Bentley, Charles

Bentley, Charles a Congregational minister, was born at South Tringham, now Monterey, Mass., April 1, 1799. He was converted at the age of eighteen, and immediately began preparation for the Christian ministry maintaining himself at Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass. His first year of college life was spent at Williams, and the last three at Amherst, from which he graduated in 1824. After a year of theological study with Rev. Allen McLean, of Simsbury, Conn., he was licensed to preach in 1825, and in the following year was ordained pastor at Middle Haddam. Thence he removed to Granby, where he was installed in 1833, and remained for six years. For eleven years, from 1839, he was pastor in Harwinton; after which, in 1850, he was installed pastor in Green's Farms. His fifth and last pastorate was in Willingtoni, and lasted for eight years, when he was constrained by the infirmities of age to resign his office, and soon after removed to Berlin, where he died July 23, 1869. Mr. Bentley was one of the most successful ministers of his day, and several very remarkable revivals occurred during his ministrations. For a number of years he was one of the trustees of the Theological Institute of Connecticut, and was otherwise deeply interested in the educational work of his church. See Cong. Quarterly, 1870, p. 56.