This is from "The Bent Family in America", by Allen H. Bent, printed by David Clapp & Sons, Boston, 1900. Pg. 11 "John Bent, first of the name in America, was born in Penton- Grafton, England, in November, 1596 (while Elizabeth was still Queen), came to America in his forty-second year, and settled in Sudbury, Massachusetts, where he remained until his death, Sept. 27, 1672, ae. 76. (His will and inventory will be found elsewhere.) He married in England about 1624, Martha _____, who died in Sudbury, May 15, 1679, well along in years. " John Bent's will can be found on Pg. 257 under the title, "Will of John Bent of Sudbury, Mass. , 1672." Names mentioned in the transcription are, "martha my beloved wife", "my oldest sonne Peter Bent", "my sonne Joseph Bent", "John Bent my sonne", "Agnis Rice my daughter", "my daughter martha How", "Hannah Bent the daughter of my sonne John Bent", "John How the oldest sonne of my daughter martha", "Peter Bent the oldest sonne of Peter Bent my sonne", "John Rice the sonne of my daughter agnis Rice", and "Henery Rice and John Stone shall be overseers to this my will". John Bent's Inventory, 1672 (pgs. 259, 260), contains no mention of "martha". The "Children of John and Martha" (the first five born in Penton- Grafton, the last two in Sudbury, Mass.) are listed on Pg. 13, all with only a single given name (as might be expected), so provide no clue as to the true birth name of "martha". The narratives accompanying the discussions of "martha's" last five children who survived to adulthood, make interesting reading but again, offer no clues. Other than a brief mention of Thomas Blanchard as having married (2nd) in England, Agnes (Bent) Barnes and the fatefull voyage of the Jonathan, the only other Blanchards noted are: Rev. Jonathan Blanchard, born in Rockingham, VT, married Mary Avery Bent and was Pres. of Knox College, Galesburg, Ill. (1846-1860) and Pres. of Wheaton College, Wheaton, Ill (1860-1882), as has been reported to this List . Sarah Anne (Blanchard) Hall, mother of Eunice B. Hall who married Samuel Bartlett Bent in 1865. Fletch