John BENTLEY
John BENTLEY
South Australian Police Force ( 1849 – 1859 )
New South Wales Police Force ( 1864? – 1874 )
Regd. # Q 1488
NSWPF – ‘Q’ represents those Police joining between 1862 ( commencement of NSWPF ) – 23 February 1915 ( Commencement of NSWPF current numbering system )
Rank: Date of appointment – 10 September 1864
Mounted Constable NSW – 19 September 1864
Senior Constable – appointed 1 August 1863?
Stations: South Australia 1849 – 1859
NSW Rockley ( late 1863 ), Stuart Town, Hartley
Service: From 10 September 1864 to 2 December 1874 ( Dismissed ) = 10+ years Service
Awards: ?
Born: ? ? 1827 – England
Died on: 22 August 1881 at Mt Victoria, NSW
Age: 55
Cause: ?
Funeral date: ?
Funeral location: ?
Buried at: Great Western Hwy, Hartley, NSW
Memorial at: ?
JOHN is NOT mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance *NEED MORE INFO
Funeral location: ?
FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.
PLEASE SEND PHOTOS AND INFORMATION TO Cal
May they forever Rest In Peace
*further work needs to be done on this person
Clarence and Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser (Grafton, NSW : 1859 – 1889),
Tuesday 30 June 1874, page 7
HORRIBLE DEATH IN THE BUSH
From the Evening News
On Tuesday, the 16th June, a magisterial inquiry was held before Thomas H. Neale. P.M., touching the death of a man whose body was found near the Liddleton Estate House, within three miles from Hartley, and from the statements of certain witnesses, as well as the sworn testimony of Henry Allworth Ledger, constable John Bentley, and a lad named Thomas Muldoon, it transpired that on last Saturday fortnight Ledger heard, at night, cries proceeding from near his residence, but why did he not go out and see who it was, and why the person was in distress, did not transpire, but on the 15th a dead body was found within 300 yards of the Liddleton House, and a more horrible spectacle was never beheld in the solitude of the Australian bush.
To all appearances the portion in life must have laid down exhausted by cold and exposure, and there unfriended and alone have “shuffled off this mortal coil.” The right cheek was eaten away ; the left, or a portion of it, was gnawed off the bones. The body had on in the shape of clothing a pair of light tweed trowsers with black stripes, a pair of elastic side boots, and new blue worsted socks, with no clothing from hip upwards. On the arms of deceased were the following marks in tatoo, from which marks it is conjectured the unfortunate man had belonged to the Royal Navy : On the right arm, between elbow and shoulder, a sailor with a flag in his right hand standing in front of a cannon, mounted, on a man-of-war carriage ; below the elbow, under front of arm, the figure of Britannia ; on the left arm, between elbow and shoulder, the representation of two female figures, and below the elbow a star, like the Compass star, with a heart and two arrows passing through crossways ; between the thumb and forefinger, same hand, five dots, and on each of the three first fingers a ring tatooed. The body indicated a man, when living, of about 20 to 30 years of age, and about 5 feet 6 inches in height, slender built, with a moustache and goatee beard, of lightish brown hair. If any person from this description can throw any light upon his identity, it is hoped for the sake of friends who are ignorant of the solitary death in our midst that they will communicate with senior constable Maloney, of Hartly, who I am sure, will be glad to have any clue to his name or friends,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/rendition/nla.news-article61899281.txt
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Married to Johanna SHEA from Kilkenny, Ireland.
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Sydney Morning Herald Sat 4 July 1863
Inspector of Slaughter houses and cattle – Western Police District
Constable John Bentley stationed at Rockley, NSW.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13081065
The above article, dated 4 July 1863, conflicts with NSW State Archives & Records which state that John BENTLEY, # 1488, was appointed to the Police as of 10 September 1864. The above article is more likely to be linked with John BENTLEY # 613.
Cal
I believe that the grave, in the above photo, is correct for John BENTLEY, Regd. # Q 1488.
Cal 090418
NSW Police Gazette 19 August 1863
Promotions
Constable to be Senior Constable from 1st August ( 1863 )
John BENTLEY ( No. 613 )
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NSW Police Gazette 1864 p83
Reduction Bentley, John March 14th Senior Constable (No 613)
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NSW Police Gazette 1864 p307
Bentley John to be constable (No 1488) Sept 19th
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NSW Police Gazette 2 Dec 1874
Dismissals Bentley John (No 1488)
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John BENTLEY was baptised on 13 Feb 1820 at St Clement Danes, Westminster, London
the son of James & Elizabeth Bentley nee Chatterton
( This John Bentley can’t be # 1488 as # 1488 was born in 1827.
Cal )
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a mounted policeman in SA 1855-1858 and in NSW 1864-1874 including Rockley, Stuart Town & Hartley. ( More probably # 613 )
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He & Johanna Shea had 10 children.
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Johanna born 1838 Kilkenny Ireland died in 1918 & is buried in Blackheath. ( Again – more probably # 613 as # 1488 wasn’t born until 1826 – 1827. )
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Message received via website on Friday 211016
| Name: | Sandra |
| Phone: | |
| Email: | |
| Message: | I have a descendant named John Bentley who was a mounted police officer stationed in Rockley in the late 1800s.
He was married to a Johanna Shea from Kilkenny Ireland Syd Morn Herald Sat 4th July 1863 Inspector of Slaughter houses and cattle Western Police District Constable John Bentley stationed at Rockley
NSW Police Gazette 19 Aug 1863 Promotions Constables to be Senior Constables from 1st August Bentley John (No 613)
NSW Police Gazette 1864 p83 Reduction Bentley John March 14th Senior Constable (No 613)
NSW Police Gazette 1864 p307 Bentley John to be constable (No 1488) Sept 19th
NSW Police Gazette 2 Dec 1874 Dismissals Bentley John (No 1488) Nov 5th
John BENTLEY was baptised on 13 Feb 1820 at St Clement Danes, Westminster, London The son of James & Elizabeth Bentley nee Chatterton and was a mounted policeman in SA 1855-1858 and in NSW 1864-1874 including Rockley, Stuart Town & Hartley. He & Johanna Shea had 10 children. John died in 1881 at Mt Victoria NSW & is buried at Hartley. Johanna b 1838 Kilkenny Ireland died in 1918 & is buried in Blackheath. Are there any police records pertaining to my descendant mounted police officer John Bentley in NSW? PS I am also aware that John Bentley had also previously been a mounted police officer in South Australia from 1849- 1859. I have already obtained his police records from the South Australian Police Archives.
Kind Regards Sandra
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( It would appear that Sandra has two different John BENTLEY’s mixed together here )
Cal
Hello the date of birth of John Bentley is 1820 St Clement Danes London parents James Bentley
and Elizabeth Chatterton. James Bentley and Elizabeth Chatterton immigrated to South Australia
In 1849 on a ship named the Cheapside. Their son John immigrated the previous year and wrote a letter home to his parents in London describing the voyage and his whereabouts. In the letter John asks for
His brother Edwards address. Edward Bentley was a Mounted Police Trooper in SA at this time, he was in the force for over 20yrs and was well respected. John also joined the police force in SA service number 1488 but was dismissed due to drunkeness! John married Johanna Shea ( an Irish Servant Girl immigrant who arrived on the Nashwauk in 1855 mistranscribed as Judith) in Clare SA in 1858 using the alias name of Thomas Castle! John was 38, Johanna had arrived in 1855 aged 16). John had been one of the rescuers of the girls on the Nashwauk when it sunk on arrival in SA in 1855. A NSW 1917 newspaper article confirms this information!
By 1859 the couple were in NSW, the first of their 10 children was born in Sydney. John was a Mounted Police trooper service number 613 in NSW.
Back in London a 1841 census confirms John was also an apprentice dentist! His SA police service record
States John’s DOB as being 1827. The 1841 census indicates he was an apprentice dentist b1827 ( the 1841 census round up the age and had caused this dicreprency).
All of John Bentley and Johanna Shea’s children’s bdm certificates state John was a dentist who became a mounted police trooper in both SA and NSW.
John died in 1881 parents James Bentley and Elizabeth Chatterton! A letter from SA descendants informs John’s mother and brothers and sisters in SA of his death in NSW!
Ex dentist John Bentley SA Mounted service police number 1488 and John Bentley NSW Mounted service police number 613 are the same person!
I have Supreme Court Adelaide documents which prove he married Johanna Shea under the alias name
of Thomas Castle in Clare SA in 1858. By 1859 he and Johanna were in Sydney!
John Bentley’s SA Police Record indicates John’s calling was a Dentist from London