Early Family Page

This page contains information about the first three generations of (our) Bentz's in this country, starting with Andreas. I would like to annotate it as completely as possible with source material, including links to scanned original documents (when possible). I intend this to be a working page, as I expect that this information is both incomplete and noisy.

Overview

Below are shown the first few generations of Andreas's family who had further descendants which we know of. This is intended to show the major branches of the family; more detailed information follows.

First Generation Second Generation Third Generation
Andreas Bentz
Otillia Catharina Lang


Andreas Bentz, Jr.
Elizabeth




Johan Nicholas Bentz
Eve Marie Swope



Michael Bentz
Catharina Zarbach

Magdalena Bentz
Peter Gentzler, Jr.

Johan Jacob Bentz
Susannah Lau, Mary Bushy

Anna Maria Bentz
Peter Hassler, Philip Snider



Family Groups

Below is a table of each generation with more detailed information and source notes. This may seem a bit confusing, especially when getting into the third generation. However, I present it distinctly from the main family trees as it is useful in developing an intuition about the early family, particularly where we know of descendants. In the third generation panel, I include the number of children known, so that the "shape" of the early tree may be grasped.

Underlined entries are those for which we know of descendants. This makes the data actually seem quite sparse - perhaps those without children listed here really didn't have them, but I suspect that it is much more likely that we just don't know of them.

The First Generation

Husband: Andreas Bentz
Born in Germany (reputedly Palatine or Alsace-Lorraine). Arrived in Philadelphia on December 3, 1740, on the ship Robert & Alice. He was a member of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church of Hanover.

Wife: Otillia Catharina Lang
(Sometimes spelled Ottilia, or Ottillia, Ottila, etc.)

Married: June 16, 1745 in New Holland, Lancaster Co., PA
(From the LDS records, batch #8632401 sheet 46.)

Children:

My source of information on the children's names is "Bentz Families of York County, PA and Surrounding Areas", by Michael Lau. This in turn quotes baptisms at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Hanover. Unfortunately I can't be sure exactly how much detail is in the baptismal records. I understand that they are now in the Public Library in Hanover.

I also quote LDS records, but I haven't looked at the original data on which these are based. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the LDS data and Michael Lau's are both based on the same baptismal records.

Elisabeth Bentz
Born: March 21, 1749/50
I have as a source someone provided to me: "Pennsylvania German Church Records, Vol 1, 13"
Anna Christina Bentz
Born: July 11, 1753
The LDS records list this as her birth, with her name being "Anna Christina Bens", father "Andrew Bens". The birthplace is listed as Hanover, PA. The Film number is 1761165.

Andreas Bentz, Jr.
Born: October 11, 1755
The LDS records list "Andrew Bens" as being christened on 30 Oct 1755, at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Hanover.

Johan Nicholas Bentz
Born: March 5, 1758 (Cadorus Township, PA)
Married: before 1779, to Eve Marie Swope
Died: June 10, 1828 (York Co., PA)
LDS has that "John Nicolous Bens" was born on March 5, 1758, in Hanover, to father Andrew Bens. Film #1761165. LDS also has a record (Batch #C504401) that "John Nicolaus Bens" was christened on 27 Mar 1758 at St. Matthew's.

Maria Magdalena Bentz
Born: May 5, 1761
LDS (Batch #C504401) has the christening of "Maria Magdalena Bens" (father Andrew Bens) on 29 May 1761.

The Second Generation
Husband: Andreas Bentz, Jr.
Born: October 11, 1755
Died: June 10, 1828 (York Co.)
Wife: Elizabeth
Died: April 1, 1825

Children:

My source of information here is Michael Bentz of Chicago, a descendant of this line.
Andrew Bentz

Bolly Bentz
Spouse: Jonas Renoll

Elizabeth Bentz
Born: September 9, 1784
Spouse: George Kop

Barbara Bentz
Born: June 20, 1781
Married: August 15, 1803
Spouse: Jacob Mayer

Margarete Bentz
Born: May 18, 1783
Spouse: Peter Simon

Michael Bentz
Born: September 1, 1786
Married: 1817
Died: September 18, 1866
Spouse: Catharina Zarbach

Catharina Bentz
Born: April 4, 1796
Spouse: David Becker

George Bentz
Born: October 20, 1798

Susanna Bentz
Born: March 15, 1804
Died: August 8, 1834

Magdalena Bentz
Born: December 13, 1806
Married: July 22, 1830
Spouse: Peter Gentzler, Jr.
Died: September 19, 1886
Husband: Johan Nicholas Bentz
Born: March 5, 1758 (Cadorus Township)
Married: Before 1779
Died: June 10, 1828 (York Co.)
He was christened at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Hanover on March 27, 1758 (I haven't seen the record). He's buried at Barren's Church.

Wife: Eve Marie Swope
Born: November 14, 1750
Died: January 15, 1839
Her name is variously given as Eva Maria Swope, or Maria Eva Swope. Her first husband was Conrad Gentzler, who was killed "at the Battle of Amboy" in 1776. (Click here to see a copy of her pension application from the state archives). Those of us also descended from John Hershey are in turn descended from a child of this first marriage, Johann Philip Gentzler. Her ancestry is unknown, despite a fair body of work on the Schwab/Swoope/Swope families in PA (she may have come from Germany). She is buried in Barrens cemetery.

Children:

Again, my source of information here is "Bentz Families of York County, PA and Surrounding Areas", by Michael Lau, pg. 143. He in turn quotes baptisms at Wolf's Church in West Manchester Twp. and Zeigler's Church in North Codorus Twp.
Catharina Bentz
Born: February 5, 1779

Johan Jacob Bentz
Born: November 23, 1781
Spouses: Susannah Lau, Mary Bushy
Died: March 22, 1835
He was christened on Jan 25, 1782 at Wolf's Church in West Manchester Twp. I have a note that he was buried "at the old Bentz homestead".
LDS lists a submission about him, which I'm tracking down.

Anna Maria Bentz
Born: September 9, 1784

Maria Elizabeth Bentz
Born: May 26, 1787

Andrew Bentz
Born: September 29, 1792
LDS has his christenign at the "St. Paul's Lutheran Reformed Or Ziegler's Church", North Cadorus Twp, York, on Nov. 4, 1792

The Third Generation (Andreas Bentz, Jr.'s children)
Husband: Michael Bentz
Born: September 1, 1786
Married: 1817
Spouse: Catharina Zarbach (5/16/1796-8/7/1865)
Died: September 17, 1866
Children:
Jacob Bentz

John Bentz
Born: September 8, 1817
Died: May 29, 1868
Buried: Zeigler's Church, North Codorus Twp.

Michael Bentz
Born: November 7, 1818
Spouse: Eleanor Klinedinst
Children: 4 Died: May 2, 1879
Buried: Zeigler's Church, North Codorus Twp.

Elisabeth Bentz
Born: 1821
Spouse: Peter Moul
Died: 1826

Peter Bentz
Born: December 14, 1823
Married: March 31, 1850
Spouse: Sallie Tyson
Children: 4 Died: February 19, 1911

Catherine Bentz
Born: October 14, 1827
Spouse: Andrew Beck
Died: 1910

Mary Bentz
Born: May 14, 1830

Andrew Bentz
Born: November 22, 1831

Rebecca Bentz
Born: June 9, 1834
Spouse: John F. Lau
Died: March 4, 1902

Susanna E. Bentz
Born: October 7, 1838
Married: September 15, 1859
Spouse: Reuben Kessler
Died: December 21, 1913
Magdalena Bentz
Born: December 13, 1806
Husband: Peter Gentzler, Jr.
Died: September 19, 1886
Children:
Maria Gentzler
Born: January 5, 1832

Isaac Gentzler
Born: April 17, 1834

Benjamin Gentzler

Magdalena Gentzler
Born: 1839
Spouse: Joseph Gruber

Nancy Gentzler
Born: February 29, 1840
Spouse: William N. Aughenbaugh
Died: April 19, 1897

Elizabeth & Maria Gentzler (twins)
Born: June 4, 1845

Polly Gentzler Married: May 15, 1870
Spouse: Peter Oberlander

Catherine Gentzler
Spouse: Jacob Wombauch

The Third Generation (Johan Nicholas Bentz's children)
Husband: Johan Jacob Bentz
Born: November 23, 1781 (York Co.)
Died: March 22, 1835 (York Co.)
Michael Lau's "Bentz Families of York County, PA and Surrounding Areas" lists him also as Jacob Pentz. He further quotes Baptisms at Zeigler's Church in North Codorus Twp and an obituary of Jacob in the York Gazette, March 31, 1835.

First Wife: Susannah Lau
Born: August 1, 1780
Died: March 20, 1812
Susannah was the daughter of Michael Lau and Anna Mary Näss. The "Lau" name is often spelled Law, or Lowe. For a chart of her ancestry, click here.

The kids are not right here:There is some overlap, probably because different sources have given me the same children as offspring of different marriages. Also, the Mary Bushy information I have has little supporting data.

CHILDREN (First Marriage):

Mary Magdalene Bentz
Born: January 20, 1790
Spouse: John D. Slothour
Died: June 4, 1827

Jacob L. Bentz
Born: October 21, 1803 (Cadorus Twp., York Co., PA)
Married: 1:Elizabeth Slothour; 2:Susannah Weaver - February 25, 1866
Children: 12
Died: March 5, 1874 (Warrington Twp., York Co., PA)

George Bentz
Born: February 27, 1807 (York Co., PA)
Spouse: Nancy Groff
Children: 10
Died: March 5, 1874 (York Co., PA)
Click here to see a photo of George and his wife Nancy Groff, most likely on the porch of the Crane Road house he built in 1843.

Rebecca Bentz
Born: About 1809
Spouse: Andrew Shearer
Children: 1

Andrew Bentz
Born: About 1812

Second Wife: Mary Bushy
Born: Jan 20, 1790
Died: June 1, 1827

Children (Second Marriage):

Eve Bentz

Catherine Bentz

Leah Bentz
Children: 10

David Bentz

Elizabeth Bentz

Rebecca Bentz
Children: 1

Andrew Bentz
Born: Oct 28, 1829

(Three others who died young)

Anna Maria Bentz
Born: September 9, 1784
Married: 1827
Spouse: Philip Snider
Died: 1867
Children:
George Washington Snider
Born: August 9, 1829
Spouse: Elizabeth Heikes

Page maintained by Bryan Bentz
Last update: May 12, 1999