Nat Gould

James Justin Bent 1739-1812

James Justin Bent was born in 1739, the son and heir of John Bent 1717-1796 and his wife nee Anne Hill (1).

He purchased the estate of Basford near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, and became a distinguished surgeon. He was the personal doctor of Josiah Wedgwood and a friend Erasmus Darwin, and was "apothecary to the Etruria Friendly Society" (2). He published several articles on surgery (3), and successfully performed an operation on Josiah Wedgwood to remove a leg (4).

On 3 February 1776 at Manchester Collegiate Church (now the Cathedral) Dr James Bent married Elizabeth Heathcote 1753-1814, the daughter of Michael Heathcote 1710-1777 and his wife formerly Rachel Edensor 1714-1791.

They had the following children :

John Bent. He was born on 30 December 1776 at Newcastle-under-Lyme, and died on 12 November 1798 from an accident. "At the premature age of 21 years, Mr. John Bent, eldest son of James Bent, of Basford, near Newcastle-under Lyme, Staffordshire. A Member of Trinity College, in Cambridge, and of the Society of Lincoln's Inn. His death, which was occasioned by the casual discharge of a Fowling Piece, has snatched from his Family, the object of their fondest affection and hope, and deprived his elected profession of a Student of considerable promise. By his acquaintance, the unaffected urbanity of his manner will long be remembered with sincere regret; the fatal accident took place on Saturday the 10th inst. about Noon; and having borne the painful interval with uncommon fortitude, he expired on the following Monday morning" (5).

Richard Bent. He was baptised on 14 June 1778 at Newcastle-under-Lyme, and became a physician. Between 1796 and 1807 he seems to have been abroad in the West Indies and later in India (6). On 12 October 1812 at Stoke-upon-Trent he married his cousin Frances Heathcote, daughter of Sir John Edensor Heathcote 1757-1822. The witnesses were his cousins Richard Edensor Heathcote 1780-1850 and Caroline Heathcote 1795-1862. Dr Bent succeeded to the family estates on 25 October 1814. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine from Edinburgh University in the same year (7). Dr Richard Bent and his wife retired to Audlem in Cheshire.

James Bent. He became a Major in the 20th Regiment of Foot, and was killed on 27 February 1814 at the Battle of Orthes in southern France during the war against Napoleon Bonaparte (8). He had been in the army from boyhood. As an ensign he had been wounded in the disastrous Battle of Bergen in the Netherlands on 2 October 1799 (9). He was promoted from Ensign to Lieutenant on 19 October 1799 (10). As he was an ensign by 1799 he was evidently born in about 1785. In 1808 he was at home and a frequent visitor to the Caldwell family at Linley Wood near Talke in Staffordshire (11). He married Amelia Edwards Duggar, the eldest daughter of Dennis Duggar of Kinsale in the County of Cork in Ireland, in 1810 or 1811 (12), and they had a daughter (13). She was Eliza Bent 1814-1906, who was married to her first cousin Rowland Bent on 26 May 1835 (14) and died on 3 June 1906 (15).

Thomas Bent. He was born on 9 July 1783. He became a physician in Derby, living in Friargate, and leased the family estate at Bentlanes near Manchester. He married Mary Helen Rawson on 12 January 1819, daughter of the late Thomas Rawson of Rose Hill (16). They had a daughter Emma Bent 1820-1854, born on 31 March 1820, baptised on 27 April 1820, and died on 12 July 1854, and a son Thomas Henry Bent, born on 6 August 1821 and died aged two years. Their mother died in 1823 aged 31 years. Dr Thomas Bent died on 27 April 1859 (17).

Anne Bent. Born in about 1787, she was married in 1810 to Richard Rawson esquire of Wheathill near Liverpool (18). They had the following children: Helen Maria Rawson (born 1813), Frances Ann Rawson (born 1814), Jessie Rawson (born 1816), Arthur Rawson (born 1816), Harry Rawson (born 1817), Philip Rawson (born 1820), Rose Rawson (born 1822), Francis Rawson (born 1826), Edward Rawson (born 1826), and Sophia Rawson (born 1827).

Eliza Bent. She was born in 1789.

Maria Bent. She was born on 16 November 1790.

Dr James Justin Bent died on 8 June 1812 at his home Basford Hall near Newcastle-under-Lyme (19). His obituary read :"Few men were more extensively engaged in the various branches of the profession; none ever discharged its important and laborious duties with greater assiduity; his manners were imposing; his judgment sound. By splendid and useful talents, exercised with discrimination, he obtained the confidence of a respectable and extensive population. Surgery, and the other departments of Medicine, are indebted to his acquirements for many practical improvements, by which he has honourably inrolled his name in the records of the profession" (20).

His wife Elizabeth Bent nee Heathcote died on 23 October 1814 at Basford (21).

(1) A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, enjoying Territorial Possessions or High Official Rank: but uninvested with Heritable Honours J. Burke (1835) volume 2 page 408.

(2) "Henry Fogg (1707-1750) and His Patients: the Practice of an Eighteenth-century Staffordshire Apothecary" by Joan Lane and Anne Tarver Medical History (1993) volume 37 page 189, quoting "Eighteenth-century Medics" by P.J. Wallis and R.V. Wallis Project for Historical Biobibliography (1988) pages 204-205 and 182.

(3) These published articles included an Account of a Woman enjoying the Use of her right Arm, after the head of the Os Humeri was cut away : Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London volume 64 part 2 (1809) page 539; Medical and Philosophical Commentaries volume 4 (1776) page 40.

(4) The Collected Letters of Erasmus Darwin D. King-Hele(2007) page 153.

(5) Derby Mercury 22 November 1798. Also reported in the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette 22 November 1798; Chester Chronicle 23 November 1798; Cumberland Pacquet and Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser 27 November 1798.

(6) "There was a certain Doctor Bent who seems to have spent a considerable part of his life as a member of the Forces in India in the corps now known as the Royal Army Medical Corps. I once saw a part of his diary which showed that he saw service in the West Indies and soon afterwards in India between about 1790 and 1810 which was at time when Sir Arthur Wellesley (afterwards the Duke of Wellington) conducted his successful campaign in Mysore (on a point of detail the commander was actually Richard Wellesley, Arthur’s elder brother. Arthur Wellesley lent support troops in this campaign, but obviously he became the more famous of the two brothers and presumably owned the campaign as his own) and Hyderabad and consolidate some of the earlier work of Lord Clive of India for the East India Company." The Lisle Family of Audlem, Cheshire www.thelislefamily.com Richard Bent and his wife seem to have had no children.

(7) The Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal volume 10 (1814) page 511.

(8) The Battle of Orthes was fought on 27 February 1814 in southern France during the war against Napoleon. Orthes is now called Orthez. The army defeated the French, but Major James Bent, Commanding Officer of the 20th Regiment of Foot was killed during the fighting: Historical Records of the British Army comprising the History of every Regiment in Her Majesty's Service: The Twentieth, or East Devonshire Regiment of Foot Richard Cannon (1848) pages 46-48.

"My regiment now had not been seriously engaged with the enemy, for some time, and as the campaign appeared to have come to a close, — for the Dutch at this time had risen to shake off their yoke — and it was supposed that the French would have been obliged to quit the lower Pyrenees, I therefore took the opportunity of obtaining leave of absence in the month of February (1814) and proceeded to England on urgent private affairs. However, it so happened that the campaign was unexpectedly resumed, and two actions were afterwards fought, — the battle of Orthes, 27th April [should be February], and the battle of Toulouse, 10th April, (1814). The XX, at the battle of Orthes, was commanded by Major Bent, who, poor fellow, unfortunately fell that day, as also did Captain St. Aurin ; several officers were wounded and many men killed and wounded in this action : at the battle of Toulouse the regiment had a few men killed and wounded.

Major Bent had been wounded 25th July, 1813,and also at the landing in Egypt, 8th March, 1801, when in the 92nd Regiment ; he was a very good officer, and had been many years in the XX ; I much regretted his loss, as we were great friends.
The battle of Toulouse ought never to have been fought, as the French commander well knew that peace had been made, but never apprized Lord Wellington of it. It was therefore a useless sacrifice of men on that day, entirely owing to the conduct of the French General." Reminiscences of My Military Life from 1795 to 1818, by the late Lieut.-Col. Chas. Steevens, formerly of the XX Regiment; edited by his son, Lieut.-Col. Nathaniel Steevens, late of the XX and 88th Regiments (1878) pages 119-120.

(9) Staffordshire Advertiser 19 October 1799 quoting the London Gazette Extraordinary of 13 October 1799. In the catastrophic Battle of Bergen in the Netherlands the superior combined forces of Britain and Russia were defeated by those of France and the Netherlands, through lack of coordination of the British and Russians. Casualties were very high, and thousands of prisoners were taken.

(10) Aberdeen Press and Journal 28 October 1799 quoting the London Gazette Extraordinary.

(11) Diary of Anne Marsh Caldwell (1791-1874) for 1805 to 1808 : beginning with entry dated 8 February 1808 ("Captain Bent is returned from Sicily"), mentioned in entries dated 21 February, 7 March, 28 March, 17 April when "Anne Bent and her four eldest brothers came", and 25 June, concluding with the entry dated 7 July 1808 ("Captain Bent came to pay a farewell visit before he goes to Spain. What do mothers and sisters feel when sons and brothers go to war."): http://www.jjhc.info/marshanne1874narrative.htm ; Anne Marsh Caldwell the Author of Linley Wood, Talk, Staffordshire, England (also of Eastbury and Deacons) 1791-1874 http://www.jjhc.info/marshanne1874.htm ; A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, enjoying Territorial Possessions or High Official Rank but Uninvested with Heritable Honours by John Burke (1838) volume IV pages 597-598.

(12) Will of Captain James Bent 20 November 1812; "To the Clergy of The County of Cork. Should the Marriage of Captain James Bent, of the 20th Regiment, with Miss Amelia Edwards Duggan, about 1810 or 1811 be found in any of the Registers belonging to their parish Churches a communication to that effect would much oblige Mr. Rowland Bent, Hampton Lodge, Hereford, and be handsomely rewarded to those who can give the information." Cork Constitution 23, 25, 28 and 30 November 1870; 1,8, 13 and 15 December 1870.

(13) He died leaving his widow Amelia Edwards Bent "and an Infant Daughter in distressed circumstances" and she was awarded £100 by the British Government: "A List of the Persons receiving Allowances of His Majesty's Royal Bounty, who are provided for in the Estimate of Compassionate Allowances; for the Year 1817" Journals of the House of Commons volume 72 (1817) page 528. She was granted £100 on 27 February 1814 as being the widow of Major James Brent of the 20th Foot: Estimates and Accounts: Army, Navy, Civil List, Pensions, & : Estimates of Army Services: Session 27 January-10 June 1818 (1818) page 48; The Royal Naval and Military Calendar: and National Record for 1821 by George Mackenzie (1821) page 246.

(14) "On Tuesday, at St. Werburgh's Church, Derby, Rowland Bent, Esq. of Pendleton, Manchester, to Elizabeth, only daughter of the late Major Bent, of H.M. 20th Regiment." Staffordshire Advertiser 30 May 1835. Also reported in the Limerick Chronicle 10 June 1835 and the Roscommon & Leitrim Gazette 13 June 1835. The bride was usually called Eliza.

(15) "DEATHS. BENT-June 3rd, at Athelstan Hall, Hereford, Eliza Bent, widow of the late Rowland Bent, and only daughter of the late Major James Bent, 20th Regiment." London Evening Standard 7 June 1906. Also reported in the Bedfordshire Mercury 15 June 1906.

(16) Derby Mercury 21 January 1819.

(17) "The Life and Work of Thomas Bent, M.D." by Wendy Bateman Derbyshire Miscellany volume 12 part 2 (1989) pages 42-59.

(18) "[Married.]- At Woolstanton, Richard Rawson, esq. of Rose Hill, near Liverpool, to Anne, eldest daughter of Dr. Bent, of Basford, near Newcastle." The Monthly Magazine Sir R. Phillips (1810) volume 29 page 185.

(19) The Monthly Magazine and British Register volume 23 (1812) page 535.

(20) London Courier and Evening Gazette 20 July 1812; Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle volume 111 page 604.

(21) "Early on Sunday morning last [23 October], in her 62d year, at Basford, near Newcastle, in this county, Elizabeth, relict of the late James Bent, M.D. of that place." Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 29 October 1814.