Benning Wentworth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benning Wentworth
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| Governor of New Hampshire | |
| In office 1741–1766 |
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| Monarch | George II (1741–1760) George III (1760–1766) |
| Preceded by | Jonathan Belcher |
| Succeeded by | John Wentworth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 24, 1696 Portsmouth, Province of New Hampshire |
| Died | October 14, 1770 (aged 74) Portsmouth, Province of New Hampshire |
| Spouses | Abigail Ruck (m. 1719) Martha Hilton (m. 1760) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents | John Wentworth Sarah Hunking Wentworth |
| Profession | Merchant, colonial administrator |
| Signature |  |
| Nicknames | Don Granada Don Diego |
Benning Wentworth (born July 24, 1696 – died October 14, 1770) was a businessman and a leader in the American colonies. He served as the governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766.
As governor, Wentworth is most famous for giving out many land grants. These grants were for land west of the Connecticut River, which New Hampshire claimed. This led to big arguments with the nearby colony of New York. These arguments eventually helped create the state of Vermont.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Benning Wentworth was born on July 24, 1696, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. His father, John Wentworth, was a sea captain and a merchant. He also served as the lieutenant-governor of the Province of New Hampshire from 1717 to 1730. Benning's mother was Sarah Hunking Wentworth. Her father was a rich and important person in Portsmouth.
Benning's father wanted him to take over the family business. However, Benning had some trouble while studying at Harvard College. He broke many windows and had to pay a lot of fines. Because of this, his father sent him to Boston in 1715. There, Benning learned about business at his uncle Samuel Wentworth's office.
After his training, Benning worked as a merchant. He traded timber, wine, and brandy with the West Indies and Spain in the 1720s. When his father died in December 1730, Benning returned to Portsmouth. He took control of his family's wealth, which included money, land, and the family's timber business.
Starting a Political Career
After his father's death, Benning Wentworth became the head of his powerful family. They were against another colonial leader named Jonathan Belcher and his friend Richard Waldron. Belcher and Waldron had removed Benning's family from important political jobs. So, Benning worked with another politician, Theodore Atkinson, to remove them from power.
In August 1732, Wentworth was chosen to be part of the colonial assembly. Then, in 1734, he used his influence to join the governor's council. While on the assembly and council, Wentworth tried to weaken Belcher and Waldron. They wanted New Hampshire and Massachusetts Bay to be one colony. Wentworth, however, wanted them to be completely separate.
In 1733, the Spanish government refused to pay Wentworth for a large shipment of timber. This made Wentworth owe a lot of money to people in Boston. He had to borrow heavily from British merchants in London. He then asked the British government to pay him back for the Spanish government's refusal.
In 1738, Wentworth went to London to talk with his British contacts. He was in a lot of debt. While he was there, a group was deciding the border between New Hampshire and Massachusetts Bay. With help from Atkinson, this group decided in favor of New Hampshire. This made the colony twice as big.
Wentworth continued to negotiate in London. A powerful friend named John Thomlinson, who knew Thomas Pelham-Holles, came up with a plan. For 300 pounds, Wentworth would become the governor of New Hampshire. In return, Wentworth would drop his claim against the British government. Wentworth's supporters in New Hampshire quickly raised the money for him. In 1741, Wentworth officially became governor, replacing Belcher.
Being Governor and Later Life
As governor, Wentworth was a very smart and flexible politician. He mostly focused on giving out land grants. He also kept his rivals happy by giving them jobs as judges or military leaders. He helped the timber industry by ignoring some rules about cutting down white pine trees. This allowed merchants to cut trees freely, as long as they kept supplying masts (tall poles for ships) to his brother Mark, who sold them to the British Royal Navy.
In the 1740s, Wentworth and many of his family members joined the Church of England. He supported a church group called the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. He gave them land grants on the American frontier. During this time, Wentworth made sure his family had control over New Hampshire's politics. He filled government jobs with his relatives. This helped them control the profitable mast trade until the American Revolutionary War.
From 1748 to 1752, Wentworth caused a big political problem. He gave new settlements the right to have representatives, knowing they supported him. He also stopped the assembly from choosing Waldron as their leader. He did this because his political opponents now had more power in the assembly. The assembly disagreed, and both sides refused to give in. Eventually, the King's instructions supported Wentworth, and the problem was solved in his favor.
Starting in 1749, Wentworth began giving out many land grants to expand New Hampshire's borders. These included 131 towns. Many of these towns were in land that New York also claimed. New York argued against Wentworth's grants and complained to the Board of Trade and Plantations. This board eventually decided on July 26, 1764, that the land belonged to New York. Because of this, all the settlers in that area had to live under New York's rules. Many of them did not like this. Eventually, in 1777, a group of settlers from New Hampshire declared independence and formed the State of Vermont.
The arguments about the land grants and his friend Thomlinson's poor health led Wentworth to quietly step down as governor in 1766. His nephew, John, took over as governor of New Hampshire in 1767. John had helped prevent Benning from being removed from office in a bad way. Benning then retired to his personal mansion at Little Harbor, Portsmouth. He died on October 14, 1770, and was buried in the cemetery of Queen's Chapel.
Personal Life and Legacy
During his time in politics, Wentworth was known for being proud and stubborn, but also smart. His opponents sometimes called him "Don Granada" and "Don Diego." An American historian said he was able to keep his family in power and control the profitable mast trade for a long time.
Benning Wentworth was the oldest of eight brothers and five sisters. Many of his family members also went into politics. His sister Hannah married Theodore Atkinson. On December 13, 1719, Wentworth married Abigail Ruck, who was the daughter of a rich Boston merchant. They had three sons, but all of them died before Benning.
After Abigail died in 1755, Wentworth married again on March 15, 1760. His new wife was Martha Hilton, his 23-year-old housekeeper. They had several children, but none of them lived. Wentworth's family was angry that he married someone not from a high social class. Because of this, Wentworth left all his property to Martha in his last will and testament, leaving nothing to his family. Martha later remarried after his death.
Wentworth used his business and political career to become quite wealthy. He owned a lot of money and several properties. Because he gave out so many land grants, several towns were named after him. The town of Bennington, Vermont was named in his honor. After a famous battle in the American Revolutionary War happened near Bennington in 1771, the town of Bennington, New Hampshire was named after it.
Images for kids
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Benning Wentworth's signature
