William Wentworth (elder)
| William Wentworth | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | baptized 15 March 1615/16 Alford, Lincolnshire, England |
| Died | 15 March 1696/7 Dover, New Hampshire |
| Other names | Elder William Wentworth |
| Education | signed his name to documents |
| Occupation | Sawmill proprietor, church elder |
| Spouse(s) | (1) name unknown (2) Elizabeth Knight |
| Children | Samuel, John, Gershom, Ezekiel, Elizabeth, Paul, Sylvanus, Timothy, Sarah, Ephraim, Benjamin |
| Parent(s) | William Wentworth and Susanna Carter |
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.
Baptized on 15 March 1615/16 in Alford, Lincolnshire, England, William Wentworth was the son of William Wentworth and Susanna Carter. His paternal grandfather was Christopher Wentworth, and his paternal grandmother was Catharine Marbury, who was a sister of Reverend Francis Marbury. Wentworth's father, therefore, was a first cousin of the famed Anne (Marbury) Hutchinson, who, with the Reverend John Wheelwright, was banished in 1637 from Massachusetts for her religious opinions during the Antinomian Controversy. The Marburys, Hutchinsons, Wheelwrights, and Wentworths all came from Alford, or nearby, and family historian John Wentworth deemed it likely that William Wentworth came to Boston in New England with Wheelwright in 1636. However, a contemporary biographer of William Wentworth, Susan Ostberg, is of the opinion that Wentworth arrived in Boston in July 1637 when a group of men arrived from Lincolnshire, including Anne Hutchinson's "brother" (actually her brother-in-law, Samuel Hutchinson). The uncertainty stems from the fact that Wentworth left behind no records in Boston.
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