William Wentworth

Notes:

He arrived in New England sometime in the 1630s. He is one of TNH's four "gateway ancestors," albeit one about whom the scholarly consensus has been very much in flux. That the William Wentworth of New England was the man baptized in Alford seems almost certain. That the man baptized in Alford had many gentry and aristocratic ancestors seems indisputable. That he had a provable "royal ancestry" was long at issue, but several recent articles in The American Genealogist would appear to have finally sorted matters:

Terry J. Booth, Paul C. Reed, and Nathaniel Lane Taylor, "The English Ancestry of William Wentworth of New Hampshire: Male-Line Ancestry for Five Generations." The American Genealogist 90:161, Jul 2018, and 90:263, Oct 2018.

Terry J. Booth, Paul C. Reed, and Nathaniel Lane Taylor, "Margaret de Brewse, First Wife of Sir Thomas Hawley (d. 1419-20) of Girsby, Lincolnshire." The American Genealogist 91:195, Jan/Apr 2020, published March 2021; 91:286, Jul/Oct 2020, published December 2022.

Terry J. Booth, "The Sothill, Fauconberge, and Greystoke Ancestry of William¹ Wentworth of New Hampshire." The American Genealogist 92:81, Jul/Oct 2021, published December 2022; 92:217, Jan/Apr 2022, published June 2023.

Cumulatively, these articles establish that the immigrant Wentworth's extensive medieval ancestry includes such crowned heads as King John of England; Alfonso IX of León and Galicia; Jeane de Briene, the Crusader "king" of Jerusalem; and (despite previous descents having been disproved) William "The Lion" of Scotland.

"William Wentworth (1616-1697) was a follower of John Wheelwright, and an early settler of New Hampshire. Coming from Alford in Lincolnshire, he likely came to New England with Wheelwright in 1636, but no records are found of him in Boston. When Wheelwright was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his role in the Antinomian Controversy, he established the settlement of Exeter, New Hampshire, and Wentworth followed him there and then to Wells, Maine. After Wheelwright left Wells for Hampton, New Hampshire, Wentworth went to Dover, New Hampshire, and this is where he lived the remainder of his life. He was the proprietor of a sawmill, and held several town offices, but is most noted for being an elder in his Dover church for nearly 40 years. He had 11 children with two wives, and has numerous descendants, including many of great prominence." [Wikipedia]

He was a signer of the Exeter Combination.

His near descendants included his grandson John Wentworth, Lieutenant Governor of New Hampshire 1717-1730, and New Hampshire governors Benning Wentworth (governor 1741-1767) and Sir John Wentworth (governor 1767-1775); also John Wentworth, Speaker of the New Hampshire House 1771-1778.

A book-length biographical study of him is William Wentworth, Puritan Preacher by Susan Ostberg; Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse, 2006.

William married Elizabeth Knight about 1644. Elizabeth (daughter of Ezekiel Knight and Ann) was born about 1626; died after 1678. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: Abt 1651, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire
• Alternate death: Between Oct 1711 and May 1712
• Alternate death: Abt 1712
• Alternate death: 1714, Salmon Falls, Rollinsford, New Hampshire

Notes:

Selectman of Dover, New Hampshire, 1702.

Representative in the New Hampshire legislature, from Dover, 1711. "His descendants for six successive generations subsequent to himself have been in the New Hampshire legislature. [...] He married, in 1676 or before, Elizabeth _____, by whom he had seven children: Thomas, John, Paul, Benjamin, Gershom, Tamsen and Elizabeth." [Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire, citation details below.]

From The Wentworth Genealogy (citation details below):

"The time of his death can be arrived at only by reference to the Journal of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, in the office of the Secretary of the State, which contains nothing prior to 9 May 1711. He was present as Representative of Dover (his colleagues being Capt. Nathaniel Hill and Stephen Jones) at the sessions of June and July, September and October, 1711. The House adjourned 30 October 1711, to 15 November 1711. He was not present at that session, nor at the one commencing in February 1712. The Journal of the House, 6 May 1712, reads thus:

"'Upon the death of Mr. Ezekiel Wentworth, Capt. Timothy Gerrish was chosen Representative from the town of Dover, and this day appeared and was qualified.'

"The following is also from the records:

"'Memorandum. That Ezekiel Wentworth, Mr. Stephen Jones, and Capt. Nathaniel Hill had their debentures from October 23, 1710, to May 10, 1712. Capt. Hill, 73 days; Ezekiel Wentworth, 37 days; Mr. Jones, 25 days.'

"These '37 days' were doubtless all before 30 October 1711, and so it is impossible to tell how long after that day, or how long before 6 May 1712, Ezekiel died."

Ezekiel married Elizabeth about 1669 in Salmon Falls, Rollinsford, New Hampshire. Elizabeth was born about 1650; died before 9 Mar 1726. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"Tamsen, widow of James Chesley, and daughter of Deacon Ezekiel Wentworth." [Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire, citation details below.]

Tamsen married James Chesley on 29 Dec 1704 in Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire. James (son of Philip Chesley and Sarah Rollins) died on 17 Sep 1707 in Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Tamsen married John Hayes before 1711. John (son of John Hayes and Mary) was born in Jul 1686 in Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire; died on 3 Jul 1756 in Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: 18 May 1706, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire

James married Mehitable Waldron about 1727. Mehitable (daughter of John Waldron and Mary Ham) was born about 1708 in Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire; died on 21 Aug 1776. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]