. Here it is, Mary Bentley was her sister, who married Joel Ambrose Bentley.

Following on down with Daisy.....

She married James Elswick.

Family 399
Elswick, James, 25 married at 23, coal miner, coal mine
Daisy, 16, married at 14
Elzy, 9 months

And... living next door Family 398

Newsome, William 51, 1st married at 20, coal miner, coal mines
Martha 32, 1st married at 20
Hall, Hazel, 10, daughter
Lettie D. 6, daughter
Tackett, Wilson, 68, father, invalid
Morgan, 20, son, brother, coal miner, coal mines

So where was Joe Hall in 1910?

1910 Letcher County, Kentucky
Camp Branch, Family 315
Hall, Joseph, marriage 2, married 5 years, farmer, general farm
Cillar, marriage 2, had 2 children, 2 living
Enoch Maylen, 13, farm laborer, home farm
Nancy Alice, 11
Basis 8
All KY KY KY

Poor little Martha. I think I put in the story about her having to walk by Joe's house after he remarried, Dianah (which is pronounced Dianer). Once Dianah threw out scalding water toward her and Martha called her a "B". Dianah filed charges against her. It went to court. The judge had to find her guilty. She admitted she had used the B word. He charged her 3 cents (maybe it was only a penny, I don't remember for sure). She refused to pay. The judge told her that she would have to go to jail if she did not pay the money. She still refused. He paid the fine for her and sent her home.