Thomas N. Bentley, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Thomas N. Bentley
THOMAS N. BENTLEY, farmer, was born August 25, 1807, in Stephentown, N. Y.; he is the youngest of eight children born to Reuben and Susan (Northup) Bentley, both natives of Rhode Island. Thomas' father died when he (Thomas) was about three years old, and his mother about a year later. Thomas was now brought up by his brother-in-law, until his fourteenth year; Thomas then went out into the world for himself. He had received but little education. Thomas, with three brothers, received 150 acres from their father's estate. Thomas worked out and on the 150 acres until twenty-five years of age, when the land was sold, and Thomas went to the western part of New York, where he remained about thirty years; here he bought seventy-five acres, and after his marriage, February 16, 1834, he lived on it about two years. He was married to Martha E. Cook, a native of New York; he worked farms on shares, and owned 100 acres until about 1861, when he traveled some, and then came to Porter County, and, after a short residence, went back to New York and bought his old farm. In a few years, he came back to Porter County and bought his present farm, 160 acres of good land, well-improved with good buildings. With the exception of two visits to New York, he has lived here ever since. He was a member of the I. O. O. F. order for ten years; his wife was one of the "Daughters of Rebecca" also; he voted for Jackson and Van Buren, but of late years he has been a Republican, but votes for the man and principle rather than party. He has four children living - Reuben, Morris, William and Mary.
Source: Goodspeed, Weston A., and Charles Blanchard. 1882. Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana: Historical and Biographical, Illustrated. Chicago, Illinois: F. A. Battey & Company. 771 p.
Page(s) in Source: 364
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook